A/N: I lost my debit card again.

Yes, again. This sort of thing actually happens to me all the time. I must have gone through three debit cards in the past year or so. It's really sad how I can't keep track of simple (yet vitally important) things like my wallet, my cell phone, my house keys...oh, that was a memorable one. You know how much fun it is calling your landlord to tell them that you've lost your copy of your house key?

Yeah. Not so much.

I'm actually pretty upset about this. I really liked that debit card. My last one had the Batman logo on it, but when I lost that one, I had gotten it replaced with a totally bitchin' one with penguins on it...you know, for irony's sake. I know if I had REALLY wanted to be ironic, I'd have picked one with the Joker or something, but unfortunately my bank doesn't have debit cards with comic book super villains on it. I was lucky enough to get the Batman that one time. And I sure as hell wasn't about to get something with a freaking ordinary, non-serial-killer-type clown on my debit card. Come on. What would be the point?

So I got a card with penguins, which was cute and gave me the warm fuzzies every time I used it to fuel my Spicy Buffalo Pringles addiction. And now it's gone.

GONE.

(Sigh) Here's the next chapter. While you read this, I'm going to get me yet another debit card...sheesh.


Chapter Forty-Eight: In the Jaws of the Enemy

The crackling of the flames sounded like vicious laughter in the ears of the Kyoshi Warriors. But that might have been because of the woman in black, laughing maniacally as she cut her way through their defenses...sometimes literally. The Firebenders under her command both feared and respected her authority; and while they found their order to take prisoners repugnant, they obeyed unquestioningly. The last guy who questioned Mantis's will was still swimming in a pool of his own vital fluids...not to mention his intestines.

A bloodied scythe is a great motivational tool, Mantis realized. She didn't hesitate to use it whenever she felt like her men weren't listening enough. Or whenever she was bored. Sometimes both.

"We don't have to fight you," she reminded the warriors. "But if you continue to resist, we will have no choice but to burn down this village."

Sweat-streaked faces glistened underneath the war-paint. Mantis looked from one defiant pair eyes to another and felt herself grin. Well, she had to give the Kyoshi Warriors credit. They certainly didn't back down when their back was against the wall. Quite the opposite, in fact. Their tenacity was certainly making things more interesting for her. Too bad she couldn't let herself kill them. Hell, it probably would be the way they'd want to go, too. To die fighting was the epitome of honor for a warrior.

"We are willing to grant mercy to those who accept our terms," she called to the crowd of defenders. "The Fire Nation is willing to offer amnesty, aid, and protection to the future province of Kyoshi Island. Those who surrender peacefully will be allowed to maintain their traditions and beliefs...but those who continue to fight will be taken prisoner and brought to stand trial in the Fire Nation."

She looked around at the villagers who were tensed and watching the fight. The few who had taken up weapons to assist the Kyoshi Warriors hesitated, looking at each other in consternation. Oyagi gritted his teeth and stared resolutely at Mantis as she continued to address the townsfolk.

"We are not your enemy," she continued. "And your loyalty will be rewarded. What has the false Avatar and his friends brought you other than ruination and chaos? He has taken advantage of your good will and hospitality, made a farce out of your dedication to Avatar Kyoshi, and then ran at the first sign of trouble. Would the real Avatar being fleeing for his life? Or would he be here by your side, fighting to the last man, woman, and child?

"We, on the other hand, merely ask for your cooperation in enacting justice. We are not barbarians, but peacekeepers. And to let this imposter run free would be an insult to the memory of the true Avatar! Not to mention dangerous to the precarious balance of the world!"

Oyagi looked angry. "The child you speak of is the true Avatar! He is an Airbender, therefore he must be the Avatar. All the other Airbenders were wiped out when Fire Lord Sozin attacked their temples...!"

