Visions
It was a cloudless, starry night in Cranefish Town. After Aang decided against taking away the abilities of the bending supremacist Liling, he and Katara stayed to help raise it up as a community where benders and non-benders can live side by side. Things were progressing very well. The Avatar's presence inspired a message of unity and co-operation across the settlement that added to its peaceful backdrop. However, the same could not be said for Aang's dreams. In the dream, he found himself being lead to a forest of sorts by a spirit he had never seen before. It made a ticking sound as it leads him in between trees, through underbrushes, and bridged lakes.
"This is the third night in a row that I've had this dream. What are you trying to tell me?" Aang asked the spirit that looked like a giant pond skimmer.
"Meet me at the Forgetful Valley, and all will become clear, in time," the spirit answered. He then went on to give a very stark warning. "Do not delay, for every second wasted brings not only your world and mine but others closer to catastrophe. A new war is coming, the likes of which you've never seen before," the spirit warned.
"Another war? Who's behind it?" Aang probed.
"Threats both known…." The spirit replied, and Aang could hear all too familiar laughter echoing throughout the scene, which sounded like Ozai's cackle. "…and unknown," the spirit concluded, then new laughter replaced Ozai's, but Aang did not recognise this voice, but that didn't stop the laughter from sounding even more sinister, cruel, and malicious than Ozai's laugh did. In the distance, Aang could make out a figure, dressed in black robes, and holding what looked like a long scepter. The figure then twirled his scepter around and shot a blast at Aang, but before it made contact, Aang woke up in the real world. He looked around to see Katara, his love, sleeping beside him, her hand nested on Aang's bare chest. Somehow, Katara knew Aang had suddenly awoken because she started stirring too.
"Spirit dreams again?" Katara probed.
"They gave me instructions this time, rather than just appearing and disappearing, but I still don't know which spirit is communicating with me," Aang disclosed. Katara sighed heavily.
"Look, Aang, if you need to find out the reason behind these dreams, I'd be OK with holding down the fort. Things here are looking pretty good right now. I think the town can manage without you for a few days," Katara resolved.
"But can you, though?" Aang countered, not wanting to leave her side.
"You're the Avatar, the bridge between our world and the Spirit World. Things like this happen. I accept that. Besides, it looks like the spirits need you more than I do. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Go be a hero, I'll still be here when you get back," Katara assured.
"Then I will leave for the Eastern Air Temple tomorrow. They kept a vast library of all knowledge of the Spirits and their world. That should tell me who's coming to me in my dreams," Aang resolved. "Tonight, however, is just about us," Aang seduced as he fully embraced Katara in a passionate kiss, lowering both of them back onto their shared bed, taking in the soft feel of Katara's skin on his hands before he had to set off the next day. Katara, too, enjoyed their night together before drifting back to sleep.
That same night, in the Fire Nation, another person was having a very strange dream. It was none other than former Fire Lord Ozai, getting what little sleep he could in his dreary, dirty, prison cell. He was still dreaming of his glory days, where he commanded armies, ruled a nation, and ate feasts on a daily basis, instead of gruel three times a day, only the hard floor to sleep on, and prison guards to talk to if they ever indulged him at all. Under the rule of the new Fire Lord, his son Zuko, Ozai turned into a pariah, a war criminal, they branded him. He couldn't even conjure a small fire to warm him in these cold nights because the Avatar took his bending away. This night's dream was like the others, reminiscent of his past, pining for those days to return, but this time, something was different. He was reliving his Agni Kai with his son, the moment when he gave Zuko his scar.
"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher," Ozai scolded, just as he did back then. He then burned Zuko's scar into him, but something happened that Ozai did not expect, a voice rang out across the hall.
"Oh, wow, your son talks out of turn and you burn half his face? I knew I liked you," the voice remarked. Ozai turned around to see where it came from.
"Show yourself!" Ozai demanded.
"Right here, 'my lord'," the voice mocked. In front of Ozai's eyes, a triangular figure with a single eye appeared.
"Who are you, some sort of spirit?" Ozai asked.
"Something like that. I go by many names, the Nightmare King, the Great Deceiver, but you can call me the All-Seer," the All-Seer introduced himself.
"What do you want with me?" Ozai probed.
"As you can tell, I'm not exactly from here, but I've been looking into your history, and I have to say I'm impressed. I like your style, and it pains me to see you as you are now. I'd like to see you returned to glory," the All-Seer explained.
"Without my bending, I can't do much," Ozai responded.
"Yes, I was getting to that. I can restore your bending. All I ask is a small favour in return," the All-Seer bargained and produced a hand engulfed in blue flame. Ozai thought this over. While he was distrustful by nature, he could not turn down an offer like this, even in a dream. Still, he had questions.
