Aang

He struggled to open his eyes on his spot on the bed, he felt a throbbing pain all over, he couldn't even remember anything, but things were coming back gradually, slowly squinting into the light, he groaned as the throbbing pain rushed to his head, giving him a severe headache but it left as soon as it came, he turned his head weakly left and right, soon he had the strength to push himself up from the bed, he sat up, pushed his legs to the left and settled them on the floor while he was still sitting on the bed,

he whispered "Where am i.. ?" but one glance at his surroundings and he knew exactly where he was,

This my Room.. How did i get in here ? He asked inwardly, no memory has still rushed back to his head, only bits and pieces, he was having a difficult time regaining his memory, so he kept massaging his temples, pushing his head to the back and twirling it trying to relieve himself from the throbbing pain and in the mean time trying to fill his mind with memories again, but to no avail, after some failed attempts, he finally gave up, and looked to the corner of the room to find his staff laying there, he stood up to grab it, only for his legs to give out and he fell back on the bed again, he groaned from the pain he received after the woeful attempt,

so he thought as an airbender and tried to find another way to the staff, soon he got an idea, he put his hands on the bed, pushing himself up and moving his hand to push his legs, until he reached the wall, on which he positioned himself, panting and tired in the process, but he had to go on, he kept putting his hand on the wall to stabilize himself, he kept going until he finally reached his staff at the corner of the room, he grabbed it and put his weight on it, using it as a clutch till he reached the door and opened it,

only to be met by a pair of ocean blue eyes, a pair of screams were heard in the hallway including his, and both fell on the floor with a grunt but for Aang it was worse as he fell on his back instead of his rear as he couldn't hold himself up..

"AANG !" He heard a voice as he was holding his head on the floor from the impact, but soon he regained some of his consciousness when a pair of arms were pulling him up and sitting him up on the floor..

"Aang, i'm so sorry, I can't believe you've woken up ! Are you alright ?! I'm so sorry !" He struggled to open his eyes again but when he did he found a panicking Waterbender that he recognized..

"Katara.. ?" Aang called her name in a questioning manner.

"Yes, Aang, it's me.. let's get you back on the bed, I can't believe you're awake, i feel like i'm gonna cry !" She exclaimed excitedly and when Aang turned his head to look at her, he really found her eyes shimmering with genuine tears, but he still had a confused look on his face, asking too many questions in his head but he saved them till he felt better,

Katara took hold of his arm and brought him up to his feet, putting his arm around her head with one hand while the other was positioned behind his back to balance him, soon they reached the bed and she laid him there, when he finally regained consciousness once more, he spoke to an overly excited Katara..

"What happened, Katara ? Why are we in the southern air temple ? and how long was i out ?" Aang asked incredulously, Katara's face twisted into a concerned frown.

"Take it easy, it's alright, i'm going to tell you everything you need to know, just don't panic it's not good for your condition.." Katara warned softly, and the airbender accepted it and just listened to her,

Katara spoke again, "Look, if you're not tired i might give you another healing session, it'll make you more comfortable." Katara suggested after calming down from her excited state.

"Of course, i guess it'll help.." Aang said scratching his bald head.. Only to find out it's not bald anymore, he scanned his head once more with his hand to find that he wasn't feeling it, no it was real.

"Katara, have you been force feeding me cactus juice or do i really have hair ?" Aang asked with an almost panicking state, Katara couldn't help her smile while responding..

"Yeah, you do... a beard too." She said motioning to the light beard that grew while he was in a coma, after Aang put his hands on his jaw and really felt growing facial hair in that area, he was about to go into a full panicking state before another question popped in his head.

"How long was i out ?" Aang asked and Katara saw the panicking look on his face, she contemplated lying to him, but she decided to tell him the truth.

"Two Months." Katara responded, and finally the full panicking condition clicked, Aang was panting and was having difficulty to breath, until his mind finally gave out from too much shock, and he dropped back on the bed landing on the back of his head.

