A/N: Ok, first, I know the next chapter was supposed to be Trunks' origin story, but for some reason, I just couldn't get it down; it's like something was off about it when I was typing it, so I had to skip it until could figure it out. Sorry to those who waited so long for the backstory. I'll try to see if I can make it work as soon as possible, but until then, try to enjoy the chapters that I'm writing in place of it. Now, it's time to officially begin the 2nd season of Five Elements; please forgive me and I hope this doesn't stop you from continuing to read my story. Now let's get on to the real chapter!
Disclaimer – I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Avatar the Legend of Aang
Chapter 22 – The Avatar State
The Gang was asleep on the water tribe boats as they sailed across the ocean. The Avatar was having a strange dream; he wandered through the ruins of the Southern Air Temple. He then entered the room where he found Monk Gyatso's corpse, only this time, there was another him in the room kneeling before their deceased master. The 2nd Aang turned around and Aang could see his eyes and tattoos glowing while his face held anger, courtesy of the Avatar state. Aang gasped before he felt a strong wind current, and the scene changed to where Gohan, Katara, and Sokka were witnessing Aang generate a massive windstorm. Avatar state Aang slammed his hands together, causing a strong gale force to blow the real Aang away. The monk suddenly found himself in the fire temple where he first contacted his predecessor. The Sanctuary doors opened and in the entrance stood Avatar state Aang with a mean look; he let out a breath of fire below before swinging his hand to strike Aang. The floor split apart and Aang fell through it before landing on a fire navy ship. He looked and saw the Ocean monster approaching the ship; the Avatar state him inside the water being swung his hand, commanding the spirit to strike the ship.
Aang woke up with a gasp and started breathing heavily, his friends still soundly asleep. The Airbender got out of his hammock and started to exit the boat. "Aang?" Katara spoke as she woke up and saw her friend climbing up the ladder. She quickly joined him on the deck as he stared out into the ocean. "Do you wanna talk about?" she asked him.
"Nah, just a nightmare," Aang assured her. Although she didn't push him to do so, he started talking anyway. "I was in the Avatar state, but I was outside my body watching myself. It was scary. I was scary." The Waterbender laced her hand on the monk's shoulder to comfort him.
The next morning, the Gang was ready to depart from the water tribe boat. Master Pakku and his crew stood in front of the Gang to address them while Beat and Note were waiting by the side. The old Waterbender held a bag of items to offer to the teens; the first was his female student. "Katara, I want you to have this," he said as he brought out a necklace that had a small Water Tribe veil of water at the end of it. "This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis. The water has unique properties. Don't lose it," he instructed her before smiling.
Katara accepted the gift and thanked her mentor. "Thank you, Master Pakku." She gave him a small hug before going to Appa.
Next was the Avatar. "Aang, these scrolls will help you master waterbending, but remember they're no substitute for a real master," Pakku told the boy. Aang looked at Katara before turning back to his master and bowing in gratitude.
After him was the Z Fighter. "Gohan, do you know what this is?" Pakku asked him as he pulled out a gold sphere with 2 stars in it.
Gohan's eyes widened when he realized what that orb was. "A Dragon ball!" he exclaimed. "But how?"
"As you might already know this orb possesses a special type of energy," Pakku explained. "We believe that since you're an Energybender, you might be able to uncover its secrets, especially since Note told the Chief that you have one similar to it. He requested that we give this to you." The old master placed the sphere in the boy's hand.
"Thank you," Gohan said gratefully as he bowed before turning away.
Last was the Water Tribesman. "Sokka." The teen smiled as he stepped toward the Water master. "Take care, son," Pakku bid him farewell before patting his arm, causing Sokka's face to turn embarrassed and depressed as he turned to climb aboard the sky bison.
At the side, Gohan was speaking to Beat and Note. "You sure you two don't want to come with us?" he inquired.
"We appreciate the offer, Gohan, but like we said before we want to do this on our own," Beat answered.
"Yeah, we want to go someplace where we're not members of the Fire Nation or the Water Tribe," Note added. "Just two friends traveling the world together."
Gohan nodded. "Alright then, take care of yourselves," he told them before they ascended to the air and flew off to start their own adventure. He turned toward his dragon and climbed onto his back.
"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here," Master Pakku instructed the teens. "General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There you'll be safe to begin your earthbending training with King Bumi."
"Yip, yip!" Aang commanded Appa to fly, and the sky bison and the dragon took off immediately.
"Say hi to Gran Gran for me!" Katara called out to her master.
Elsewhere in one of the Earth Kingdom colonies, General Iroh, Prince Zuko, Prince Trunks, and former Commander Brody had taken refuge in the village by the waterfall. The old General was getting a massage from two attendants. "Aaahhh... this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" Iroh asked rhetorically as he felt so relaxed. He looked over to his side where he saw his pupils who were sulking; both their faces were concealed by a straw hat. The fire master got up and went to sit by them, knowing why they were so down. "I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?"