"What is it you want? A seat of power? Riches? Restore my bending and I'll grant you whatever you desire," Ozai proposed.
"Now we're getting somewhere. All I want is for you to come when I call for you. There's an experiment I need your help with. If we're successful, this 'Avatar cycle' I've been reading about will perish forever. No-one would dare oppose you after that, and if they did, you could easily swat them down. There is a small hiccup, though," the All-Seer outlined.
"Here we go," Ozai groaned.
"It can't happen now. But there is a point in the future where my plan can come to fruition," the All-Seer concluded.
"Are you asking me to wait in this dungeon for your call? No way am I agreeing to that!" Ozai asserted.
"Who said anything about waiting that long? Ever hear of the concept of time travel? I can take you and the allies I plan to recruit to the exact point in time where the Spirit World is vulnerable. That being said, I must ask for your patience. No more than a day, scout's honour," the All-Seer promised. Ozai contemplated the All-Seer's offer. Time travel, spirit realms, a potential end to the Avatar cycle, and his power restored, both in the bending sense and his throne? All he would have to do was respond to a summons from this being? He could do that.
"All right, I'm trusting you, but fail me and I'll come after you myself," Ozai threatened.
"Wouldn't dream of it," the All-Seer joked. He outstretched his hand for Ozai to shake, which he did. As soon as Ozai shook the hand, he felt a warm, burning sensation journey up his arm and around his body. Ozai then woke up with a start, back in his cell. He turned to face the wall and when he was sure the guards weren't looking, he tried to produce a small flame. To his surprise, he succeeded.
"Well well, he came through," Ozai said in a surprised tone. "But he never told me what the signal was," Ozai remembered. Just then, a triangle shape similar to how Bill appeared in his dream lit up on the back of his hand. It disappeared as quickly as it had emerged.
"Next time that symbol appears, that's your cue to bust out," the All-Seer's voice called out to him. The plan set in motion, all Ozai had to do was wait and keep his restored bending concealed for the time being.
The next morning, a person dressed in black and wearing a mask was fishing for breakfast at a nearby stream. She was lamenting her previous life as a Fire Nation princess. Azula often did this, pining for days long gone, yearning for glory. She had hoped to shape the new Fire Lord, her brother Zuko, into a younger version of their father, making him more authoritarian than he actually was. However, all that went up in smoke when Zuko gave his speech about taking responsibility for his behaviour during the 'Kemurikage' incident, apologising to his people, and vowing to be better. She kept replaying that speech over and over in her head, and it disgusted her more each time. That, combined with the frustration of not catching anything, caused her to zap the stream with lightning, sending water flying everywhere.
"Why did you have to be such a weakling, brother?" Azula panted. Her anger boiled over to the point where she started producing flame fists.
"Come now, is that the composure of a princess?" came a mocking voice from the other side of the stream. Azula looked over to see a cloaked figure, holding a scepter.
"Oh, just go away!" Azula demanded and shot a lightning bolt at the figure. It disappeared, then reappeared directly behind her.
"Temper, temper, child," the figure teased. Azula then back swiped at the figure with a flame dagger, which it dodged very easily. Azula then jumped back and shot another lightning bolt at her assailant. The figure then raised his scepter and stopped the blast with a shield of some sort. "Looks like someone needs a time out," the figure scolded. With a snap of its fingers, ropes materialised from no-where and bound Azula. When she tried to burn them away, her bending failed her.
"It's like being chi-blocked all over again," Azula remarked.
"Will you calm down! I'm here as a friend, not an enemy," the figure reasoned.
"I've had 'friends' before. All they're good for is a knife to the back," Azula shot back.
"All right, fine. I guess you're not interested in helping me restore your father to his throne," the figure enticed. This grabbed Azula's attention.
"What about my father?" Azula asked.
"Some introductions are in order. I am the All-Seer. I do have other names, but in this world, I prefer that moniker, and I know all about you, Azula," the All-Seer introduced.
"Not enough, apparently. If you really know all about me, then you should know that I have no interest in the throne anymore," Azula jabbed.
"Yeah, yeah, you wanted to mold your brother into the same kind of ruler your father was. I hate to break it to you, actually, no I don't, but that is not going to happen. Your brother is too much of a bleeding heart to ever be like your father. It's time to face facts. If you want the Fire Nation to be how you want it to be, your father must retake his throne," the All-Seer said bluntly.
"Truer words were never spoken, but my father has no bending, not anymore," Azula replied.
"A trifling concern. You thought the Avatar was the only one that can restore and take away bending ability? Your father and I have a plan, and all I need is your help. I need you to bust your father out," the All-Seer explained.
"Easier said than done. That prison is the second-most secure in all the nation, after the Boiling Rock," Azula responded.
