Part 3 - Chaos
Druk soared through the South Pole's chaotic skies with Zuko on his neck and keeping an eye out for the Southern tribe, spying the gigantic city of ice, snow and stone on the horizon.
"Druk! Down there!"
The Dragon affirmatively gruffed and descended towards the castle of ice and stone, smacking down in front of it, rumbling the foundations and spooking Sokka atop his throne.
His wolf's tail styled hair turned grey over the long years, and a trim beard akin to his father's adorned his face. He wore traditional navy blue and fluffy white Water Tribe armour and kept a Jian Sword close at hand.
"I hope that wasn't another Ice-quake..." he groaned.
He ran outside to find Druk looming over him, making him screech and stumble back, "What is a Dragon doing here!?"
Suki, adorned in traditional Kyoshi Warrior armour with her long silvery hair tied at the end and her eyes a pale blue. And Bumi still dressed in his navy blue jacket, white pants and black jackboots. Ran out to check on the rumbling, being equally shocked by the sight of Druk.
Zuko boosted himself off the Dragon with jets of Fire and landed before the three.
"Good to see you too, Sokka."
"Zuko!"
He threw his hands into the air, then went for a firm handshake before they pulled each other in for a manly hug.
Suki and Bumi stood before them with smiles plastered over their faces, "What brings you to the Southern Water Tribe, Zuko?" She asked
"Do I really need to answer that?" he pointed to the Chaos above them as thunder rumbled in the skies.
"Let me guess... getting 'Team Avatar' back together?" Bumi asked in a cross-armed slouch.
"That's the plan... is Katara here?" he asked, curiously scanning around.
Sokka nodded, "Come on! She's inside."
He led Zuko, Suki and Bumi back into the dimly lit interior of the Ice castle. Katara stood before Sokka's throne in sky blue robes with her grey hair tightly tied at the back of her head and her hair loops dangling at the sides of her aged face.
She fondly smiled as they approached, "That's not a face I thought I'd be seeing again."
"It's good to see you all again... I'm assuming Kya has already left?"
Bumi interjected and strutted around to Zuko, "My sister left about a day or two ago... hard to tell when the sky is a perpetual black."
"Speaking of the sky... do you have any idea why it's like this?" Katara asked.
"Shu and I have both determined that the Avatar is the cause."
The four jerked back in shock.
"Surely Claire wouldn't do this! Aang would have deterred her from doing so!" Katara replied.
"The Avatar is the only one in the world with this kind of power. Who else could it be?"
Everyone slumped in their postures, pondering on Zuko's words, "He's right... if the Avatar really has gone bad... we're gonna need to take her down!" Sokka slammed his fist into his palm.
"I agree. If we don't get her to listen to reason or take her down: we'll end up stuck like this," Suki replied.
Katara heavily sighed, "So be it."
The almost fully assembled Team Avatar departed from Sokka's castle, But Bumi gave chase, "Mind if I tag along?"
The team stared at one another, "Sure, Bumi!" Sokka happily replied.
Everyone hopped aboard Druk, sitting in a back saddle whilst Zuko took the reins, commanding him to ascend into the skies. The group soared through the Chaos, silence looming over them before Sokka spotted the Swamp's Giant tree in the distance.
"Zuko, over there! That's where Toph is!"
But he raised a sceptical eyebrow, "I thought Toph roamed the Four Nations?"
"She did, but recently she's made the swamp her home... hopefully, she's still there," Katara explained.
Zuko nodded and made Druk descend, smacking down in the swamp's pungent rivers and spraying the lake water all over their surroundings.
"If we were Toph... where would we be?" Sokka asked as his head darted around.
"She'll be on the ground level, that's for sure," Suki replied, scanning around with her husband.
But as they searched atop Druk, an earthen pillar shot up at his side, carrying Toph atop it. She hopped onto the saddle and spooked Sokka as he leapt over into Suki's arms.
"Or right under your noses," she calmly said.
Zuko gave her an awkward wince, "Did we... land on you?"
"Almost. Another few inches, and I would've been paste!" She laughed before looking off into the distance.
"You're here about all this Chaos, aren't you?"
