Chap. 16

Just Once

"Get out of there, cowards!" Zhao howled as he continued to pound his fiery on the large dome of rock and soil that had sprung up around Zuko and Iroh. Zhao didn't know how Zuko had been able to save himself, but he didn't care. All he cared about was breaking the banished prince once and for all. No one tried to take Zhao's prize, and if he couldn't fight the Knights who protected the Avatar, Zhao would take out his frustrations on his old enemy.

"Come on out!" Zhao yelled as he pounded one more time. But that seemed to do it, as the dome suddenly began to shrink back into the earth. Moving back, Zhao grimly smiled, and readied himself for battle. But before he could even move into position, a fiery blast of molten rock suddenly shot out of the hole. Zhao quickly threw himself to the side, dodging the impact. Pulling himself up, the Admiral saw Zuko walk out, side-by-side with Tierra.

"Nice addition to the rock, kid." The dog said, as Iroh and another two Elementals came to stand by them.

"Do you want to finish him then?" he asked Zuko.

"Yes." Zuko answered darkly, as his fists ignited. Undaunted, Zhao sprang to his feet, his own fists igniting.

"You have fun then." Tierra said, as he back away from the boy-prince. Turning to the others, he said, "Shall we find someone else then?"

"Sounds good to me." Iroh said, as he turned back to the battle and began to charge. The Knights followed, leaving Zuko and Zhao alone.

"So, this is how it ends." Zhao said, as he and Zuko began to circle each other. "Not on a great battlefield, not at your execution, but on an island in the middle of nowhere."

"I'll be sure to send your ashes to the Fire Nation." Zuko answered.

"I think I'll just spread you on the sand here." Zhao answered, as he suddenly bent and blasted fire at the boy-prince. But Zuko spun around and bringing his hand through the move, shot out another flame that counteracted it. Undeterred, Zhao fired back thrice, sending three deadly fire blasts at Zuko. Zuko however, pushed the flames as Zhao had done at their Agni Kai, trying to closer to the Admiral.

But it was here that Zhao made his move. As Zuko burst through the last fire-burst, Zhao suddenly ducked down and shot a smaller burst at Zuko's legs. Occupied with the last fire-burst, Zuko did not see the last burst and it promptly struck him. It did not burn through his armor, but the impact knocked his legs out from under him and he fell face first into the sand. Taking his chance, Zhao leapt into the air, and made to drive his fiery fist into Zuko's back.

But the boy-prince rolled over, saw Zhao, and without hesitation brought his feet, catching the Admiral in his stomach. Zuko then released a burst of fire through his feet, blasting Zhao off like a cannon ball. But Zhao's armor protected him as well, as the Admiral rode the impact and managed to land on his feet. Zuko nipped up and seeing his enemy still standing, charged.

"Aang, catch!" Desierto yelled, as he grabbed a soldier and with a grunt, swung him towards the young Avatar. As the man came close, Aang quickly gathered up a huge air stream and then released it, shooting the soldier backwards. Of course, he did not go far as Desierto suddenly brought up the sands into a huge, thick, and very hard wall, which the solider promptly struck and slowly fell off of.

"One down, seventeen to go." The wolf said, as he drew the wall down into the sands.

"You actually want to take on seventeen of them?" Aang asked in amazement.

"Of course. That's where the fun is." The wolf said with a grin.

Shaking his head, Aang said, "You're crazy, aren't you?"

"Probably." Desierto replied. But unfortunately he did not get a chance to elaborate, as a fire blast suddenly shot into him from the side and knocked him back.

"Desierto!" Aang cried, as he started to move towards the Knight. But as he came close, Aang suddenly found about five Fire Nation solider in front of him. Undeterred, Aang backed off, then using an air blast on the sand on the ground, created a huge sandstorm that effectively hid him from view.

Thinking himself safe, Aang moved back to leap over the troops. But as he backed up, he felt someone standing behind him. Quickly backing away, Aang saw that he was now surrounded by troops. As Aang moved back from the new troops, he saw his sandstorm fade, and the other troops begin to move in on him.

Slowly, the line of troops began to push the Avatar back, shooting fire bursts left and right. Aang ably dodged them using the trees, but he knew in his tired state, he wouldn't be able to do it for long. But then, he felt a fire blast shot by him from the back. Surprised, Aang dropped to the ground, and found himself standing next to Zuko, who's battle with Zhao had pushed him up the island.

"Give it up Prince! You're outnumbered!" Zhao cried out, as he saw his troops in front of him. Whipping around, Zuko noticed them too, but a second later, he noticed Aang. For a moment, the two of them looked at their respective enemies, then they looked at each other.

"Just this once, Avatar." Zuko whispered, as he moved to face the troops.

"Right." Aang replied, as he turned to face Zhao.

Then before Zhao or anyone else could attack, Aang suddenly jumped back onto Zuko's shoulders, then leapt up into the sky. Zuko then spun around, his arms shooting out fire in two revolving streams. The troops and Zhao jumped back, but as they hung in the air for a split second, Aang landed next to Zuko, slamming down with a huge burst of air that forced Zuko's flames out further, burning a few troops, but also knocking both Zhao and the soldiers on their backs.

