Part 3 - Chaos
"Claire!" A muffled voice spoke.
Darkness clouded her vision, her numb body regaining sensation as the cold of the snow chilled her back whilst someone's hands gently pressed to her arms shook her.
"Claire!"
Her eyes fluttered open to find a concerned Talos filling her sight, "TALOS!"
She kicked herself up and raised her fists to him, finding herself adorned in a blue and white parka and Talos in his sleeveless navy blue and purple shirt. But he simply raised an eyebrow to her sudden hostility, "Relax, Claire. After passing out during your spin, I didn't think you'd be so fired up."
Her heart raced as her arms and legs quaked, all the while she scanned around at the seemingly unending snowfield, "Where am I?"
He scoffed and hesitantly chuckled, "The... usual training ground... geez, I didn't hit your head when I caught you, did I?"
He shrugged as Claire's widening eyes stared at him, "He still has his left arm... then that means..."
She turned her gaze to the confused Talos, "Oh, yeah... we are. Sorry, must've been a little disorientated after... whatever happened."
His eyes darted up and down her, sensing something off but finding himself unable to quite put his finger on it. But before he could press for questions, the sound of Unalaq and the White Lotus trudging through the snow-filled their ears. He and Claire swiftly turned around to them.
"Talos, Claire... good to see you aren't trying to kill each other for once!"
He chuckled, "There's no need to worry father, do you really think Claire can kill me? I'm the Avatar, after all!"
She marched forward and quietly stood beside Talos as she gazed at them all until Unalaq raised an eyebrow to her, "What? No witty come back, Claire?"
Her attention immediately shot to him, "Oh, uh... Talos is too much of a softy to try killing me!" She rested her arm atop the Prince's shoulder as he smirked and shrugged her off before peering at their guests.
"The people before you are members of The White Lotus Order. They are here in search of the Avatar."
Talos smiled and strutted forward, "Well, look no further, my friends. For you have found your Avatar!"
Toph approached, "What makes you so sure? Were you bending multiple elements while still in diapers?"
His pride briefly shattered while Claire smirked, "No... I wasn't... But I can feel the power of the Avatar Spirit coursing through my veins every time Claire and I spar; I can feel as if at any moment I could sever the earth, bend the air to my will, or unleash a roaring wave of flames from my fists."
Tenzin stepped forward, pulling out several items wrapped in cloth, "Well, to determine whether or not you are. I have brought four relics with us. They belonged to Past Avatars, and due to the connection between them, you should be able to recognise them."
He unravelled the Relics, and upon observing them, Talos smiled with confidence, "Yes, I recognise these!"
Katara curiously looked to Toph as the blind earth-bender wiggled her toes, "Is he telling the truth?"
She lightly groaned as she sensed him, "I can't tell if he's lying or not; everything's really... Fuzzy on this ice."
Claire stepped forward, the snow crunching underfoot, her intrigue of the relics pulling her in.
Toph heard her approach and turned her head to the curious water-bender, "And here comes the girl!"
Katara raised an eyebrow to her friend and smugly crossed her arms, "I thought your Seismic Sense was fuzzy on ice?"
"I'm blind, not deaf. I can hear when someone's walking!"
She shuffled in between Tenzin and the two water-benders, "Stand aside, Junior, I think I have a better way of finding out which one of these two is our Avatar!"
She stood firmly before the two, "Now I'm going to ask you two several questions, and I want you both to answer... and only Aang, me and his friends would know the answer to these, so by extension. One of you should know them if either of you is the Avatar."
"I'll play your games, but it is a waste of time."
"I'll go along with it as well."
Toph happily nodded, "Question one!" she raised a finger, "What is the name of Aang's Sky Bison?"
"Appa!" they said.
She scratched her chin, "I suppose that wasn't the best one to start off with due to his popularity. Ho Tun over there even owns an Appa Plushie he got from Republic City."
Everyone turned to look at Ho Tun as the hefty White Lotus member stared back, "What? He's adorable!"
"Question Two!" She raised two fingers, "Who was Aang's Air-bending Teacher?"
"Monk Gyatso!" They said.
The Prince glared at his friend with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Toph, "Continue with the questions!"
She grimaced, "Question three!" She raised three fingers, "What are the names of Aang's three other bending teachers?"
"You, Fire Lord Zuko and his Wife, Katara!" They said.
Unalaq's mouth hung ajar while the White Lotus quizzically glanced at one another.
"What game is she playing?"
Toph took a deep breath, "Alright... Last Question!"
Talos and Claire bitterly stared at each other.
"What was my nickname for, Aang?"
"Twinkle Toes!" they said.
Silence loomed over them as The White Lotus, Katara, and Unalaq disbelievingly stared at the pair.
"When you said you had two candidates, you weren't kidding," Kya muttered to him as he placed a hand to his chin.
"And here I thought that was going to give us our proper Avatar..."
The silence returned, and Claire thought about what Death told her.
"A second chance at life... a life where you are not the Avatar."
Its words echoed in her mind as she perked up, "I humbly apologise. Talos is the Avatar... I'm just a... knowledgeable girl."
Talos and Unalaq raised an eyebrow at her while the White Lotus mulled it over.
"Well... he did answer the questions correctly... So I guess he is our Avatar!" Toph replied and patted his arm.