Mantis narrowed her eyes at the old man. "And who is to say that a few didn't escape? Who is to say that there are no Air Nomads left in the world? Besides, an Energybender can easily mimic other forms of bending. They are liars and manipulators. And you are playing right into their hands."

The villagers were starting to cluster around, listening to the strange woman dressed entirely in black. Many seemed torn; obviously they didn't want to believe that the children they had been host to were imposters. But it was hard to ignore Mantis's logic. Decades of isolationism and xenophobia made it easy for her to plant seeds of doubt in their minds. They had probably always been doubting, even before Julie had even arrived on their shores.

"Stop resisting us," Mantis called to the crowd. "Throw down your weapons, and we will grant you mercy. We will rid you of these insidious interlopers and restore the honor of your Avatar Kyoshi."

Oyagi's face flushed in anger. "We know who the true Avatar is. And we will not betray him."

The woman gave him a cold stare. "So be it," she said softly. She raised her scythe in the air, turning to the Firebenders closing ranks around her. "Arrest the town elder. Show these people what happens to those who choose to become our enemy!"

There was a sharp metallic sound as a war-fan sliced through the air. It clashed harshly against the blood-stained blade in Mantis's hand, knocking it out of her fist. The scythe seemed to do a backflip as it descended to the mud. It was lost somewhere underneath her rhino.

"As if we would really welcome invaders and murderers," said a voice.

Mantis wheeled her mount around and saw the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors glaring at her, war-fans sharpened and ready to bite at her foe. The two eyed each other, two warriors sizing one-another before trading blows. Slowly, the woman in black raised her hand to her mouth, licking away the blood oozing from the gash in her knuckles.

"These were new gloves," she said in a lethal undertone.

"I'll ruin a lot more than your gloves if you don't leave this village," Suki snarled. "Leave us in peace!"

Mantis smiled. "Peace?" she queried, drawing a knife strapped to her thigh. "Or pieces?"


(Julie's POV)

Zhao smiled in a way that some young women might find charming...if their idea of charming happened to be a man whose "interests" included seafaring, bondage, and genocide. And I was only guessing about the seafaring bit.

"I had a feeling you would try to flee the island," he said. "So I took the liberty of detaining your flying sky bison. Unless you have yet another logic-defying beast of burden, your only way out is through me."

I narrowed my eyes at him, too far gone from the pain lancing through my skull to care much about the fourth wall. Or maybe I just figured, to hell with it; I'm going to die soon, anyway. "Since when do you watch Avatar Abridged?"

He blinked at me. "Come again?"

"That line, just now; when you used the phrase "logic-defying beast of burden" to describe Big Fluffy, here?" I gestured at the hog-tied Appa. "You stole that from a popular abridged series. And that's just...plain...wrong!"

There was a long silence.

"I think what Julie means," said Aang quickly, "Is that we're not running away. Not anymore." He drew his staff and brandished it at the master Firebender. "We will defeat you...and we will free Appa. We're not going to let you hurt anyone else!"

Zhao seemed mildly amused. "Big words for someone caught with their tail between their legs, boy." He glanced at me, causing Kuba to automatically step in front of me; almost as if trying to hide me from view. But it didn't do any good. Zhao's eyes were icy as they raked over me from across the field. I'm pretty sure that was my small intestine, just now, trying to detach itself from the rest of my digestive system before the bastard had the chance to disembowel me.

"If you think that an untrained Avatar and this street urchin can save you," he told me in a low voice. "Then I'm delighted to be the one to crush that delusion underfoot. You're going to regret ever crossing paths with me, Julie. I swear it."

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat and ended up choking on my own spit.

"You're the one who's going to regret it, you ape-faced shithole," Kuba yelled.

Aang and I both turned to stare at the Earthbender. The Avatar's face was a mixture of a bewilderment and mortification. I, on the other hand, was impressed. Seriously, that last insult was a touch of sheer genius. I wonder where he got that bit of inspiration from.

