Part 3 - Chaos
Claire soared through the skies on the glider, coursing through the turbulent Chaos and keeping her eyes to the south, waiting for Republic City to come into view. And as she continued gliding, the sight of the Heart of Chaos tainted her vision, making her gawk with frightful wonder.
"Always did like to go over the top..."
She swallowed her fear and soared towards it, landing atop a building a fair distance from the looming crystal and wondrously gazing up at it before observing the spewed out obsidian pedestal.
"Entrance must be on the other side."
She prepared to set off on her glider once more, but as she did, two coiling streams of Azure flames shot out from the Heart of Chaos, making her quickly fall to her back and stare up in awe at the coiling flames, the heat beating down on her as their roar surged throughout the city.
"By the moon and ocean, what was that!?"
The fires dissipated, and she shot back up, gazing and smirking at the hole in the Heart of Chaos, "That'll do..."
Claire glided across to the hole as flashing sparks emanated from within, shortly ceasing before a dark light emitted from the interior, utterly befuddling the gliding Avatar. She landed on the burning rim, taking a deep breath and standing straight as she smirked at Kang standing before the burnt, scarred, and shirtless Talos.
"Well, looks like I missed quite the snazzy performance!"
His heart skipped a beat as he turned to her, a wide grin coming over Kang whilst a zealous smirk came over Talos.
"Claire!" They exclaimed.
The Avatar leapt from the rim and strode towards Talos with a confident smile as the two stood mere inches from each other.
"Long time no see, Talos."
He scoffed, "You certainly took your time getting out of the Spirit World."
She perched the glider on her shoulder, "thought I'd see the sights, pick up a thing or two from my past lives."
He eagerly grinned, "Then our battle shall finally begin... at long last."
"Hold it, Talos," she raised a hand to him.
His eyebrow sceptically raised.
"I'm going to see my friends first; then I'll happily come in here and fight you."
He smirked, "Very well, I have waited this long... a few more minutes is nothing."
He invited her to leave and meet with her friends, and as she marched past, Raava whispered in his mind.
"Strike her down now, don't be a fool!"
He maliciously smirked and lunged forward, his blade ready to plunge into her, but Claire swiped around and erected a sharp obsidian stalagmite, almost piercing through Talos as he stopped in his tracks, his blade arm retracting as a brief silence lingered.
"You got me once, Talos; that's not happening again."
He half smiled and backed away whilst Claire continued her march over to Kang, "I have to say, if it weren't for the prosthetic arm, I wouldn't recognise you."
Kang shrugged, "Well..." His shoulders slumped as he heavily gazed at her, "I'm... sorry I couldn't beat Talos for you."
She raised a quizzical eyebrow, "... I appreciate the attempt, but this is my fight."
The two marched out of the Heart of Chaos together.
"Also, you look good like that."
"Lin thought so too."
The two stepped out of the gigantic crystal as Khana and Ty Lee sat up from their earthen beds, their heads still fuzzy and mild pain still racking their bodies.
"So... did we miss anything?" Ty Lee asked with a hand pressed to her head.
"Well, Kang's back, and he arrived on a-" Lin turned to see the approaching two, "Avatar!?"
"... Run that by me again?"
Everyone quickly perked up and turned to the striding two
"THE AVATAR!" everyone exclaimed.
They all rushed over to her, all the while Khana sat stunned, "Claire...!"
She shortly limped behind everyone else as they crowded around her.
"That's me!" She nonchalantly greeted them.
"You took your time getting here, Avatar!" Zu replied.
She crossed her arms, "Well, I needed some guidance from my past lives... and I had to traverse the Spirit World to find them."
"If you're here, then have you beaten Talos? or?" Hou shrugged.
"Not yet... I came here to see you all one last time before I..." she sharply sighed and averted her gaze, "I just wanted to let you all know that no matter what happens... I'm thankful to have met you all."
Everyone quizzically peered around at one another, "You say that like this is your grand finale," Zuko said.
She remained silent for a moment and turned her eyes back to them, "I have to be honest... this is a fight I don't know I'll win."
She gently threw the glider to Tenzin, and he snatched it out of the air, sceptically staring at it as Khana muscled through everyone and quickly limped over to her.
"Claire!" She fell into her arms, slowly raising her head and gazing into her emerald eyes.
She supported her up and gently placed a hand to her cheek, "Words can't describe how much I've longed to see you again."
Khana smiled as a tear broke from her eyes while Kang strode up beside Claire and placed his metal hand on her shoulder, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She adamantly nodded, "This isn't your fight, Nor anyone else's. I must face him on my own."
Ghazi marched forward, standing beside Khana as Kang joined them.
"Avatar, although I respect your choice, be it brave or foolish. I doubt he is the man you once knew. There is a darkness in his heart deeper than any shadow."
"A darkness I helped create, and it is one I have to destroy."
She set her heavy gaze on her friends and comrades, "... alone."
Khana stumbled toward her once more as she carefully caught her in her arms.
"Please... promise me you'll come back!"