"Three years ago today was the day we were banished. We lost it all, and I want it back!" Zuko declared. "I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."
"I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Iroh tried to comfort his nephew, but Zuko just got up and walked away, making Iroh question what he said. "Er…that came out wrong, didn't it?"
"Actually, that came out right, you just didn't finish it," Brody taunted, his body covered in bandages as he was still recovering from his fight against Gohan. "Why would he banish them if he didn't care?! Because he doesn't care! It must be really hard for you guys; no family, no honor, and no reason to continue living other than to fail again!"
"Look who's talking!" Trunks retorted. "You went from Lieutenant to Commander and all you've accomplished is taken serious beatings from a kid, losing the Avatar even more than we have, and failing to take the North Pole with your Admiral before he died! If you return to the Fire Nation, you'll be disgraced and shamed! No one will see you as anything more than failure, not even your father!"
"Watch it, pretty boy, I can still beat you into the ground!" Brody warned him.
"In your current condition, I don't think so!" Trunks countered.
"Boys, boys, calm down," Iroh said, trying to diffuse the situation. "We all want the same thing here: to go home."
"Except I can go home anytime I want, while the banished Princes cannot!" Brody taunted, making Trunks glare at him before getting up to leave.
Meanwhile out at sea, a warship much bigger than the one normally used sailed toward the cherry blossom town. Onboard were several Fire Nation soldiers wearing red armor and helmets standing in two rows; the soldiers began to bow as four servants exited the ship's cabin, lifting a carriage. The four lifters placed the carriage down and two of them pulled open the curtain, revealing the Fire Nation prodigy: Princess Azula. The daughter of Ozai stepped out of her carriage and held up her hand, gesturing her men to rise while she eyed them cautiously. "My brother, Trunks, and my uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord and brought shame on all of us," she spoke to her soldiers as she walked between them. "You may have mixed feelings about attacking members of the royal family; I understand. But I assure you, if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Dismissed."
The soldiers left the princess as her captain approached her. "Princess, I'm afraid the tides will not allow us to bring the ship in to port before nightfall." he reported.
"I'm sorry, Captain, but I do not know much about the tides. Can you explain something to me?" Azula asked while turning to the captain.
"Of course, your Highness," the captain answered.
"Do the tides command this ship?" she inquired.
"Uh... I'm afraid I do not understand," the captain confessed.
"You said the tides would not allow us to bring the ship in. Do the tides command this ship?" she repeated her question.
The captain glanced at Azula "No, Princess," he replied uneasily.
"And if I were to have you thrown overboard, would the tides think twice about smashing you against the rocky shore?" Azula questioned him.
The fire captain gulped before looking down in shame. "No, Princess."
"Well then, maybe you should worry less about the tides, who've already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over," she advised him while pushing at some strands of her hair before facing him.
"I'll pull us in," the captain assured as he bowed to Azula and quickly left. The Princess glared at her captain as he left.
"Jeez, what's got him so worked up?" asked a voice from inside the cabin. Azula turned to the chamber, where a blue-haired girl about her age stepped out. The girl was wearing a red undershirt that stopped just above her stomach, a gold battle jacket, black pants, red shoes like Azula's, and red bandages wrapped around her hands to her wrist. This was Princess Azula's best friend and fellow princess, Bulla. "Heard your speech, or was it a threat?" she questioned.
"A warning," Azula answered simply.
"Right, because fear works better than encouragement," Bulla agreed. "Do you think they'll be any problems on this mission?"
"Unless that captain slips up again, capturing our family members shouldn't be difficult," Azula replied. "I refuse to return to the Fire Nation as a failure like my brother will."
"About that, are you really okay with attacking your own family members?" Bulla asked. "You warned your crew about hesitating against Zuko and Iroh, but can you really do as you say?"
The Fire Princess turned to her friend. "We are in the middle of war, and our nation is supposed to rise as the strongest in the world. Feelings and emotions are a weakness that must be snuffed out, even if that weakness comes from family," Azula said before she asked, "Which brings me to a question of my own: do you intend on holding back if you have to fight your brother?"
"I should be asking you that, I know how you felt about him," Bulla retorted. "Can you really just toss him in prison to rot?"
Azula closed her eyes, showing slight regret before reopening them and putting on her emotionless face. "Like I said, feelings are a weakness. Trunks is a wanted man now, so if he will not surrender, then I will take him down hard!" She then smirked at her fellow princess. "Unless of course, you take him out first."
"Don't worry, I can handle my big brother," Bulla assured as the two Princesses stared out at the sea.