"What?" the boy demanded, probably noticing the looks we were giving him. "I've heard worse insults from Julie every time Prince Zuko calls her a lowly-bred peasant girl...which he does pretty much every five minutes."

Um...no comment.

"Charming," Zhao drawled. "But if you three are done trying and failing to intimidate me, I think it's high time to end this little game."

Fire erupted in the palms of his hands. Aang and Kuba took defensive stances in front of me while Sanji attempted to crawl up my leg. Merle's eyes went huge as she stared at the Fire Navy Commander. And me? I was frantically checking the dial-tone in my brain, just in case Ayla decided to...I dunno...give me some life-saving advice or an instruction manual to Energybending. No other ideas were forthcoming; with every step Zhao took towards us, the worse my headache got. It was like something out of freaking Harry Potter, only Voldemort was no-where to be seen!

Ayla? AYLA! Zhao is going to KILL us! Some help, please?

I don't care what that guy whose name I can't remember says. Silence is NOT golden. Especially not when lives were at stake.

"Now is when the real fun begins," said Zhao, spreading his arms wide.

I pushed the kids behind me as the flames stretched up and out towards us. Aang quickly sent a gust of wind to deflect the fire. The Airbending was just enough to keep us from getting incinerated, something that wasn't a good sign given that Aang was the freaking Avatar. Even with all of his power, I could still feel their heat from where I had fallen to my knees like a total wussbag. I could see Aang starting to sweat after thirty seconds of his staff-twirling. Damn...!

Kuba darted out from under my arm, coating his palm in earth as he skirted around Aang and under the fire. He ran at Zhao as the rocks spread to his knuckles, but the Commander sank into a crouch and swung another low arc of fire, forcing the Earthbender to throw himself to the ground and roll out of the way. Aang took advantage of the literal cease-fire to charge in and push Zhao back with more Airbending. The man reached out and grabbed Appa by one of his horns just before he could be blown off of his feet.

Appa decided at this point that enough was enough, took a deep breath, and blew the Commander into a tree. A large (but unfortunately low-hanging) branch fell off and caught him in the back, almost squashing him. Aang went over to Kuba, helping him back on to his feet. The younger boy took a deep breath and winced, glancing pointedly down at his knees. There was now a hole in one of the legs of his pants; the other was just badly creased and smudged with dirt. I found myself breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn't been hurt worse.

But I quickly choked again when the branch pinning Zhao to the ground seemed to spontaneously combust, sending fiery flakes of charred wood raining down from the sky. I shielded my face until the fire died down, then looked back. My jaw dropped.

Zhao stood there, the grass under his feet smoking menacingly. The tree behind him was completely aflame. He casually rolled his shoulders, not at all like someone who just blew up about a hundred pounds of trunk and foliage with their Firebending prowess; but more like a member of the stage crew during a light-show at a Hansen concert. The sight was freakishly intimidating.

Merle grabbed me firmly by the arm, dragging me over to where the sky bison lay tied up on the ground. "Come on!" she yelled. "If we can get him free, we can escape!"

"Good plan," I breathed. My hands shakingly fumbled with the knots in the ropes. They were thick and impossible to pry apart with just my fingers. I felt a wave of desperation as I struggled against the binds. The more frustrated I got, the more intensely my head throbbed. I could barely think, let alone focus on untying the ropes. It was hopeless.

Appa moaned forlornly.

"It's no good," I told her. "I need something sharp...like a knife...or a rough stone. Can you find something like that? Quickly!"

Sanji held up something. "Will this work?"

It was a funny-looking implement made of a thin, but unyielding metal that had been painted a very conspicuous shade of Water Tribe blue. It was smooth along the sides but pointed at the end. It looked like something you'd use to scrape ice off the bottom of a canoe...or saw away some troublesome rope. Damn! Now that was pretty freaking convenient!

"Where did you get that?" Merle demanded, looking surprised.