"Had enough?" Aang asked with a grin, holding his staff up in a 'come-on' gesture as Zuko took a defensive pose behind him. The answer was apparently yes as the soldiers struggled to their feet and began to run for their ship. "NO! GET BACK HERE!" Zhao cried as more of the soldiers followed, some thinking it was a retreat, others just wanting to get away from the powerful warriors they were facing. "COWARDS, ALL OF YOU! YOU"LL BURN FOR THIS…" Zhao screamed as he struggled to his feet. But then, he felt a hand wrap around his cape and pull him back.

"Hello again." Oscuridad said to the Admiral, as he held the struggling Zhao down. "Things not go as planned?" he asked Zhao, as Iroh, Katara, and the others came to stand by him, Fuego and Aire leading Appa and Momo back from the jungle. "Well, if you'd like, I know how you can avoid telling this to the Fire Lord." The black man said, as he drew his sword.

"I should kill you right now." Oscuridad said, as he placed his sword on Zhao's neck, as the Admiral lay rigid in fear. "Animals like you deserve death. Animals that used to be human but forgot how and descended into evil and madness. You'd kill a man in Ba Sing Se just to watch him die." Said the man in black. "Maybe I should just kill an animal here….."

"Osc." Said a voice from behind them. Turning, the man in back saw Luz standing behind him.

"I promised Zuko no one would remember what happened today." The fox said. "If you kill Zhao, his troops will spread the word."

Oscuridad was quiet a moment, and then nodded. Turning to Zhao, he placed his right hand on the Admiral's forehead. "Get your filthy hand…." Zhao began to curse, but then stopped, his mouth hanging open. As the others watched, Zhao's eyes began to deepen in color, until they had become pools of utter blackness. After another moment, they saw Oscuirdad's eyes had changed to that same state.

"Hear me Zhao." The bat said, as he looked in the dark pools of the Admiral's eyes.

"You did not come to this island. You did not encounter the Avatar, or sight him in any way. You did not encounter Prince Zuko or his uncle, or any of his forces. You will leave and continue your search. And when you return to your ship, you will spread this shadow through the minds of your crew, though you will not remember it. Do you understand?"

Slowly, Zhao's head moved up and down in a nod of understanding. "When you get to the ship, you will forget I did this to you. But you will not forget my instructions, and you will act upon them in your sleeping state. Do you understand?" Again, Zhao nodded.

"Good. Now go to your ship and do as I have instructed." Oscuridad said as he removed his hand from the Admiral's forehead. Slowly, Zhao rose to his feet, his eyes returning to normal. Without even looking at the group, he turned and began to walk back to his ship.

"Done and done." The man in black said, his own eyes returning to their red hue. Turning to Zuko and Iroh, he said, "He won't remember anything. And by tonight, neither will anyone else on the crew. The shadow in his mind will spread to all of them."

"Thank you, great Nightstalker." Iroh said, bowing deep.

"You are welcome General." The bat replied, as he looked at Zuko. The boy prince stood there defiantly a moment, and then he too bowed.

"So now what?" Sokka asked, his club at the ready as he gazed upon the two Firebenders with suspicion.

"Now I hold to my promise." Zuko replied, as he rose. "I won't be coming after you this time, Avatar."

"Can we trust you?" Sokka asked.

"We can." Aang answered suddenly, gently taking Sokka's club hand and easing it down. Turning back to Zuko, Aang said, "It wasgood to fight with you Zuko. I wish we could do it again."

Zuko shrugged at that, but still said, "You are a worthy fighter Avatar."

"It is a pity we have to be enemies Prince. You would be an excellent ally." Oscuridad said, stepping to the front.

"It is a pity." Zuko answered back. Fuego dared a grin as he heard the words from the prince's mouth. Perhaps this would be it, the red man dared hope. The moment where Zuko finally becomes the man he could be.

But a second later, Zuko dashed those hopes by saying, "But I have my mission. Someday I will capture the Avatar, Knights or not. I will regain my honor."

"I believe you will regain your honor." Oscuridad replied, as Fuego's face fell behind him. "But you will not capture the Avatar."

"We'll see." Zuko said. With that, he turned on his heel and began to leave, Iroh following behind. But Oscuridad was not finished yet. "General Iroh." The bat called out. Zuko and Iroh paused, and then turned to face him.

"I have a message for you, General." The bat continued. "A message that Rastla and Darya, God of Fire, asked me to deliver on someone's behalf."

"What is it they wish to tell me?" Iroh asked.

"That Lu Ten has been watching you, and that he is proud of his father. That he hopes that you will teach his cousin the same wisdom you taught him."

Iroh's face trembled at the words from Oscuridad's mouth. But he managed to compose himself, and in a voice wet with his heart's blood, said, "Thank you."

Oscuridad nodded, and then made his hand into a fist, covered it with his other hand, and gave Iroh the bow of the warrior. The general returned it, and then he and Zuko left through the jungle, leaving the Knights and Avatar gang free….. for now.