"Your journey to becoming the Avatar begins now, Talos. So please say farewell to your people and come with us to The White Lotus Compound," Tenzin formally said.
The Prince held his head high with a prideful smile as he and the White Lotus journeyed into the town.
"Wait!" Claire exclaimed.
Everyone twisted back around to her.
"Would it be possible for me to... tag along?"
Talos confidently turned to the White Lotus, "She's an excellent Water-Bender... and having a friend at this Compound of yours would be... comforting."
The White Lotus' gaze darted between each other, mulling it over, shrugging and nodding, "Come along then... Claire, was it?"
She nodded and sprinted over, travelling down into the town with them.
Claire and Talos bid their parents and the people of the Northern Water Tribe farewell. Although his Polar Bear dog Kazel wished to join him, Talos told him to stay and look after Unalaq whilst he trained and that he would return one day. They ventured to the White Lotus Compound, where Jinora gleefully greeted them, surprised to see they picked up two people rather than the one. Just as Claire did, Talos trained with the elements within the compound, spending two years practising each of them. But even so, Fire remained a problem for him, only generating minuscule flames. Talos and Claire left the White Lotus compound for a time, travelling to Republic City on a boat and hopping off, entering the full moonlit metropolis.
The duo gazed at the Cityscape, the Avatar taking in his surroundings whilst his Water-Bending friend closed her eyes and let the nostalgic familiarity sink in.
He quizzically stared at her, "Have you... been here before?"
Her eyes perked open as her gaze darted over to her friend, "Oh, no, but I've always wanted to come here!"
He shrugged and smiled, "So, where to first? Since you seem oh so familiar with this city."
Claire oohed, her finger perking up, "The Theatre hall! I think something's going on tonight!"
Talos raised an eyebrow as Claire grabbed his hand and sprinted into the distance.
"What in the world is going on with her...?"
But they stopped sprinting as they stood near the Paifangs of the City Park.
"Hey, Talos..."
"What is it?"
"Well... what would you do if... you weren't the Avatar?"
He curiously clasped his chin and hummed, "Well... I'm not sure really, I've trained and studied for this ever since I raised the Sage's Stone! If someone else turned out to be the Avatar... well... I'd be lost. Left in the dark shadow of another person."
Claire's eyes slanted as she quietly sighed, "In that case... it's a good thing no one stole your destiny this time!"
"Uh... C'mon, Theatre Hall's just this way!"
The two sprinted past earth pushed cargo carts, fire-benders lighting lanterns, and the many, many small businesses of the city until finally, they arrived at the Theatre hall. He marched to the front entrance, but she shook her head and pulled him around to the back entrance.
"Claire... what are you up to?"
"I've heard the view from the catwalk is much better than the regular view!"
They ascended the metal staircase and came to the iron door. Claire raised a suggestive eyebrow to Talos, making him smirk as he cracked his knuckles and grasped the iron door, bending the metal and prying it from the hinges.
He lightly placed it down beside the staircase, "If we get in trouble for this, it's on you!"
She shrugged as the two entered the theatre hall, a chill piercing through them on entry.
"He's here... I guess we really did lose a day due to his sailing."
Talos and Claire strode atop the catwalk, crouching down and gazing at the man on stage. His figure slender and of average height, dressed in all black robes, draped just above his knees. Black trousers covered his legs, and dark grey metal boots covered his feet and shins. Dark grey metal gauntlets covered his hands and forearms, and finally, his white mask adorned with a peculiar black symbol on the centre of the forehead.
Aislinn held his arms out to the enormous crowd before him like a priest during mass, "My Family! It is good to see the ones who have returned and all the fresh faces in the crowd! Our movement grows stronger with each passing day, and with you by our side, we will hold every bender and member of the Zu family accountable for their heinous actions!"
The crowd cheered like cultists for him while Talos uneasily scanned around, "Claire... this doesn't look like a play... what exactly were you expecting?"
But Claire raised her fingers to her lips as the two strode along the catwalk until finally bumping into an unkempt goggled man. He ignited a crimson flame atop his fingers as Talos bent out water from his satchel.
But Claire let out a sharp, enthusiastic gasp, "KANG!" She whispered.
He raised an eyebrow to her as his Fire extinguished, "Do I know you?"
Talos put his water away, but as Claire went to respond, Kang wafted his hand to them.
"Tell me later; I'm investigating Aislinn. Now you two sneaky lovebirds. Be quiet!"
Aislinn placed his metal-clad hands behind his back, "Now you newcomers may ask yourself, 'Why eradicate the Zu family?' 'why exterminate the benders?' And I ask you! Do you know how much tyranny they bring with their very existence?"
The crowd murmured, heads popping up and down in agreement as Aislinn raised his fists out, "Of course you do! The benders dragged us into a seemingly unending war that almost cost us the world did they not?"
"But what about the Avatar who ended it?" a person of the crowd asked.
"The Avatar is a special case, but why should we trust a random individual granted powers beyond our comprehension on the whim that they won't wipe out the world with a flick of their wrist?"
The crowd murmured while Talos scoffed, catching Kang's eyebrow raising attention.
