Chapter 9: Spiritual Disturbances
The Sun raised over the Horizon, washing Republic City in its light. Claire awoke from her slumber, remembering what Unalaq told her about "Spirits being driven mad", the thought weighing on her mind.
"When did this start happening? And Where else have they been attacking?" she thought, recalling the Spirit Portal on Whale-tail Island, "Where is Whale-tail Island geographically?"
Claire perked up from her bed, walking out of Kang's makeshift hut and into his lab. To her surprise, she found Kang already awake, turning to her with a melancholy smile, "Good morning, bed head!"
Claire raised a bewildered eyebrow, "Bedhead?"
Kang gestured to his hair as a way of gesturing to hers, "Your hair is a little... wild."
Claire looked up at her hair, padding it down with her hands whilst using a small blob of water to get out the curly tufts, finishing by styling it into a ponytail, "You wouldn't happen to have a map, would you? Or know where Wail-tail island is?"
Kang broke his attention away from the schematics, "Map, no. Knowledge of Whale-tail Island's location, yes."
"Great! Where is it?"
Kang placed his hand to his chin, humming as he thought to himself, "Roughly Northeast of the Southern Air Temple."
"Southern Air Temple... perhaps Tenzin will know a thing or two about this Spirit Portal!" Claire muttered.
But Kang dropped his attention from the schematics at the mutterings of Spirit Portals, turning his full attention to Claire, "A spirit, what now?"
"A Spirit Portal. Unalaq told me about one hidden away on Whale-tail Island," Claire explained.
"Spirit Portals... and here I thought they were myths! Then again, Spirits had to get here somehow," Kang replied.
"Would it be okay if you took me to the White Lotus Compound to ask Tenzin about this?"
"Sure! Just let me create some fuel for The Magnificent Turtle Duck!" Kang replied.
The Mad Inventor raced into a secluded part of the lab, emerging moments later with five canisters, "Let's go!"
Kang ran to The Magnificent Turtle Duck whilst Claire jotted down a note for Sky and Khana before following Kang to The Magnificent Turtle Duck. They prepared for take-off, shooting into the sky and flying south to The White Lotus compound.
Sky and Khana awoke several minutes after their departure, discovering Claire's note, "Gone to Order of The White Lotus compound, will be home in time for dinner!" Sky read, shrugging as he placed the note down, "Any idea what we should do while they're gone?" Sky asked.
Khana pondered for a moment, crossing her arms and tapping her foot, "There is one thing that's been on my mind."
"And that would be?" Sky asked.
"That Northern Water Tribe Chief... Claire mentioned there being something odd about him. Initially, I brushed it off. But the more I think about it, the more I think he's up to something," Khana explained.
"We could go investigate their campsite, see if we can get an audience with him," Sky replied.
"We can't, they wouldn't even let a Governor in."
Sky scoffed and shook his head, "Then we sneak into Unalaq's tent to see if we can find out what's so fishy."
"How do you reckon we do that?" Khana asked.
"You're an earth-bender, surely you can slip us into the wall behind the Water Tribe's campsite and then into Unalaq's tent," Sky explained.
"That might just work!"
"Let's get going then!" Sky said, the two exiting Kang's Lab.
Kang and Claire arrived at The White Lotus Compound, touching down on the central metal platform of the Compound, but as the two exited, an uneasy silence loomed in the air, the hairs of both Claire and Kang standing on end.
"It's quiet... too quiet for my liking anyway," Kang said.
"Where is everyone? I thought they'd come back here after the Tournament," Claire asked, looking around the eerie compound, "Tenzin? Kya, Katara?! Ho Tun? Shu?!"
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Kang asked.
"Oh yeah. Jinora?!"
But despite her calls, she received no response, "Let's investigate these four areas, then that... large building," Kang said, wandering over to the Mountainous Terrain.
The Mad Inventor looked behind pieces of metal and earth whilst Claire looked in the Icy terrain, looking in the pools and behind blocks of ice that covered the area.
Kang walked over to the Agni Kai arena, the sight of it churned a sense of dismal Nostalgia within him, a lump growing in his throat, his jaw jittering, his entire body petrified.