Everyone quizzically peered around at one another, "Wait... how do you know about what's happening?" Sokka asked, curiously checking her over.
"I don't need to see to tell someone's unleashed a mass of Chaotic energy, dunderhead!" She snapped as she affectionately smacked her fist into him.
"Do you, by chance, know who's done it?" Bumi asked while Sokka rubbed his head.
"This swamp helps me see far and wide... and I'm fairly certain it's the Avatar... to think, Twinkle Toes turned into this," her posture slumped in disappointment.
"It's up to us to uphold Aang's legacy! Are you with us, Toph?" Zuko confidently asked.
She hummed and clasped her chin, "... one last round of battle with you guys? I may qualify as a fossil, but sure! Why not?"
A smile cracked along everyone's faces as Druk ascended back into the sky and flew for Republic City.
"Are you sure it's in Republic City, Zuko?" Sokka asked while Toph held onto his arm.
"Shu reckons it's 'Ground Zero', and I'm inclined to believe him."
As they flew through the turbulent skies, the Heart of Chaos came into view and shocked everyone except Toph.
"What are we all gawking at?"
"It's... a Giant Crystal..." Sokka said.
"And I don't think it's friendly!" Suki replied.
He slanted his gaze at her while Zuko determinedly glared at it. Druk descended towards the front of the giant crystal as Katara shot forward.
"Wait, Zuko! There are people down there!"
Everyone's gaze shot up to find the descending Druk closing in on them, "DRAGON!" Hou shouted as he went to kick up a boulder.
But Khana quickly leapt in and overpowered his bending, "Hold your Ostrich-Horses! That's Fire Lord Zuko!"
Everyone on the ground stared at her with surprise as Druk smacked down. Zuko boosted himself off with Fiery jets and landed before the group whilst the others all climbed off.
"Fire Lord Zuko!" Khana rushed up and bowed before him.
Zuko rolled his eyes and smiled, "Didn't do much loosening up, did you?"
She sheepishly grimaced and perked up, "Well... uh, I did a... bit?"
While everyone else climbed off, Khana's red hair caught Suki's eyes as they flared.
"Khana!"
Zuko quickly made their way as she went to bow to her master, but Suki swiftly threw herself into a hug and tightly embraced the off-guard Kyoshi Warrior. Khana cautiously hugged her back as Sokka strode up to them.
"So this is the Khana I've heard so much about?"
Suki nodded as the two Kyoshi Warriors released their embrace.
"It's good to see you again, Master Suki!"
She smiled, "I don't know how many times I've told you, 'Suki' is just fine!"
Khana smirked as Sokka rubbed his smooth beard.
"Eh, I like it!" he quickly pulled her in and flexed his arm out to the sky, "Master Suki!" he said in an exaggerated voice.
Toph marched up to the three and peered up at her, "Of all the places to bump into you again, this isn't where I expected."
Khana lightly chuckled, "Well... teaming up with the Avatar leads you into all sorts of crazy situations."
Toph smirked, "Oh, I'm thinking you did a bit more than just 'team up' if that little heart spike is anything to go off."
She flushed red as her earth bending master chuckled, "Anyway, I think a certain pair are eyeing me up."
While Suki and Khana caught up, Toph marched over to a limping Hou, followed by Lin.
"I'd know those two footsteps anywhere," she smirked.
"Hi, mother..." Hou softly smiled.
"It's good to see you again!" Lin brightly smiled.
"I'd say the same if I could," she laughed at herself as the three embraced one another in a group hug, "I know I'm not much of a hugger, but I'll make an exception for you two."
The Sibling's smiles grew ever more prominent, all the while Zu marched up to her with a bright grin over his face, "Captain."
Toph smirked as she released the group hug, "Big Softy."
The Giant scoffed, "That offer to join our family still stands, you know."
"What? Go back into my life of crime and give Lin more hassle to deal with?"
She peered over at her daughter, "I'll think about it," she said as Lin disapprovingly scowled.
While Toph, her children, and Zu conversed, Bumi and Katara strode over to Li, who checked over Tenzin atop a long earthy perch.