Sanji sniffed and rubbed his nose with his sleeve. "I got it from Sokka. He said I could have it if I promised not to have to go potty all the time."

I snatched the ice-pick. "It's great! It's fantastic! Now hold these ropes in place while I cut them...!"

Zhao was launching fire blasts at Aang and Kuba. Every time the monk would parry with a gust of wind, the Earthbender would try to get in close to do some heavy hand-to-hand damage to every part of him he could reach. This was, by the way, the real reason why neither of them were helping to free Appa. Honestly, I don't think they had even noticed what we were doing. It's kind of hard to notice things like that when you're trying not to get set on fire by a sadistic Fire Navy Commander with a bad goatee and sideburns.

I was sawing away at the ropes when I was distracted by a scream from Aang.

"Kuba, wait! Don't!"

I looked up in time to see the street urchin throw himself at Zhao. The man just sneered, using his superior reach to catch the boy in the ribs with his leg. The air left my lungs as I saw the fire shoot past his boot and leave a burning footprint in Kuba's shirt. The ice-pick fell from my sweaty fingers as a scream tore itself past my throat.

"NO...!"

Kuba slammed into the ground, rolling to a dead halt at the base of the burning tree. He lay on the ground, hissing in pain with every intake of breath. I could see a fresh sheen of sweat on his now very pale face. In a few spasms he managed to curl up into a ball on the ground, clutching his stomach. No...no, no, no! NO!

I couldn't scream or breathe as my migraine suddenly intensified. Picture a blazing furnace, the glowing coals, the whole shebang. Now picture that fire erupting with the force and anger of a super volcano, and then superimpose it on top of another super volcano. That searing agony was inside my head. I think I was crying, but whether that was because of the pain or because Kuba just got kicked in the ribs with a flaming boot, I couldn't exactly say.

Still. It felt like I was crying tears of blood. It hurt that bad.

"One down," said Zhao calmly. "And four more to go."

It should have been as simple as the chiming of a bell; but the impact of his words slammed home like a baseball bat to the cranium. The sad part was that those words were almost wasted on me. I could barely hear him over the ringing noise in my ears. It was a shrill keening, almost as if someone...or something was screaming. It sounded terribly angry and unspeakably grief-stricken at the same time. It made it impossible for me to think.

A crimson fog crawled into my field of vision, overwhelming me. I felt like I was breathing in that unending, tainted shade of red. It burned and turned my insides into stone. When I felt I would be so full of that redness that I would burst, that's when everything suddenly turned cold.

Something...something pushed its way inside me, shoving my consciousness out of the way. I felt myself being shoved into a very tiny space. It was a nauseating, disorienting feeling; as much as I was hurting, my body seemed completely unharmed. It barely registered the shock my spirit felt right then and there.

The last thing I saw was a massive, black serpent lunging at me with its jaws open wide. Then, blackness.


(?)

The closer I get to her, the stronger her blood-scent becomes. The smell of her chi becomes a shape, and I can see her on her knees, clutching the sides of her head. I can smell pain, fear, and anger. The red aura pulses more violently than ever before. It almost outshines the auras of the other humans surrounding her...the two children crouched behind her; the large beast-thing behind them; the other male child on the ground, seething in pain...his aura is rapidly weakening.

The only spirit present in that space that is powerful enough to rival the girl is another male; and though his body is young, an ancient, but magnificent radiance shines and hovers around him. It is a pure, unblemished blue.

I can also smell him. The invader. My killer. The stench of his confident swagger, the bold tenacity of his inner fire...it makes me want to strike. More than anything, I want to kill this man. And then, once he is dead, I want to torment his spirit for the rest of eternity.

The girl intrigues me enough to keep my attention. I watch the crimson light encroach over the green, drowning it out. Already it is strong enough to push me back, and she is not even at full strength yet. She isn't even fighting. She wastes so much energy fighting her true nature that she can barely move.