Claire noticed him stood by the gate, hastily rushing over, "Kang, is everything okay?"
Claire's sudden intrusion broke Kang's attention away, "Sorry, what? Oh, everything's... fine."
Kang took an uneasy breath before walking to the Air Temple Replica, but as he turned, a small droplet of water descend from Kang's face.
Claire watched its descent, turning her gaze to Kang, then the Agni Kai arena, "That was... strange."
Kang entered the Air Temple, finding Tenzin and Jinora deep in meditation, breathing a sigh of relief before waltzing over and squatting in front of Tenzin, utterly intrigued by him, "Hello? Tenzin?" he poked and prodded the Air Nomad, but received no response, "Wow, he's really into this... wait!" Kang pressed his fingers to the pulse on his neck, the pulse bumping against the mad inventor's fingers as he breathed another sigh of relief.
Claire eventually caught up to Kang, discovering Tenzin and Jinora with her own eyes, "Oh good, they're here!"
Kang raised his hand, igniting a small flame on the top of his thumb and placing it under Tenzin's nostrils, "Wakey, Wakey, Tenzin!" he whispered.
Claire crossed her arms and curiously looked over at him. Tenzin inhaled through his nose, getting a full whiff of the flame. The fiery scent awakened the Air Nomad from his meditation, finding Kang squatted before him.
Out of pure shock, the Air Nomad jerked back, unleashing a mighty blast of air at Kang, launching him into the walls of the temple, "Ow..." he whimpered from his embedded position.
Kang fell to the floor, his thud awakening Jinora from her meditation, finding Claire, Tenzin, and the recently fallen Kang stood around them.
Tenzin caught his breath, shaking his head before standing and walking over to Claire, "Avatar... what brings you back here?"
Kang groaned and picked himself up off the ground, "My word, you really hit like your father!"
"Maybe next time, don't go placing fires under the noses of those who are meditating!" Tenzin sternly replied.
Claire shuffled in between them, "I'm here to ask you about Spirit Portals."
Tenzin gave her a perplexed look, "People consider Spirit Portals the stuff of Legends, some think they don't even exist."
"The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe, Unalaq's told me of a Hidden Spirit Portal on Whale-tail Island," Claire explained.
Tenzin's eyebrows raised, remembering his family's trips to the Southern Air Temple, "My father and I recalled sensing spiritual energies coming from nearby whenever we visited the Southern Air Temple, but we could never quite track it down... now that I think about it, your chief may be onto something."
"Would you mind coming with Kang and I to investigate?" Claire asked.
Tenzin looked at Kang, grimacing at the mere thought of being in his presence, breathing a defeated sigh, "I will. Jinora, you're coming too!"
Jinora perked up, doing a small cheer as the four left for The Magnificent Turtle Duck. Tenzin and Jinora worryingly looked up at The Magnificent Turtle Duck whilst Kang gazed back at them, "Come on! I'm an excellent pilot!"
Kang's attempt at encouragement made the two reluctantly climb aboard, sitting on the back seats of the cockpit. Kang took his position in the Pilot's seat, taking off into the skies.
Tenzin and Jinora hung onto their seats, "You fly in this thing, Claire!?"
Claire nonchalantly turned to her Air-Bending master, "Well yeah, it's not like you had a Sky Bison to offer me," she winked.
The Magnificent Turtle Duck flew south to Whale-tail Island, much to Tenzin and Jinora's discomfort.
Sky and Khana reached the perimeter of the Northern Water Tribe's campsite, crouching down by the stone walls at the back of the tents.
Khana nervously turned to Sky, "How do you know this is Unalaq's tent?"
"Trust me, the leader always has the biggest tent!" Sky replied.
Khana shrugged, taking a firm stance and putting her hands in front of her, pulling them apart and opening the ground beneath them, then forming a small tunnel at the back of Unalaq's tent.
The two leapt in, crawling through the tunnel and under the tarpaulin of the tent, finding themselves under a table with a cloth sheet draped over it.