"Hey, Tenzin!" Bumi bodaciously greeted him before scanning around, "...Where's Kya?"
Tenzin gritted his teeth as Katara's eyes slowly darted around, "Speaking of which... I expected there to be more of you."
Li heavily sighed as he turned to her, "...You may want to sit down."
She sat next to Tenzin as Bumi nervously checked their surroundings, spying the now five coffins.
"This... False Avatar's killed your daughter."
Katara's heart near enough broke at the sound of it as she twisted to Tenzin, "Tell me he's lying, Tenzin! Tell me this blood dabbling, murdering son of a Shark-Squid is lying!"
But he shook his hanging head as the grim reality set in. She shot up and ran over with Bumi to the coffins as they eyed up the symbols, finding one with '嘉' engraved on it.
Katara's heart sank and dragged her to her knees as she gently held the stone coffin; all the while, Bumi firmly placed his hands atop it and tightly shut his eyes; they had no words to express their anger and sorrow, only a waterfall of tears.
Katara's sobbing permeated the air as everyone turned to them. Sokka swiftly rushed to her side, shortly followed by Suki, "Katara, what's wrong?"
She shook her head and clenched her fist atop the stone, "Kya, she's... she's dead! My poor girl is dead!"
The couple stepped back in shock as they too turned to the coffins, finding the one with '静' etched into it. Suki's lips quivered as tears built in her eyes.
"No...no, not Jing!" she fell to her knees before it.
Sokka tried to steel himself as he gently placed a hand on the engraving and welled up at the touch of the cold stone. Zuko joined them and observed the stone coffins, spying one with '舒' engraved on it as his breath choked in his throat.
He reached out and placed his hand to it, shaking his head as tears welled in his eyes, "Oh Shu..."
Suki shot up as her fists clenched, "Avatar or not. She's going to pay for this. For all of this!"
Sokka dried his eyes and stood by her, "I'm with you all the way. There's no forgiving this!"
Katara too arose by them and dried her eyes, "I refuse to let this be Aang's legacy. I know he'd disapprove of vengeance, but there's no room in my heart for forgiveness now!"
Zuko turned to Toph, adamantly nodding to her as she patted her kid's shoulders.
"Well... looks like it's time to go kick an Avatar on their backside!" She heavily sighed and marched forward.
"Don't underestimate him, mother!" Hou replied.
She gazed back one last time and smiled, "I didn't plan to."
Zuko strode over to Druk and patted his neck, the Dragon gazing down at him and anxiously sniffing, "Return home, Druk. I'll see you when this is over."
He softly gruffed and ascended into the skies, soaring west to the Fire Nation.
Bumi gazed down at Kya's coffin, softly gripping his fingertips against the stone, "Don't worry, Sis. We're gonna get payback for this!"
Team Avatar and Bumi marched for the Heart of Chaos with adamant determination burning in their hearts. They marched across the bridge toward Talos, his eyes opening and flaring with shock at the sight of them.
"Well, this is a surprise! Team Avatar comes to grace me with their presence?" he raised his hand and blade out to them.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, "My memory of her is fuzzy, but that... sounds nothing like Claire," Bumi muttered.
"No... but I recognise that voice..." Toph said as she embedded her foot into the obsidian, and while she observed him, the memories of her time at the North Pole fluttered in, "It's that kid the Avatar was with!"
Team Avatar sceptically stared at each other before steeling themselves and striding forward to face the False Avatar.
"Ah, Chief Sokka! What a pleasure it is to finally meet you!"
He clenched his fists and marched up to him, "Unalaq's son, what a surprise!"
Talos scoffed and arose from his throne, "I am hardly his son anymore. I am something far greater!"
Katara, Bumi and Suki marched up and stood by Sokka, "'Greater'? You're nothing but a murderer!" Katara shouted.
"Call me what you like, but the errors of the world have been corrected, and soon I shall stand as the world's true Avatar!"
"'The errors of the world'? What are you talking about!?" Sokka asked as his fists clenched.
"I should have been born the Avatar, but the Avatar Spirit made a mistake! So I am merely correcting their faults!"