"Which is why you'll need this," the All-Seer then provided a disguise for Azula to wear. "You'll sneak in, find your father, and bust him out. From what I've gathered, infiltration is your speciality," the All-Seer outlined. Azula then remembered her seizure of Ba Sing Se, and how it required no military action to do it. She considered it her biggest achievement. After that, a simple prison break should be easy, but she still had questions.
"What's in this for me?" Azula inquired.
"I have a plan of my own, and it involves the Spirits. Let's just say it involves the total destruction of them and their world, but the 'how' escapes me. The 'when' is clear to me, however," the All-Seer answered. Now Azula was convinced that the All-Seer knew her as well as he claimed. In addition to hating her brother for being the complete antithesis of a typical Fire Lord, she also hated her mother and the Spirits for keeping her concealed all the time she was banished. Seeing them and their world completely destroyed would bring her great satisfaction.
"And you want my help with that?" Azula probed.
"I can't do it without you. Are you in?" the All-Seer offered. He undid Azula's bindings and outstretched his hand, which was engulfed in blue flame. Azula thought this over. This 'All-Seer' wanted help with his plan to destroy the Spirit World, and he was offering restored glory to the Fire Nation in exchange. This was a win-win for Azula, who would get her wish of a true Fire Lord on the throne and revenge on the spirits that helped her mother hide from the world.
"I'm in," Azula accepted the All-Seer's offer and his hand. When the handshake was finished, Azula noticed a triangle mark on the back of her hand.
"Show that to your father and he'll know what to do next. Trust me," the All-Seer guided. Azula nodded in response. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an Avatar to stalk. He'll lead me where I need to go. Watch for my call," the All-Seer instructed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Later that day, Aang had set off for the Eastern Air Temple, and the vast library contained within. All the knowledge of the spirits and their realm that the Air Temple monks collected over many centuries had resided there. He had hoped that this collection survived the Air Nomad genocide perpetrated by Sozin. When he arrived on Appa, the temple was still very much intact, albeit empty. Aang still remembered the way to the library, having been there many times, accompanied by Monk Gyatso, studying the spirit realm. Aang found the library and its works almost completely untouched. There were signs of battle, but those had long faded after over a hundred years. He found the texts he was looking for and opened a book identifying all known spirits. Aang sifted through it, checking off ones he didn't see in his dreams until he found the page he was looking for.
"Temporo, traveller of the Waters of Time. Said to possess knowledge of past, present, and future events, Temporo is charged with maintaining the constant flow of time in one singular direction. Also possesses the ability to travel between the past, present, and future at will. That's who's been calling me. But why?" Aang wondered as he read the passage over and over. He put the book back on its shelf and thought about the question he just asked himself in his head. Why would a time-travelling spirit need his help? Whatever the reason, it did Aang no good pondering the answer where he was now. He then decided to seek advice from someone much wiser than him. Iroh was Aang's first choice. He always did have great wisdom, and delicious tea and a bit of both could help light Aang's way. Aang also tried in vain for half an hour to find any reference to the cloaked figure he saw, but nothing even resembling its description could be found anywhere. It was then that Aang thought that the best being to ask about the figure would be Temporo himself. Aang then exited the library, found Appa munching on some greenery, and, after he had finished, left for the Fire Nation capital to seek Iroh's advice. Unbeknownst to Aang, that same cloaked figure with a scepter was watching from a nearby cliff edge.
"All the collected knowledge of the Spirit World, and you led me to it, Avatar. Where, oh where, do I begin?" the All-Seer mused to himself as he stalked the library's shelves and found some particular passages in the deepest corners of the library on shelves that were labelled 'restricted and dangerous'. The All-Seer chuckled to himself. "I'm going to have some fun with these," the All-Seer menaced.
Meanwhile, at the Fire Nation prison, Azula had just arrived near to the entrance. She made her way through the Fire Nation capital undetected by hiding amongst the crowd, letting them shield her from view, all the while donning her hooded cloak, taking great care to make sure no-one saw her face. Just like Ba Sing Se, Azula was able to mingle amongst the townspeople without notice. When she made it to the entrance, she ducked into a nearby alley, made sure no-one was watching, and changed into her prison disguise bequeathed to her by the All-Seer.
"Credentials?" the entry guard requested. Azula reached into a pocket and dug out a small ID card. On the inside, she was slightly anxious and scared that this would not work, but she had ample practice in concealing these emotions. The guard bought the fabrication and let her in. Azula took great pains not to be noticed and did not interact with the guards directly. She found a prison directory, a small piece of paper detailing who was imprisoned in which cell. She found Ozai's entry easy enough but figuring that additional support wouldn't hurt, she also noted the locations of several incarcerated New Ozai Society members. Her plan in motion, Azula approached the warden.
"I'm here to relieve you, Warden Poon," Azula lied.
