BOOK 2: EARTH
CHAPTER 20: THE CROSSROADS OF DESTINY
They say that when the dark times come universe will let people know. In the clouds, in the earth, of the animals that are in the wilds, all things will tell you if something back is about to come to pass. And when it does there is very little one can do to stop it. And when it does come one will be left with a choice in the paths of your decisions.
Appa, Aang, and Sokka fly back to Ba Sing Se with all due haste.
"So, what kind of trouble is Katara in?" Sokka asked concern of his sibling.
"I don't know. In my vision, I just knew she needed help." Aang said truthfully.
"It would be nice if your Avatar powers could be just a little more specific from time to time." Sokka nitpicked before he looks down and notices a mound of earth passing nearby, heading to the wall. "What is that?" They fly down and follow the mound. Toph is seen still earth surfing. Aang and Sokka come down beside her. "Need a ride?" Toph becomes startled at the sound of Sokka's voice and falls backward off of the mound. Sokka and Aang cringe upon seeing her fall.
"Fuck." Tohp groaned.
Back in their home Valen returned to relax from a long day. He opened the door to find Asura waiting for him, along with another young boy around his age.
"V!" Asura jumped up and ran over to him. "Guess who this."
"I don't know." V said.
"Well, go ahead and guess."
"I can't."
"Just guess!"
"Okay, um . . ."
"This is my brother, Indra."
V looked surprised, he looked at the newcomer and extend his left hand in friendship. The young boy returns the same gesture and shook it.
"Greetings."
"A pleasure I'm sure. My brother was just telling all about his friends."
V noticed something under Indra's left wrist that he saw on Asura's at some point or another: an angled black veins.
"Well considering what Asura told me about you, perhaps you would like some tea?"
"Delighted." Indra said with a smile.
In an underground lair of the Dai Li, Azula addressed them of the current situation . . . and how it can be remedied. "The Earth King and the Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li." She said, "They imprisoned your leader, Long Feng. Soon they will turn on all of you and eliminate you. Seizing power today is a matter of life and death. This coup must be swift and decisive. The Earth King and each of the five generals must be taken out simultaneously. Long Feng has placed you in my command while we overthrow the government." Azula walks over to her left, to another agent with a tiny, vertical scar on his right cheek. When she nears him, she stares sideways at the agent while still addressing all the agents. "If I sense any disloyalty, any hesitation, any weakness at all, I will snuff it out." She continues walking, with the eyes of the now nervous scarred agent following her. "That is all."
The Dai Li leave, and Azula walks up to Ty Lee, who is pouring tea. "Nice speech, Azula. It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way." She hands the cup to Azula.
"Yeah. I thought you were going to make that one guy pee his pants." Mai said amused at the scene.
Azula however was not that amused. "There are still a few loose ends. The Avatar, and my brother and uncle."
Outside the Royal Palace, where Zuko and Iroh begin walking toward it, a thousand things went thru Iroh mind with each step. "Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror. Instead, we are the Earth King's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing."
"It sure is, Uncle." Zuko said.
They knocked on the doors and they opened with a hollow creak, and waiting for them at a table was the last person they never thought would be here.
"Dante?" Zuko asked.
Dante turned around to see who it is. He sighed and waved at them. "What's up doc?"
Uncle and nephew came over to their old friend. "What are you doing here?"
"I was told that I would be having tea with the Earth King." Dante said with shrug in a nonchalant manner.
"That sounds very nice to me." Iroh said taking a seat.
"Well . . . when it is rare for a commoner to invite to the palace, one should be grateful to spin time with His Majesty." Dante said, Zuko stares at him due to the odd answer. Dante decided to clarify his answer. "I have been told that's how I feel . . ."
Iroh became more excited. "So where is his majesty, I'm dying to meet him?"
"I've been told that that everything would be made clear shortly."
"You seemed to have be told a lot." Zuko said.
Dante shrugged and raised his eyebrows for emphasis, "So I've been told." Dante said.
Back to Appa, Toph, Aang, and Sokka still flying back to the Palace. Toph is holding onto Sokka's arm for dear life so she does not fall off.
"So how did it go with the guru? Did you master the Avatar State?" Toph asked.
Aang looks down and thinks back to what Guru Pathik said before he left.
If you leave now, you won't be able to go into the Avatar State at all!
"Aang, are you okay?" Sokka asked.
"I'm great! It went great with the guru. I completely mastered the Avatar State. Yeah." Aang laughs nervously and looks down.
At to the Royal Palace Iroh pours some tea into three cups and passes it two to Dante and Zuko as they sit and wait. They each take a sip as the moment ticked by and Zuko becomes restless. "What's taking so long?" Zuko asked. Iroh merely shrugged. "Maybe the Earth King overslept." He said. Dai Li agents begin to circle around three causing Zuko to take noticed. "Something's not right."