He proudly outstretched his arms, "If the Avatar Spirit could make such a foolish choice, then it's time to be out with the old and in with the new. Raava and I shall be the Avatar for all time!"
"Talk about delusional..." Toph muttered.
Talos chuckled and plucked the Meteor sword from by his throne, "I believe this belongs to you."
He twirled it in his palm, "Your son was... adequate with it. Let us see if you do any better!"
He threw the sheathed space sword to The Southern Chief as he snatched it out of the air and withdrew it, "I don't care if you're an Avatar. You're going to get just what you deserve for killing the ones we love!"
Talos laughed and rose his arms like a deity, "You have no idea just who you're dealing with! I am the True Avatar! The Sun and Moon bow at my feet; The Heavens and Lands bend to my will!"
He strode out and raised his blade arm to them, "Although you are powerful in your own rights, none of you compare to me!"
He arched the blade back, "But just like everyone else, you shan't be deterred from your own folly! So, Come, Team Avatar! See if you can smite down the True Avatar of this age!"
Sokka withdrew his boomerang and slung it at Talos, but the Avatar deflected it with ease and prepared to strike; however, he charged in with his sword looming over the False Avatar. Toph kicked the obsidian up beneath Talos, launching him into the sword as the blade sliced across his face. The False Avatar clasped his cheek as Zuko unleashed a roar of flame, and Katara unleashed waves of ice blades. The Fire and ice closed in on him, but he weightlessly swerved into the air, creating a sphere of violet fire around himself and nullifying the elemental barrage. He compressed the flame into his palm before outstretching his arm and expanding the flame in a violent violet fury. But Toph erected an obsidian wall, defending everyone from the blaze. Talos scoffed and descended, clashing swords with Sokka and Bumi as Suki weaved around, striking his pressure points and striking with her katana, all the while Katara, Zuko and Toph supported them with their elements. The sound of clashing swords, the swishing of water, the roaring of flames and the crushing of obsidian filled the room, sweat breaking on Talos' brow, his heart racing as he defended himself from Team Avatar.
"Oh, what fun!" he laughed, "I'd expect no less from War Heroes!"
His eyes glowed with abyssal darkness, "Now let's see just how strong you trul-" Suki roared and bashed his face with her shield.
Talos stumbled back, the glow in his eyes fading as his lucid purple eyes reappeared. He gazed down at himself as Sokka and Bumi swung at him, their blades crashing against his.
"Chief Sokka!? Wh-What's-"
Suki slammed her shield into him once more as he fell to the throne, trying to stand as his breath ragged and eyes quaked.
However, Toph raised a perplexed eyebrow, "You two! Hold a moment!"
They twisted around to her, "I didn't just hear you say that, right!?" Sokka shouted.
"Cool it, Sokka... there's something different about him now!"
Talos rose back to his feet and passively raised his hand.
"I think Suki's little shield bash knocked a cog out of place; whatever had a hold over him's been... disrupted."
"How do you know he's not faking it!?" Suki asked.
"No one can hide anything from me; you know that!"
Sokka viciously pulled Talos in with his space sword a hair's breadth from his throat, "Why did you do this!? Murder our children. Corrupt the world. WHY!?"
Talos hesitantly breathed as he gazed into the Chief's rage-filled eyes, "I... it wasn't me!"
Sokka pressed the razor edge to his throat, his flesh the slightest touch away from being slashed open, "Then who!?"
"It's... Raava. She's a Demon I encountered in the Spirit World! Her voice... muttered, whispered to me as I watched Iroh sprint off. She promised me the power of the Avatar. The power I believed I should have inherited! I tried to close my heart to her... perverse, intoxicating words... but I couldn't... I gave in and set her free and let her... become one with me..."
Sokka's sword lightly lifted from his throat as his eyes softened.
"After that... all was... black."
Talos shook his head in disgust, "If I have done what you say I have done, then please, Chief Sokka! End my life before I hurt anyone else!"
The Chief gasped as Talos pried himself from his grip, a piercing ring pervading his mind as he clutched his head, "Do it now! Please!"
Sokka locked his sympathetic eyes away and rose his sword, "I'm... sorry."
