The black phoenix.
Disclaimer :I don't own avatar the last airbender.
An :Finally the grand finally! This chapter is the final one for this story, excluding the epilog.
At this fabulous moment I want to thank everyone who followed, favoritad and reviewed, who beared with me even through my terrible grammar and other problems. Hopefully you enjoyed the story itself!
Now on to the story.
"Shun" the avatar gazed upon his freind who was walking toward him, his body coated in black flames his dark eyes narrowed but a small smile was splitting his face.
"Aang, when I saw Appa I knew it was you " the man spoke his voice soft at the sight of the younger boy "It's good to see you again".
"B-but how?" the last airbender asked "Didn't you die?" his voice trembled.
Shun continued to approach the boy, his eyes softened.
"It's a long story, and unfortunately we don't have time for idle chatter" he replied finally reaching the avatar before enveloping him in a hug.
"But I promise you I'll explain everything after all this will be over.. Will you trust me?" he told him.
Aang's body trembled "I don't know how this is possible" he said softly "But I'll trust you.. It's good to see you again".
"It's good to see you as well, Aang" the older boy said releasing the hug before turning to the others who stood there gaping.
"It's good to see you all again, Toph, Zuko, Katara, Sokka".
They nodded, Toph being the only one who wasn't looking at him.
Finally breaking from his stupor Sokka approached him and looked him in the eyes.
"Listen Shun, I don't know how and why but you will agree with me that all of this is suspicious and smells of trap?" he told him sternly.
Shun nodded "I know Sokka, but will you please trust me? Just this once? The resistance needs your help and we need to take care of Ozai before he will try and run away, not to mention that as we speak Azula is fighting on the front lines! So please just this once trust me! I swear I will tell you everything after this" the last part he said while looking at all of them.
"I'll trust Shun" Aang said "I'll help him".
Shun smiled gratefully.
"I'll trust you as well, you don't seem to be lying" Toph spoke "Your heart is beating regularly".
"Toph" the fire bender murmured.
"If Aang is trusting you ill do the same" Katara stated "I need to be there to bail him out of any trouble he will surely get himself into" she smiled at the airbender who blushed lightly.
"Hmm, I came here to find Azula so I'll have to fight one way or another" the fire nation prince said.
Sokka looked at his friends and finally sighed in indignation "Fine, I'll trust you this once Shun, but I expect an explanation after this! And it's better be a good one!" he stated.
A brilliant smile broke through the fire bender'a usual grim facade.
"Thank you guys, I appreciate it" he said warmly "Now as for what to do there isn't much to explain Aang and I will move toward the palace.. I'll take care of Haruto while Aang will take care of the fire lord.. All of you the city is on fire, the resistance needs each and every helping hand they can get".
The group nodded.
"Just be careful not to die this time around" Katara told the boy with a slight smile.
In response Shun chuckled "Don't worry about it, this time I have a small surprise in store for him" he said, a dark glimmer in his eyes "Yes, this time it's going to be different".
Azula blocked a fire ball before she fried the poor soldier who stood in front of her, her body moved fluently as she ducked, blocked and redirected her enemy fire back at them.
All around her the resistance, - their hands marked with a glowing red stripe- were fighting the loyal fire nation soldiers.
Screams of pain were resounding all around them, the smell of ozone and burnt flesh was standing in the air, making it hard to breath.
Buldings were burning all around, carts and charred animal corpses were scattered around, the scene looked as if from the apocalypse.
She was better than even the best of their soldiers, taking down numerous grunts all over the area.
She hist killed another soldier when her instincts screamed at her to jump back, and just like many times before they saved her life.
As just a moment later an explosion destroyed the spot where she stood just a moment ago.
"Tch" an annoyed voice came from between one of the smoke covered areas "And here I thought it will be an easy kill.. Should've known that the princess won't be taken out that easily".
"You" Azula hissed as the smirking form of Kinoko came out of the smoke, a fire ball already in her hands.
"Oh? Why the angry face? It's doesn't suit you princess" the woman said still smirking.
Without waiting for a reply the fire ball was launched.
Azula quickly moved aside, letting the projectile to miss the her and strike a building which exploded.
"Heh, not bad reflexes princess" Kinoko said before moving forward, lunching another ball.
From there the battle evolved, the two woman moved around each other releasing fire in different forms at each other, ducking evading and parrying each other's attacks.
Ducking under another projectile Kinoko released a torrent of flames before charging a lightning bolt.
When Azula was finally able to see she was greeted with the princess's two fingers locked on her.
"Time to step up the game" Kinoko said before releasing the bolt out.
Ozai watched from atop his palace at the city bellow him, his eyes narrowed at the destruction down there.
His hands clenched his teeth gritted.
"Just wait Avatar" he hissed darkly "I'll pay you tenfold for this! I swear" he said.