"AANG !" Katara rushed to the airbender's side and felt guilty for forcing such information on him in such a grievous state, but she couldn't lie to him, she started doing some procedures taught to her by healers to get Aang back up, she only hoped his reaction wouldn't be the same to the other shocks..

Azula

"I don't think the people In the countryside near the colonies are willing to cooperate, Head Councilor, So what'd you propose as a course of action ?"

"Have you gone soft, Admiral Zheng ?" Azula heard the admiral groan, Zhao really knows how to provoke people, "I said try to solve the problem with diplomacy, But if the diplomacy fails then you you have no choice but to Burn their farms, Let them know that The Firenation isn't a force to be trifled with, Am i clear ?" Zhao made his point to the general, and the general nodded and left the council room, While Azula listened and observed the situation carefully.

They were in the middle of a council meeting when Admiral Zheng interrupted to tell The Head Councilor of the news that the peasants of the countryside don't want to cooperate with The Firenation, Those fools thinking themselves as some kind of heroes, Even The Avatar couldn't withstand the force, and you peasants think you can ? Azula kept her musings as the council meeting continued, she kept half of her concentration with the meeting and the other half somewhere else, thinking of many things that happened as of late,

her reconciliation with Zuko, her position as Chief of Police and Princess of The Firenation, which would require her catching criminals as well as attending council meetings, Not that she seemed to mind, she loved her work more than anything, but it was getting more stressful and stressful by the day, The Firenation is going through a Period of change, so that means quadruple the work.

"General Shinu, Any disturbing news from The Earth Kingdom ?" Azula heard Zhao ask his second-in-command, who happened to be sitting next to Zhao and across from Azula.

"No disurbing news, Head Councilor, a letter from Shun arrived this morning saying that since his arrival at Yu Dao to presume his role as Mayor of the colonies, he faced many obstacles from rebels, led by the former Mayor Morishita's daughter Kori, and another group called The Freedom Fighters led by a guy named Jet, but Shun assured in his letter that he's handling them very well, but The Firenation army has to be ready to afford soldiers and supplies in case he needs them." General Shinu informed.

"Of Course, General, write back to Shun telling him The Firenation is ready with any support he deems necessary.." Shinu nodded, allowing the head councilor to continue. "General Yuan, write to our navy troops near The Earth Kingdom and inform them of Shun's requests." The General nodded, allowing Zhao to continue.. "Princess Azula, Any disturbing news from The Police Center ?" The Princess focused her attention to the head councilor who was now eyeing her with a serious expression.

"Yes, Head Councilor, i waited to be the last to contribute because i do have some disturbing new.." Azula paused momentarily before finally telling them the news.

"Lee Chan, also known as The Combustion Man, has escaped from prison." Azula informed the head councilor whose face twisted in shock, the rest of the council as well, whose faces turned into one of fear and shock.

"This is absurd ! Totally absurd, how could you let him out of your grasp, Azula ?! you know he's the most dangerous criminal in the whole Firenation !" Zhao shouted.

"You just said it yourself, he's the most dangerous man in the whole country, of course no prison in the country would ever hold him down." Azula shouted back defensively.

"Really ? That's your excuse ? It's your job to keep him down, you should've been the one to think of a solution." Zhao said, Azula tried to speak back, but she couldn't, As hard as it is to admit but Zhao was right, The Combustion man was her responsibility and she should've thought of something, so she fixated her sight on the ground without a word, Zhao was about to scold her again until General Shinu interfered.

"I'm sorry, Head Councilor, but more shouting won't solve anything, The Combustion man is still on the loose, we need a plan of action to hunt him down." Shinu succeeded at his work and the shouting stopped as Zhao was now thinking of a way to rid The Firenation of this criminal, he kept tapping on his chin, trying to find a way and brainstorm with the rest of the generals.

"Fuck !" Zhao groaned in frustration, he stood up from his place and headed towards the window, all the while Azula was eyeing him carefully, thinking of a plan herself, She felt conflicted, at one hand she felt like she failed at her responsibility and she deserved the scolding from Zhao because of her failure, at the other she was finding it difficult to accept any scolding from Zhao, not two months ago he was nothing more than a scum, just because he is the head councilor doesn't mean he gets to treat a princess that way, but then Azula chose the wise and smart choice of listening to Zhao until she finds a way to get rid of him, soon after so many thinking the idea came from General Shinu while Zhao was still staring out the window.