With the Gang, Appa and Icarus were flying high in the sky when the Water tribesman spotted something and shouted, "There it is!" as he pointed to an Earth Kingdom fortress. The teens landed inside the stronghold where they were greeted by a man with a big brown beard and wearing Earth Kingdom armor, along with several earth warriors. When the Gang got off their flying beasts, Sokka started stretching, Aang was rubbing his rear, Katara was unloading their things, and Gohan was feeding Icarus. The bearded man stepped toward the young travelers. "Welcome, Avatar Aang!" the man graciously greeted the Gang; he and his men bowed to them before the man introduced himself. "I am General Fong. And welcome to all of you, great heroes! Appa, Momo, brave Sokka, the mighty Katara, and strong Gohan."
"Mighty Katara?" I like that," the Waterbender admitted.
"I guess I am pretty strong," Gohan said.
The teens then heard a loud noise coming from behind them; they turned around and saw four Earthbenders launching green orbs into the sky where they exploded into fireworks. The Gang gazed with amazement. "Not bad, not bad," Sokka noted.
Inside the General's chamber, Gohan, Aang, Katara, and Sokka sat in the center on a carpet on the floor while General Fong sat at his desk with a large map of the four nations right behind him. "Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories of how you singlehandedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole," the General stated as he stroked his beard. "I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's such an awesome responsibility."
"I try not to think about it too much," Aang said, being modest.
The General smiled at the monk before announcing, "Avatar... you're ready to face the Fire Lord now."
"What? No, I'm not!" Aang exclaimed with a terrified expression.
"Aang still needs to master all four elements," Katara argued.
"Right now, he's only got air and water," Gohan added. "He still needs to learn earth and fire."
"Why?" General Fong asked anxiously. "With the kind of power he possesses—power with enough force to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes—he could defeat the Fire Lord now!"
"But, sir, the thing is, Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar State," Sokka voiced.
"See, it's this special state where—" Aang tried to explain before he was interrupted.
"I'm well aware!" the General exclaimed harshly. "Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power." Fong walked over to his large map as he continued to speak; he pointed to his base and trailed his finger to the Fire Nation capital. "Without you, we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores. But with you leading the way, as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation!"
Aang was still unsure about this. "Right... but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State, much less what to do once I'm there," he confessed.
The General turned back to the Gang and declared, "So it's decided, then. I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar State, and then you'll face your destiny."
The Gang stood up with Sokka and Aang looking speechless, while Katara and Gohan seemed upset. "Sorry sir, but you can't get Aang to face the Fire Lord before he feels he's ready, even if you help him control the Avatar State!" Gohan argued.
"That's right! We already have a plan! Aang's going to pursue his destiny his way," Katara proclaimed.
"Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war goes on," General Fong said. He then gestured to the window and asked Aang, "May I show you something?" The Earth General led Aang and Gohan to the window, where they saw many injured earth warriors going in and out of an orange-roofed building. "That's the infirmary," Fong explained. "And those soldiers are the lucky ones. They came back, but some didn't. Every day, the Fire Nation takes lives. People are dying, Aang! You could end it, now!" the General urged him.
"Or, you could get yourself killed and force the world to wait another century for their savoir," Gohan argued. "And this time without a way to learn airbending!"
"With power of the Avatar State at his fingertips, there's no one who can stand a chance against him, not even the Fire Lord!" Fong assured. "Please, think about it." The Earth General walked off, but his words still played in the Avatar's head as he looked away in woe.
Back at sea, Azula's ship was still sailing to her family's current location. It was dusk, but the fire princesses were training intensely while being supervised by two elderly woman. The daughter of Ozai took a deep breath before she entered a lightning bending stance. She swung her arms around, channeling electricity through each movement; she then brought her fingers together before shooting out a stream of lightning from her left hand into the sky. When she stopped, her left fingers were smoking and a single strand of hair dangled in front of her face.
"Almost perfect," the 1st elder complimented.
"One hair out of place," the 2nd elder pointed out.
Azula glared at the single strand before moving it back in place. "Almost isn't good enough!" she exclaimed. Azula resumed her training and shot another bolt of lightning into the sky.
While this was going on, Bulla was trying to perform her own move; she spread out her hands and focused her ki into them. She then placed her hands together and pointed her hands upward. "Final Dragon Flash!" she shouted as she fired a massive energy beam. The blast swirled in the sky before taking the form of a ferocious non-winged dragon; it roared as it flew to the clouds. Almost like they could sense the energy, Iroh and Trunks woke up from their sleep and looked outside in worry.
Nighttime at the Earth Kingdom base, the Earth General was looking through some papers when the last Airbender entered his boardroom. "General Fong?" Aang called to get his attention.
"Come in, Aang," the General insisted warmly. "Have you thought about our discussion?"
The Avatar looked away in doubt before facing the General with resolution. "I'm in. I'll fight the Fire Lord," he declared. Moments later, Aang entered his room where his companions were waiting for him; Aang said nothing as he walked toward his bed and sat down. "I told the general I'd help him... by going into the Avatar state," he finally confessed.
Katara got up from her bed. "Aang, no. This is not the right way," she insisted.
"Why not? Remember when he took out the Fire Navy? He was incredible!" Sokka argued.