Azula walks past the Dai Li and comes in front of her brother outside the circle of Dai Li agents. "It's tea time!" she said with a friendly smile.
Zuko quickly stands up realization their error. "Azula!"
"Here comes the big boss you seen thus far." Dante said.
"You could have told us that this was a trap." Zuko said to Dante.
". . . and ruin all this preparation she made?" Dante said sarcastically.
"Have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's so firebender. I just love it." Azula introduced her new loyal minions.
This was certainly different change of pace. Iroh thought the Earth King had indeed invited them to serve them tea. But it appears that his own niece has done away with the king to plan a coup with the Dai Li. In a way he was proud of her that she thought outside of the box and did what many failed to do. But considering the current situation Iroh nodded inwardly as he came to a realization: Destiny is a funny thing and fate is not without a sense of irony.
Iroh ad picked up his cup of tea. "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname "The Dragon of the West"?"
"I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle." Azula says looks at her nails condescendingly.
"It's more of a demonstration, really." Iroh informs her. Iroh begins drinking his tea. Zuko looks over at him and smiles before going behind him. Iroh suddenly breathes fire right at the Dai Li and Azula creating a clever distraction.
A fire blast makes a hole in the wall Outside the room allowing Iroh, Dante and Zuko to escape. The Dai Li agents begin shooting some rock gloves at them, but miss as the three turn around the corner. Iroh generates lightning and destroys the wall in front before jumping down, yelling, into a bush below. Dante follows after him give the Dai Li the finger as he falls out of sight. Zuko stops at the edge.
"Come on! You'll be fine!" Iroh shouted.
"No! I'm tired of running! It's time I faced Azula!" Zuko turns around and walks back. Iroh smacks his head upon hearing this and he and Dante runs away.
"His choice, his funeral." Dante commented.
Above, Azula waits for Zuko as he enters the room. She shakes her head in laughable disbelief. "You're so dramatic. What? Are you going to challenge me to an Agni Kai?"
"Yes! I challenge you!" Zuko demands.
"No thanks." Azula would love to but she is current on a schedule.
Zuko shoots a fire blast toward her, but two Dai Li agents intervene and pull up a section of the floor, making a wall. They shoot some rock gloves at Zuko's feet, making him lose his balance. He puts his right hand down, but another rock glove traps that one. Azula turns around smiling and walks away as the agents capture him.
Zuko once more realizes there is time and place for everything. If Dante was still here he would say something like: "Time to get the fuck out of dodge!" or whatever.
Meanwhile inside the throne room where Sokka, Toph, Aang and Valen confront Kuei about anything that could have happened while they were gone. "Katara's fine. You have nothing to worry about."
"But, in my vision, I felt so sure she was in trouble." Aang said.
"Well, she met with the Council of Generals to plan the invasion, and since then, she been off with your friends, the Kyoshi Warriors." Kuei said truthfully.
"See, Aang? She's with Suki. They're probably backed at our apartment right now talking about make-up or something." Sokka said.
"Okay. Maybe you're right." Aang sighed.
"Believe me, if there was any danger at all, Bosco's animal instincts would sense it." Bosco lifts up his head from sleeping to look at the three.
Inside the Crystal Catacombs where Katara is pacing back and forth her beautiful and foreboding, she stops pacing upon hearing a whole open up above.
"You've got company." A Dai Li agent said.
He throws Zuko in, who rolls down and lands in front of Katara. "Zuko!" Katara's shocked face becomes an angry one as Zuko sits up, looking back at her with surprise, and the hole closes behind him. Zuko was now in a pit of with a lion.
Toph, Aang, and Sokka reaching their house on Appa. The three jump off and run inside to see if Katara was in there. They entered inside to see V and Asura have tea. Momo runs up to them and climbs up on Aang's shoulders.
"You guys came back." Asura said happily.
"Yeah." Sokka said.
"Guy's you would believe who I found wondering around in Ba Sing Se: My brother, Indra!"
The rest of Team Avatar became surprised as the boy with a shaved head dress in the sand desert robes rose to his bowed. "It is very nice to meet you all. Let me guess, the one in blue is Sokka, the one in green is Toph and the one with the arrow is . . . Avatar Aang. Indra was telling me what he knows of you." V heard that and narrows his eyes; he rose to his feet to enter into the conversation. "What are doing back so soon, is something the matter?" he asked with concern.
"Do you know where she could be?" Aang asked.
"No since I last saw her and Dante." V said.
Toph looks around. "There's no one else here."
