Chapter 36: The endless dance of good and evil

The Gaang sat quietly at a table on the Millenium falcon. Together, they made a plan. A desperate plan that, if executed correctly, could perhaps save the entire universe. It was a straightforward plan and was a bit about orders and timing. The main player in the battle was to be Katara, for she possessed the most power. Occasionally, L would listen through a wall and hear them talking. But God knows what he thought of the plan because his brain was long gone. Kakyoin came up with most of the plans because he was good with plans and other things that involved planning. Katara helped him. Jotaro made the occasional comment about how he wanted to beat the hell out of Robert. Zuko said nothing and thought of nothing but the ring. With The One Ring, he could destroy Robert and anyone who had ever doubted him, he was sure of it. Anyone who had ever looked at him and thought he would never be anything other than a spoiled, pathetic prince who couldn't even get his own father to love him.

"Does everybody remember what they have to do?" Kakyoin finally said. Everybody nodded. Kakyoin looked at Zuko.

"Were you even paying attention?" Kakyoin asked Zuko irritably.

"Yes," Zuko said slowly. His eyes seemed to glow with yellow light and this puzzled Kakyoin because he knew for a fact that Zuko's eyes could not glow. But he looked again and the light was gone. Get a hold of yourself, Kakyoin thought to himself. He knew that he would need to be at The Top of His Game to beat Robert.

It was just then that L picked up a megaphone, and announced that they were five minutes away from Earth. The Gangs eardrums almost bled, L was so loud. They all waited by the door, to walk out of it and face their destiny.

Katara looked to her left. Zuko stood, slumped. Zuko's scar seems redder now as if it was a fresh wound. He was pale.

Katara felt a pang of sadness. What had become of Zuko, her old friend? He was now a mere shadow of the brave, prideful prince he used to be.

...Was this her fault? She didn't want to think about it, but she knew that as a God it was her responsibility to ask the Hard Questions. Had she neglected their friendship for too long? Was Zuko that needy? Was he that fragile, and Katara had never known it? A memory stirred. Katara thought of the time when they had been imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se, a lifetime ago. Zuko's soul had been wounded then but growing. Changing. It had good in it, hope in it. But now, Zuko's soul was like a stagnant, lonely pool.

Katara could feel her god-bones tingling. She knew Zuko had become someone who could not be saved, someone who could not be brought back from his dark path. Katara didn't look at Zuko, but she quickly grabbed his hand and held it gently in hers. Zuko turned to look at her, his eyes wide with wonder. Katara said nothing, but she looked at him and squeezed his hand. I am so sorry, my friend. Let us fight together one last time before fate inevitably rips us apart, she tried to say with her eyes. She could only hope that this shell of her old friend now understood her.

Kakyoin and Jotaro saw Katara take Zuko's hand, looked at each other, and shrugged. Then Kakyoin snatched up Jotaros's hand and started to cut his nails.

"Dude, what the hell? Don't freakin touch me!" Jotaro bellowed.

"Well, SORRY, I thought we were supposed to do things to each other's hands! I APOLOGIZE if I'm a little rusty on my human interaction skills!" Kakyoin said sarcastically.

"Just don't touch me! You'll give me one of your nasty-ass diseases!" Jotaro said sharply. Kakyoin lowered his gaze and spoke quietly.

"H-how do y-ou know a-about those? I-I paid good money to h-have those kept quiet."

"Mine own cater-cousins, stand ho fighting! saveth itt for Robert! anon taketh each other's hands, alloweth's has't a silent moment to prayeth," Katara announced like a god (because she is a god). They all took each other's hands, and for a moment, the world was quiet.

Then, the Millennium Falcon touched solid ground, and the Gaang could see the Earth they used to know.

It was no longer fair and green. It looked like the aftermath of a terrible, bloody battle. A battle between earth and the heavens. A battle where all the angels had been killed and their heads had been impaled on mountains as if they were stakes. The ground was a dusty orange-red rock as far as the eye could see. Something red ran in small, trickling streams. The gang didn't know if it was lava or blood. The sky was dark and black, like an inky soup. No stars. It was an endless night. A dark night. A dark night that would last until Robert destroyed time itself. Until he tore the Mighty Clock from the walls of God and broke it down.

