Chapter 9: To Save a Friend
Druk smacked down onto the Royal grounds, as one of Zuko's personal guards ran towards him, however, her attire was different she wore a green upper robe with a black breastplate and pauldrons adorned her torso and a fauld draped below her waist, she also wore black slops with dark green boots, Black arm guards covered her forearms, and she wore a green circlet on her head. Her Amber hair styled into a bun at the back of her head, her eyebrows slim and her eyes a pale blue.
"She doesn't look like your ordinary guards," Claire whispered.
"That is Khana, she is my Right-Hand and a part of a special group of warriors that have helped me for over sixty years," Zuko explained as the two hopped off Druk.
Khana stood tall before Zuko, kneeling with her head averted from him, "Fire Lord Zuko, we discovered this note stabbed into your throne within the War Room."
Khana raised her hands to him as the Fire Lord grasped the note, unravelling it, "Avatar, I have taken Kang. We will wait for you inside the one hundred year war memorial on the next full moon," the note read.
Claire's heart skipped a beat as she heard Zuko read the note's contents, "I need to get back to Republic City!"
Claire began running towards The Magnificent Turtle Duck, but Zuko raised his hand, stopping her in her tracks, "This could be a trap. And you'd be walking right into it."
The distraught Avatar gazed down to the ground as Zuko turned his head to The Kyoshi Warrior, "Khana, go with the Avatar to Republic City. Make sure no harm comes to her."
Khana's eyes widened at the sound of the Fire Lord's command as she stood up, "But Fire Lord Zuko. I can't leave you unprotected!"
But despite her protestations, Zuko placed a hand on her pauldron, "We can't allow the Avatar to be endangered, the other Kyoshi warriors and the Royal Guard will protect me!"
Khana let out a begrudging sigh, "As you wish, Fire Lord..."
Khana took a bow before walking towards Claire, the Kyoshi Warrior's her heart skipping a beat as she gazed into the Avatar's eyes, "I- I will help you to the best of my abilities... Avatar."
Khana quickly regained her composure with a swift bow, but Claire tapped the Kyoshi Warrior's pauldron, causing her to perk back up as Claire smiled at her, "There's no need to be so formal, I'm just a person, not a Lord or Lady... Well, I am a Lady, just not the silver spoon kind."
Claire ran over to The Magnificent Turtle Duck, leaving the perplexed Khana by Zuko. The Kyoshi Warrior looked to the Fire Lord with questions going through her mind, "I think she's still getting used to being the Avatar," Zuko shrugged.
Khana brushed it off before she ran over to Claire, standing by her side whilst she gazed up to the Magnificent Turtle Duck, "Oh... I forgot. Kang has the device that operates the entrance for this."
Khana quizzically looked to the Magnificent Turtle Duck, "Could there be an alternate way in?"
Claire snapped her fingers at the Kyoshi Warriors suggestion, "Good thinking!"
The two began searching around The Magnificent Turtle Duck, circling its metallic exterior.
Khana ducked under the struts, crawling underneath and discovering a hatch with a note glued to it, "Avatar! Under here!" Khana called out.
Claire quickly rushed underneath, "My name is Claire, by the way." she said as Khana and she observed the hatch.
"Claire... that's an odd name... but a nice name!" Khana replied, smiling at her.
Claire opened the note attached to the hatch, "Claire, if you find this hatch, I'm either in trouble or you're snooping around again!"
"Your friend sounds just as odd as your name, Avatar," Khana replied with a wry smirk.
Claire stared blankly at her before she continued reading, "Twist the wheel to your left to open the Hatch," she finished reading before she clutched the wheel, twisting the stiff wheel and opening the hatch after a struggle
The two climbed inside the shell, Khana closed the hatch behind her, sealing it as Claire walked into the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's seat.
Khana sat next to her, gazing at Claire and the control panel, "Do you know how to operate this... thing?"
"I know enough... I hope," Claire replied as she pressed the red button, ejecting a roar of fire from The Magnificent Turtle Duck's exhaust.