"Katara is in trouble! I knew it!"
Just then Toph sense the arrival of someone at the door. "Wait! Someone's at the door."
Someone knocks on the door a second later. "Actually, I know who it is. It's an old friend of mine." She walks over to the door and opens it, showing Iroh and Dante behind the door. "Glad to see you're okay."
"I'm back jack." Dante said.
"I need your help." Iroh added.
Sokka and Aang become shocked and angry upon seeing him, and get into a fighting stance. Toph calmly smiles and waves at him. "You guys know each other?" Aang asked.
"I met him in the woods once and knocked him down." Iroh smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his head. "Then he gave me some tea and some very good advice."
"I'll second that." Dante said thinking of the time when he first met Iroh.
"You must be Iroh, I'm Dante's younger brother, Valen, though some call me V."
"A pleasure, he told much about his younger brothers." Iroh shook Valen's hand. "May I come in?" Iroh asked politely. Toph nods and he walks in before turning to the group with some grave news. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se."
"She must have Katara." Aang realized.
"I was there." Dante said, "We both got captured. Azula told me that I was invited to a tea party and if I behaved myself no harm would come to Katara. Iroh and Zuko were invited to serve tea to the king and one thing lead to another, there was an explosion and Zuko turned to face Azula again."
"That's where I she has captured my nephew as well." Iroh concluded. "Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko." Aang stated. Sokka approached Aang and pointing at him. "Whoa there! You lost me at "Zuko"." Moving forward to place his hands on Sokka's shoulders. "I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you that there is good inside him." Sokka pushing Iroh away. "Good inside him" isn't enough! Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"
"He has a point there, Iroh." Dante said.
"Katara's in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance." Aang said. Sokka understands, and nods. Iroh begins walking back to the door. "We brought someone along who might help us."
They all walk outside. Toph puts a couple earth pillars around the nervous Dai Li agent and makes him stand up. Iroh walks over to him and takes the gag off his mouth, revealing this to be the nervous scarred agent. "Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup! They're going to overthrow the Earth King!"
Dante delivered a punch to his face so hard that his nose began to bleed. "We know that."
"My sister! Where are they keeping Katara?" Sokka demand.
"In the Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace." The agent said.
Iroh, Aang, Toph, and Sokka run away to help Katara and the Earth King, leaving the captured agent bound. While the world speeding on its axis Long Feng quietly meditates in his jail cell while a Dai Li agent informs him of what's going on.
"The movements of the Earth King and all the generals have been plotted out step-by-step."
"Good. And the Fire Nation princess is cooperating?" Long Feng inquired.
"Oh, yes. More than cooperating. She's really taken charge. She's terrifying and inspirational at the same time. It's hard to explain." The Agent said. Long Feng could understand he expected no less from someone who got this far into the Earth Kingdom.
At the sometime inside the Crystal Catacombs where Katara is yelling at Zuko, who sits with his back turned remained silent. "Why did they throw you in here? . . . Oh, wait, let me guess. It's a trap. So that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches!" Zuko turns his head to look at her, turns back, and looks at the ground again. Even if he wanted to Azula would just take the Avatar from him. "You're a terrible person!" she continuing to lament, "You know that? Always following us! Hunting the Avatar! Trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood!"
That last sentence got Zuko to respond. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." She sits down and touches her necklace, begins to cry.
Zuko turns around to face Katara, feeling deep sympathy for her plight. "I'm sorry. That's something we have in common." He said sadly. Katara looks back, surprised, and wipes away the tears from her eyes. Could the person who is the enemy suffer the pain? She thinks to herself.
Outside the palace Toph felt the ground below searching for the Crystal Catacombs. "Well, what'd you know? There is an ancient city down there. But it's deep." She makes a tunnel through the ground, beginning to lead to the catacombs.
Sokka comes up with a plan and lays it out for everyone. "We should split up. Aang, V, you guys go with Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk," He quickly remembers Iroh is there and places his left hand on Iroh's right shoulder. "No offense."
"None taken." Iroh shrugged.
"And I'll go with Toph to warn the Earth King of Azula's coup. Dante, you come with us since you can testify." Sokka said.
"Hey don't forget us!" Asura said as he and Indra came up behind them.
"Are you sure?" Sokka asked with skepticism.
"Look, I told you guys that I can handle myself and Indra is good on his end." Asura said.
"Unlike my brother I Earthbend." Indra added.
"Really?" Aang asked.
"When there is a will, there's a way." V said.
Sokka nods, "Okay Indra goes with Aang, Asura come with his."
Everyone starts heading into the direction of their tasks when V stops them. "Wait! First . . . I would to be clear on something. They may not be any return from this; we have to be confident in our skills and reactions to any situation. If there is anything we need to do or say, better do it now that – or forever hold your peace."