She lightly choked as her lips quivered, and a tear broke on her eye, "I... promise."
The two shared in a final kiss, letting it last as long as they could before the fated battle. They released their lips from each other as Claire hugged her one last time. Khana's tears stained her shirt as The Avatar adamantly gazed at Ghazi. And he nodded as the two released their embrace.
Claire turned back to the Heart of Chaos and took a final deep breath, "Let's bring this to an end..."
She marched away toward the looming crystal as Khana reached out to her one last time, but Ghazi placed a hand on her shoulder, gently holding her back while Kang anxiously nodded, "Good luck, Claire."
She stepped through the archway, marching in and across the bridge to find the burnt, shirtless Talos stood before the ruins of his throne, eagerly awaiting her.
"Alright, Talos. Your Avataring days are over!"
She stretched her hand out to him, "it's time for Raava to get out of your head."
He shook his head, "If you want her, then you'll have to take her," he slowly marched down from his throne, "But, I'm sure you already knew that."
Claire lightly nodded, "I figured you might say that."
He smirked as he proudly stood before her, "Tell me... how many times have we fought?"
She lightly shrugged, "Hard to say... but if memory serves..." She stretched her arm to the side as a light formed around her hand, making Balance's Edge appear as she faintly smiled, "I'm still up one."
Talos scoffed and slanted his glare on her, "We may be friends, Claire... but you and I both know we cannot coexist as we are!"
She scoffed and crouched as she pulled Balance's Edge to the side of her face, "Then let's quit running our mouths and settle this already!"
He smugly smirked and flexed his blade back, "As you wish!"
The two vigorously dashed in, their blades colliding, the clang of the metal reverberating throughout the Heart of Chaos, the interior cracking as the two stood their ground. Talos kicked Claire away, breaking their stalemate and mercilessly leaping in before she could regain her balance. He viciously swung his blade, unleashing slashes of Fire and Air. However, she weaved through the strikes, some just barely glancing her as she kept a tight grip on the sword. He leapt and span in, slashing out without hesitation as she jutted back, the Scythe just barely missing her. But Talos continued slashing with reckless abandon; finally, however, Claire caught his blade on her own, swinging it around and throwing him off his balance. She bent the water from her pouch onto the blade, slashing up and swiftly pirouetting, forming a razor sheen of water around herself, as its wrath forced Talos back. Claire quickly broke the pattern and lunged like the wind with the sword prepared to pierce him, but he deftly leapt away and behind her, spinning around with his blade arched to kill. She dismissed the sword and took a firm stance as she flicked her hand up, erecting an obelisk of Obsidian and forcing Talos' blade to cut into it, briefly trapping it as she twisted, leapt and spun into a ball before viciously kicking the obelisk and blasting it into him, breaking away as it shattered around him. While he stood dazed and confused, she flew at him, kicking out with the force of a sledgehammer and blasting him into the ground. But quickly as he fell, he shot back up, his blade ready to cleave her in two as he descended unto her; however, she leapt into the air as The False Avatar smashed into the blackened ground. She sheathed her sword and slashed out faster than the eye could see as razor slashes of flame lashed around his form, followed by merciless cutting gales and sharp jutting boulders blasting him away as he rolled onto his back. Claire readied her blade to cleave through him, but as she descended and swung the blade, he disappeared from view, reappearing by his shattered throne as an inky black aura encircled him.
"You can't resist our power!" The wind rushed through the Heart of Chaos as a multitude of afterimages formed at his side.
"Tricks Talos? Are you an Avatar or a magician?" she taunted him over the growing turbulence.
He weaved his blade around, the after images copying his movements as they all swung their scythes in unison and unleashed razor slashes of violet flame. However, Claire stood her ground, bringing the blade over her shoulder and behind her head, gripping it tightly as the violet slashes approached. Balance's edge radiated with Crimson flames, and the Avatar threw herself at the violet barrage, cleaving through the fire with her own.
"WOO~HOO~!" The sheer force of the blades flames spun her around recklessly; finally, however, she regained her balance and leapt in, kicking out a furious Ruby blaze at the gawking Talos, but he weightlessly jumped over and behind her, as she quickly flicked her wrist back, countering with an obsidian obelisk and knocking him away from her. The two glared at each other, charging in once again as their blades smashed into one another and threw them back. But they stood firm, mimicking each other like a mirror as they punched their fists out and dragged up gigantic cliffs of earth and Obsidian. The two rising rocks smashed into one another, with Claire and Talos running up their backs. The Cliffs pierced through the Heart of Chaos' shell, shattering the crystal and raining it down on them. They came face-to-face once more and clashed their blades, the force throwing them back as they landed on pieces of crystal. They leapt from their crystals, their blades glancing as they landed on separate platforms once more. The two Avatar's punched out flames of violet and red, the forces colliding and coiling as they leapt up and around the falling crystals, blasting air, obsidian boulders and crystal shards at each other until they landed back on the obsidian cliffs, charging and clashing swords once more, the metal clang reverberating across the city as they threw themselves back to the edges of their cliffs. The two glared at one another, slowly regaining their breath and standing tall atop their peaks.