And from the look of the earth, that fate seemed not too far away.

Katara looked at her friends and saw their expressions of horror and dread. All but Zuko, who looked normal. Katara knew Zuko had seen this place before, in his darkest dreams in the middle of the night, before the sun rose and banished the demons, making him forget. Suddenly, they were shoved from behind onto the dirt! They all had to dodge lava and blood that squirted at them from the ground. The door to the Millenium falcon closed. They all looked back at the ship to see that L had closed the door. There was nothing to say. He was trying to save himself.

Kakyoin glared angrily and flipped him off. His friends and enemy (Zuko) followed suit.

"Sweet baby Jesus, these toxic fumes are making it hard to breathe!" Kakyoin whispered. He felt like something was moving out of the corner of his eye was moving. Something was watching him.

"It's so flipping hot… I would take off my huge wool black jacket, but it would ruin my freakin' image," Jotaro grumbled.

"Doth we all remember the planet?" Katara asked. Everyone nodded expert for Zuko. The earth had put him in a trance. He walked forward and thought of only one thing, the ring.

The plan was this:

Find where Robert was and hide.

At the right moment, Katara and Jotaro rush forward. Katara engages Robert in battle, and Jotaro is there if she needs backup. (nobody has acknowledged this, but they knew if Katara was overwhelmed by Robert, they had no chance)

If Robert ever tried to run, Kakyoin would block him. Then, if they needed to (which they almost definitely would), Jotaro and Kakyoin could join in the fight. Robert would obviously want the ring, and they could use this to their advantage.

Kill Robert. Save the world.

(Zuko had absolutely no involvement in this plan. He would get in the way and everyone knew it. Zuko himself hadn't spoken at all when they made the plan. Ideally, he would have stayed on the Millenium falcon, but L didn't want him there. Zuko was going to hide with Kakyoin and stay put. Katara had objected to this initially, saying Zuko would surely attack Kakyoin for The Ring once they were alone. But Kakyoin insisted he could fight off Zuko if he tried anything.)

It was a quickly made, desperate plan. But it just might work.

The Gaang walked in silence for a long while. They did not know how much time passed. Once they passed through the burning remains of what looked like a town. In a pile of rubble, Jotaro saw what looked like a hand. He looked away.

Good grief… who the hell does Robert think he is? Some kind of God? Is it really his right to bring about the end of the flipping world? We need to take him down. Then maybe Katara will be able to bring everyone back… some people are probably still alive; they must be, I'm sure of it… Jotaro thought.

Just then, Katara grabbed everyone all at once with her long arms and dove behind a huge rock.

"What the hell?!" Jotaro said.

"Beest quote! behold. we art h're," Katara pointed. In this distance, was a throne of bones. Some of the bones still had flesh attached to them. And on the throne, sat the devil. Robert was in his original form. It was more horrible than the Gaang remembered. His yellow spongy body shone with grease and blood. He was crouching on the throne-like an animal. He had the pale, boneless, muscles dead body of what used to be an innocent human in his hands. He was eating it. It seemed he had sucked out the person's insides and was now eating the skin.

"Guys, he's just doing that to freak us out. Humans are disgusting, he wouldn't eat one for fun," Kakyoin said.

"By saying that, you are freakin' implying that he knows we're here," Jotaro grumbled. Everyone was immediately quiet.

"Doth not behold at that gent. Focus, everyone. Remember the planeth. Jotaro, stayeth with me. Kakyoin and Zuko, wend! wend findeth a lodging of the to the side to hide. Doth not cometh out unless thee absolutely has't to. Same goeth f'r jotaro, doth not assisteth me unless thee has't to. I might not but taketh on Robert alone," Katara said. Everyone nodded.

Kakyoin dragged Zuko away. Katara looked at Zuko. His eyes were far away. She had to look away.

"We can freakin' do this, Katara. You're the freakin' thunder goddess and shit," Jotaro said once they were alone.

"Only fate can decide what I can and cannot do. Fate does not favor god or evil. But thank you," Katara replied.

"We've made it this far. I can freakin' feel my father looking at us from heaven, we will freakin beat Roberts ass!"