"There's a right way to do this. Practice, study, and discipline," Katara said.
"Or just glow it up and stop that Fire Lord," Sokka retorted.
The Water tribe girl got up and threw her hands in the air in frustration. "If you two meatheads want to throw away everything we've worked for, fine. Go ahead and glow it up!" she yelled as she stormed off.
"Katara, I'm just being realistic. I don't have time to do this the right way," Aang tried to reason with her, but his expression turned sad when she didn't respond to his plea. Gohan placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about Katara, she's just concerned for you, and so am I," Gohan told him. "I know your destiny is to defeat the Fire Lord and end this war, but you can't do by taking the shorter path and hoping you'll make it to the end. Mastering the elements is your duty, you can't neglect that just to acquire the Avatar State."
"But what if this is the only way I can end this war?! What if I can stop the Fire Lord just by going into the Avatar State and using its power?!" Aang questioned. "You guys don't know what it's like to have this amazing power and not want to use it to solve your problems!"
"Are you sure about that?" Gohan asked as he walked toward the room door. "You're not the only one with that kind of power, bro," he said before leaving. Aang and Sokka looked at each other in confusion.
The next morning, the Gang, General Fong, and another man were preparing their first attempt to help Aang enter the Avatar State. They gathered together beside a large waterfall in a canopy where Aang, General Fong, and the man were sitting at a small table with tea in front of them; the man mixed some herbs together before pouring a cup and handing it to the Avatar. "This rare chi-enhancing tea is a natural stimulant," the man explained. "In an ordinary warrior, it improves strength and energy ten-fold. In you, it may induce the Avatar state."
Aang accepted the tea and said, "Ten-fold energy, huh?" He then gulped down the whole cup and his friends watched attentively as Aang's eyebrow started twitching. Pretty soon, Aang was zooming around the place on an air scooter like a kid on a sugar rush. "Is it working, is it working? I can't tell! Somebody tell me if I'm in the Avatar state 'cause I don't have a good view of myself! Am I talking too loud?!" Aang asked in a high pitched voice.
"I guess he could talk the Fire Lord to death," Sokka suggested as he looked bored while Katara crossed her arms and Fong stroked his beard. Aang finally stopped when he crashed into one of the pillars.
"Can I try some of that tea?" Gohan inquired. The Z Fighter was poured a cup and quickly drank it; his body immediately started vibrating and his face grew a wide smile as he felt his energy increase. "Ha ha ha! This power, I can feel it surging!" Gohan cried in excitement with the same high pitched voice as Aang before he shot through the roof and into the air where he began flying around like crazy.
Moving on, the Gang and the General attempted their second method in helping Aang enter the Avatar State at the entrance gate of the stronghold. The three teenage benders sat on the ground with General Fong standing behind them and Sokka standing in front of them. "Maybe I can shock you into the Avatar state," the Tribesman suggested. "I love surprises!" Aang said optimistically. Katara then covered his eyes for a second, blinding his view of her brother; when she removed her hands, Sokka's head hand been replaced with the head of the Lemur Bat. Momo screeched at the monk, making him flinch. "Aaahhh!" he screamed before checking the tattoos on his hands. "Still not glowing," he stated. Sokka then stumbled and fell to the ground with Momo still on him while General Fong stroked his beard before shaking his head in disappointment.
The Gang was then moved to a temple where the third attempt to activate the Avatar State would take place. Aang stood in the center wearing a large Earth Kingdom hat, a long Water Tribe cape, and a Fire Nation sash. Before him stood a priest who was conducting some ritual while his friends and the earth General waited by the side. "You are wearing a ceremonial piece of clothing from each of the bending nations. Now I will join the four elements into one!" the priest announced. He began by pouring water into a bowl. "Water!" Next he poured dirt into the bowl. "Earth!" Then he grabbed a lit torch and placed it in the bowl. "Fire!" And finally he used a fan to blow air in the bowl. "Air! Four elements become one!" The priest lifted up the elemental fusion and tossed it onto the Avatar; it splattered all over his body.
"This is just mud!" Aang stated.
"So…do you feel anything?" the priest asked inquisitively.
Aang's nose twitched and he held up a finger. His friends and the General became anxious until Aang sneezed, blowing all of the mud off of him and onto them; another attempt had failed. General Fong wiped the mud off his face and said, "We have to find a way," unwilling to give up.
Back at the bathhouse, General Iroh, Prince Trunks, and Prince Zuko had just returned from going out and Iroh was emptying his bag of seashells to gaze upon their beauty. "Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come," Iroh exclaimed joyfully.
"We don't need any more useless things. You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now," Zuko reminded him.
"Come on, Zuko. I know things have been a bit rough for us, but there's nothing wrong with gathering a few souvenirs to commemorate our adventure," Trunks reasoned.
"Hello, brother. Uncle. Trunks," a voice greeted them. The men turned and saw Princess Azula sitting in a chair and holding a shell. To say that they were surprised to see her was an understatement.