"What a rush!" Talos laughed as he raised his arms to the side, "I haven't had a fight like this in ages!"
Claire smirked as she dismissed Balance's Edge and crossed her arms, "Just like old times..."
"Quite... but we both know it won't end the way it usually does," he slowly raised his blade arm to her.
"Let me guess, next you're gonna say, 'No more messing around, Claire, it's time to kick things up a notch'?"
"No more messing around, Claire, it's time t-... oh, you're good."
The two smirked and crouched in their stances as the Chaos rumbled above.
"Avatar State?"
"Avatar State!"
Her friends and comrades gazed up at the two as they conversed, questioning why the battle had seemingly ceased as Lin curiously turned to Kang, "Any idea what they're up to?"
He placed his metal hand to his chin, "Casual conversation before the final battle?"
"Final Battle... guess that means they won't be pulling any punches?"
He nodded, "As far as I'm aware, this is the first time two Avatars, False or not and probably fully realised, have fought... we are literally witnessing history!"
Khana crossed her arms, "But what are the chances of 'history' killing us?"
"Absolutely certain!" He exclaimed, shocking everyone, "... If we stick around here, that is."
Claire's eyes shined a brilliant white as Talos' eyes glowed a piercing dark, Raava's silhouette shrouding him completely, but he jerked his head, forcing the shroud to fade while thunder rumbled, and lightning crackled, their powers rising ever higher. The ground quaked beneath them, their hair ties fluttering away as their hair flowed in the surging energy.
"We best get moving!" Kang shouted.
The two collided, and an almighty shock-wave pulsed out, shattering windows and cracking the buildings structures as fires of Red and Violet surged around the city.
"To the Magnificent Turtle Duck!" Kang shouted, quickly running to the Derelict estate.
Everyone followed as Zu picked Toph up off the ground and carried her on his beefy shoulders.
"You know I can run just fine, Zu!"
"No offence, Captain. But I'm not taking any chances."
She laughed, "You Big Softy!"
Claire and Talos' battle raged atop the ruins of the Heart of Chaos, fists colliding, obsidian rubble, howling gales and roaring flames flying left and right. But, Talos swiftly sucker-punched her Jaw and shot her across the city, just barely missing the memorial spire.
Her friends watched her fly by as Talos pursued her. Kang and the others arrived at the Magnificent Turtle Duck, and the Mad Inventor lightly gasped.
"Okay, who crashed it?"
"ME! NOW COME ON, LET'S MOVE!"
He stood, took aback as he opened the shell for everyone to climb in. Kang, Lin, Khana and Ghazi took to the cockpit whilst everyone else took their seats within the shell's interior. Kang threw himself into the pilot's seat and quickly revved up the Magnificent Turtle Duck's engines.
Lin took the seat next to him, "So, Kang. What's the plan? Fly away as far as we can?"
"No, we're going to follow the fight and do whatever we can to help Claire!"
The Magnificent Turtle Duck took off into the skies and gave chase to the Duel of Avatars.
"Did you not say we would 'certainly die' if we stuck around?"
"I know what I said, but we're not leaving this all up to Claire, no matter how much she feels she needs it to be."
Claire descended towards the ocean, quickly freezing and landing atop it, but Talos crashed down with a mighty swing of his blade and fist, shattering the ice and spraying the seawater into the skies above. However, She boosted herself away on fiery jets as the False Avatar flew up at her. She swiftly summoned Balance's Edge and clashed blades with Talos once more as they ascended into the black skies, lightning crackling across the chaotic clouds and hurricanes forming in the distance.
The interior of the Magnificent Turtle Duck trembled, "Kang, are you sure the Magnificent Turtle Duck can take all this?" Khana asked.
"Never. Doubt. My. Creations!"
Their battle surged across the skies, slashing and colliding with their blades and elements. As they duelled, a bolt of lightning fired out, seizing Claire's attention as she outstretched her arms to it, channelling the lightning through her body and redirecting it at Talos. However, he did the same, turning and cascading it into the ocean. But the sheer power of the energy briefly paralysed the pair in their redirecting poses, the two silently floating as the glow in their eyes faded. They blinked their normal eyes with their hair stuck up like a pair of mad scientists whilst a thin layer of soot-covered their faces.
"Shall we take five?" Talos asked.
"Good idea."
The two lowered their arms and cracked their necks; Claire pulled out a small blob of what water she had left from her satchel, rubbing it along her face and in her hair, bringing it back to normal and flicking it over to Talos.
He swiftly caught it, "Ah, thank you."
He did the same as Claire before flicking it back to her, "Shall we continue?"
"Let's."