"I desire thou art right. Though, I thinkest thine father may'st be looking up fr'om hell, to be'eth honest. Any'ways, if 't be true there is any valorous in this world, t's spirit shall help us. If 't be true not... i shall seeth thee all in Valhalla," Katara said. Together, they sat behind the rock and waited. Katara and Jotaro could only hope that Zuko and Kakyoin had found a safe hiding place. Fear told them they were both dead, but a mix and hope and sensibility said they were alright… at least for now. But God knows what sick, twisted things Zuko would do. How far would he go for the Ring when he had the chance?

I SMELL WORMS, Robert boomed, his voice traveled through their ears to their brains like a clawed finger, the voice invoked pain. The pain of a phantom having a deadly stroke. I SMELL LITTLE LITTLE LITTLE WORMS. AHHHHHHHHH… WHEN I WAS A BOY I PLUCKED THE HELL-WORMS FROM THE LAVA AND ATE THEM RAW. I SHALL DO THE SAME TO YOU. NORMALLY I WOULD TURN YOU INTO KRABBY PATTIES, BUT NO ONE IS LEFT TO EAT YOU BUT ME.

The Gaang fearfully peeked out at Robert from their hiding places and saw him slowly lift himself off and out of his throne. Towering high, far taller than they remembered, he seemed to blot out the already dim sun. He threw the empty, dead carcass he had been eating directly at where Zuko and Kakyoin were hiding, behind a rock. It landed and slumped, broken, against the rocks. It seemed stretched and rubbery and pale, though it resembled life closely enough to make Zuko screech. It was (or rather, had used to be) Toph. Blood dripped slowly out of what had once been her mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. They were stretched, not torn.

"AAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zuko screamed, a mix between fright and anger. He hated that he felt akin to this horrible relic of life. Also, he was sad about Toph, but he didn't care that much, to be honest.

"Can you, like, shut up?! You're going to get us both killed! I know you're stupid, but this is really pushing it. And at a really bad time too," Kakyoin sighed and put his hand on his dainty hip like a mean girl. He looked worthy of a bejeweled purse and bright lipstick. Zuko was going to respond with some awful threat, but Robert spoke.

SO... THERE ARE WORMS IN THIS SOIL, ARE THERE? I SMELL YOU. I HEAR YOU. OH, KILLING YOU, HOWEVER MANY OF THERE YOU ARE, WILL BE GREAT SPORT. BUT THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO WITNESS YOUR DEATHS; NO ONE TO SHOW. BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY EATEN EVERYONE ON THIS PLANET! DO YOU KNOW, IN THE BEGINNING, I DID HAVE A TRUE FEAR OF YOU ALL. THE WATERBENDER WAS THE ONLY ONE I'D MET WHO HAD POSED A THREAT TO ME, BUT NOT ANYMORE, OF COURSE. I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT COME BACK TO ATTACK ME ONCE MORE, AFTER THAT FIRST TIME, BUT YOU DIDN'T, DID YOU? YOU ARE SIMPLY TOO LATE. I'LL KILL YOU SLOWLY. THIS FINAL HUNT WILL BE PURELY FOR MY PLEASURE, Robert rumbled. He got up and strutted towards the rock Kakyoin and Zuko were cowering behind.

"Now look what you've done! I hope you die," Kakyoin muttered. The end was here.

"Well, I'm already dead inside so any pain you can inflict upon me, would be welcome. I don't feel anything," Zuko responded, his face devoid of emotion. It was like the face holes of Toph. Zuko blocked it out. This horrible sight did something to him.

Back at the rock where Jotaro and Katara were hiding, they both watched in horror as Robert approached where they knew their friends were hiding. An image of Zuko's body kept invading Kataras godly mind. His limbs were torn of and were being roasted on a barbecue. It was awful. Zuko would have thought it was ironic.

"Oh mine own god, this is lacking valor," Katara whispered almost to herself.

"You have to freakin' go. Robert will kill Kakyoin and Zuko! You have to go now!" Jotaro said strongly, with urgency. The time was here. Katara nodded at Jotaro. She breathed in once. It was time.