Chapter 15: The Parting of Ways

Claire practised the Spirit-Bending forms for hours on end whilst Kang lay on the floor, slipping through books and aimlessly gazing up to the ceiling, twiddling his thumbs and wondering what had happened since their unintended departure.

Claire let out a deep sigh, Kang's head perking up at the sound of it, seeing a pleased Avatar turning to him, "I think I've got the hang of it... now I just need a Spirit to test it out on," Claire explained.

"There's that Gorilla-Bear Spirit that seemed to have a thing for you," Kang lowered his head.

"Shouldn't I... try it out on something smaller first?"

"Go Big!" Kang pumped his fist in the air.

Claire shrugged, "We should probably get going."

"Indeed, those spirits won't cleanse themselves!" Kang said with mocking enthusiasm.

The two walked back to where they entered, regret building up in Claire as the lingering atmosphere of recent events set in, "Kang..."

"If it's about earlier, I don't want to hear it."

Claire remained silent as the two propelled themselves up on jets of fire, emerging from the top of the spire and slowly descending onto the snowy mountainous ground.

The Avatar remembered Kang's advice, dropping a few feet from the ground this time, breathing a sigh of relief that she landed without pain, "Good to see my advice doesn't fall on deaf ears," Kang jabbed as he landed beside her.

But before Claire could think of a response, a loud thudding resonated across the mountains. Something was approaching them.

"AVATAR!"

Kang's neck scrunched up at the roaring boom, "I think I jinxed it..."

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit leapt up onto the snowy plain, the stone cracking under his mighty form as the uneasy friends readied themselves for battle.

"Did that scroll mention anything about... weakening the target or can you do it from the get-go?" Kang quietly asked.

"I'm pretty sure I can do it from the get-go, but I'll need you to keep him off me!"

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit glared at Claire, sensing Vaatu swirl around inside her. The Spirit's eyes flared as it unleashed a mighty roar, blasting Snow off the ground and knocking the two off-balance before it thunderously charged, shaking the mountains with each stomp.

Claire outstretched her hand to the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, ejecting spiritual tendrils from her hand and entangling the hulking beast, but despite her attempts, it shook off the tendrils, continuing its charge.

Kang blasted multiple fireballs at the Gorilla-Bear, but it simply barrelled through them, ramming its head into Claire and knocking her away like a rag doll.

"AVATAR!"

Claire tried to stand, grasping her ribcage and painfully groaning before flopping back on the ground, "I think he broke something..."

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit strode over to Claire, with its mighty claws at the ready.

Kang hesitantly gazed at the Gorilla-Bear Spirit looming over the incapacitated Claire, taking a deep breath and letting all thought flow away.

Kang arched his arms around his body, but his Fingertips didn't glow with Electricity, and as he brought them together, he obliviously struck his fingers out.

But he only created an explosion in front of him, knocking him back onto the ground, "Damn it, Claire..."

Kang pushed himself back up to his feet, the Gorilla-Bear Spirit picking the Avatar up in its giant hand.

"Avatar..."

Claire did all she could to break out of the hulking Spirit's hold, punching its arm and kicking at its torso, but to no avail.

Kang heavily gazed to his prosthetic hand, wiggling the fingers before glaring at the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, "This better work..."

Kang removed a panel on the index finger, pressing a small red button before charging at the Gorilla-Bear Spirit.

With a mighty leap, Kang latched onto the hulking Spirit's back, firmly gripping its shoulder with the prosthetic before locking the fingers in place, The sheer pressure of the prosthetic's grip broke the Gorilla-Bear Spirit's grip on Claire.

Kang leapt off its back, breaking away from his prosthetic before running around to Claire and dragging her away, "Plug your ears!" he shouted.

Kang let go of Claire, plugging his ear with his remaining hand and pressing his other ear to his shoulder whilst Claire plugged her ears.

The prosthetic exploded on the back of the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, the almighty boom dazing the hulking spirit as it collapsed, both Claire and Kang nervously watching it slam onto the snow-covered ground.

"You put an explosive in your arm?"

"Yep!"