"Princess Azula," Trunks exclaimed.
"What are you doing here?!" Zuko immediately asked in suspicion as he and Iroh glared at their relative.
"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions," Azula chastised her brother before getting up to approach the men. "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"
"Don't call me that!" Zuko yelled angrily.
"To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh questioned.
Azula smirked before frowning at her family members. "Hmm... must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point," she spoke as she crushed the shell in her hand; this action caused Iroh to scowl at her.
Trunks then stepped forward, hoping to ease the tension, and bowed politely to the Princess. "Forgive us for not making you feel welcome, we weren't expecting any visitors so we're still a little surprised to see you here, Princess," he said as he rose up and smiled."It's been a long time Azula, but it is good to see you. You look well. Tell me, how is Bulla doing?"
Azula smiled back pleasantly at Trunks' greeting. "At least someone remembers their roots," she remarked, making Zuko and Iroh even angrier. "It's good to see you too, Trunks, and your sister is doing well last time I checked. But, you can decide that for yourself." She gestured toward the entrance to the bathhouse, and Princess Bulla came inside wearing a bright smile. The three guys were once surprised when they turned and saw Trunks' sister had come to see them alongside Zuko's sister.
"Hello, Iroh," she greeted as she bowed to the retired General. "It's nice to see you again, I've missed my father." She then went up and embraced old man.
"Hello, my dear, I have missed my daughter as well," Iroh replied as he returned the embrace. "You've grown quite a bit."
Bulla then let go of Iroh and approached Zuko. "Hey Zuko, long time, eh?" She didn't bother to hug him as she knew he wasn't the type. Zuko nodded to her but said nothing as she approached her brother. The two Energybenders stared at each other for a moment before Bulla finally spoke. "Hello, big brother, it's been a long time," she greeted and hugged him; the lavender-haired teen slowly returned the embrace.
"Yes it has, Bulla," Trunks said. "I see my little sister has changed over the years."
"So did my big brother," Bulla responded. "How have you been?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Trunks said. After a minute of awkward silence, Trunks suggested, "Both of you must be tired from your long trip. Why don't we all sit down and enjoy some refreshments?"
"Thank you for your hospitality, Trunks, but we've come with a message from home," Azula explained. "My father has changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him— treacherous plots."As she spoke, Zuko's face expressed astonishment, Trunks' held uncertainty, and Iroh's held suspicion.
"This war has made the pressures of ruling a nation nearly unbearable, even for the Fire Lord," Bulla added. "With the Avatar slowly working to stop the Fire Nation, the world's hope grows by the day, and the more hope the world gains, the more doubt our people have in our leaders. Some have even questioned if Lord Ozai is the right person to lead us to victory. With more Energybenders siding with our enemies, and traitors in our midst being revealed over time, it's hard to know who you can truly trust."
"But in the end, you decide who you can trust because you know who that is," Trunks said.
Azula nodded. "Indeed, and the only ones you can truly trust… are family, which is why father has decided that we must be together in these times of trouble," she went on. Trunks' face became dubious about her words.
"I doubt Lord Ozai really sees a trio of failures as the family he can trust," the Prince commented.
Azula came up to the Z Fighter, placed her hand on his shoulder, and grasped his right hand. "I assure you, Trunks, he does, as do Bulla and I because we trust you." Her face then turned gentle as she looked away and gave her final message. "Father regrets your banishments. He wants you both back home." When none of the guys said anything, she looked back at them. "Did you hear us? You both should be happy. Excited. Grateful. We just gave you boys great news," she said to the teens.
"We understand that you find this hard to believe, but it's why we're here," Bulla added. "Fire Lord Ozai has requested that we bring you back home."
"I'm sure the boys just needs a moment to—" Iroh started to say before he was shut down.
"Don't interrupt, Uncle!" Azula yelled harshly before addressing the teens again. "You still haven't thanked us boys. We're not messengers. We didn't have to come all this way."
"Father regrets? He... wants me back?" Zuko mutters incredulously.
Trunks quickly got over his shock and spoke. "Thank you, ladies, but I think we need time to process this news."
"I can see that. We'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening," Azula dismissed before leaving.
Bulla followed after her, but stopped and turned back to the guys. "You guys should consider this opportunity. Azula may not admit it, but she does want her family back, and so do I." She then left the male benders to their thoughts.
Back at the Earth base, after the failed attempts to get Aang into the Avatar State, everyone decided to call it a day. Aang and Katara were standing by the wall talking. "Can we talk about something?" Katara asked the Airbender.
"Sure," Aang said.
"Do you remember when we were at the air temple and you found Monk Gyatso's skeleton?" she questioned but didn't wait for his answer. "It must have been so horrible and traumatic for you. I saw you get so upset that you weren't even you anymore. I'm not saying the Avatar state doesn't have incredible— and helpful power. But you have to understand, for the people who love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is really scary."