"Bending leads to power, and power leads to corruption! And the Zu family is a prime example of that! Even after the end of the one hundred year war, our world is diseased by the very benders who inhabit it! But we will cleanse this world, and from the ashes of the old four nations, it will arise anew, power and justice will be back where they belong! In the hands of us! The people of the new Four Nations!"
The crowd roared with adoration while Claire, Talos and Kang looked on in horror, "The man is clearly deranged..."
Aislinn slowly paced back and forth atop the stage, "Now, some of you may wonder how I intend to accomplish such a quest? Allow this demonstration to assure you!" he snapped his fingers.
The metallic clink signalled a man in a mask and spandex to bring out a trolley holding three tied up well-dressed benders, each on individual wooden poles, and chatter erupted amongst the crowd.
Kang's sharp eyebrows raised in surprise, "Where did Aislinn get a hold of them?"
Talos and Claire remained silent.
The three observed him as he raised his arm to the captured three, keeping his masked face aimed at the crowd, "These faces you probably already know, a triad of Yakuza from the Zu Family, who terrorise citizens and non-bender businesses, and most recently killed a promoter of mine for sick kicks."
Claire gasped as Aislinn turned to the captured benders.
"But soon, they will not be a threat to us. Or anyone. Ever again!"
The masked henchmen dragged the group's fire-bender to Aislinn, showing him to the crowd like a prized pig.
"Release him."
He did as instructed and slammed an axe against the fire-bender's binds, forcing him to fall before Aislinn's metal-clad feet, gazing up to him with quivering eyes and stammering lips.
"Rise and fight!"
But he shook his head, "Forget that!" He stumbled up, his legs quaking and dragging him back down.
"I said, FIGHT!"
The Fire-bender held his head, mystical whispers pervading his ears until he slowly rose to Aislinn's demands.
The Fire-bender roared and threw a mighty plume of Fire at him, but he unflinchingly tilted his head, the Fire barely grazing his hood as the crowd awed and gasped. The bender charged in like a wild animal, but Aislinn stood firm and swiftly flicked his wrist out, smacking the bender's jaw. And In his disorientation, he kicked out at his leg and shattered the knee, making The bender wail in agony, but a mysterious force pushed him to keep on fighting as pained tears rolled down his face.
He threw himself at Aislinn, but the masked man clutched his throat, slowly forcing him to the ground as he raised his hand into the air; the descent of the metal gauntlet reflected in the terrified victim's vision until he pressed his thumb against the centre of his forehead. The Fire-benders pupils shrank to the size of a pin's point, his eyes slowly turning an abyssal black as he writhed in agony, Fire roaring from his hands while the crowd murmured and watched in curious horror. The bender struggled against Aislinn's peerless grip, but he soon calmed, and the fires sputtered out into sparks.
The bender punched out at Aislinn, but nothing happened. He tried to stand, disregarding his broken leg and stumbling towards him, but the Masked man mercilessly struck his gut, making him double over as Aislinn promptly slammed the man's temple with a mighty kick. The ex-bender flew over to his cohorts, and the crowd burst into an uproar of appraisal, all the while Kang, Claire and Talos stared in horrified wonder.
"He really can take away bending..." Kang muttered, quickly lighting a small flame atop his finger and flicking it at the curtain behind Aislinn, going unnoticed by the masked man and the crowd.
"We should get out of here!" Kang said.
Claire nodded, "He's right; this place is about to blow!"
Talos and Kang whiffled their heads and blinked at her, "How did you... Oh, never mind!" Kang threw his arms in the air.
The three ran from the building and fled to the outside of the theatre hall. Kang and Claire gazed toward the theatre hall, "Three... Two... One..." he counted down as she silently mimicked him.
The theatre hall exploded in a grand display of Fire, rubble and shrapnel as Talos jumped back, watching the smoke plume shoot up into the sky.
"You weren't kidding when you said it was going to blow..."
Kang nonchalantly smiled at the plume, "Indeed, it was evil... but a necessary evil."
"You're right... we should get to City Hall; I think a Riot will be brewing right about now!"
Claire ran towards City Hall, leaving behind the men with their mouths hung ajar as they watched her go.
Kang crossed his arms, "Is she a psychic or something?"
"That, my friend, is an excellent question..."
The two shrugged and gave chase.
The three arrived at City Hall to find two hoards a sizeable distance from each other converging on City Hall.
Kang's eyes slowly darted between the approaching mobs, "And... she was right... huh, weird."
Talos scoffed and strode in between the hoards, "Don't worry, I can handle this!"
The two stood back as The Avatar took a firm stance, leaping to his side and pushing an earthen wall up at one of the approaching hoards and blocking their approach. He repeated the same movements against the opposite hoard, taking a deep breath and raising his feet high into the air before slamming them into the ground, making the walls erect higher into the air, each rivalling the surrounding buildings' height.
"Hold on... Water... Earth... is he?"
She gave an affirmative nod and hesitantly smiled at Talos, "Yep! He's the Avatar!"
The Governors of the City and Guard Captain Beifong marched out of the City hall, staring around at Kang, Claire, Talos and the two massive earthen walls.
"In Kyoshi's name, what is going on out here?"
Talos turned to them and held his head up high, "Well, my friend over there predicted a Riot happening outside here, and your Avatar just prevented it!"