Everyone looked at everyone else before looking back at V. "I think we are good." said Aang with confidence. "Then let us proceed." V said and Team Avatar split up to their tasks.
Aang, Iroh, Valen and Indra walked through the tunnel down to the Catacombs. Iroh created a small fire for light as Aang is earthbended the way down. As they did felt he needed a second opinion from someone wise and the only other one is Iroh, uncle of Zuko. In the past Iroh was with Zuko but he was always friendly to those he meets, even if they were his enemy. At the North Pole Iroh was shocked when he saw Zhao kill the Moon Spirit. His sincerity for the world and its problems made him relatable to Aang and his quest as the Avatar.
"So, Toph and Dante think you give pretty good advice, and great tea!" Aang said.
"The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind?" the Dragon of the West asked.
Aang earthbends again before replying, "Well, I met with this guru who was supposed to help me master the Avatar State and control this great power, but to do it, I had to let go of someone I love." Aang and Iroh stop. "And I just couldn't."
"Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love." Iroh said.
"What happens if we can't save anyone and beat Azula? Without the Avatar State, what if I'm not powerful enough?" Aang asked worriedly as he earthbends again.
"I don't know the answer. Sometimes, life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place."Aang earthbends the rocks away one last time. Iroh's fire blows out.
"Glorious." V said as he saw the wonder before them: The Crystal Catacombs – final resting place of the kings and queens of the Earth Kingdom.
Above ground Toph, Dante, Asura and Sokka climbed the stairs, with Momo flying behind them.
"There's General How!" Sokka said and everyone dart behind a pillar except for Toph. Sokka puts his arm out in front of Toph and pulls her behind a pillar. General How continues walking toward the stairs. The Dai Li agents can be seen hiding beside the pillars before putting cuffs on his wrists and pulling him down to his knees.
Another agent drops in front of How. "What's going on here?!" he demands.
"You're under house arrest." The Dai Li agent states plainly.
"The coup is happening right now! We've gotta warn the Earth King!" The other half of Team Avatar runs to head to the Earth King. Elsewhere one of the generals is walking when some chains fly up and trap him. General Sung is taken by some chains into a dark area. Two other generals are in their headquarters when the Dai Li toss some chains to circle around their legs and pull them up.
Team Avatar have just reached the throne room with the Earth King, Sokka sighs with relief. "Thank goodness we're in time!"
The king looked confused. "In time for what?" he asked.
"Yeah. What are you in time for, cutie?" Ty Lee cartwheels to Sokka, standing just inches from his face.
"He begins to sweat and places his hand behind his head in discomfort. Nervously. "Uh, I'm kinda involved with Suki."
Ty Lee becomes confused. "Who?"
Toph knocks her away from Sokka with earthbending, in which she flips up above them. "They're not the real Kyoshi Warriors!" Kuei gasps, surprised, I guess.
"Sorry to disappoint you." Mai said sarcastically.
"Actually this about as hot and heavy when we duke it out in Omashu, right." Dante half flirted with Mai.
Mai only gave her usually smirk. "I hope so." She shoots some of her daggers at Toph, who uses an earth shield to stop them, and kicks the shield to Mai, who jumps over it. However, just as Mai lands, Toph brings up another pillar, knocking Mai over. Toph smiles confidently. Asura darts for Mai and delivers a kick to her face. Dante moves over to the king to protect him just in case if any try to go for him. Ty Lee comes up in front of Sokka, laughing. She starts trying to jab him, but he evades all of them.
"Oooh, it's like we're dancing together!" Ty Lee smiles.
Then out of nowhere Dante received a side-kick to the face so hard that it caused him to stubble at bit when he gathered his bearing he saw Azula holding Kuei at flame-point. "This fight is over." she said in a grave tone. Everyone else paused in their fights to look at the scene before them.
Dante summons a flames in his hands to challenge Azula directly and uncaged. Kuei for the first time Dante's true identity and became afraid. "Let him go, wicked bitch of the west." Dante warned.
Azula gave Dante one of her smiles. "Very flattering ... but no."
"I'll burn you alive if you don't." He warned again.
"I know you will, but you won't as long as I have a hostage." Azula's flame came close to Kuei face causing his to whimper. "So let us be civil."
"Dante . . . please, help me." Kuei said in a plea of mercy.
"NO! I will not let the Fire Nation win!" Dante said, his voice was slowly filling with rage, the flames his hands grew in intensity.
Azula noticed this and decided to stoke it a little more. "Dante if you surrender I will let you see your wife and children again."