"I found it, Sir, i know how to track down The Combustion Man." Zhao turned back abruptly to look at the general.

"What is it, General ?" Zhao and Azula inquired at the same time, with Azula groaning inwardly for thinking of the same thing as this scum.

"I know a lady named June, she has an animal called The Shirshu, it's able to track down people by their scents no matter their place in the world, you just have to find something The Combustion Man was holding or wearing, anything he touched and we'll be able to track him down." The General contributed, making a small smile find its way to Azula's lips, but Zhao was still frowning.

"How'd we find something that this mysterious criminal touched ?" Zhao asked disappointedly, but Azula maintained her small confident smile.

"Don't worry, Head Councilor, i still have his prison clothes, apparently he found it not charming to wander around with it so he left it inside the prison." Azula informed, making Zhao's face twist into a smile as well.

"Then What're we waiting for ? Send for June, General Shinu, it's time to get rid of this criminal once and for all." Zhao informed with a sense of finality in his words, igniting the same enthusiasm he had to the rest of the room including Azula, who was determined to never fail again, this time she'll get rid of this criminal once and for all.

Toph

"Mom ! Dad !"

Toph felt Luna run into their parents' embrace as they came for a visit, it's been two months for them as well inside this stinky prison, recieving a less amount of pain than the other prisoners, but for Toph the pain didn't matter, it was the stay in the prison itself, she had to get back to the world somehow, she's been thinking of a way the whole past two months, but the metal cell they were imprisoned in wasn't any help, so now they were having their weekly meeting with their parents, which Toph wasn't fond of doing but she had to for her Mom, she walked towards her parents after Luna finished embracing them.

"Hi, Mom.. Hi, Dad." Toph said rather dryly, then took her seat on the table they're supposed to meet at, the only relief that comes to Toph by this weekly meeting is that she finally gets to see by feeling earth again after days of not seeing inside a metal cell, but alas she couldn't do a thing about all the earth beneath her as one wrong move, and all her family would be snapped out of existence, her rather dry greeting didn't escape her family's notice but they decided to brush it off and sit with her on the table.

"How're you faring, Girls ? I hope those wretched soldier aren't giving you a hard time like The Firelord promised me." Lao Beifong said, which made Toph grunt in disgust, earning her odd looks from the rest of her family, but Luna decided to save the situation by replying to Lao's question.

"It's alright, Dad, They couldn't do it even if they tried, you raised a couple of strong daughters." Luna replied with a smile, her parents smiled back.

"Yeah, a couple of strong daughters whose only fault is that you're their father." Toph murmured, but loud enough for the whole table to hear, earning her a death glare from Luna and her mother, but a rather guilty look from their father who fixated his sight on the ground.

"I know this is all my fault, and i've apologized for it everytime i came to visit, and i'm doing everything i can to get us out of this situation, what more do you expect me to do, Toph ?" Lao said defensively but hurt lurking in his voice.

Toph snorted. "If you think this is a situation you can come out of by apologizing, you're gravely mistaken.." Toph started, Luna tried to jab her sister in the ribs lightly to shut her up, but to no avail..

"This is all your fault, we're trapped in a firenation metal prison cell where i can't see, because of you, All our money is being spent preparing the enemy to invade our homeland because of YOU ! Our Life has been and always will be a living hell because of YOU !" Toph shouted appearing to genuinely mean every word she said, the whole table was silent, with Lao Beifong still fixating his sight on the ground, his guilt and hurt taking over him that and Toph deduced that with the amount of shaking and the rate of his heartbeats, he must be feeling tears stinging his eyes,

Good, because that's exactly how i feel right now. Toph said inwardly. after minutes of silence, Lao Beifong decided to speak..