The Governors gasped while Captain Beifong remained steadfast.
"The Avatar! Finally, someone who can sort this mess of a City out!"
"Come, Avatar! ...and company!" Hou said, inviting them in.
But Lin tapped his shoulder as the other Governors returned inside, "Are we sure we want to let Kang in?"
Hou gazed over at him, "Eh, he was just a thief... among other things, but I doubt there's anything worth stealing inside City Hall that's not locked up."
She rolled her eyes as she and he strolled in, quickly followed by Kang, Claire and Talos.
They entered a room filled with rows of pews facing a stand with five positions, one for each Governor and Lin. A Noble ambience filled the room as each Governor and Lin took their places; Lin sat in the centre, Gao and Sheng sat to her right whilst Hou and Jing sat to her left.
"Avatar, the City has been suffering growing tensions between the Zu family and Yamato Clan for the past two years, and we were hoping you would arrive at some point to bring balance back to the City," Sheng explained.
Talos observed the Governors, "You five look more than capable, why don't you?"
"Ah, yes! Takedown the two biggest crime families in the city, we may be capable benders and fighters, but there's only so much we can do politically."
"The Avatar has always been a middle ground in conflicts such as this, a person of power who does not pick a side," Hou explained.
"Do you have any ideas or methods on how we could handle the city's situation?" Jing asked.
He strutted forward, "I don't know anything about this 'Zu family' aside from what's come out of Aislinn's mouth, but from what I've seen, let's just take him down. The man's clearly deranged."
The Governors curiously stared at one another.
"And what of Zu? His men have been causing just as much trouble."
"As I said, I'm unfamiliar with this Zu, but for now, Aislinn is the primary threat to this city, and dare I say the Four Nations. If he is allowed to continue, the world as we know it will be a husk of its former glory."
Lin nodded and mulled it over, "Then... how are we going to 'take him down'."
"He must have a base of operations. We should assemble a task force of your city's most capable warriors, Chi-blockers, swordsman, the whole shebang!"
Hou peeked over to Jing, "You, uh... you know a Chi-blocker, right?
His eyes flared, "Oh no! No, no, no!"
Talos' eyes quizzically darted between the two, "Is there a problem?"
"Don't mind him, Avatar."
Gao placed a hand to his chin, "A task force... it could work. Then there would just be Zu left to deal with."
"And judging by his track record, he'll be much easier to reason with," Sheng nonchalantly said.
"And, if it doesn't work out, I'm sure Mr. proud boy here can fix it," Lin replied.
Talos scoffed and smirked.
"Then, so be it... We'll put the Avatar's plan into action post haste and hope he can sort it should things go awry," Gao said.
The Governors left, briefly chattering among themselves while Kang, Claire and Talos left.
"That went better than expected!" Kang said as they strode out the door.
"Yeah..." Claire uneasily replied.
"I'm curious... are you two investigating Aislinn as well, or did we just bump into each other by mere happenstance?"
"The latter... but I wouldn't mind taking him down, my first challenge as Avatar!" He proudly pumped his arms.
Kang smirked and crossed his arms, "Well, I have a place just down the road if you two don't have anywhere to stay."
The two followed Kang back to his lab through the Yakuza infested Derelict Estate, The Avatar being utterly blown away by the inventions, but Claire simply smiled at them, reminding her of simpler times.
Months flew by as the Governor's trained up Talos' Task Force; Ty Lee of the Kyoshi Warriors arrived per Jing and Hou's request, training the city's non-benders in Chi-blocking and even weapons training whilst Aislinn remained in the shadows of the city, waiting for his moment to strike. Talos became fast friends with Kang, as did Claire, but her always being one step ahead of him took him aback, curious to know how she knew everything that would happen before it occurred. And Like her, Kang escorted Talos to the Fire Nation Palace aboard The Magnificent Turtle Duck, leaving her behind in the city, much to her dismay. The Avatar would request to learn the secrets of Fire-bending from the Dragons Ran and Shaw, but they too deemed him unworthy, attempting to scorch him to ashes, but he warred against them, almost slaying them before fleeing from the ancient city. All the while, Aislinn abducted Kang in his absence. After Zuko and Talos returned to the Royal Palace, he finally crossed paths with Khana, and the Kyoshi Warrior became his temporary protector, despite his disapproval. The two roughly flew back to Republic City, assisted by Kang upon seeing their return whilst he sat bound within the Memorial Spire.
Claire awaited Talos and Khana within the lush, grassy city park while the Full Moon hung in the sky until she heard the approach of footsteps.
"Claire!?" a voice called.
she waved to them as he raised a sceptical eyebrow, and Khana readied her hands over her daggers, "Do you know her?"
"Relax, she's a friend..."
The two approached her, Khana's heart skipping a beat as she gazed upon Claire.
"Hi, Khana," she smiled.
Her sudden infatuation broke as she raised a sceptical eyebrow, "You... know me?"
Claire briefly gasped as sweat broke on her brow, "Oh, yes. I've heard all about you! The Fire Lord's very own personal guard! It's an honour!" She briefly bowed.
Khana crossed her arms with a blushed smile, "I didn't realise I was that renowned; well, it's a pleasure to meet you too... Claire?"