He swung down to cleave Talos' head from his body, but the blade arm shot up, and Toph's glazed eyes flared.
"Ah, sympathy," His voice spoke in tandem with Raava's as a black aura cloaked him, and his head rose to reveal his black glowing eyes, "Truly a human's greatest weakness!"
Talos shoved Sokka and his sword away, lunging in to cleave the Chief's head from his shoulders, but Suki deftly leapt in and blocked the attack with her katana, the two straining against each other as Sokka hopped away into Bumi's arm. But before Suki could do the same, a violet fireball shot out of his palm, blasting Suki and scorching her robes and burning her armour as she weakly gasped and fell to the obsidian ground.
"Suki!" Sokka cried as Talos leapt in.
The three benders and Bumi tried to deter the False Avatar from his assault with streams and slabs of Fire, water and earth, but he deftly weaved and deflected their attacks, smacking Bumi out of the way and finally plunging his silvery blade into Sokka's gut. The Chief lost ahold of his sword as blood trickled out his mouth, and with a swift jerk of his arm, he wrenched the blade from his body. Sokka clutched his wound while the four watched on in horror.
However, Toph swiftly stomped her foot four times, slamming it down a fifth. Then, she quickly stomped, paused, stomped once more before firmly ingraining her foot and pounding the ground twice. Finally, ingraining both her feet and slamming a final time. Zu's head flinched to the vibrations of her feet and swiftly charged in, his vigorous charge making Toph smile. Within seconds the Giant could be seen and heard storming across the bridge. Talos turned to the sight of the man almost double his size, his imposing form looming over him before Zu batted him out of the way and scooped the fallen couple off the ground.
"Glad you still remember that little call!"
Zu smiled, "How could I forget?"
The Giant left as quickly as he came with Sokka and Suki in his arms while Talos rubbed his head and gathered his bearings.
"Down two already... This bodes ill for us," Zuko muttered as the ladies and Bumi stood by him.
"Now's not the time to be getting cold feet, Hotpants!"
Zuko grimaced and shook his head as the four prepared to fight the False Avatar.
Talos rose and dusted himself down before rolling his neck, "Come on then!"
The three launched their elements as Bumi charged in, but he met it with an obsidian wall, punching and slashing out chunks of it. He weaved through the flying slabs while Toph deflected them, and as he leapt over the remaining wall, he roared, slashed and plunged his blade into The False Avatar's form, his attacks too fast to predict or parry. Zuko unleashed a roaring fire stream as Bumi ducked out of the way, shattering the remaining obsidian as it hurtled at Talos. But he screamed at the top of his lungs and parted the Fire to his side as he slowly approached the Fire Lord. Zuko let loose multiple fire jabs whilst Toph shot up stalagmites of obsidian underneath the False Avatar, and Katara whipped at him from afar. However, still, he blocked and parried their attacks, keeping his gaze on Zuko. The Fire Lord took a deep breath, raising and slamming his foot, as the ladies backed away, watching him punch down and unleash a raging coil of Fire. But Talos punched the Flames, flexing his fingers and parting it as the blaze of red turned violet, Zuko strained as Talos loomed behind the Fire, but despite his resistance, The False Avatar pushed through the flames, his scythe surging toward Zuko's neck.
But the blade stopped an inch from his flesh, twitching as Talos tried to push it further, "What!?"
He glared at Toph but saw she merely held an obsidian boulder in her hand.
"She's... not metal-bending!?"
Zuko launched himself away as Bumi ran The False Avatar through, the mysterious grip on the blade releasing as he tried to break free of the blade. But Bumi cleaved through him, almost taking his entire torso with him as he fell to the ground. In his moment of pain paralysis, Katara and Toph attacked with boulders of ice and obsidian, smashing his body and throwing him to the ground. He tumbled and groaned, gritting his teeth before standing back up as a faint black light emanated from his slash wound. He roared and dashed in at the two ladies. However, Toph shot up an obsidian stalagmite, almost piercing through his head as he deftly swept around, bringing his blade down upon her. But before it could inch closer, Toph bent the metal blade and pushed it away from her as Zuko punched out a barrage of Fireballs, striking and scorching the False Avatar whilst Katara and Bumi lashed out with an ice-tipped whip and blade, cutting and cleaving his flesh before he weightlessly drifted away and held his head.