Their eyes glowed once more as they engaged, the two unleashing a mighty roar of fire, exploding in a display of red and violet as Kang quickly banked away from them. Claire used the flames and smoke cover to fly around and catch Talos by surprise, sucker-punching him into the remnant explosion, the force of her strike throwing him south as she swiftly chased him down. She lunged and struck out once more, but Talos clasped her attack, pulling her in and slamming his knee into her gut, knocking her wind out as her fiery jets sputtered; he unleashed a mighty gale down upon her and threw her down into the ocean. She splashed into it, quickly forming an air bubble around her head as Talos smirked and dived into the raging seas, doing the same as her as their duel continued underwater. They slashed and whipped at one another with the water surrounding them until Claire shot herself like a torpedo at Talos, twirling her palm and delivering a howling uppercut to his Jaw, launching him from the ocean as the air roared out like a geyser. Claire deftly pursued him, preparing Balance's Edge as he spun uncontrollably through the skies. The Avatar swung her blade at him, but he just barely deflected her attack. Still, she swiftly countered with a raging blast of fire from her palms, scorching and propelling him further to the south. She pursued him across the world, as did the Magnificent Turtle Duck. But as he fell for the ocean once more, he didn't correct himself; instead, he let the forces hurtle him at Kyoshi island. He plopped into the sea, the ripples of his fall surging amongst the turbulent waves while Claire's shining eyes jittered around.
"Where did you go?"
But while she searched, a slash of Lava erupted around Kyoshi Island's perimeter before it began to lift into the skies above, making Claire and her friends gawk in awe. And amidst the falling rubble and spewing Lava, she spied Talos levitating the island with his hand and prosthetic, his muscles straining, his veins popping, all the while a chuckling smile split over his face.
"Here's a gift! For all the birthdays I've missed!"
He roared and threw Kyoshi island at her.
"Oh, you cheeky little..."
She watched the island approach, floating firm and outstretching her hands, trying to bend the island to her will, but she couldn't stop it and decided to shoot into the skies as the island crashed and threw tsunamis out in all directions. She tried to stop the destructive waves, but Talos flew at her as he mercilessly swung his blade. However, she swiftly parried his attack, the metal clang of their blades reverberating across the skies as the shock-wave blew the two Avatar's back. The raggedly breathing two floated across from one another.
"I think it's high time to settle this," Claire said.
A whirlpool formed beneath them, slowly rising and swirling up into the air.
"That's right... Come on!" Talos replied.
As the two Avatars collided once more, a crack formed in the sky and caught Khana's attention, "Kang... any idea what that is?"
Several others formed as Claire and Talos clashed, punched, and collided.
"Oh, that's not good, not good at all..!"
Ghazi squinted at the forming cracks, "What... is it?"
"This is just a theory, but I think the constant clashing of two Avatars is sending Our World and the Spirit World on a one-way collision course!"
Lin crossed her arms, "How are you so sure?"
"Two Avatars aren't supposed to exist! Only one! Any more, and the world would be thrown into complete disarray!"
"So... if they don't stop fighting soon, we're doomed!?"
"Precisely!" Kang replied with his fleshy finger raised.
A metallic thud echoed behind them and caught their attention, "Did someone say 'doomed'?" Ho Tun asked.
Khana sharply sighed as she turned back to them, "But... Claire's winning, right?"
They watched their duel, Fire, Air and Water thrashing around as the cracks grew ever further, "No... she isn't... but neither is Talos. They're evenly matched!"
"I see we are doomed," Ghazi dauntingly replied.
"Not if we can help her!" Kang replied
But a grim realisation came upon them.
"And that person is going to have to be you," Khana replied.
He nodded, "Khana, take control of the Magnificent Turtle Duck,"
He handed her the controls, as she took it without hesitation, "Shout when Talos is vulnerable, then open the shell, and Lin, you slam that door shut when she does!"
The two nodded as Kang made his way into the shell room, catching everyone's curiosity as he did.
"Is everything alright, Kang?" Zu asked.
He unsettlingly gazed at him as silence fell on the room. Talos delivered a mighty blow to Claire's gut, propelling her up into one of the sky cracks as he gawked in awe; nevertheless, he gave chase as Claire reappeared in the Spirit World. Khana watched them fly through and soared towards the crack.
"We are not going into that thing, are we?"
"Yes, we are!"
The Magnificent Turtle Duck shot through the crack, following the warring Avatars into the Spirit World. Their duel surged across the skies, parts of their surrounding area warping to the Chaos whilst others remained unaffected. Talos slammed her into the side of a mountain, cleaving out part of it with her. But she quickly regained her composure, bending the remaining piece of the mountain and melting them into Lava before unleashing a barrage of magma bullets. Even so, Talos weaved through them like they weren't even there, outstretching his hand and firing out five raging streams of violet fire. Claire quickly leapt into the air, kicking out five blasts of air in quick succession, striking and detonating the violet fire. But he still flew in, his blade ready to cut her down. However, She summoned Balance's Edge to her hand, gripping the handle and spine as the Blades of the Avatars collided, the sheer force of Talos pushing her back, but she dug her feet in while his zealous smirk clouded her vision.
She fiercely glared back at him, "Wake up, already Talos!" She dismissed the sword and ducked under Talos' blade, making his scythe slash over her as she leapt up and tightly gripped his torso like a vice, "AND FACE REALITY!"