Talos curiously stared at the two and interjected, "Alright, lovebirds, we're here for Kang, remember?"
The blushing duo glanced away.
"Apologies, Avatar."
Khana strode to the shore, erecting a bridge across the water towards the Memorial Spire for the three to run across. Khana and Claire cautiously stepped into the dimly lit interior whilst Talos strutted in and dismissively passed by the Team Avatar Mural. The salty stench of the sea permeated the inner sanctum, and the crashing of waves resonated within the hallowed chamber. As the three entered, Khana sensed several people waiting to ambush them, and while Talos wandered inwards, the ladies hung back. The Kyoshi Warrior focused on the ambushers' positions, clenching her fists as the tower's stone latched onto and trapped them inside it, their grunts echoing throughout the statue.
Talos gazed over at the two in curious wonder, "Did you do anything just now, Khana?"
The Kyoshi Warrior smiled, the rosiness of her cheeks gleaming through her make-up as she skipped over with eyes closed, humming a tune to herself whilst Claire followed shortly behind. Talos stared at them as they sauntered away, pursuing them up the stairs to the peak of the Spire; all the while, Khana waved to the would-be ambushers trapped within the wall on their way up.
The three made it to the top, the crashing waves silenced while the full moon shined through the upper window and illuminated Aislinn's side while he stood with Kang bound behind him.
The Mad Inventor gazed over at the trio, "Run!" He mumbled through his gagged mouth.
"I'm impressed you made it this far," he said, curiously glaring at Khana and Claire.
"Well, I've been eager to meet you face-to-mask!"
He strode forward, but as he did, the Masked man raised his hand to Kang's head, "Not a step closer, or your friend gets it!"
He stopped in his tracks, and Aislinn lowered his hand, "We can end this peacefully. But to do so, you must pick one of two options."
Talos scoffed, "Peace isn't really my thing, Aislinn..."
He amusingly hummed, "At least hear me out... You can either surrender your bending to me, here and now. Or join me in my revolution against this city, assist me in taking down our pathetic government, and bring about real harmony. Do this, and I shall let your friends walk free."
"You lost me at 'surrender'!" he thrust his palm out and unleashed a gust of wind.
But the wind brushed past Aislinn as he raised his palm, "Stop."
His entire body seized, "What-!?"
Kang scorched his gag and let it drop from his mouth, "He's some kind of bloody Blood-Bender! Get out of here!"
He turned his palm to him, "Shut up and sit!"
Kang sat pinned down as Aislinn loomed before them. But a spark lit in Claire's eyes, "Well, let's see if two can play at that game!"
She strode forward, raising her arms like a puppeteer and taking control of Aislinn's body as the Full Moon shined upon her face.
"You dare!"
Kang, Talos, and Khana gawked and stared at Claire, "You're a bloody Blood-Bender!?"
The now in control Talos and Khana backed away slowly, "I thought it was just a fairy tale told by Master Beifong... but it's real!?"
Her arms quaked as Aislinn began to break her hold, "This isn't time slack-jawed gapes. Run!"
Talos nodded and grabbed ahold of Kang, racing out of the room with Khana in tow.
Claire rigidly swerved her arms to the side and threw Aislinn onto the floor, disorientating him before leaping from the memorial's window and sprinting down the walls before flipping and plopping into the waters below, quickly resurfacing to find Talos, Kang and Khana already out at the base of the tower.
She hopped back onto the shore whilst Kang, Khana and Talos warily marched towards her.
"Claire... how long have you been a... What was it again? Blood-Bender?"
"... Hard to say, really," she nonchalantly replied, utterly confounding the three.
"What, you just... picked up Blood-Bending? From where?" Khana asked.
Claire shook her head as smoke billowed in the distance, "Look... this is too unbelievable to explain, but right now there's another Riot brewing, and if we don't get there, the City could fall!"
Talos sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Blood-Bender or not... you're still my friend."
He proudly stood by her as he turned to the others, "Come on, you two! We have a City to protect!"
Kang and Khana begrudgingly followed them into the city. The four sprinted past rubble and scorched earth before arriving at City Hall. The people of the city clashed, Benders having their chi-blocked and being knocked unconscious as well as having their limbs and heads cleaved from their bodies, whilst non-benders were being burnt, squashed, pushed, pulled and frozen. Amidst the chaos, the four found Lin, the Governors and Ty Lee fighting against both sides of the conflict. A group of benders tried to strike Lin, but she formed a rock barrier around her, blasting them all away and slamming her fists against it, launching segments of the earth at her attackers while Hou deflected the pieces which flew at him, his fellow Governors and Ty Lee. Kang and Khana leapt in with reckless abandon whilst Talos and Claire stood back.
"Well... task force idea backfired... oh well, let's have some fun!"
He sprinted in and clashed with rioters of all sides. But Claire watched on, unsure what to do.
"This was the moment I went into the Avatar State... but what's going to happen now?"
A metal clinking approached her from behind, "you've crossed paths with Death too, haven't you?"
A chill slithered down her spine, "how do you..."
Aislinn stood beside her and profoundly sighed, "Either you recently slinked into my base undetected and stole my scroll... or you've already done this before."
He chuckled while she stared in terrified silence, "Ah, a second chance at life... I wonder what it is you wished to change."