"About time. Now you get the pleasure of the ex-Fire Lord's company. Try not to burn the place down," Poon instructed with a sarcastic tone and handed Azula the keys to the cells. But before he left, Poon stopped briefly. "You new here?" Poon asked.
"First day," Azula responded. Poon paused, then chuckled.
"Here's some advice for you, newbie. We just house them, we don't have to like them. For the sake of your sanity, don't interact with them in any way. It just frustrates you," Poon advised.
"Noted," Azula replied and went to the cells. She went to the cells of the New Ozai Society members first. All except Ukano, who she particularly disliked for betraying her during the Kemurikage incident. Once she let them in on the All-Seer's plan to restore Ozai to the throne, they waited patiently, with their cell doors unlocked, for her signal. Once Ozai was out, they would create a distraction long enough for Ozai and Azula to slink away during the chaos. Azula then reached her prize, Ozai himself. She revealed herself to him and showed her mark that the All-Seer gave her.
"So, he's recruited my daughter? How poetic," Ozai remarked.
"You know what to do, father?" Azula inquired.
"Let me out and I'll do the rest," Ozai replied. Azula unlocked his cell and gave a signal to her recruits.
"I took the liberty of liberating some fans of yours. They want to see you restored to power, so they agreed to start a riot, during which we'll slip away. They may end up back in their cells when it is over. Such is the life of a member of the New Ozai Society, or whatever they're calling themselves now," Azula explained, as the riot ensued.
"I will ensure their release once I am back on the throne and bestow upon them awards befitting their service," Ozai said gratefully, and he and Azula fled the ward. By then, the guards knew, or at least, had an inkling, that someone let Ozai and his followers out, but were too distracted by the rioting Ozai followers to do anything about the ex-Fire Lord.
"Go, my Lord. Take back your throne!" one member called out amongst the chaos.
"Do not worry about us. We'll keep them off you!" another one assured.
"I will not forget this sacrifice. All of you will be rewarded!" Ozai promised and fled the prison, conjuring a wall of fire to conceal their escape. The riot continued, but Ozai and Azula did not stop to watch. Instead, they made their way to the palace, where Zuko would no doubt be.
"Time to pay dear Zuzu a visit," Azula suggested menacingly.
It had been a quiet day in the Fire Nation capital. The Fire Lord Zuko was enjoying a visit from the Avatar Aang. Even Iroh had come from his tea shop. While the company of his friend and uncle was a welcome distraction from his duties, the visit was not purely a social call. As Aang had explained, he had been haunted by the Spirit of Time in his dreams warning him of a looming disaster, one that threatened not only this world but others as well. Aang had finished recalling these dreams in full to Iroh and Zuko. Both had uneasy expressions on their faces.
"As the bridge between our two worlds, it is only natural that the spirits chose to communicate with you in such a fashion. Nevertheless, these warnings cannot go unanswered," Iroh advised.
"What else do you see in these dreams besides the spirit? Anything out of the ordinary?" Zuko inquired.
"Just a figure in a black cloak, nothing more. The spirit tells me he's an enemy that seeks the destruction of their world," Aang answered.
"But the spirit world is where all bending originates. To destroy that would be to destroy a part of this world as well," Iroh added.
"Troubling. Have you told the others?" Zuko asked.
"Just Katara, but not the others. I don't want to worry them. At least, not until I know more," Aang replied.
"They'll have to be told at some point. Their destinies are tied with your own," Iroh observed.
"There's more. I hear laughter. His laughter. In these dreams," Aang said in a fearful tone.
"You mean…." Zuko responded, but before he could finish his sentence, one of his aides came running into the room.
"Begging your pardon, Fire Lord, but there is a disturbance outside," the aide informed. The three then ran out into the courtyard. Sure enough, a figure in a black cloak was waiting outside. But this one was different than the one in Aang's dream. To his horror, Zuko could make out who it was from his build alone.
"It's been a long time, 'Fire Lord'," the figure taunted. He removed his cloak and hood to reveal his identity, which shocked all present.
"Yes it has, 'Dad'," Zuko replied.
"Oh yes, and I have something to show you," Ozai replied in a sinister tone, and he conjured a ring of fire trapping them with him inside.
"What, how is this possible?!" Zuko demanded.
"Wouldn't you like to know, Zuzu," came a voice from the palace roof. Again, Aang, Iroh, and Zuko recognised who it was.
"I should've known you had a hand in this, sister," Zuko rebutted.
Author's note: Behold, my first multi-chapter project of 2021, and I'm telling an Avatar story, and believe me, this was not easy. I'm trying to keep in line with the comics as much as I can, so if anything is unfamiliar to you, refer to those. That being said, I did wiki a lot of stuff before writing this, in order to be as accurate as possible. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar. Enjoy!