She slammed him into the cleaved mountain, the entire monolith crumbling as they fell through. Talos shook his head as they descended through the rubble and clashed once more.
"Why? WHY!?" He snarled as she parried and dodged his attacks.
"Why do you still rival me!? I have sacrificed everything, everything to achieve my destined power, while you have sacrificed nought!"
The two clashed their blades, standing steadfast amongst the rubble, "So why!? WHY DO YOU STILL RIVAL ME!?"
She shook her head, "Being the Avatar isn't about power!"
She pushed him off and slashed at him as he stumbled, his body quaking.
"It's about fighting to your last breath to protect the balance of the worlds and the ones we love," She lowered Balance's Edge to her side, "You've chased the dream of the Avatar for years, and look where it's got you! It's twisted and turned you into a foul mockery of yourself! And for what!?"
Talos snarled and roared, charging at her with his blade poised to cleave her through. But Claire dismissed the sword and pulled an earthen gauntlet to her hand, swiftly striking his Jaw and unleashing a pressurised gale, launching him up and through a looming crack in the sky. She swiftly gave chase, and the Magnificent Turtle Duck followed until the two finally appeared back in the mortal world. Talos floated, dazed from her attack as the waves from Kyoshi Island's fall loomed behind Claire; however, she bent them to her will and launched a massive torrent at him while The Magnificent turtle Duck banked away and avoided the crossfire. He watched the torrent approach, taking a deep breath and slicing his palm through it, weaving it around himself and crashing it back into the ocean, but as he did, Claire leapt in with Balance's Edge, slashing through Talos before lunging for his forehead, her hand a hair's breadth from contact, but he dashed away. They clashed and soared across the Ocean as Talos' wounds quickly healed, and their blades collided once more, blasting them away from each other and throwing them near the shoreline. Claire slammed down with a mighty cry, letting loose a spiky monolithic rock formation, but Talos landed atop the highest one, looming over her as she stood on the lowest point.
"Oh, great..."
He confidently chuckled, "This has been quite the Battle, Claire. But it would seem destiny has played its cards, and they're all in my favour!"
But before she could reply, the Magnificent Turtle Duck soared in the distance behind him.
Khana turned to Kang, "Quickly! He's monologuing!"
She hit the shell button, and Lin bent the iron door shut as Kang arched his arms around his body, lightning surging across the room.
Claire gazed at Kang as the radiant lightning caught her eye, "...alone... almost made the same mistake Kaishi did..." She chuckled and shook her head as she glared up at Talos, her chuckles turning into boisterous laughter.
Talos raised a worried eyebrow at her, and while she kept him distracted, Kang brought his hands together as a faint blue glow emitted around him. Claire swiftly bent all the water she could and lashed out with it, soaking him through while he stood bewildered, and with a relentless thrust of his arm, Kang shot out the bolt of lightning as Azula's spirit appeared and mirrored his movements. Zuko's heart skipped a beat as her spirit turned to him and softly smiled. The bolts coiled and struck Talos' back, making him roar in agony as the lightning surged across his soaked body, forcing him to descend from his Avatar State as Claire deftly leapt up the spiked monolith. Finally, the lightning ceased, and she delivered a mighty hay-maker to his Jaw, knocking him from the monolith and at the ocean. She swiftly froze the water beneath him as he landed and slid along it, but he quickly stood back up, charging at her as she landed; however, with a swift spin and thrust of her fists, she knocked him back to the edge of the ice. He desperately unleashed a torrent of water at her, but she bent up a bow of ice, parting the water like a ship as Talos roared, his body still crawling with electricity; he unleashed a stream of violet fire as she met it with her own crimson flames, shortly overpowering him as he stumbled back. The fire dissipated as she bent the ocean water to her side, letting it flow out as she exhaled an icy breath upon it. Talos recklessly charged through the icy water, painfully roaring as his body slowly stopped, his limbs freezing. The ice breath ceased, and he became utterly frozen, standing before Claire like an ice statue.
"FINISH IT!" Kang shouted.
She sprinted in, her hands radiating with spiritual energy as she leapt in, but Talos' roar reverberated throughout the ice, and as her hand loomed before his head, the ice shattered, his arms flexing out as a shock-wave knocked Claire back.
She stood back up, gripping her head as Talos growled like a wild animal.
"I... refuse to have it end this way!" His voice spoke in tandem with Raava.
He gently floated into the skies; his pupils contracted, his iris' shaking as thunder rumbled.
"The game ends here, Claire!" His arms outstretched like a deity, "You and your friends will no longer stand in my way; I will eradicate every last one of you!"
The air surged around Talos as a sphere of wind formed above him; he roared out a plume of violet fire, the two elements coiling into each other as water and earth floated and entwined into it, fizzling and melting until they formed a gigantic sphere of Purple Flame.
Claire and her friends gawked at it whilst Talos levitated it in his hand.
"The mistakes of this world shall be righted and cleansed in The Fires of Chaos! And you Claire shall be the first of many to burn in its wake!"