He strode into the chaotic riot, leaving the petrified Claire behind, "Avatar!"
His voice struck fear into the rioters, subduing the fighting as Talos turned to him.
"Let us settle this here and now! Just you and me!"
The Avatar scoffed and pushed aside a rioter, "Fine by me, Aislinn. Come and get it!"
But as he approached, Aislinn unleashed a shadowy chain and ensnared Talos.
"What!?"
Claire tried to interject, but he pulled out the shadows of rioters, bending them into a wall around him and Talos. He tried to break free of his shadowy binds, but they tightened around him, his eyes flushing with a bright light as he let out a mighty roar and shattered the shadows.
Aislinn jerked back and grunted, "Impressive..."
The Avatar lunged in at him, the power blinding him as he unleashed an unprecedented wave of flame. But Aislinn vanished into a portal, reappearing behind Talos and forming a shadowy blade in his hand. However, he swiftly twisted around and kicked his head, propelling him into his own shadowy wall.
The Avatar bent the water up from the floor and formed a spear of ice.
"Talos, no!"
But her words fell on deaf ears, and as Aislinn tried to stand, he hurled the spear and pierced his chest. But no blood leaked from his body, and the shadows dissipated.
The Avatar turned to the rioters, his eyes still glowing with the power of the Avatar State as his muscles twitched, the surrounding flames began to grow as The Avatar rose his arms, intending to strike down the entire mob of rioters, but before he knew it, he found the ice spear he hurled running him through, its once crystal clear blade now soaked with blood trickling down it.
"TALOS!" Claire, Kang and Khana cried out.
Aislinn held him atop the Ice Spear, "If only you had some control over that state..." he wrenched it from his body, "How Foolish..."
The Avatar's head jutted back as a spiritual energy beam shot into the sky, lightning cascading in the clouds as the light from his eyes faded and his body fell to the ground.
"The Avatar... IS DEAD!"
The rioters erupted into appraisal whilst Claire stood in horror, but Kang and Khana charged in, lightning surging and Boulders ready to fly, but Aislinn vanished before their eyes, reappearing behind them and piercing their hearts with blades of shadow.
"Go, be with your mother, old friend," he whispered into his ear before ripping the blades from them.
Claire cried out their names as she raced over to them, throwing herself down to her friends and cradling them in her arms.
"Why... do you care so much about us?" Kang asked as blood trickled from his mouth.
She choked on her words as tears streamed from her eyes, "You're... my friends, why wouldn't I care?"
"We barely... know you..." Khana muttered as she clutched her chest, trying to stop the bleeding
The cries of the Governors, Lin and Ty Lee pierced her ears as her gaze darted up to find a blood-soaked Aislinn with their corpses draped on the ground around him. She turned back to Kang and Khana, but the light had faded from their eyes, crimson streams ran from the cradled two, and Claire's heart sank, her tears falling onto the faces of her friends.
Aislinn turned to his Clan of rioters and spread his arms out to them, "Today! Is the day we take Republic City!"
Claire turned to Talos and ran over to him, holding his arms and shaking him, "Come on, Talos! Wake up! You and the past Avatars were just doing that light show to fool him, right!? RIGHT!?"
But nothing came of it; no response came her way. Claire was alone.
"This is all my fault..."
The cheers of the rioters dampened against her ears as she hunkered into herself, covering her face with her hands, her cries muffling into her palms.
But a familiar chill whisked around her, "Do you still think your existence as Avatar was a mistake?"
Her head shot up to find Death hovering beside her.
"What!?" Her voice cracked while her tears ran.
"The Shadows stirred, strange winds blew... and of all the people born on the day of Avatar Aang's death, Destiny chose you!"
She remained quiet and hung her head. However, her tears finally ceased, "I was the one chosen to maintain the balance..."
She rose to her feet, her glare of fearless determination affixing on Aislinn.
"Now show them why!"
The bodies of Talos, Khana and Kang faded into a black mist as Claire marched forward.
"AMON!"
His eyes widened as he twisted around to find her ready to make her Last Stand, "One last spark of hope for the old Republic City, I see."
He marched toward her and proudly held his arms out like a deity, "What could possibly possess you to think that you stand the slightest chance against the World's new Harmonic Order!?"
"It's like you said, Death gave me a chance to start anew, but I was a fool to accept it... and now I know my path... I am the Avatar!"
But the masked man's boisterous display shattered into laughter, followed by the rioters howling, "The Avatar is dead, slain by my hand!"
But Claire scoffed and readied herself to fight, "Talos was never meant to be the Avatar, and I know that now. I'm going to bring balance back to the world I forsook, even if it kills me!"
Motivation burnt like the Sun in her eyes, but despite her proclamations, Aislinn quizzically glared at her as he marched forward to meet her challenge.
"You don't understand what you're dealing with, girl."
"I understand enough... Shadow-Bender!"
His black heart skipped a beat, "Then come, girl. Prove your worth!"
"With pleasure!" She snarled as her sacrum twinged.
She hurled herself in at Aislinn, striking mercilessly with the surrounding water. But he disappeared from view and reappeared behind her; however, she spun down, sweeping the leg and swiftly erupting a geyser beneath him as he soared up into the air, all the while the Rioters watched their Boss quickly regain his footing and bend out Claire's shadow, summoning it to his side.