But she is too weak to fight me. The time to strike is now, before her other self can reach its potential. I brace myself and lunge towards the girl, aiming directly for her heart chakra. That is where the red light begins...where the river of light flows, clashing with the green light trapped inside her mind. I enter her body and feel no resistance at all. She is ready for me, almost as if this were meant to be.

I feel the body lurch as I grab control over her chakras, as her power merges with mine. Her breath catches, her lungs expand, her muscles lock into place; I fill every inch of her, every crevice I can squeeze into. It is over before it can really begin. She is mine. I am her, and she is my weapon...my fangs.

"Miss Julie?"

The sound of the little girl's voice echoes in these ears. I can hear her now that I have a body again. I can see her too, a child and her younger brother clinging to the body I possess. I can smell their fear, but only faintly, as though I were smelling it from a distance...the human's nose isn't equipped to differentiate between emotions of prey like mine had been.

"Is Kuba going to be all right?" the little boy whispers, clutching her...my arm.

I look at the older male child on the ground, twitching. He is barely conscious now.

"No," I say, pushing my voice so that it echoes alongside the voice of my host. "But I will be."

And I smirk as light, my power, erupts from my new body.


(Zuko's POV)

The Fire Prince didn't know what he was supposed to do. As the seconds passed, Sokka's expression hardened.

"Thought so. If you don't want to show us your face, then we have nothing more to say to each other." He turned his back on Zuko. "Let's go, Katara. Julie and Aang are waiting for us. We don't have time to waste here."

No way.

This cretin wasn't about to just walk away with the peasant after everything he went through tonight. Not after he went through all the trouble of tracking her down and getting her to trust him. Especially not now that he had finally earned her trust...even if it was admittedly on shaky ground at the moment. He had promised to rescue her and bring her back to the ship, and no one...not Zhao, not the Avatar, not Shen-Long, not the entire island of Kyoshi...no one was going to make him break it. Not now. Not at all.

"I don't think you understood me," Zuko said in a low voice, making the siblings freeze in their tracks. "I said that I wasn't going to let you take Julie away. I wasn't asking for your permission...or your approval."

Sokka turned back around, fixing him with a serious look. He had his fingers wrapped around his club again, tensed and ready for a fight if necessary.

"Julie is a part of our group," he told him. "And after everything she's been through in the past couple of days, and with all the Fire Nation freaks out to get her, we'd have to be out of our minds to just let a complete stranger whisk her off to Spirits know where!"

"I don't need your trust," the masked exile replied. "The only person who's trust matters to me is Julie's...and I've already earned it. I'm not about to lose it now. Not to the likes of you or your precious Avatar."

In a slow, unflinching motion, Zuko drew his Dao swords. They made a menacing metallic sound as they rasped into the open air, making both Katara and Sokka take a few cautious steps back towards the trees. He held the blades firmly in his unshaking hands, his stance ready, all body-language indicating his seriousness. Every part of him radiated the same message, that he wasn't about to shy away from a fight either.

"I have no reason to fight you now that we have a common enemy," he told them. "But if you get in my way...if you even think about running off with Julie, I will not hold back. I will not lose her again. Do you understand me?"

"Don't threaten him!" Katara growled. "Just who do you think you are, anyway? What gives you the right to just decide Julie's future like that? You don't own her! She doesn't belong to you, you creep!"

Zuko choked back a wave of frustration.

"You don't understand!" he said loudly; so recklessly angry that he no longer cared if his voice was recognized. "Julie is so much more than what she seems to be...! I'm only just beginning to realize that. There is something about her, something huge that I haven't figured out yet...and I need to be there to protect her from whatever it is." He took a step closer, challengingly. "I won't let you stop me!"

The Water Tribe siblings exchanged looks.

"What kind of things are you trying to protect her from?" Sokka asked, lowering his club a fraction of an inch.