Aang closed his eyes for a second before reopening them. "I'm really glad you told me that. But I still need to do this," he insisted.
"I don't understand," Katara confessed.
"No, you don't. Every day, more and more people die. I'm already a hundred years late," Aang explained. "Defeating the Fire Lord is the only way to stop this war. I have to try it."
"I can't watch you do this to yourself. I'm not coming tomorrow," she told him softly. "Good night," the Waterbender bid him before walking away.
"Good night," Aang replied sadly. He turned back to look out at the evening sky before saying, "I know you're there, Gohan." The Son of Goku stepped out and stood beside his brother. "How much did you hear?"
"Everything," Gohan answered. "I know you feel that you've already let the world down long enough, but this isn't the way to make up for it. The world's waited an entire century for you to stop the Fire Nation; it can afford to wait one more year."
"But what if it can't?!" Aang asked. "If I can somehow use the Avatar State to end the war in a snap, shouldn't I take that chance?!"
"Maybe, but what if this makes you believe you don't need to learn the other elements?" Gohan countered. "Or if this General tries to use your power for other purposes aside from stopping the Fire Lord? He's not interested in anything more than just acquiring your Avatar State. That's why he showed you the infirmary, to guilt you!"
"But he's still right, people are dying in this war!" Aang argued. "The Fire Lord isn't the only one responsible for the world's suffering; I am too because I wasn't there to stop him!"
"This is war, Aang, those soldiers know there's a risk of dying if they fight, but they do it because they want to protect their beloved nation!" Gohan said. "It's not your fault the war had gone this far! Besides, if anyone should be helping you to use the Avatar State, it should Avatar Roku or one of your past lives, not some desperate General who wants to rush you when you're not ready yet!" Gohan then sighed and placed his hand on the Air nomad's shoulder. "Katara's right, seeing you generating that much power in a state of fury is terrifying. And what's even worse is that you don't seem aware of your surroundings sometimes. I know you think this could help you end the war, but there is a possibility that you could just attack your allies rather than your enemies, and that would only end up hurting you more. None of us want to see you hurt." The Z Fighter then left his brother and went to bed.
Elsewhere, night had fallen once again. Prince Zuko was excitedly packing his things along with Prince Trunks who was still a little dubious about the news they received but was hopeful as well. General Iroh stood by the side pondering about this opportunity. "We're going home. After three long years, it's unbelievable!" Zuko exclaimed as he continued to pack.
"It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything," Iroh commented.
"He certainly didn't regret disgracing or banishing us," Trunks stated.
"Didn't you guys hear Azula?" Zuko inquired. "Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me!"
"I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine," Iroh warned.
"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything," Zuko declared while turning away from his uncle.
"Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem," Iroh said calmly but his attempt to ease his nephew failed when he lashed out at him.
"I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother," Zuko accused his uncle distastefully.
"Hey! That's uncalled for!" Trunks shouted.
The angry Prince turned toward his friend and jabbed a finger at him. "You're no better! You say you always have my back and that you're there for me yet you're always against my father!" Zuko yelled. "You act like the members of our family are different sides that you need to take each time. It's time for you to pick a side, Trunks, it's either you're with this family or against it!" Zuko then stormed off and his companions looked down in sadness.
In Aang's dream, the monk found himself onboard Zuko's fire navy ship battling the fire princes alongside Gohan. Suddenly, his Avatar State self shot out of the ocean using the water vortex. He jumped onto the boat and used the water to strike both Aang and Gohan, knocking them off the ship. The Avatar State then turned to face the princes, who attempted to retreat but were quickly struck down.
Aang suddenly woke up from the nightmare. He looked over to where his friends were sleeping. "Sokka, Gohan, wake up," he called to them.
"Wha…?" Sokka replied tiredly.
"What is it, Aang?" Gohan inquired.
"I don't think we should be trying to bring on the Avatar state," Aang confessed.
"You sure?" Sokka asked.
"Yes."
"Okay." Sokka shrugged.
"Wise decision, bro," Gohan complimented.
Aang looked mindful about something before asking, "Do you think the general will be mad?"
"What can he say? You're the Avatar. Who knows better than you?" Sokka answered before going back to sleep.
"Don't worry, Aang, he'll have to accept your decision; it's your destiny after all," Gohan told him. "Now get some sleep, 'cause as soon as you've spoken to General Fong, it's straight to Omashu for your Earthbending training." Gohan lay back down, as does Aang, and they both resumed sleeping.
The next morning, Prince Zuko walked down the stairs of the bathhouse with his luggage slung over his back, though he stopped for an instant and looked toward his sister's Fire navy ship. As he resumed walking, he stopped again when he heard someone calling to him. "Wait! Don't leave without us!" Iroh said as he and Trunks went to catch up with Zuko while carrying their own bags.
"Uncle, Trunks! You changed your minds!" Zuko exclaimed.