"Relying on numbers won't do you any good... Masato!"
His eye twitched as he unleashed a chilling shadow amongst the battlefield, "I AM AISLINN!"
The black icy winds pierced through her as she growled and steeled herself against it, "Take my shadow. Take my bending; I don't care!" She shouted as the base of her spine twinged.
She sprinted at him, avoiding the attacks of her shadow and leaping in at Aislinn, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches, but he simply deflected and dodged.
"I have slain your friends with ease; what makes you think you won't end the same?!"
"I know there's nothing I can do to bring them back, but I won't rest until I see the ones I love avenged!"
Her heart twinged as she broke through Aislinn's guard, striking his gut and hoisting him into the air. She affixed her emerald glare on him as she viciously roared and slammed her fists into his mask, dropping him from her grasp as she relentlessly smashed and banged her knuckles into him, flailing him around like a rag doll.
Claire grasped him by his hood, forcing his cracked, splintering mask to face her, "Avatar or not, I will see this fight through to the bitter end!"
Her stomach twinged as she delivered a swift blood-stained uppercut to Aislinn's jaw and threw him into the air. He crashed onto the ground, and as he groaned in pain, Claire's shadow tried to strike her down. But she swiftly dodged as it deftly swished in with relentless attacks, but she lashed out with reckless abandon, grappling the shadow by its throat then bashing her head into it before ramming it into the ground. With the shadow incapacitated, Aislinn leapt back to his feet and charged in at Claire, summoning a blade of shadow to his hand. Claire deftly evaded his unprecedented attacks, but avoid as she might, the edges glanced her flesh and sliced her open as she winced in pain.
"You call yourself an Avatar, but what kind of Avatar throws away their duty!?"
She snatched his arms and tightly gripped his gauntlets, her palms bleeding onto her already blood covered fists, "I convinced myself that my existence was a mistake, that I wasn't supposed to be the Avatar... but I was just lying to myself out of fear!" Her throat twinged.
"Then tell me!" He rammed his foot into her and launched her back, "Who are you!? What are you!?"
She tumbled onto the ground, but she bared the agony and pushed herself back to her feet.
"I... am Claire," her forehead twinged.
She took a deep breath as a cold, black wind brushed past her, "AND I AM THE RIGHTFUL AVATAR!"
Her eyes glowed with a brilliant light as a beacon of cosmic energy erupted from her and parted the looming shadows. The Reborn Avatar ascended into the air, Fire roaring from her mouth and fists, the earth beneath her shattering and erupting whilst a ring of water and air circled her body. Aislinn positively hummed before raising a hand and egging her on to attack. The Avatar grimaced as a light formed around her hand, and Balance's Edge appeared before her. Claire swirled the sword around her form, the elements following the blade as she descended and flew at Aislinn, slashing through his form with a mighty cry.
He stumbled back and clasped his chest as she landed behind him, "We may be Spirits Young Avatar... but that still hurt."
Claire turned around, raising a quizzical eyebrow as the world around her slowly faded away, revealing the Sky Piercing mountains of the Spirit World to her. Before her eyes, Aislinn and her shadow faded away, exposing them for who they were.
"Avatar Kaishi, and Aang...?" She muttered as the glow faded from her eyes.
"Do you see now that Destiny did not pick the wrong person?" The First Avatar sharply asked as he held his chest.
She dismissed Balance's Edge and stood up straight before him, "I do..."
They faintly smiled as the First Avatar placed his hands behind his back, "I can understand your fear of the Avatar's responsibilities. Is there really anyone truly prepared to uptake such a daunting quest? But..." Kaishi snapped his fingers as all the Past lives of the Avatar appeared behind him and Aang, making Claire gasp and jerk back.
"There will always be those who will help you every step of the way, no matter who you are. We will always be here, and we will forever stand beside you and the Avatars to come."
Claire smiled as a dim glow radiated within her pocket, shortly followed by Vaatu fluttering out, "My, that was quite a trip!"
Claire happily stared at the cosmic sphere, "Vaatu, where were you!?"
"Who do you think got Death to come to you?"
Claire lightly scoffed and turned back to Kaishi, "Speaking of which... what was all that?"
"Death sent you back through time itself, resetting your life at a certain point, and once you realised the truth, he plucked you from that time and brought you back here," Kaishi explained.
Claire's eyes anxiously flared, "... has four years passed by then?"
Kaishi shook his head, "time is a mysterious thing. For you, four and a half years have passed... for us, only about twenty minutes."
Claire breathed a sigh of relief and briefly chuckled to herself before looking to Aang, "Oh, if Kaishi was posing as Aislinn, then that means you were..."
Aang smirked as he rolled his spirity neck, "Posing as your shadow."
She squeamishly winced, "I... am very sorry about that."
But Aang simply scoffed, "For all you knew, you were fighting for your life; no need to apologise."
Kaishi approached her, "The Mortal and Spirit Worlds need you, Claire. Now more than ever."
"It's time for the world to get its Avatar back... its real Avatar!"
Kaishi nodded and raised his hand to her forehead, "I'll give you a quick jump to the Nexus. Best of luck, Claire."
A dim light emitted from his hand, but she swiftly jerked back and caught the quizzical attention of the two Avatars.