"I know whatever i'm going to do or say won't matter to you, Toph, because you'll still hate me anyways, and i deserved it, it's true i've always been a terrible father to you, and even to Luna.." Toph felt Luna shaking her head in their father's direction telling him that he wasn't a terrible father, she's always been soft. "But it doesn't matter, because i will always keep trying to please you, Toph, i will always do my best for you and your sister, until you forgive me." Toph felt Poppy put a hand on Lao's back to comfort him, but Toph wasn't having any of it.

"Yeah, You will try, Father, but unless we both can live for a thousand years then i don't think you'll be able to pull it off." Toph said bitterly, Poppy glared at her again.

"Toph, Stop! Your sister is locked up with you inside the same cell, do you see her giving your father a hard time everytime we come to visit ?!" Poppy shouted still putting a hand on Lao's back to comfort him, Toph lost it right then and there, her eyes narrowed dangerously and she stood up abruptly from her seat.

"You think the reason i hate this Sorry Excuse of a human being is because i'm locked up inside a cell because of him.. ?!" Toph shouted, the gasps that followed from Luna and Poppy didn't escape her notice but she couldn't care less for the moment, she pointed at her father.

"You, Lord Lao Beifong, are the worst father who has ever stepped foot in this world, and you'll always be that way, because you don't even know what the concept of a father Means ! A father is a person who comforts his children not giving them a hard time, a father is the person who knows when to give some liberty to his children and when to restrict them, A father is a person who appreciates his children not always undermine them and think of them as lower being than he is, My life's always been a living hell because of YOU ! And if you have an ounce of humanity you'll leave right now, and only send Mom for the next visits because i'd rather be locked up in a metal prison cell for the rest of my days than feeling your gruesome, Hideous ugly PRESENCE !" Toph finished her shouting, panting in the process,

The whole table was in so much shock no one spoke a word, but she could feel Lao Beifong having the worst condition of them, and Luna and Poppy were just staring dumbfoundly at the secrets Toph was keeping from her family, after a long awkward silence filled with hurt, grief and sorrow, Toph decided to end this..

"Soldier, Please get me back to my cell." Toph called the soldier who brought her and Luna here, The Soldier obliged and guided Toph to her cell, she was in front of the soldier, so she could shed some tears without his notice, they arrived at the cell and the soldier just threw her in, which snapped Toph out of her sorrow to glare at him.

"You don't have to throw me in everytime you bring me here, i can get in myself." Toph scolded the soldier, who just smirked in return.

"I know, But i just like to give Dirt benders like you a hard time." The Soldier taunted, making Toph scowl darkly at him.

"You'll regret it deeply when i'm out of here." Toph warned, but the soldier just laughed in response.

"Oh, i believe ya, Little girl.." Toph's dark scowl deepened at that stupid nickname. "But this isn't one of your low-life dirt prisons, this is a Firenation prison, not to mention it's made of metal, you might be a good Earthbender, but even you can't bend metal.." Toph's head snapped at the soldier's words, giving her the best idea that she's been thinking of for weeks. "Enjoy your stay with us, Dirt bender." The Soldier left the place guffawing, but Toph didn't care at the moment, she walked towards the prison cell and touched it the metal.

"Oh My Spirits !" Toph whispered excitedly, what she felt made her day a lot better, she felt pieces of Earth within the metal, Of Course, How couldn't she think of that ? Metal is originally a part of earth that's been purified ! her only problem now was to find out a way to bend this metal, and she will, she sat back down on the metal floor waiting for Luna to get back from the meeting with her parents to tell her the news.

Aang

Aang woke up from another coma and Katara helped him with another healing session, he started to remember the awful event again, but still not the full memory has returned, so he was sitting with Sokka, Katara and Monk Tenzin who were now telling him the story after he blacked out.

"After what happened in The Firenation, we had to take you to safety, The Firenation princess helped us escape on Appa.." Aang's eyes shot up at Sokka after mentioning the firenation princess,

Why'd Azula help him ? Aang asked inwardly not sure why it surprised him why Azula helped him, she was his friend after all, or was she..? he kept listening to Sokka who continued..