She stammered, her body trembling as Vaatu shot out of her pocket.
"I dare say the boys lost his mind."
"No kidding..."
"I know he is your friend Young Avatar, but we must strike him down, now!"
Claire shook her head, "...No, I know there's still some of him left in there! I won't take his life while I know he can still be saved!"
The False Avatar manically chuckled as he readied the Violet Star, but The Magnificent Turtle Duck soared at him, and Kang rushed through the iron door, "Khana, what are you doing!?"
"Taking this bastard down a couple notches!"
Talos turned his gaze to the Magnificent Turtle Duck, gawking as it rammed into him, his arm breaking and ribs cracking as he roared in pain then flew across the skies. But with his absence, the Violet Star began its descent.
"Damn it, couldn't give me a minute to think, could you, Khana?"
Talos righted himself and snarled at the approaching Magnificent Turtle Duck, "You despicable ingrates!"
He lashed out and unleashed a mighty slash of air, cleaving through the bill as Ghazi swiftly pulled Khana from the seat. The air cleanly cut through the metal interior, sputtering out the engine as it began to fall apart. However, Lin leapt over and pulled the metal together, her arms straining while Toph, Ho Tun Zu and Hou jumped in to hold the shell together.
"Kang! Please tell me you planned for this!" Lin said.
He quizzically flexed his arms out, "How could I plan for this!?"
She growled as The Magnificent Turtle Duck fell for the ocean. However, Tenzin hopped up, twirling the glider in his hand, "I have a plan!"
Zu and Hou turned to him, eyeing the Glider and nodding, "After you, Junior!"
"Hou, go lend Lin a hand, the Captain, Ho Tun and I have got this!"
He nodded and ran to the cockpit to assist his sister.
Kang dragged Khana and Ghazi in, hiding his anxiety with a gleeful smile while the two raised a wide-eyed eyebrow.
"We need to keep Talos off of Claire whilst she deals with that falling star!"
"And how do we do that?"
"You'll see!"
He propelled them through the split ceiling of The Magnificent Turtle Duck. Tenzin flicked out the glider wings and jumped through the cut open hatch, soaring under the shell while the ocean water came ever closer. He flipped the glider off his back and onto his feet, surfing through the air.
"Thank you for teaching me this one, Dad."
He gracefully swished his arms around, forming a spiralling gust of air and supporting The Magnificent Turtle Duck as it hovered to the north.
Talos flew through the skies, watching the Violet star slowly descend unto Claire, but a bolt of lightning shot underneath him and grazed his chest. He growled and flipped around as his mouth hung ajar, "What in the world!?"
Kang flew on Jets of Fire from his feet and hands whilst Ghazi stood arms crossed on his back with Khana stood on his shoulders with daggers drawn.
"Oh, Tally-Boy!"
He snarled and flew back at them. However, Ghazi and Khana leapt from Kang's back and threw themselves at him; Khana's daggers clashed with his Scythe while Ghazi's hammer collided with his face. But despite their attempt to fight in the air, they fell through the sky; however, Kang shot by, catching Ghazi and throwing him back up, doing the same for Khana. And as the two soared back up, Kang spiralled his arms and unleashed a bolt of lightning, but Talos redirected it, as Khana and Ghazi delivered two mighty punches to his Jaw. While the battle between Claire's friends and Talos raged in the distance, she stared up at the falling Star, despair washing over her.
"I... don't think there's anything I can do to stop that..."
However, a spark lit in her eyes as she instinctively summoned Balance's Edge to her hand, The memory of Kaishi's technique coming into focus, the way he disappeared from view as if becoming one with the wind itself.
"Yes, Young Avatar, there is."
She nodded and poised the blade to her hip, crouching and taking a deep breath as her eyes briefly flashed with a bright light and closed.
"Reach for the deepest recesses of your past lives."
Claire focused as the ocean water formed into a whirlpool beneath her, slowly rising as the air spiralled into a dome. Vaatu remained silent in her pocket while the earthy shores quaked and fire exhaled from her nostrils, growing and pulsating around her body.
The heat of the falling Violet Star bared down on her, but her eyes shot open, "This nightmare ends here!"
She vanished into thin air, the elements surging and propelling up at the Violet Star, slashing it open near a thousand times; Claire reappeared above the Star as the flames exploded and roared out across the skies. Kang threw Khana and Ghazi back at Talos, but the roar of the Star's destruction threw them back as The Mad Inventor caught them. The False Avatar twisted around, his eyes flaring as he soared over to her. The two Avatars landed back on the shore, their breaths ragged as the cracks loomed ever more prominent, pieces of the sky falling like crystal petals around them.
"This is the deciding moment, Claire. Either you die. Or we both die!"
She spun Balance's Edge in her hand and set her determined emerald gaze on him. Their eyes flared with a white and black glow as they charged in once more, the clashing on metal reverberating across the shore and ocean. Again, they clashed and stood in a stalemate, glaring and straining against each other.
"There's no hope for victory, Claire! Surely even the stamina of an Avatar like yourself is limited."