"I... need to ask you something."
"Speak then. Time isn't a luxury right now."
She took a deep breath, "Avatar Shen-Chao... he knows how to separate Spirit from Man... but to gain his knowledge, I need to free him."
Kaishi heavily sighed and tapped his foot, "... Are you certain you wish to do this? I doubt he'll go back to imprisonment after this."
She adamantly nodded, "If he tries anything... it'll be my job to fix it."
The First Avatar smiled, "Then by all means... do what you think is right."
She jetted up on flames back to the tallest peak, finding Avatar Shen-Chao eagerly awaiting her.
"What a show you put on, Darling! A truly splendid and marvellous performance if I do say so myself!"
"Cut the crap Shen-Chao."
He raised a sceptical eyebrow as she summoned Balance's Edge to her hand.
"I've reconsidered your offer... but mark my words if you try anything, and I mean anything, I will personally see to it that you are wiped from the face of the Spirit and Mortal worlds!"
"Oh! Ho! ho! ho! Such bravado! But do you truly think you have the hutzpah to follow through on such a threat?"
Claire raised the blade to him, the tip just a hair's breadth from his smarmy façade, "Try me."
Avatar Shen-Chao chuckled and applauded her, "Well, do go on. I won't stop you."
She lowered the blade and slashed at the ethereal chains, shattering them and releasing the past life from his binds.
He perked up and stretched his spirity legs, "Oh! How I've longed to properly stretch my limbs!"
She kept her steely gaze on him as he patted his legs and arms.
"And with me released, my knowledge is fully available to you!" He slapped his palms together with a gleeful, wry smile, "Thank you, my dear, and good luck on your quest!"
Avatar Shen-Chao whisked himself away as Claire descended back down the mountain, standing before Kaishi and Aang once more.
"All done?" They asked
She nodded, "I'm ready to return to the Mortal World."
"Then go give Raava and Talos a hiding. And bring this tale to its end!" Kaishi raised his hand and transported her to the Nexus.
She appeared within the hollow tree and stepped out to the empty void of the Nexus before her.
"Where do we plan to go from here?"
"The North Pole..."
Vaatu fluttered out and hovered before her, "Would Whale-tail island not be quicker? Or even the Earthen Portal?"
"They may be faster. But I need to see my parents one last time before the battle."
Vaatu fluttered back into her pocket with silent affirmation as she marched over to the North Pole Portal, letting the light engulf her and teleport her to the bottom of the Spirit Oasis. She weaved her arms around her body, spinning up and out of the oasis water, quickly flicking the water off her body and swishing it back into the oasis. She smiled at the Moon and Ocean Spirits whilst Vaatu struck a cosmic arm out and waved to them. Two bubbles popped up from the water as she departed and strode out into the ghost town. She glared up to the Chaotic skies as she slowly marched down the icy roads, passing by dimly-lit lamps whilst the smells of ice and fish flowed through the surrounding air. And as Claire travelled through the town, she spied a light coming from inside a house, her house. She ambled over to the wooden door, knocking four times and alerting Joseph and Norrak as they raced to the door, opening it to find her standing before them.
"Claire!" They exclaimed, quickly pulling her into a hug as tears flowed from all three of them.
"We thought we'd never see you again!" Norrak said in a muffled voice.
Claire and her parents slowly released their hugs and dried their eyes.
"Like I'd ever let that happen," she sombrely jested as a smile broke over their faces.
They waltzed into the living room and closed the front door behind them as Joseph and Norrak turned their anxious gazes to Claire.
"You're going to fight Talos, aren't ye?"
She let out a shaky breath and affirmatively nodded as a tear rolled down her face, "I have to... as the Avatar, it's my duty to bring balance to the world... and Talos is a threat to that balance."
"Well... if ye plan on fighting him, you'll need some fast transportation!"
Joseph quickly sauntered upstairs, surprising Claire and Norrak. He returned as quickly as he left, presenting a long wooden stick with two pointy diamond shapes near the ends to Claire.
"Lucky for you, I have this!"
"A... stick?" Norrak asked.
Claire lightly gripped the wooden stick as orange wings flipped out from the sides and shocked the ladies.
"A glider!? Where did you get this?"
"A monk washed up on the shores of the Bright Empire carrying this with him, and The Radiant Emperor saw this as an invasion. So he captured him, stripped him of his belongings, interrogated him and then after that... no one knows what happened to the poor sod."
She retracted the wings, "So you... stole the glider from him?"
"No, I nicked the glider from The Radiant Emperor who stole it from him. Before he exiled me, of course, with a wee bit of light-bender trickery, I turned it invisible and sneaked it across the border! Personally, I just did it to annoy him," he heartily laughed.
"Well... thank you for stealing it," she smirked as her parents smiled at her.
They hugged her one last time before guiding her to the door and marching out onto the streets with her as she prepared the glider.
"Do ye know how to use that thing?"
She confidently smiled, "I'm the Avatar... of course, I do!"
"Good luck, dear! Kick Talos in the rear!"
She smiled and nodded, "You had better believe I will!"
She set off on the glider and soared through the chaotic air as her parents waved goodbye to her. Claire glided away from the North Pole and determinedly glared to the Southern Horizon.