Toph and Sokka became shocked while Mai and Ty Lee eyes widened in surprise also. Dante narrowed his eyes as he glared at Azula. "You lie."
"And what makes you think I am?" She asked.
"Because they are dead." He replied.
Azula shook her head to disagree, "I don't think you believe that for one bit. You want to believe they are gone, but you know they are alive somewhere in the Fire Nation. You know this because they are like you … very much like you, practically your children. But if you don't believe me then do it. Kill me. Show me that you are cold and harden as the one who was the tank commander during Ba Sing Se's hundred day siege."
Dante became silent, his flames died down until they were gone. What Azula said is very likely to be true or false, and if it is true she could order them to hunt down. He sighed and lowered his guard causing Toph and Sokka surrender also, and Ty Lee chi blocks them all three. Momo tries flying away, but a Dai Li agent traps him with a rock glove. Azula shoves Kuei down the steps leading to his throne. "Get them all out of my sight." She orders. All taken to prison just as Long Feng walks into the room, looking grim, with some Dai Li agents behind him. "Now comes the part where I double cross you. Dai Li, arrest the Fire Nation princess!" None of the Dai Li agents move, to Long Feng's disappointment, he orders them again. "I said arrest her!" They still do nothing. "What is wrong with you?!"
"It's because they haven't made up their minds." Long Feng snaps his head toward Azula. "They're waiting to see how this is going to end."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"I can see your whole history in your eyes. You were born with nothing, so you've had to struggle, and connive, and claw your way to power. But true power, the divine right to rule, is something you're born with. The fact is, they don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne, and which one is going to be bowing down." Long Feng looks worried. "But I know, and you know." She sits down on the throne and crosses her legs. "Well?"
There are three this he could do at this point: One, he could bow down an acknowledge he's been bested. Two he could run away like coward live different life. Or three, he once again plays the long as he did before; The Dai Li maybe undecided know but Long Feng knows they hearts, he was their leader for the longest time through thick and thin – light and shadow. Azula may have them in their pocket but their first and only duty is to protect and serve Ba Sing Se and it's leaders. They serve the Earth King, they may find Azula as a new prospect, but the Dai Li are loyal their leader Long Feng. So in order to get thing back in his favor did the one thing he thought impossible. He decides to act with a worried look that turns into fright, then into a look of submission. He walks up and bows to her. "You've beaten me at my own game."
"Don't flatter yourself! You were never even a player." Azula states, as she turns to the direction of where the prisoners were taken there was however one who still could be a player in the game.
Back in the Crystal Catacombs Katara's rage finally vanished and felt shame in losing her temper. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."
"It doesn't matter." He said uncaringly.
"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."
"My face? I see." Zuko touches his scar, briefly remembering his pain.
"No, no, that's-that's not what I mean." Katara approaches Zuko.
"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."
Katara study the mark on his face. To hear his own father burn and disowned him was the most horrible thing parent could do to their own child. Even Dante was enraged by this.
"Maybe you could be free of it."
"What?"
"I have healing abilities."
"It's a scar, it can't be healed." Zuko is remind of what Indra said about the power of Accelerated Regeneration he gave him, how it will heal any wound instant from this day forth, but it will not heal his current scar. To him it seems odd but Indra gave its reason so Zuko accepted it.
Katara holds up a vial. This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but ..." She moves in front of Zuko putting one hand on Zuko's scar. Zuko closes his eyes; her touch felt warm and it made him wish things that are now weren't so.
Only to be interrupted by Aang, Dante, Indra and Iroh busting through the crystal wall. Aang looks surprised at seeing Zuko alone with Katara. As Katara hugs him, he briefly smiles at her, and then looks over Katara's shoulder to glare at Zuko. Zuko, who gets a hug from Iroh, and glares back. V smiles Katara glad she is alright. As for Indra he watched them observing.
"Aang, I knew you would come." Katara hugs Aang again.
"You were never alone; even if you can see us we were here." V said.
"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" Zuko asked pointing at Aang.
"Saving you, that's what." Aang stated as a-matter-of-fact-ly.
Zuko growls and takes one confrontational step in Aang's direction, but Iroh stops him.
"Zuko, it's time we talked." Iroh to Aang and Katara. "Go help you other friends. We'll catch up with you." They walk away; Katara looks back at Zuko, who is looking sadly to the side, before moving on. Indra nods to him before moving on.
"Why, Uncle?"
"You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good." Iroh smiled at his nephew. As Zuko contemplates what his uncle is telling him, he yells as crystals grow to encase Iroh. He assumes a fighting position to prepare for the intruders. A different shot shows Azula along with two Dai Li agents sliding down from the sides of the chamber.