Claire cautiously approached the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, outstretching her arms as spiritual tendrils once again emerged, ensnaring the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, a faint glow emitting from them.

Claire closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before her eyes glowed with the power of the Avatar State. The faint glow erupted into a brilliant light, radiating like a beacon before slowly fading away.

Claire descended from the Avatar State. The tendrils faded away as the Gorilla-Bear Spirit groaned, "Where... am I?" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit asked, coming to its senses.

"Wan Shi Tong's Library," Claire replied.

"Any idea... when I got here? My memory's been fuzzy ever since that black-haired human told me to bring him the Avatar."

"Talos used Spirit-Bending on you, and because of that, you went insane," Claire explained.

"So you... saved me?" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit asked.

"Yup!"

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit turned to Kang, "And I take it your friend helped?"

The Avatar nodded whilst Kang waved to the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, "Hello There!"

"Hello!" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit greeted him, "As repayment for saving me from insanity, how can I help you two?"

Claire crossed her arms, "We need to cure all the other insane Spirits... do you know where they might be?"

"... You're the Avatar, right?" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit asked.

"I am."

"So, you can air-bend?"

"Yes ..?"

"I have an idea, hop on my back!" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit replied.

Claire and Kang looked to each other, the mad inventor shrugging, "I don't see why not."

The two jumped aboard the Gorilla-Bear Spirit's back, beginning their spirit saving journey.

The three arrived In a wide-open field of vibrant colours, whilst dismally dark regions lay amongst the horizon.

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit stopped in the middle of the field, allowing the two to jump off, "And here I thought my first bareback experience would be with Lin," Kang sarcastically said.

Claire cheekily smirked before turning her attention to the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, "Alright, what's your idea?"

"You use your air-bending to draw in a massive amount of air, then shout at the top of your lungs to all the insane Spirits, and they come right to you!" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit explained.

"How would that work?" Claire asked

"The insane spirits 'sniff out' your Avatar Spirit, and if they hear you. They'll follow the source and eventually find the trail of your Avatar Spirit's scent!"

Kang rubbed his chin, "You know, that might just work!"

"Well... if you think so, I'll try it," Claire replied.

Claire began to suck in the surrounding air, but the Gorilla-Bear Spirit stopped her, "Oh, and one other thing... You may want to put us on an elevated platform."

"Good idea!" Kang replied.

Claire erected a pillar large enough to hold Kang, The Gorilla-Bear Spirit, and herself, "Ready?" she asked the two as they plugged their ears.

"Go for it!" Kang shouted.

Claire nodded, turning to the horizon and sucking in an enormous amount of air, "TO ALL THE INSANE SPIRITS OF THIS WORLD! THE AVATAR IS RIGHT HERE! IN THIS GENERAL DIRECTIO-" she shouted before violently coughing.

Kang unplugged his ears, "You alright there?"

"Yeah, just never shouted that loudly before..."

Claire's voice travelled across the Spirit world, even passing by Iroh's tea shop.

The bemused Tea maker peeked out of the tea shop and quizzically looked to the skies, "Must have been the wind..." Iroh then returned to making tea.

The trio remained atop the pillar for hours, Claire lay on her back gazing up to the sky whilst Kang bounced a fireball in between his hand and stump as the Gorilla-Bear Spirit rested between them.

But a distant rumbling approached, causing the pillar to quake and awaken The Gorilla-Bear Spirit, "I think the plan worked!" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit said.

Claire and Kang looked out to the Horizon, a gigantic hoard of Insane Spirits charging at them, their presence corrupting the field as they pursued the Avatar, "I... think it did," Claire nervously replied.

"You've got this, Claire! Just go into the Avatar State and bend the insanity out of them!" Kang encouraged her.

Claire stood up, taking a deep breath, staring down at the approaching hoard whilst the Gorilla-Bear Spirit and Kang held onto each other for dear life.

Claire ascended into the Avatar State, her eyes glowing with brilliant white light as hundreds of spiritual tendrils erupted from her arms and hands, all latching onto the approaching Spirits, ensnaring them on-the-spot light radiating all around them.