Unalaq's loud, thunderous footsteps resonated within the tent, "Where is Claire?!"
Khana raised an eyebrow to Unalaq's voice, "Sounds young for an old guy."
Sky quickly shushed her, Unalaq's thunderous footsteps silencing, "Patience... patience... I've waited five years for this moment... I can wait a while longer."
Sky and Khana worryingly looked to each other whilst Unalaq muttered to himself, pacing back and forth.
But Khana began to sneeze, Sky looked to her, ruffling his hair in a silent panic, trying to cover her nose.
But Khana ended up letting out a loud sneeze, alerting Unalaq, "Who's there?!"
Khana hastily kicked her foot down in the tunnel she created, "Whoa!" Sky exclaimed.
Khana launched them out from under Unalaq's tent, throwing the pair into the sewer system of Republic City.
Unalaq crouched under his table, his eyes darting around, hoping to find someone. He grabbed the table, his grip cracking the wood as he tossed it across the room, bending down and lifting the tarpaulin, discovering the tunnel Khana created, Sweat breaking on his brow, "Who... was that?!"
Unalaq stood back up, his heart racing, hands trembling, "I have come too far to fail now!"
Sky and Khana fell onto the metal walkways by the sewer water. Sky retched at the smell whilst Khana pegged her nose, "We should get out of here!" Khana said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
The Magnificent Turtle Duck finally arrived at Whale-tail Island, landing on its sandy beaches. The four exited out of the shell, Jinora throwing herself out and hugging the ground beneath them whilst Tenzin inspected their surroundings.
"Do you sense anything, Tenzin?" Claire asked, She and Kang emerging from The Magnificent Turtle Duck.
"I can sense spiritual energy, but even so I can't narrow down its source," Tenzin replied.
"Is it like the one you sensed back in The Southern Air Temple?" Kang asked.
"Yes, there is a familiarity to it..."
An ill air loomed over them, the washes washing against the shores, "Does anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?" Kang asked.
And as he spoke several insane Spirits emerged and surrounded them, Baboon Spirits, Dragon-Eel spirits, and small swarms of Mammoth-hornets.
"Me and my big mouth!" Kang exclaimed.
The four took each other's backs, "Kang, get The Magnificent Turtle Duck ready to fly, Tenzin, Jinora and I will jump up once you're airborne," Claire commanded.
"Good plan!"
Kang leapt inside The Magnificent Turtle Duck, but as he did, the insane Spirits attacked. Claire pushed the baboon spirits away with waves and obelisks of the earth whilst Tenzin and Jinora blew away the Mammoth-hornet swarms.
The Magnificent Turtle Duck ascended into the air, its shell opening for the three to jump inside, "Come on!" Kang yelled.
Claire, Tenzin and Jinora looked up, each using an air spout to propel themselves up and into The Magnificent Turtle Duck, but several Dragon-Eel spirits gave chase, rapidly slithering through the air.
However, Kang turned around, flipping over and flying over the pursuing spirits. Claire let loose a mighty blast of fire, engulfing the Dragon-Eel Spirits in flames. The Spirit's forms scorched, squealing as they dropped to the waters below.
Kang returned to normal flying, closing the shell and setting course for the White Lotus Compound.
Claire, Tenzin and Jinora walked into the Cockpit, sitting down in their respective seats, "Do you have any idea why there are insane Spirits?" Claire asked.
Tenzin stroked his beard, crossing his arms whilst he mulled it over, "Someone or something must have driven those Spirits mad, something akin to what happened during Avatar Yangchen's time," he explained, "or perhaps chaotic energy has flooded into the Spirit World, twisting the spirits into the ones we see now,"
"And the Avatar is The Bridge Between worlds..." Claire replied, unsure of herself.
"If my theory is correct, then Balance in the Spirit World has tipped, and you're the only one who can restore it," Tenzin explained.
Claire slumped back in her seat, letting out a heavy sigh, the weight of the task at hand bearing down on her.
However, Kang patted her on the shoulder, "You'll be able to do it, I'm sure."
Claire smiled at his assurance, gazing out to the skies before them.