"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, Dante even. But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"
Zuko gets in front to protect his uncle. "Release him immediately."
"It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself." She said.
"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Iroh said to Zuko.
"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" Azula said before turning to Zuko. "I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want. Bot to do this we need to capture the Avatar, but Dante would make that easy for us."
"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."
Azula couldn't agree more. "You are free to choose."
Zuko resumes contemplating as Azula gestures at the two Dai Li agents to leave, who Earthbend themselves out. Azula leaves to follow Aang and Katara. Zuko contemplates his choice. He finally drops his head in realizing that there is no other way.
V, Indra, Aang and Katara running through the Crystal Catacombs until an intense shot of blue fire attacks them from behind. Aang stops it using earthbending, but the impact forces him backward a few steps.
"So the game is afoot." Azula said.
"As always." V said.
"Do you really think you can escape here, where can you go that I won't follow?" Azula said.
"There is only one place that I can go that you fear to tread." Indra said.
"Only if you make out of here alive, kid. But if you surrender the Avatar and yourselves, you will be spared."
V could only shake his head at how amusing that sounded to him. He raised his silver cane and pointed at Azula in a challenging gesture. "Not in this lifetime. "As the air to a bird or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.""
Katara uses waterbending to stop another attack sending a wave crashing toward Azula, who vaporizes the water with firebending. The mist from the vaporized water allows Azula to jump onto a crystal and firebend two blasts of blue fire. Together, Aang and Katara use waterbending to stop the blasts. Azula finishes her jump by landing on a rock pillar. V directs griffon to use his lightning while Indra sent chucks of earth toward her. Azula kicks the earth away and bends backwards to dodge the lightning. Aang uses earthbending on the pillar, and Azula gasps once she notices the pillar crumbling. She jumps off and lands between Katara and Aang. She points at both of them, preparing to attack or defend herself.
An orange fire blast lands in the middle of the standoff, and they look to see the source of the fire blast to be Zuko. Zuko looks from Azula to Katara and Aang, choosing who to attack. When he looks at Azula, she is glaring back at him. He then looks at Aang, who gasps once he realizes Zuko will attack him. Zuko firebends at him and Aang uses airbending to jump away from the blast. Azula smiles at this and starts dueling with Katara, and Zuko furiously throws multiple fire blasts at Aang. Indra took notice of this and took advantage of the situation to vanish completely from sight. V looks to find him in hope of counting on the newcomer's skill, but lo, he is gone. V jump down to assist on both fronts.
In a prison to Kuei, Sokka, Dante, Asura and Toph in a prison cell; Sokka looks out the door's barred window and Dante listens for the faintest sounds with his heighten hearing.
"See any Dai Li agents nearby?" Toph asked.
"Nope, all clear." Sokka said.
"I don't hear any down the halls anymore. Something must have drawn their attention."
Toph cracks her knuckles and places her hands against the cell door, preparing to metalbend it. The prison cell door crumples and gets thrown away from the doorway.
"Wow." Asura said.
"Nice." Dante commented on Toph's new skill.
"Let's go." Sokka grabs the Earth King's hand and follows Toph.
"I'm not leaving without Bosco!"
Back in the catacombs the battle heats up. Aang airbends the air currents around him to make a human-shaped gust of air at Zuko, knocking him down. Aang attacks Zuko with more airbending, but Zuko maneuvers around the attacks and gets back up on his feet. He fires more blasts at Aang who is clinging on to a rock pillar. Aang jumps onto a clump of crystals to avoid the attack. Furious, Zuko summons a greater blast of fire. Aang earthbends some crystals to protect him, but the crystals shatter, sending Aang flying to another clump of crystals. Zuko uses fire whips to attack Aang once again, but Aang jumps to another patch of crystals and Zuko keeps attacking.
V has a clear shot at Azula and began to generate lightning in wide arcs before unleashing it in a flash. Azula eyes widen as she dodge the electricity sideways spin flip. V hover over to her and the two went bow for bow, Azula use quick strikes while V used a defensive form to block until he could find a moment to strike. Azula spin a wide horizontal swing trailing blue fire when V held out his hand stopping her. Again she was taken by surprise as her opponent is using some invisible power to try freezing her moments she growled she pushed harder. And V push back harder causing her flame to blown backwards. The deadlock was about to reach to explosive point when Azula used her other hand to reach out to V causing his throat to sudden constrict as if by an invisible hand. V wished not to relent but his lack of oxygen was making him give way. He then decided to end this as bought the chi around him, inward. His eyes glow violet as the energy surged as he quickly unleashed it from both hands sending the chi outwards in a dome of energy blowing Azula backwards.