Zuko went quiet for a minute. He closed his eyes, remembering the way she had looked at him back at the town elder's hut; the way her eyes had looked when he had first told her what she was. Frightened...confused...and tremendously angry. She couldn't even control her own bending. And when she got too emotional...if someone really got her back against a wall, she lashed out.

Like that morning in the meditation chamber, he recalled. When he had yelled at Uncle Iroh for not knowing the Avatar's whereabouts, and Julie had panicked and unconsciously seized control of his Firebending chakras...and couldn't let go.

He could still hear her heartbeat in his head. He knew just how badly he had frightened her then; the memory of it made him sick to his stomach.

"Herself mostly," he replied. "The other things you don't need to know about."

"Oh, yeah," Sokka scoffed. "Right. Julie again. She's such a menace. It's ridiculous how much of a fuss everyone is making about her and this Energybending thing! I mean, how bad can it possibly be? The Avatar, my sister and I all spent a lot of time with her over the past few days...and all that time she seemed anything but dangerous. A little jumpy at times, but all in all pretty...well...ordinary. Normal."

"She's anything but normal," said Zuko darkly.

"Yeah, well excuse me if I choose not to take your word for it."

It happened then. A noise so loud, so shrill and high-pitched that it sliced through the fog and smoke like a clean dagger; it cut through the silence of the forest and made their knees buckle. To Zuko, it was more like he was feeling this keening noise rather than hearing it. It almost felt like he was connected to it...like that sound was calling out to him and him alone.

Aaahhhh...!

The shockwave sent the three of them straight to their knees, pushing them to the ground. Their legs simply gave out beneath them. Zuko could only remember the last time he had felt so shaky and weak...and it had been when Julie was Energybending against her will.

AAAAHHHHH...!

That was her voice. She was screaming...she was in pain.

The light reached them then. A crimson radiance erupted in the distance, rising past the trees and combing every leaf and branch in its quest to cover the entire forest. Zuko had never seen anything so terrifyingly bright, or so vast. That light was going to swallow them all.

"Julie..." he breathed. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the magnificent horror that had him spell-bound. "That was...Julie...?"

"Whoa," Sokka whispered. "Was I the only one who heard that? Or...or saw that? The weird lights and the voice in my head?"

"I heard it too," said Katara in a subdued voice. "It sounded like...like Julie. But there was something else I heard, too. It sounded like...almost like a monster was screaming at the same time. Or...crying."

Zuko didn't say anything. His heart was pounding.

"That was almost as intense as the time Aang went into his Avatar State," the Waterbender continued slowly. "Remember? It was so much like this...when he had found out the other Air Nomads had been wiped out by the Fire Nation. He almost destroyed the entire mountain, he was so upset. Something...similar must be happening now, only to Julie."

"Julie did that...?"

"I think so, Sokka."

Zuko stood up abruptly. He sheathed his swords and took off running through the trees. He streaked right past the two Water Tribe siblings, not caring what they did or said anymore. He didn't have any more time to waste with those two. He had to find Julie before...before...he didn't even know what was wrong. Why had he let her go off on her own?

Stupid peasant, he thought. But his inner voice was quiet and panicked. What did she do, now?

His mind dragged up the memory of that night the Brotherhood had tried to take her away...when Julie had started Energybending and nearly destroyed the entire pier. She had amplified the chi fueling the fires and tried to blow everything and everyone sky high. He thought of all that power and had to repress a shiver running up his spine. No, it wasn't her own power...but the power from so many people she had borrowed. If she could do that to a dock, what would she do to this forest?

The Avatar was with her, too. What if she tapped into his power?

Cursing, Zuko fell into a dead sprint, making for the red light in the distance. It was getting closer and closer, but it seemed to take far too long. The crimson glimmer through the trees seemed tantalizingly far away. He couldn't make himself move fast enough. Why had he left her?

Why?


(Aang's POV)

Zhao smirked at the young Avatar. "One down," he said calmly. "And four more to go."