"After that, we decided to take you to your home, because it was the safest place we could think of at that moment and indeed it was, Monk Tenzin helped us settle in, and in exchange for his kindness, Katara and I are helping his people prepare for the upcoming war." Sokka regarded the old monk with a nod, to which the monk returned, Aang looked up at Sokka again.

"War ?" Aang asked confused.

"Yes, Avatar, The Firenation started a war, they already took over the southern Watertribe and Ba Sing Se, although they won't publicly announce it, but we all know the interim rulers of the cities work for The Firenation." Sokka finished, and Aang didn't know how to feel anymore,

The Firenation was getting out of hand, and after Katara's healing session he remembered the spirit war that's happening, he didn't know what to do, how to act, and he was bottling everything inside him, never elaborating anything to the water tribe siblings.

"I never wanted it to come to that, i failed to maintain peace.." Aang whispered sadly, but only Katara who was sitting next to him heard it, and she put a comforting arm on his back.

"Don't worry, Aang, we'll figure something out." Katara encouraged with a smile, but the sad look never left Aang's face, he turned his face to Sokka..

"And what do you mean preparing my people for war ? They've never participated in any war before." Aang told them, only for the old monk to respond for them.

"I thought the same when Sokka came to me with the idea, Aang, but him and Katara helped us greatly and i think our people are slowly becoming established warriors, but still preserving of our ways and customs Like you... Or rather like you used to be.." The older monk uttered, making Aang narrow his eyes dangerously at him.

"And what does that suppose to mean?!" Aang rebuked, but the older monk was unfazed.

"You think i'm unaware of your activities outside the temple, Aang? I don't want to say it loudly so you might still maintain what's left of your dignity." The older monk scolded.

"No, Please, Enlighten my friends, what were you gonna say ? that i'm a 'drunken lush unfit to be avatar' ? That i bed women i have no feelings for ? that i... ki.. that i killed a man!" Aang Shouted at the old monk, making Katara gasp loudly, and flashing a hurt expression but decided to cover it quickly, but enough for Aang to notice.

"Yes, You just said it." The Monk informed The Avatar.

"Yes, my life has been low, Yes, i have never been the avatar anybody wanted me to be, but i tried and tried and tried and you were part of the reason i gave up, people sin, people make mistakes, doesn't mean you should shun them or drive them away, you should guide them to the right path, not treating them like they're outsiders that came to FUCK YOU UP !" Aang scolded loudly, he lifted himself up to come face to face with the older monk..

"Look me in the eyes and tell me i'm wrong when i say that you people were the reason i am what i am, Monk Tenzin, Just LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND SAY IT!" Aang finished eyeing the older monk, who was speechless and unsure what to say next, the older monk just fixed his gaze on the ground and didn't say any farther words, Aang knew the man didn't approve of Monk Sashing's teaching ways, that's probably why he is feeling guilty at the moment.

"Alright.." Sokka finally interfered breaking the awful tension, while Katara recovered and brought Aang back to his position..

"I suggest we act on what's going on right now, Gentlemen, because that's not a good time to argue.. The Firenation is coming for all of us, and we need to save the world from their tyranny, they've already sent their forces to back their colonies in the earth kingdom, that means they're not that far from doing the same to our home and Ba Sing Se." Sokka informed the avatar, Aang had a difficult time breathing but he decided to get some words out.

"Alright, What's your plan ?" Aang asked older warrior.

"Actually, right now i don't have a plan at all, but we need to find out as fast as possible, Avatar, or we're all doomed." Sokka informed Aang worriedly.

You don't even know half of it. Aang thought bitterly, Aang was having a difficult time keeping the information to himself, but some minutes of silence that allowed him to think, he decided to elaborate.

"That's not the only problem we're facing, Guys.." Aang began, grabbing the attention of the water tribe siblings and Monk Tenzin. "There's something i need to tell you, something more dangerous than Ozai and threatens world safety." His crowd had horrified looks on their faces.

"What's it, Aang ?" Katara asked carefully, to which Aang responded..

"The Dark Spirit has been unleashed."