"What... is happening to me!? Raava!"
"Your old self is meddling with us! You need to end this battle quickly!"
The four stood firm before him as he chuckled and profoundly sighed.
"I knew you lot would be troublesome to deal with, but fighting myself at the same time, I dare say I'm lucky to have lasted this long!"
"We aren't your run-of-the-mill warriors, boy!" Toph replied.
But Talos deviously smirked, "Correct. But Average or prodigy. Novice or Master. Peasant or Royalty. All are but mere weaklings before the Avatar!"
An inky black aura radiated around his form, fear growing within Toph whilst confusion grew within Zuko, Bumi and Katara.
"A hog-monkey can never stand up to a Lion turtle! And compared to me, Toph, Katara, Zuko, Bumi!"
The Quadro went to lash out as he raised his arched blade behind him, "You four are but mere hog-monkeys!"
Talos vanished from view as the elements flew off into the crystal walls. Toph couldn't sense his approach, and Katara, Zuko and Bumi never saw him move; time had seemingly stopped before the False Avatar reappeared behind them, his blade arm retracted unto his arm while he held it in the air. Crimson blood trickled down its silver edge, and before They knew it, they collapsed to the ground with a pained groan.
Talos proudly stood over them as he brushed his hair back and took a deep breath, "A valiant effort, Team Avatar... but like eve... wait..."
He gazed at their still breathing bodies and his blade arm as he snarled at himself, "He made it a glancing blow... the bastard."
He scoffed and marched over to the fallen four with his blade raised and poised to kill, but his legs stopped moving, and his fleshy palm began to swirl and bend the air around them.
"What... is he doing!?"
Talos growled and strained against the force, which stopped his onslaught as Zuko, Toph, Katara, and Bumi hovered on the wind before them. He unleashed a howling gale and blasted the remainder of Team Avatar out of the Heart of Chaos.
Talos jerked and stumbled back as his old self released control, fading into the recesses of his blackened mind, "What a spoilsport..."
They flew from the crystal as everyone's gaze shot up to them in shock.
"CAPTAIN!" Zu shouted as he launched himself up.
Khana and Hou shot into the air with him as Zu caught Toph, and she grabbed hold of Zuko and Katara. All the while, Hou grabbed hold of Bumi. The three earth-benders descended and smashed down as everyone stormed over, gazing in horror.
"Captain! Captain, come on!" he shook her in his arms, hoping and praying for a response.
And her eyes fluttered open, "Geez, you Big Softy... these old bones aren't as strong as I make them out to be."
Toph chuckled as Zu, Lin, and Hou breathed a sigh of relief. Li sprinted over with water in hand, bending it along Zuko and Katara, the soothing light awakening them in Khana's arms before he ran over to Bumi and did the same.
"Are you two alright?"
"We'll... live..." Zuko breathlessly replied.
Zu arose with Toph in hand and quickly kicked up four earthen beds next to the ones Sokka and Suki lay atop of
He settled Toph down while Khana, Li and Hou carried Zuko, Katara and Bumi over, laying them down to begin healing. Toph gazed to the full moonlit chaotic skies while Zu held her hand, "How are... Sweetness and... Boomerang?"
Zu gazed over to Sokka and Suki, observing their bandage wrapped torsos and heavily sighing, "They'll be out for a while... but they were lucky Li had a full moon to help him out."
Toph scoffed and shut her eyes, "Would you mind letting my arm go?"
She pulled her arm from his grasp as he smirked, watching over her as she fell asleep. Ghazi strode up to the Heart of Chaos, setting his perplexed gaze on it as Khana marched up to him.
"Something on your mind?"
He hummed and shook his head, "Why did he spare them but not the others?"
She quietly pondered the thought, "He might've done it out of respect? They are heroes, after all."
"Then why was the same mercy not given to the children of said heroes? It makes no sense!"
Khana silently turned her gaze to the looming crystal, the two glaring at it in perplexed wonder.