He was about to go down when he saw it, a huge hurricane picked up from where he knew Haruto went.
"So.. You've finally came" he muttered before running down the stairs, his eyes burning.
Aang's hurricane throwed countless soldiers around, shredding their bodies before disspresing and showering the area with blood and body parts.
Beside him Shun finished burning to crisp a group of soldiers.
"We don't have time for this Aang, you should head toward the palace, take the fire lord out.. With your mobility you should be able to reach there easily.. I'll joinjoin you later!"
Aang looked reluctant for a moment before nodding "Allright, just be careful" he said.
Shun flashed him a smile "better worry about yourself" he replied before blocking another fire ball.
Aang nodded once more "Then I am off" he said before jumping up and taking to the air.
Before long he vanished from the fire bender's eyes.
When he did Shun turned around toward one of the alleys "Just come out uncle" he said darkly "I know you're there"
A short mirthless laugh resounded from the alley "You're really sharp ain't you nephew?" the voice of Haruto sounded cold and sharp "Don't you think it was stupid to send the avatar away? It's not like you've gotten much better since the last time we met as enemies on the battlefield".
Shun narrowed his eyes "I don't need Aang to babysit me.. Also this is something we need to resolve between the two of us, one on one" he said his voice equally icy.
"I guess you're right.. I wouldn't have it any other way. To think that after all this planning, all these sacrifices you somehow regained your memory, destroying everything." the older man's voice was bitter "I guess I should've known that this wasn't going to be fair.. After all it should've been me who awakened the black flames! Not your father! Then nothing like that would ever happen!" his voice gradually changed from bitter to angry.
"I was better than him in everything! I was smarter, more skilled and cunning! And yet he was fortunate to be born first! This was not fair! But I still had a plan! With you under my care you were trained and got ready unknowingly for yourself journey with the avatar! To awaken your black flames. But even after all this you still somehow regained your memories! That's unfair! And now everything is lost, even if you're dead there is no way for Ozai to defeat the brat without the help of the comet.. And after that I'll be hunted by him" he gritt his teeth.
"Are you quite finished with your monolog uncle?" the teen was visibly annoyed "I have other things to do today".
"Eager to die nephew?" Haruto smiled darkly "Very well.. Let's end this"
With those words he launched himself forward, flames sprouting from under his feet, his leg up for a kick.
Without hesitating Shun enveloped his entire leg in flames before he met his uncle's leg in the air.
The shock caused the older man to jump forward, a pained groan escaping him.
"When exactly did you master the art of coating yourself body in flames?" he asked now alarmed.
A small dark smile appeared on the teen's face "I didn't" he said with a chuckle.
"Then how?" the man asked before his eyes widened "No! Damn it! no!" he screamed.
"Ah I see you understand uncle.. Yes the avatar is in close proximity, which means that my instincts are fired.. It's true that I am strongest when fighting against him, but I am also the strongest when fighting around him" with those words he crunched a bit before dashing forward, the flames on his legs vanished appearing instead on his hands.
"Let's end this!"
Aang plowed through the skies, his gaze set on the palace.
From his point of view he could see the burning city with all of the fithing around as small and insignificant.
Shaking his head he refocused on his target.
"The avatar! He is above us!" one of the soldiers on the walls cried out, signaling the end of his moment of peace.
Before the soldier could say anything else he was ripped asunder by the wind.
Landing on top of the wall, Aang released a wall of wind as he rushed through the poor fodder on the walls, their screams echoing in the air.
"Forgive my master Gyatso" the avatar muttered as he ripped another soldier to shreds.
A column of fire suddenly flew toward him, signaling the arrival of the man he was looking for.
"The fire lord is here! We're saved!" the soldiers cheered.
"Soldiers! Step back! I'll take care of the avatar!" the voice of the leader, a man cursed by millions of people across the world sounded.
The soldiers were happy to oblige, retreating to a safe distance.
"Avatar Aang" Ozai's voice was filled with hatred "I hope you're ready to die".
Aang snorted "Don't make me laugh fire lord.. You have no chance" he said.
This caused the older man to narrow his eyes "This overconfidence is going to be your undoing" he said.
Instead of replying Aang striked the walk, creating a tremor through the stone walls before charging forward.
"It's time to end it!"
The bolt flashed before her eyes, she couldn't evade it... Not completely.
In her head she cursed herself for her carelessness, she was taken by surprise because she did not believe that the woman would be able to utilize lightning.. And now..
What happened next was so sudden it took her a second to register.
Because as if from out of nowhere another person materialized, his two fingers pointed forward.
The lightning bolt which by all means should've striked her was absorbed by the man before it was released by him back toward the woman in front of them.
"Don't touch my sister" he gritted, his eyes filled with fury.
The woman not expecting anything like this was struck by her own lightning and was sent convulting through the air.
'Z-Zuko?"she asked surprised.