Azula twisted in the air and landed on a puddle of water running toward Katara, who sends a sharp wave of water at Azula that very nearly hits her face, but cuts her hair instead, startling her. Zuko, who is still using his fire, whips to attack Aang, who is now jumping along the cave's ceiling. Aang kicks down a stalactite and follows it, using earthbending to increase its impact and sending Zuko flying, bouncing off the ground into a small wall of crystals.
Katara waterbends at Azula to knock her down; Azula slowly gets back up into a fighting stance as Katara encases herself in water. One water tentacle captures Azula's hand as she struggles to attack her, and another one captures her foot after another failed attack. Katara then lifts Azula up, who yells in fear. Zuko frees his sister using firebending to break the tentacles. Azula gets up and briefly smiles at Zuko in gratitude, then looks toward the crater Aang had created with the stalactite. Aang crawls out, exhausted. Azula runs toward Aang.
Katara still has water whips on her hands and Zuko starts using his fire whips.
"I thought you had changed!" She grunts.
"I have changed." Zuko reminded her.
Azula and Aang standing opposite each other. A closer shot of Azula and Aang as they prepare to fight. Azula uses firebending to charge at Aang. Aang earthbends crystals around him into a crystal encased armor and charges at Azula. Azula stops, and uses her firebending to break Aang's crystal armor and send him flying back into an old building.
Above ground Mai, Ty Lee, and Bosco in the Earth King's throne room. Ty Lee was trying Bosco a new trick. "Come on, it's easy. You just walk on your front paws instead of your rear ones." Ty Lee demonstrates. "Like this."
Suddenly, the floor traps Ty Lee's hands, causing and her feet when they touch the ground. Bosco starts clapping. The view changes to reveal Kuei, Toph, and Sokka.
"That is a nice trick." Toph said sarcastically.
Sokka takes out his boomerang and Toph earthbends a large block of the ground, Dante pops his neck and Asura sucks in his snot in preparation to fight against Mai.
Uninterested, knowing she does not stand a chance, Mai waves them away. "Just take the bear."
Kuei runs to Bosco in joy. "Bosco!" Bosco growls happily in seeing his owner again.
Dante then turns his head as he sensed something. ""
Back into the underworld Zuko and Azula both fighting Katara, hopelessly outnumbered, Katara gets knocked down. Aang jumps from the old building and earth surfs toward Zuko and Azula to stop them from attacking Katara, with a fiercely determined look on his face. However, a Dai Li agent appears and jumps in front of Aang's surf, sending him flying off. Aang yells as he falls. More Dai Li agents gather behind Zuko and Azula. Katara starts regaining her focus and Dai Li agents surround her. Katara uses the octopus form to defend herself. Aang stands up in a fighting stance, but his determined face quickly turns into one of despair.
"There's too many." He looks at Katara. From his memory Aang remembers the only way . . . is to let her go. "I'm sorry, Katara."
Closing his eyes, he turns away from Azula and Zuko and earthbends a crystal shelter tent. Aang starts meditating. Inside Aang's mind, a giant version of himself in the Avatar State, the Avatar Spirit, holds an airbending sphere with a normal-sized version of himself in the Avatar State. Back in the crystal shelter, Aang enters the Avatar State and the crystal shelter starts glowing, alerting those outside. Inside the shelter, Aang opens his glowing eyes and breaks the crystal above him.
Katara looking up to Aang, now rising in to the air, with hope. But before Aang can let Katara go and control the Avatar State, a bolt of lightning strikes him in the back. Azula's watching Aang getting struck, in a lightning summoning position with her fingers smoking. The Avatar Spirit lets go of Aang and falls out of the plane of existence. As Aang falls down, Katara, tears now falling down her face, creates a wave to catch Aang. The wave knocks down the Dai Li agents and Zuko. She looks down at Aang's lifeless body with tears in her eyes.
"NO!"
Katara raised her head to see Dante landing near her as he kneels to see a dead Aang in her arms. V used Shadow to get to Katara's side fast. Dante was speechless his oldest friend is dead before him. The image of Iroh injured and Lu Ten dead caused his rage to rise. He clenched his teeth and fists tightly making them red and white under the pressure. Azula smirked at seeing Dante's reaction. "If you joined us the Avatar would still be alive. Your too soft, Sun Dragon."
Dante eyes widen in rage, this was the final straw. Dante stood up and inhale and exhaled as he brought his chi back into balance. With a spirit shout Dante activated his Devil Trigger, was engulfed in red fire that ran through his veins, his eyes glowed a demonic red as he hovered briefly in the air his form became dark and monstrous. Katara was shocked at the monster that stood where Dante did. His skin was a red and black hide with sooth scales over the muscles and his hair had growl long and appeared jet black.