"Family sticks together, right?" Iroh asked rhetorically as he put his hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"I know which side I'm on," Trunks said. "It's your side, Zuko."
Zuko smiled and the three of them glanced toward the ship. "We're finally going home," Zuko stated before continuing down the stairs. Trunks and Iroh stayed back for a while and stared at the ship with suspicion.
At the Earth Kingdom stronghold, Aang, Gohan, and Sokka had gone to see the General; the Avatar stood in front of Fong's desk as he spoke to him while his companions stood at the side with two guards. "The thing is, I don't think we'll ever be able to trigger it on purpose," Aang finished saying. "So, I guess that's it."
"Sure I can't change your mind?" Fong questioned.
"I'm sure. I can only reach the Avatar state when I'm in genuine danger," Aang stated in depression.
The General looked away in disappointment before replying, "I see. I was afraid you'd say that." He then stomped his foot and earthbended his desk at the Airbender. "Aang!" Sokka cried before he was held back by two guards. "What are you…?" Gohan started to ask before he found himself pinned to the ceiling by an earth pillar. The desk continued to push Aang until both fell out the window. Aang screamed as he and the desk descended toward the ground at the bottom of the tower. Aang quickly softened his fall with his Airbending before rolling away as the rock desk smashed against the ground. The monk gazed up in shock as he saw the earth General standing at the window. "Men! Attack the Avatar!" Fong ordered as he pointed at the Air Nomad.
Aang's eyes widened in horror as he was quickly surrounded by four groups of earth soldiers. General Fong then jumped down and landed in front of Aang. "What are you doing?!" Aang questioned.
"I believe we are about to get results," Fong replied. Six Earthbenders levitated earth disks that resembled their symbol before tossing them at the Avatar. Using his swift movements, Aang avoided the first two that were rolled toward him before horizontally evading two more disks, one flying above and the other flying below him.
Aang landed on the ground and declared, "I am not your enemy! I won't fight you!" Four more earth disks were rolled toward him. He jumped to dodge them and landed on one of them. Another disk flew past and knocked away one of the disks, causing Aang to fall in between two that immediately closed together. Aang nimbly managed to enter the holes in the center, but then the two disks started rolling toward an earth guard with Aang inside. The soldier smashed the disks into dust, making Aang skid across the ground. The monk got up and found that he was still surrounded by earth soldiers.
Inside the tower, Sokka freed himself by kicking his guards and forcing them to release him. He ran over to the pillar holding Gohan, where the Z Fighter blasted the column to rubble and landed beside his friend. The two ran over to the window where they could see General Fong's men still attacking Aang. "Sokka, go get your sister! I'll meet you down there!" Gohan instructed before he jumped down the tower. He then fired two energy blasts at two Earthbenders, incapacitating them. Two more soldiers on bird mules charged at him with their spears ready, their intent to jab the Energybender, but he blocked their attacks with his sword and kicked both of them off their animals. Gohan tried to run to Aang's side, but he was quickly cut off by more soldiers. Aang dodged more stone disks before getting on his air scooter and swerving past more Earthbenders. Two of them chased after Aang on Ostrich horses, so Aang went up the wall with the soldiers in pursuit. The air scooter canceled out and the air nomad began running up the wall; the soldiers closed in on their target and attempted to jab him with their spears. Aang dodged their spears but caused himself to fall off the wall in the process.
Aang fell to the ground and the earth guards chased after him. Aang evaded the men again and landed in the center of one of the earth disks. General Fong earthbended the disk toward him with Aang still in the middle. "You can't run forever!" the General shouted at Aang.
"You can't fight forever!" Aang countered. Fong jumped and smashed the earth ring but Aang dodged him once again.
At the Fire navy ship, Princess Azula and Princess Bulla stood at the top of the ship's stairs with a few guards beside them while two lines of fire soldiers stood patiently at the bottom of the stairs as the travelers approached the ship. Iroh, Trunks, and Zuko walked past the soldiers with the first two benders eyeing them cautiously. The three men stopped at the stairs with the captain in front of them. Azula raised her arms to greet them. "Brothers, Uncle!" She and Bulla bowed to them and they returned the gesture. "Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come." While bowing, Iroh and Trunks kept their eyes on the fire soldiers, who then filed in right behind them.
"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" the fire captain asked.
"Set our course for home, Captain," Azula ordered him happily.
"Home," Zuko whispered. The three passengers then climbed up the stairs with the captain leading them and yelling orders.
"You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho—" The Captain stopped talking once he realized his mistake. The Princesses glared at the fire Captain for his mistake, and he began stammering in panic. "Your Highness... I..." He glanced back at the prisoners; Zuko eyes widened in shock while Trunks and Iroh looked toward the soldiers behind them. Iroh reacted first by backhanding one of the guards and kicking another one. Trunks fired a ki blast at a soldier, knocking him into the water, before dodging another one's fire blast and hand chopping him in the neck. The two continued to knock away the fire soldiers while Zuko tossed the Captain into the water and approached his sister.