"I'm not looking for victory..." she breathlessly replied, sliding the blade up and flicking him away with the guard, "just a decent opening!"
She dismissed Balance's Edge and sprinted in at the stumbling Talos as her hands glowed with spiritual energy.
"Vaatu, get ready!"
He tried to swing his Scythe at her as Vaatu fluttered out of her pocket. However, her hands hit his forehead, her thumbs firmly pressed against the centre while her fingertips latched onto his temples.
The two stood still as statues while Vaatu stood in his heavenly form behind Talos, waiting patiently while Claire's friends landed on the shoreline. Kang and Khana jerked back while Ghazi raised a curious eyebrow.
"What In my Great-Grandfather's name is that!?"
"I believe it is a Spirit..."
Claire awoke to find herself in the north pole, homes of ice and stone aligned and leading up to Unalaq's grand icy fortress. She sprinted for it, her breaths and thrashing footsteps echoing as black figures emerged around her.
"...ire... don't..."
Her eyes darted around at them, shutting out their calls as she pursued the fortress.
"ret...urn... ave... rsel..."
She closed her heart and eyes to them and sprinted further and faster, "Shut up, just shut up!"
"My mind's made up! I swore I'd bring you back from this, I've already seen you die once, and I'm not going to let it happen again!"
The sight of Talos' soul bound in ethereal black chains came into view as she gritted her teeth and pressed on toward him, "Just what were you thinking!? Letting a demon taint your damn soul! Of all the screwed up stupid things to do, that really takes the cake, Talos."
She came within reach of his soul, her eyes flaring as she pushed herself to him, "But either way, I'm getting you back, and I don't care what it takes!"
Her hand reached out to him, standing a hair's breadth from the black chains, but an invisible force dragged him away, her entire surroundings fading into infinite blackness.
"Riveting speech, Avatar."
The gigantic black form of Raava appeared before her eyes, dwarfing her entirely as she held Talos' soul in her palm.
"BUT YOU FORGET YOUR PLACE!"
Her voice rumbled like an ominous thunder cloud as a twisted malevolent smile etched over her face. Claire stared up in disbelief as Raava drifted away from her and slowly spiralled her hands around as a violet runic circle appeared before her.
"THIS IS MY WORLD!"
Raava flexed back, her chest pumping out as a gigantic ray of Chaos erupted. The chaotic beam of violet, black and white surged at the petrified Claire, but she faced it head-on, thrusting her palms out and parting the energy as it raged and roared past her. But despite her resistance, her spirit began flaking away as she strained against the Chaos.
"No..."
Her eyes tightly closed as she growled and bared the pain, "I won't be defeated! Not now, not ever! I'm never giving up!"
Her vision faded to white as the Chaos roared.
"I believe you mean we're never giving up!" A familiar voice called.
Her eyes flared open to find Kang standing by her; his palm thrust out while he confidently smiled at her.
"That's the way, Claire!"
She turned to her side to see Aang and Appa smiling and forcing back the Chaos with her.
"Kang."
"Aang."
The two smirked as Roku, and his dragon Fang too appeared, thrusting out and pushing back the energy, "You didn't think we'd miss the grand finale, did you?"
Kyoshi and her fox emerged and punched out at the Chaos, "What kind of Avatars would we be if we left this all up to you?"
Kuruk and his wolf flew to her side as he plunged his whale-tooth spear into the turbulent energy, "I owe you a debt, and I'm here to repay it in full!"
Finally, Kaishi came to her side, standing back to back with her as they strained against the Chaos.
"This battle started with me..."
"But now it ends with us!"
The animal guides of the Avatar's howled and roared as they pierced through the turbulent Chaos, closing in on The Dark One, making her attack back-fire and explode in her face as her bellowing roars echoed throughout the infinite darkness.
Kang snapped back to his body and fell behind Claire.
"Inventor, are you alright?"
"That was one big spirit."
Claire turned to the Past Lives as her eyes happily darted around at them, "How... how are you guys here?"
"Well, seeing as you performed this little stunt while in the Avatar state, your body acted as a conduit for us to come and assist you," Aang explained.
A radiant soulful beacon burned behind them as thousands of Past Avatars appeared before them, all of varying shapes and sizes, some with beards and others bare-faced. Some with long flowing hair and others with short or no hair. And all dressed in their nations garbs from their respective eras. But while Claire awed at the sight of them, the Realm of Black trembled as Raava recovered and rose back to smite them. However, the Avatars stood steadfast as Claire summoned Balance's Edge to her hand.
"Our souls may differ, but our spirit remains the same."
She bared the sword aloft as the souls of the past lives seeped into it, the blade transforming into a radiant beacon of spiritual energy.
"We took up the mantle you forsook, Raava! And your legacy of terror ends today!"
With a tightened grip and burning resolve, she swung the sword with a mighty cry, letting loose a bursting slash of radiant energy at The Dark One as the Realm of Black burned to a hot white.
Claire's friends stood around her as she awoke in her mortal body, and Raava ejected from Talos, flying into Vaatu as he restrained her with a full nelson.