"What are you?" she asked feeling fear com upon her.
Dante looked over his shoulder behind him to Katara. His face was that of a combination of a Lung Dragon, A wolf and a panther. He gave no response to her, but he returned his gaze to the enemies in front. The Dai Li rushed to subdue him but Dante summoned Rebellion and cut down every last one in lighting speed and animalistic fury, with a limbs flying in the air. One of the Dai Li tried to get away and he seized him quickly and bit his head off spitting it at Azula and Zuko's feet He looked at Azula giving her a changeling glare while the blood of the slain dripped of the blade. "Your next, princess." He grinned, growling lowly.
Zuko and Azula were surprised by this but nonetheless prepare to attack Dante again, but a blast of fire stops them. Iroh jumps down from the wall of the cave and shields Dante, Aang and Katara from Zuko and Azula.
"You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Iroh shouts and fires some blasts at Zuko and Azula.
"I'm leaving anyone behind!" Dante stated.
"Go now! Please!"
Dante was speechless but quickly shifts out of his devil trigger and back into his human form and he and Valen follow Katara who slowly with Aang's body to a waterfall, and she uses waterbending to lift herself, Dante, V and Aang's body up its path. Iroh holds off the Dai Li agents, taking blows of earthbending, until after Aang and Katara leave. He submits to the Dai Li, who use earthbending to encase him in crystals. Azula is triumphantly smirking next to Zuko, both looking at Iroh. Iroh is looking back at Zuko, then closes his eyes and turns away; as he once looked away at Ozai burning his own son, so now he looks away to not see what Zuko has become.
"You idiot." Zuko turned around to see Indra stand behind, not pleased. "What?"he asked.
"Your sister murdered the Avatar. I needed him to reverse the damage that was down by your grandfather and Avatar Roku!"
Azula stepped toward Indra. "And who are you and what is it that needs to be undone, may I ask?" Indra was silent as he thought for a moment before answering. "I do not know. Nothing. From here Prince Zuko you are on your own." Then Indra vanished into thin air. Zuko on the other hand was left to himself as Azula shrugged and walked away. "I guess he was just nobody."
"I doubt that." Zuko muttered.
Outside Indra appeared on Appa next to Asura just in time as Katara and Dante and V finally carried Aang's body to the Appa where everyone else waited.
"Where are Zuko and Iroh?" Sokka asked.
"We'll explain later." Dante said.
"But . . ."
"JUST FLY, DAMN IT!" Katara yelled at her brother.
Shocked, Sokka wasted no time. "Appa, yip-yip!"
Appa soars in the night sky but moans sadly as he senses Aang is not alive. Katara placing Aang's body on Appa. Katara opens the vial around her neck and uses the water's healing on Aang's wounded back. The rest of Team Avatar, Kuei, and Bosco all look sadly and in anticipation. The glowing from the spirit water stops, and Katara starts crying, assuming that it was not enough to save Aang. Aang's tattoos glow for a second and Aang groans. Katara, overcome with joy that Aang is alive, looks at him, who smiles a little, and she holds him closer. Indra and Asura was surprised to see Aang returned to life.
"He's alive. So that means the original plan is still on, right?" Asura asked.
Indra nodded. "Yes, we get close enough we need to return the place of our defeat: The Island."
In the Earth King's throne room with Azula sitting down at the throne with Zuko at her left.
"We've done it, Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se." Azula stated proudly.
"I betrayed Uncle." Zuko said.
"No, he betrayed you." She stands up from the throne. "Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero."
"But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?"
She puts a hand on Zuko's shoulder "He doesn't need to, Zuko. Today, you restored your own honor."
Zuko looks turns away, uncertain of himself. Everything that happened was because he wanted his old life back, but at what cost? He had to step on the throats of his own uncle, his friend Dante, the graceful Katara as well as taking the life of the young Avatar. All that so he could have his honor ad his father love back. He hoped he was doing the right thing.
The greater question right now is: Where to go from here?Back at Team Avatar on Appa as they fly over the walls of Ba Sing Se. Sokka figured on a destination. Katara, who sits next to an unconscious Aang, and looks up to see Dante quietly play a soft tune on his Gishgudi. After what she saw happen she now questions the nature of Dante, is he human or not. Regardless, his heart is saddened by the capture of his friend and the betrayal of his own nephew. Kuei, king of the Earth Kingdom was sorrow also. "The Earth Kingdom ... has fallen." Dante he held out his hand to the wind and opened it slightly to let the glittering sand flow in the wind, a farewell to the Earth Kingdom.
This war is just beginning . . . And it will end with Ozai's head on a pike. This, Dante swears.
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK 3 . . .