The sudden jerk threw Khana back in her seat as she grasped her chair, "What are you doing?!"
"My best!" Claire replied as she pulled on the steering handle.
The Magnificent Turtle Duck began flying upwards as Claire tried to turn it away from the Royal Palace. Zuko looked on in horror whilst Khana's pleads for help muffled within the cockpit, but in time Claire turned the Magnificent Turtle Duck around and soared off through the skies back towards Republic City.
After several hours of flying, the two had made it to Republic City, where Amon stood with a tied up Kang inside the Memorial Statue, seeing The Magnificent Turtle Duck fly by the statue, barely missing it.
"By the fans of Kyoshi! She's flying the Magnificent Turtle Duck!" Kang exclaimed.
Amon gazed down at him, "The Avatar, I presume?"
"No, the Fire Lord's favourite servant," Kang sarcastically replied as Amon rolled his eyes.
Claire flew towards the tunnel Kang and she originally flew out of, pressing the Wing-shaped button, retracting the wings as the two nosedived towards the tunnel. Khana shielded her eyes as they dropped, but The Magnificent Turtle Duck operated on its own, hovering upon entry, deploying its landing struts and touching down softly on the ground.
Khana unshielded her eyes to see her and Claire still in one piece, "You landed better than expected, Ava- Claire."
Claire looked at the steering stick and the control panel, "That wasn't me..."
Inside the Memorial Statue, Kang had used the remote to activate The Magnificent Turtle Duck's 'return home function'. Claire and Khana exited through the Hatch and into Kang's laboratory, Khana stood speechless as she saw it seeing Claire walk through with one aim in mind, but Khana couldn't help but stare.
"I was the same way when I first saw it, but we should really get going," Claire said as she turned back to Khana.
The Kyoshi Warrior shook her head, breaking herself out of her trance, "Yes, you're right."
Khana ran over to Claire, standing by her before the metal door, but Khana only saw it as a wall, quizzically looking over to Claire, "Why are we standing in front of a wall?" she asked as Claire smiled, pressing the button next to the Metal door.
The metal slid open, and Khana to jump back; becoming even more speechless. Claire stepped inside as she pulled Khana into the elevator, the Kyoshi Warrior lightly gasping as she stumbled next to Claire, trying to keep her composure.
The door closed as the two ascended upwards, the sudden ascension making Khana stumble as an odd sense overcame her stomach, but Claire caught her before she could slump down, "It got me the first time too," Claire chuckled as she supported Khana back up to her feet.
The Kyoshi Warrior's cheeks flushed red as she stood back up, averting her gaze from Claire.
The Metal door slid open once more, revealing the Derelict estate to them, "Incredible!" Khana exclaimed as they stepped out.
Claire pushed the wooden pallet in front of the metal door, concealing it from the views of outsiders, "I know, Kang is something else."
The two walked out into the open and saw that the Sun setting over the Horizon, "Is tonight the full moon?" Khana asked.
"A full moon lasts around three nights. And last night was the first one," Claire replied.
The two made their way over towards the Memorial Statue, cutting through City park and standing in the memorial's shadow, however, the Statue was far out on the water with no way to get across aside from using a boat.
Claire looked around, searching for a way across, but Khana cleared her throat, catching the Avatar's attention, "I have an idea!"
Khana faced the statue, stomping her foot in front of the water, revealing a stone path before them.
"So, you're an earth-bender?" Claire asked.
Khana smiled at her, "Yes. Come, your friend awaits!" she replied.
The two ran across Khana's bridge, seeing an entrance, leading into the Statue, the two entered with caution, seeing the dimly lit interior, the salty stench of the sea pervaded the inner sanctum of the memorial and the crashing of waves resonated within the hollow chamber.
As they entered, Khana could sense several people waiting to ambush them, and whilst Claire wandered inwards with one goal in mind, Khana focused on the positions of the ambushers, clenching her fists, causing the stone of the statue to latch onto them and trap them inside it.