"Who else, dummy" he asked her a small smile on his face.
"I.."
She didn't finish as the prince cut her.
"We don't have time.. We have much work to do" he said.
Azula nodded before she approached the fallen girl was was still convulting.
Without a word she caught her face and burnt it into nothing.
Turning back to her brother she narrowed her eyes.
"You're so teaching me this technique later" she said as a matter of fact before walking away.
Haruto jumped to the side avoiding the flaming punch, his eyes narrowed.
For the last few minutes he continuesly dodged, studying the teen's style and movements.
A small thin smile appeared on his face.
"Found your weakness" he muttered.
This time he waited before the flames vanished from the boy's legs and appeared on his hands when the boy moved for a punch.
However instead of dodging he went under it before he striked the exposed leg and swiping them under the boy.
Shun barely caught himself and somersaulted back, a snarl appearing on his face.
"Hmm seems you aren't quite as invincible as you tried to portray yourself boy" he teased the boy.
Gritting his teeth Shun found himself on the defensive once again.. This was bad.
Taking his stance once again he narrowed his eyes "We'll see about it" he snarled before rushing forward.
The fire lord avoided another air strike before jumping up to avoid the pit fall, and using the fire the avatar himself released he carried himself away from it.
The ice blades the boy tried were now nothing but vapor in the air, and the boy couldn't help but marvel at his opponent's skill.
"Had enough yet boy?" the fire lord asked, his once long hair now cut in half was moving in the wind.
"You still saw nothing!" the avatar retorted, he was too inexperienced to fight against the man in front of him normally.
Gritting his teeth he decided he had no other choice.
Summoning all of his anger, hatred and other raw emotions he released them all at once.
His eyes lightened up as did the arrows on his body.
"It's time to end this fire lord!" he spoke, his voice was deep "Tremble before the might of the avatar!".
He jumped back, he breath heaving.. He was losing... Haruto was much better than him.
Said man wss standing in front of him a grim expression on his face.. His opponent was dangerous and though he hated to admit it the boy would one day surpass him.. But unfortunately for the kid this time was not now.
Suddenly as if something shifted he felt his sense of danger screaming at him.
The boy in front of him froze for a moment before a huge smile split his futures.
From the distance an explosion resounded, causing the ground to tremble.
At that moment the teen's entire body burst into flames.
"It seems uncle.. That your time is up" Shun said darkly "Aang just activated the avatar state.. And that means that I finally can use my full power".
With his entire body in dark flames he dashed forward, his speed amplified and he striked the man in front of him.
Haruto, now unable to exploit any weaknesses was sent flying by the teen.
From there on it became a one side beating, as the more experienced fighter found that his experience was not useful in front of the overwhelming power of his opponent.
His flames had no effect and he couldn't even lend a punch on the teen.
As he was sent flying again, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.. He was losing and he knew it.
Shun approached him, ready to deliver the final blow.
Breathing heavily he waited for the teen to reach close enough, he felt his body loosing it but he endured.. Just another moment!
The moment Shun was close enough Haruto brandished his fingers and released a lighting bolt right at the boy who didn't have time to avoid it.
As his eyes closed the dying Haruto heared a distressed voice.
"Shun!!".
This was the end, Ozai knew this.
Against the might of avatar state and without the aid of the comet he was dead meat.
Lying there under a heavy bolder, his hands broken under a heavy boulder, his ribs fractured he awaited his inevitable death.. There was nothing he could do.
He closed his eyes and waited, there was nothing else he could do.
A moment passed, another one but he was still alive.
Slowly opening them he saw the young avatar standing above him, looking normal again.
"You won't kill me?" the fire lord asked "Are you a coward?" he hissed.
A look of hatred passed in the avatar's eyes.
"No.. Not yet at least" he said darkly "You will be executed before everyone.. And from your death a new world will be born" the avatar spat darkly.
Without waiting for his reply the avatar encased him in a stone shell before jumping down the wall.. The battle was not over yet.
Opening his eyes Shun found himself in what looked like a makeshift Infirmary.
He looked around carefully, confusion wailing in his head.. How did he come here?
Looking down at himself he saw a scar on his chest and at that moment it returned to him.
Haruto! The battle!
And with it, a question popped up in his head.. How was he alive.
"You're awake!" the distressed voice of Azula caught him by surprise.
"Azula ?" he asked "What's going On?How did the battle go?".
"You were shot dummy! For the second time!" her eyes puffed red were filled with both anger and pain "and all you are asking is about the battle?" she asked "By all account you should be dead!"
"Yeah.. Speaking of which.. How am I alive?" he asked "I thought my quotas of resurrection was over?"
"Ahh that" Azula finally smiled "Katara saved you.. Something about a holy water" she replied.
End of chapter 30.
An : Now all that's left is the epilogue.. I'll see you there! My last An on the story will be there!