Aang's eyes flickered to the fallen Earthbender. Kuba was barely conscious, barely stirring on the ground as he struggled with the pain of his burn wound. The boy kept trying to get back up, but it was a futile effort. Aang had never seen anyone so desperate to fight before; it was like nothing he had ever seen before. As badly injured as he was, Kuba was that determined to help.

Guilt swam through him. This was his fault. He was the Avatar. It was his job to keep things like this from happening.

If he hadn't wasted so much time here, goofing off and letting all that celebrity treatment go to his head, Zhao wouldn't have found out he was on Kyoshi Island. If he had listened to Katara and left the moment Julie had gotten better, they'd be far away from here...and safe. If he hadn't let the villagers get so carried away with their trial, if he hadn't let himself use that as an excuse to stay longer...if...if...if...

Aang didn't know how he was supposed to fix this. He was just one kid.

How am I supposed to even be the Avatar?

There was no one who could give him any answers. No one who could show him how to do his job. He had never felt so small and so hopeless in his entire life. Innocent people were getting hurt and killed all around him. He had to find a way to defeat Zhao...he just had to.

What would the other Avatars do...? he thought frantically. What would Avatar Roku do?

He paused. Wait...how do I even know that name?

Before he could really come to grips with this half-knowledge, there was a terrible sound behind him...and a bright, powerfully deep red light swept across the grass, tinting the entire world a vivid rouge. Zhao actually paused in his taunting, taking a few steps back and sinking into a defensive stance, his eyes fixed on something behind Aang. It felt like a volcano was erupting.

Aang wheeled around when he heard the children scream. Appa bellowed in alarm.

His grey eyes widened. "J...Julie?"

The redhead was hovering a few inches above the ground, her body curled in on itself as a massive amount of spiritual energy coiled around her. Her eyes were vacant as the chi spiraled into a vague shape...like a giant snake or a...serpent. It rose from her body and towered over the humans in the field. At the same time, Julie slowly uncurled herself, lifting her head to the sky.

The giant serpent roared in anger.

Merle and Sanji had let go of Julie and were clinging to Appa's saddle, cowering and trying not to get blown away.

"So," said Zhao, taking a few cautious steps towards the beast. "I see you learned some new tricks, Julie. Very impressive."

Julie's empty gaze slid to the Commander. "We are not Julie," she said, her true voice overlapping with another, more bestial-sounding one. "We will be your slayer...your executioner. You are our enemy! You killed me...and now you seek to destroy my home...!"

Aang frowned, squinting at the shape surrounding the redhead. No, it was definitely a serpent. He could see fins...and a tail. The fog was becoming more solid-looking, the scales reflecting a translucent black. It was a giant black serpent...no...not just a serpent.

Comprehension slammed home. "That's...that's the Unagi...!"


A/N: I FOUND MY DEBIT CARD! IT WAS IN MY SHOE!

Ahem.

It's a hard deal being the Avatar when you don't know how to do your job. Aang has yet to make contact with Avatar Roku, leaving him floundering in the wake of Zhao and his ruthless tactics. As he struggles to keep himself and his friends safe, Mantis seduces the impressionable villagers with her lies, calling him a false Avatar. With only Suki and her warriors to defend Aang's honor and reputation (not to mention the village itself), this fight may be over before it can really begin.

And the identity of the anonymous spirit stalking Julie through the woods has been revealed! Julie's defenses were already down after Energybending on Chaang to save Kuba; not only did she not sense the Unagi, she couldn't even fight back as it seized control of her body. But what was this "true nature" the Unagi saw her fighting, the red overwhelming the green in her spirit? Will it affect the Unagi's ability to manipulate Julie?

Things might necessarily work out in Team Avatar's favor if the Unagi runs amok. Aang thought he had a problem when he had Zhao to defeat. Will he be forced to fight Julie on top of it all? Will Zuko be able to get to the clearing in time to avert a disaster?

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