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit shielded his eyes whilst Kang watched the radiant light fade. The insane horde came to their senses, the befuddled spirits all looking at one another as Claire descended from the Avatar State, letting out a small groaned before collapsing.

Kang leapt over and caught her before she hit the earth, but the pillar underneath them crumbled to dust.

The Gorilla-Bear Spirit grabbed ahold of Kang and Claire, protecting them from harm, "Are you two okay?"

"I am... I'm not sure about Claire though," Kang replied, holding the Avatar's unconscious body.

The cured Spirits chattered amongst one another as the Gorilla-Bear Spirit stepped towards them, "Friends, the black-haired invader drove us mad! Forcing us to hunt the Avatar in his stead, but she brought us back from the brink of insanity!"

The Gorilla-Bear showed them the Avatar, each spirit clamouring around to get a look at Claire and Kang.

But despite the attention, Kang turned to the Gorilla-Bear Spirit, "You wouldn't happen to know the way to Iroh's teashop from here?"

"Of course I do! Come on, I'll take you there!" The Gorilla-Bear Spirit replied, offering them a ride.

Kang hopped aboard, holding onto Claire as the three raced over to Iroh's Teashop.

After an hour of riding, The Gorilla-Bear Spirit, Kang and the unconscious Claire arrived back at Iroh's teashop, "Iroh!" the Gorilla-Bear Spirit called out.

Iroh walked out of the teashop with a wide grin on his face, "Xiong! You're safe. What happened to you after Talos' attack?"

"Long story short, the weird human made me hunt the Avatar, and here I am... helping the Avatar," Xiong grinned as Kang hopped off the hulking spirit's back.

Iroh's grin turning to a look of worry as Kang approached with Claire unconscious once again, "What happened?"

"She used the Avatar State to cleanse the Insane Spirits, then she passed out," Kang explained.

Iroh observed her, humming to himself, "... Using the Avatar State with only half of the Avatar Spirit when her body as not yet properly conformed to it is dangerous... but she will live."

Kang carried Claire inside the teashop, followed by Iroh and Xiong as he laid the Avatar down on the table, turning to Iroh with concern crawling over his face, "She can't face Talos like this!"

"She will need time to rest and recover, and time to allow her body to conform to only having half the Avatar Spirit," Iroh explained.

"We may not have that much time! Who knows what Talos is doing with his newfound Avatar powers!" Kang angrily exclaimed.

"Talos may be a formidable opponent... but I know you are just as powerful, if not stronger."

Kang turned his befuddled gaze to him, "What... makes you say that?"

Iroh faintly smiled, "I know you are Azula's Son, Kang. And I also know that her fiery strength burns within you too."

Kang gritted his teeth, "No... I... it doesn't... not anymore..." his voice choked.

Iroh heavily sighed, walking up to him and placing a hand on his upper arm, "I know the pain of losing someone you love, but you cannot allow this despair to destroy you."

"You know what it's like to lose, but do you know what it's like to kill someone you love?" The sorrowful Kang asked.

Iroh looked to the ground, closing his eyes, "In a way... I do," His eyes opened once more, "But you have an opportunity that I never had."

Kang curiously turned to the wizened tea maker, "What... opportunity?"

"She's still waiting for you. Go to her!"

Kang stepped away from Iroh, clenching his fists as he glared, "What!?"

"Go to her, layout your Shame and your Grief, let it flow from you. Release it from the bottle you have sealed it within, or there may be no one who can stand up against Talos."

Kang remained silent, letting out a deep, shaky breath and gazing at the floor, "I... understand."

"Take the North Pole Spirit Portal, you will arrive in the Spirit Oasis. Then take a boat to the Earth Kingdom. And from there..." Iroh looked to Kang to finish the sentence.

"And from there... go home..."

Iroh sombrely nodded as Kang walked out of the teashop, "Thanks... Grand-Uncle."

The wizened tea maker smiled, "Uncle will do just fine."

Kang smirked, marching to the Spirit Portal, beginning his adventure back into the Mortal World.