DISCLAIMER: don't own AVATAR.

The story ends next chapter.

Chapter 14: Ko The Facestealer

Lerolas raced after Sokka, her quiver and bow beating harshly on her back, the pain telling her there would be bruises in the morning.

The Elf and Water Tribe warrior burst into the Throne Room, and Souzen was still hanging against the wall, by Lerolas's arrow. But there was one thing different, the six-year-old was holding a small horn.

"You should have disarmed me, fools." Souzen laughed. Sokka lunged at the Fire Lord, but Lerolas held him back.

"Souzen's mine." She hissed.

"I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU WHEN YOU WERE A BABY, SOUZEN!" Lerolas screeched, the true Souzen behind this attack, laughed.

"Foolish Elf! You have failed! You cannot get rid of me, and stop the fleet in time!" He mocked. Lerolas ran up to Souzen, wrenched away the arrow holding him up, then slammed him against the wall.

"Bastard, you should know I can do more than you!" She yelled. Souzen laughed.

"Like what?" He jeered. In response, Lerolas's hands, which hand been on Souzen's neck, began to tighten.

"Like kill you." She hissed. She could feel the life slipping away from Souzen, but he wasn't dead yet. Souzen's spirit would not allow it.

Lerolas growled, and removed her most horrible arrow from her quiver. It was made of the finest wood in Lorien, the feathers at the end came from a Phoenix's tail, and the arrowhead was made of the finest Dwarf gold. And all along it were intricate carvings, both pictures and words in the Elvish language.

All enemies of my shooter, are enemies of me. May my silver tip pierce their hearts, and stop the madness that the demented mind of my enemy has created.

Was what was written on the arrow.

Lerolas gripped the arrow tightly in her fist, and bit her lip.

I'm sorry, Sierra, but this is what needs to be done.

Lerolas thought sadly. Then she plunged the arrow into Souzen's chest. Blood poured from the wound, and Lerolas felt Souzen slip from his host. Lerolas fell to the ground onconscious, her spirit dogging Souzen's tail.

A fifty-year-old looking spirit fell into the murky marsh waters of the spirit world. He stood up, and wiped the filth from his robes. He looked around, frightened. There were no voices, maybe his banishment was lifted?

Souzen took one step forward, then reeled back with a scream. As soon as his foot had hit the sand beneath the surface of the water, the voices had begun to scream once again.

"NOT WELCOME! GO BACK! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE, SOUZEN! YOU ARE THE FIRST DAMNED FIRE LORD! GO BACK!" Souzen couldn't stand those voices. They were the voices of all the honorable Fire Lord spirits. All the Fire Lords before him.

"Be calm, spirits, give him peace, and I shall give him justice. Go back to roaming the Spirit Realm." A voice that sounded as crisp as the sound of leaves crunching under feet, said.

There was a flash of light, and Souzen saw Lerolas walking toward him. He sneered.

"Justice? What justice? Is this not justice enough?" He jeered. The Elf shook her head.

"No, Souzen, it is not enough for you to be haunted, your spirit shall meet the worst fate any spirit, mortal, and thing in-between could be sentenced." Souzen screamed.

"NOT THAT! PLEASE, DON'T TAKE ME TO HIM!" Souzne begged. Lerolas's face remained unemotional.

"This is your punishment, Souzen, prepare to meet the end." Lerolas spoke calmly, but Souzen heard the hostility in her voice.

He tried to flee, but the voices returned, threatening him. Souzen stood still as stone, and Lerolas bound his arms and legs, so he couldn't escape.

They walked for miles, Souzen trying to calm his face, but failing miserably, while Lerolas kept her face as calm as calm can be, possibly more. There was absolutely no trace of emotion on her face at all.

The pair hopped the stones, Souzen hopping most unwillingly.

They walked to the pase of the gnarled tree, and Souzen finally had no emotion on his face. But his heart was pumping loud enough for Lerolas's keen Elvin ears to hear it.

As they walked in the roots of the tree, Souzen's heart beat faster and faster, threatening to pump it's way out of his chest, and kill him all over again. How the hell was that Elf so calm?

Then, they were at the base of the roots, where he lived.

"Are you there, old friend? I have someone for you to meet." Lerolas called plainly. Souzen barely kept himself from screaming.

Lerolas could hear his breathing, he was watching them, he was near. She heard him crawl silently on his legs toward them. She waited to see his face peel out of the darkness.

There! Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the huge, white face, the giant spots of gray around each eye, and the blood red lips. The face charged at them, and stopped on Lerolas's right.

"Boo." He hissed. Souzen's face was terrified, but before the spirit before the Elf and former Fire Lord could register the fear, Lerolas's hand slapped over his face, hiding it from view until Souzen could calm once again.

"It's good to see you again, Ko," Lerolas said, bored. Ko, the Facestealer, grinned.

"Likewise, my fair Elf, likewise." Ko replied, and began to circle the two, his centipede body seeming to never end.

"What can I be of service to, my fair Elf?" Ko asked, awaiting to hear her answer.

"You will know, Ko, you will know." The Elf replied, plainly. She removed her hand from Souzen's face, and he appeared to be calm once more.

"Have you been eating well, lately, Ko?" Lerolas asked lazily, and bit back a smirk when she heard Souzen's heart begin to beat faster.

"No, they're all too scared to visit, except for you, Lerolas." Ko hissed as he circled the Elf and the former Fire Lord. The circle began to grow tighter and tighter, and while Souzen began to feel the edge of panic, Lerolas looked calm as ever. Finally, the circle stopped, and Souzen didn't realize that Ko was standing right above him.

"Boo." Ko hissed in Souzen's ear. Souzen screamed, and Ko lunged at the fear in Souzen's face. Lerolas, still showing no emotion, jumped away.

Lerolas watched with revolt in her heart as Souzen's face was stolen. It looked like Ko was eating Souzen's face.

There was a flash of bright light, there stood Ko, wearing Souzen's face triumphantly. While Souzen himself lay huddled on the floor. When his hands reached his face, he panicked, feeling only skin, and nothing else. Lerolas turned to Ko, and bowed, no emotion on her face.

"Thank you." She said indefinitely. Ko bowed as well.

"No, thank you." He hissed. Lerolas picked Souzen up, and walked away from the cavern.

Once they were back in the marsh, Lerolas cut away Souzen's binds. She looked to the sky, and yelled.

"He is no longer under my protection." Souzen began to walk, and was, for the rest of eternity, haunted by the voices of his ancestors.

Souzen was doomed to wander the Spirit Realm for the rest of time, with no face, and if he still had his face, he would be screaming from always hearing the voices.

Lerolas sat up, and saw Sokka huddled over her.

"We have to get to the dock, now."

Now, I was originally planning to make this the last chapter, but I decided against it. School starts up again soon, and I have 6 book reports to write.

INSANITY AT ITS FINEST
LONG LIVE THE HIPPIES!

Zukoscute2