The grunts of Amon's henchmen echoed throughout the statue as Claire curiously looked over to Khana, "Did you do anything just now?"
But Khana simply smiled, the rosiness of her cheeks gleaming through her Kyoshi Warrior make-up as she skipped over to Claire, humming a tune to herself.
Claire watched her as she skipped away, following her up the stairs to the peak of the statue, Khana waved to the would-be ambushers trapped within the wall on their way up.
The two made it to the top of the statue. The crashing waves silenced, and the full moon shined through the cracks in the Statue, as Amon stood before them, with Kang bound behind him.
"Run!" Kang shouted through his gagged mouth.
"I'm impressed you made it this far," Amon complimented them.
"What can I say, I've been dying to meet you!" Claire sarcastically replied as she approached.
But Amon raised his hand towards Kang's head, "Not a step closer, or Kang gets it!"
the Masked man's threat forced Claire to stop in her tracks, staring Amon in the eyes, as he lowered his hand, turning his full attention to Claire.
"We can end this peacefully, Avatar. But to do so, you must pick one of two options," Amon explained.
Claire crossed her arms, casually leaning back in her posture, "Go on..."
Amon grinned under his mask, "You either surrender your bending to me, here and now. Or You join me in my Harmonic revolution against this city, assist me in taking down our pathetic government, and bring about real harmony. Do this, and I shall let your friends walk free."
"And if I refuse either of the options?" Claire smugly asked.
"Then you will experience something much worse," Amon replied.
Claire thought to herself, as a sinister Shadow began creeping among the room, faint, almost inaudible voices whispering inside Claire's head, "I..."
Claire's stammering grasped Amon's attention, but Khana lightly smacked the back of her head, "Snap out of it!"
Amon's intrigue had forced his guard to lower, and in that instance, Kang launched from the floor having burnt his bindings, ready to surprise Amon, but the Full moon's influence allowed Amon to take control of Kang's body, the metal-clad hand of Amon flicking up before he could attack, turning the Mad Inventor into his puppet once more.
"Oh, not this again..." Kang squirmed.
Amon forced him to walk towards Claire and Khana, "Decide, Avatar! Join me or Perish!"
Amon strung Kang along, the mad inventor's limbs contorting inhumanly, "Kang, what are you doing?!" Claire asked as she backed away, Khana withdrawing her daggers, stepping back with Claire.
"Trust me, this is not intentional!" Kang replied, unwillingly striking them.
Claire grimaced at Amon as the two dodged, "I won't join you!" she proclaimed proudly.
"Then Perish!" Amon replied as he made Kang unleash a stream of fire, Claire and Khana defended each other from Kang's attacks.
Amon strung Kang along, but the more he did, the more noticeably frustrated he became, "This isn't your true power! Stop resisting me!" he demanded.
Kang continued to resist the Blood-bending, but ultimately he struck down both Claire and Khana, and Amon ceased control of Kang.
Kang fell to the floor as the masked man marched over to Claire, standing over her, kneeling and reaching for her forehead and neck with both hands, "Today, the Avatar falls!"
But as Amon loomed over the Avatar, Khana quickly kicked the floor in front of her, bending the stone underneath Claire and shooting out of the statue and down into the Harbour.
Amon looked over at Khana, fury surging through his deep blue eyes, "You should've specified what kind of fall she'd be taking!" Khana jested as she bound Amon's arms and Legs in stone, quickly grabbing ahold of Kang then leaping from the statue.
Claire saw herself heading for the water, quickly flipping around with a gust of wind, then balancing atop the water.
Khana and Kang descended from the statue, the Mad inventor steadying their fall with quick spurts of fire from his feet and hands, landing outside the statue.
The three regrouped as Kang shivered with disgust, "I hope that never happens again!" he exclaimed.
But before either of them could speak, the three saw smoke billowing emitting from the city, "Oh, no..." Claire muttered, "This isn't good..." Kang said as the two began rushing off into the city with a befuddled Khana following behind.