She writhed and strained against her brother, "How did... thou get here!?"
"I took a page out of thine own book; seems being passive has its benefits!"
Talos fell faint as Claire caught him and gently spun him to the floor.
"Quickly, Young Avatar! Smite her down! Now!"
She summoned the sword a final time and charged in, cleaving through Raava and Vaatu's forms. Then, she quickly pirouetted and cleaved through them a second time before swiftly poising the blade and plunging it into their hearts. They stumbled back, but Vaatu kept his restraint firm on his sister as their forms began to disintegrate.
"Thank you... Claire..."
The Spirit of Order flashed a final smile as Claire solemnly nodded, the Spirit and Demon turning to cosmic dust, their minds and bodies finally returning to the creators which birthed them. She dismissed the sword, turning back and feverishly sprinting over to Talos, throwing herself down to him as her friends backed away, readying themselves to fight.
"Talos!"
An inky blackness clouded his vision as his numb body regained sensation, the coarse grain of the sand rubbing against his back and limbs while Claire's hands remained gently pressed to his arms.
"Talos!"
His eyes softly fluttered open to find the concerned gaze of Claire peering into him.
He softly smiled and chuckled, "...Even after all I've done... you remain the same compassionate fool as ever."
She smiled and helped him up to his feet, his muscles still numb as he stumbled forward.
"I know I'm a fool. But even I knew you wouldn't be capable of the things Raava made you do."
He softly laughed, "I'm flattered by your confidence in my morality."
Talos slowly stumbled up onto his own two feet, taking a deep breath and turning to Claire, "but jests aside... thank you for going to the lengths you did..."
She smiled and nodded, "How could I not?"
As the two smiled, Talos jerked forward and placed his hand on his heart, wincing and groaning in agony as Claire shot forward and caught him in her arms. His skin began flaking away, and his burning scars turned an ashy black.
"Seems... Raava was the only thing keeping me alive."
Claire propped his limp body up and frantically gazed into his hollow purple eyes, "There has to be something I can do! Spirit-Bending? Blood-bending? Water healing?"
But he pushed himself up on her shoulder with what little strength he had and shook his head, "I was dead the moment I allowed Raava to fuse with me... all you can do now is answer one question."
She gazed into his glazing eyes and nodded.
"Do you... do you still consider me your friend?"
A tear broke on her eye, "A friend? You've been a brother since day one, Talos."
His cracked lips smiled as his eyes gently closed, "It... feels like I've waited a lifetime to hear those words."
He stumbled away as Claire tried to catch him once more, but he held a hand out to her, signalling her to stop as his head tilted back to the fading Chaos.
"I wonder... was this... always to be my destiny? Or did envy... set me on this path? I guess... I'll never know."
He flashed a final smile to his sister, "live a good life, Claire."
Talos fell to the sandy ground with a final gasp of breath, and his body completely disintegrated, leaving only the blade arm behind as his ashes flowed off into the breeze.
Claire stood petrified, her breath trapped in her lungs as the weight of his passing dragged her to her knees while Kang, Khana and Ghazi rushed over, and a brief silence loomed over them as a tear ran down her face, "I thought I could save him... I thought separating him from Raava would..."
Khana knelt to her side as Claire fell into her, her body numb all over; however, Ghazi kneeled in front of her.
"You did save him, Avatar."
She turned her tear-stained gaze to him, as did Khana and Kang.
"Your friend was not himself as you said, but through purging the Demon's influence. You set his soul free. You saved him before he was completely lost to the darkness poisoning his heart."
She briefly smiled, "I suppose... that's one way to look at it."
Claire slowly rose to her feet, supported by Kang and Khana as she took a deep breath and gazed at the blade arm, marching over to it and plucking it from the sand.
She gazed over her shoulder, "Hey, Kang... do you want this back?"
He mulled it over, humming and ahhing before shaking his head, "No... do whatever you see fit with it."
She nodded and struck up an earthy monolith, placing the blade arm against its surface and slowly embedding it into the firm stone. Finally, she raised her fingertips to the rock, closing her eyes as words fluttered into her mind, and with a swift short thrust of her wrist, she ingrained an inscription onto the surface.
"塔洛斯"
"对手 - 哥哥 - 朋友."
She lowered her hand to her side as a final tear blew from her face and into the breeze.
The four gazed to the skies as the last of the Chaos broke away above them, the Sun's rays hitting their eyes amongst the fragmented skies.
"So... where do you think The Magnificent Turtle Duck went?" Kang asked.
Khana hummed and placed a hand to her chin, "The compass was pointing north... and the only place in that direction is the North Pole."
"Any propositions on what to do, Inventor?"
"We should get back to the city, gather what resources we can for repairs, then set off on the Aircraft!"
"I guess we should get going then," Claire replied, uneasily turning to the distance.
But Khana placed a hand to her shoulder, "Are you sure you're alright?"
Claire placed a hand on hers and nodded, "Yeah... I think I'll just... need some time."
She smiled as the four banded together and made their way on foot back to Republic City.