"You lied to me!" he yelled, enflamed.
"Like I've never done that before," Azula said shamelessly. The Princesses turned away and walked onto the ship, leaving two Firebenders to attack Zuko; the son of Ozai deflected their fireballs and charged at them in fury.
Elsewhere, Aang continued to run from General Fong's relentless attacks. Inside their chamber, Katara sat on her bed with Momo lying on the ground, sleeping. The room began to quake from the battle. "I wonder what crazy thing they're trying now," she said to the Lemur, who simply resumed sleeping. The room shook again, and Katara grew more concerned. "Maybe we should just make sure Aang's okay." She got up from the bed and headed outside the tower; as she ran down the stairs, she saw her brother hurrying to get down as well. "What's going on?" she inquired.
"The General's gone crazy! He's trying to force Aang into the Avatar state!" Sokka replied. The two watched as Aang continued to evade the earth soldiers and Gohan took some out. Sokka tossed his boomerang at one soldier, knocking him out before he could strike Aang with an earth disk. Another soldier on an Ostrich horse chased Aang when the tip of his spear was suddenly cut off by a water whip from Katara. He stared at his broken weapon and was consequently knocked out by the Waterbender. "Good bird/horse thingy," Sokka tried to sweet talk the creature as he walked toward it; he then got on and started to ride.
Katara stood in the arena when she was suddenly surrounded by General Fong and his men. "Maybe you can avoid me, but she can't," the General said to the monk who was running up the tower. The Earthbenders used the disk to form a v shaped stone wall, preventing Katara from escaping anywhere unless she got through their leader. Katara attempted to defend herself by launching a water attack at the General, but he used the dirt to absorb it. He then used his bending to sink Katara into the ground to about her knees.
The Water tribe girl struggled but was completely immobilized. "I can't move!" she exclaimed.
"Don't hurt her!" Aang yelled before jumping down the tower and launching an air blast at Fong; he blocked it with an earth wall before sinking Katara to her waist.
"Katara! No!" Sokka cried as he charged at the General on the Ostrich horse. Fong sunk the beast's feet, causing the tribesman to fly off it and into an earth ring.
"Katara, hang on!" Gohan shouted as he raced to save her. General Fong hurled an earth column at the Z Fighter that pushed him away from his friend. Gohan struggled to push against it while Fong used one hand to control it while using the other hand to sink Katara deeper into the earth.
"Stop this! You have to let her go!" Aang pleaded.
Fong only frowned at him and replied, "You could save her if you were in the Avatar state!"
"I'm trying... I'm trying!" Aang told him in despair.
"Aang, I'm sinking!" Katara cried as she sunk to her armpits.
"I don't see glowing," Fong taunted Aang. Just as he was about to bury the Waterbender even more, he heard a mighty yell at his side. He looked over to see Gohan pushing the boulder back a bit before firing a Ki blast at the Earthbender. General Fong quickly raised a wall of earth to protect himself; however, that distraction gave Gohan enough time to get to Katara. "Grab my hand!" he instructed her. Katara took the boy's hand as Fong attempted to sink her in deeper. Gohan pulled on Katara's hand as she watched in fear; the Energybender started to unleash his power, his energy surrounding the both of them as Gohan slowly began to pull Katara out. "No!" Fong cried as he focused all of his energy on keeping Katara imprisoned, but Gohan continued to increase his ki as the ground around them started to crack. Eventually, Gohan screamed and with all his might, he managed to pull the Waterbender out of the ground. General Fong stared at the boy in shock while Aang quickly went over to his companions. The monk embraced the Waterbender as they were joined by her brother. Gohan then glared at the General and declared, "We're leaving, now!"
General Fong looked down in anger as his fist was trembling; the four teens turned to leave before the General suddenly raised his hands, levitating an enormous chunk of the earth into the air. His men followed his lead by raising numerous bits of the earth and mixing it with the General's. Fong's arms were shaking as he struggled to keep the massive piece of earth in the air; he glared at the teens, who could only stare back at him in horror. "No matter what it takes, I'll get you to enter the Avatar State!" Fong declared to Aang. "And I'll crush anyone who stands in my way!" Fong then lowered his arms, bending the boulder to plummet down onto the Gang. Acting quick, Gohan created a kiai that blew his companions away from the descending rock before raising his arms up and crossing them to defend himself. Aang, Katara, and Sokka could only watch in terror as their friend was crushed by the falling stone, the impact creating a shockwave that affected everyone in the arena. When the smoke cleared, they could see the boulder had shattered into many pieces, and lying right under the rubble, was the hand of the Son of Goku.
The Gang stared in shock as their friend's hand made no attempt to move. General Fong leveled his hands at the teens and asked, "Who's next?"Aang fell to his knees in despair and began to tremble; in that instant, his eyes and tattoos began glowing as he got up and glared at the earth General. Fong stared at the Avatar in disbelief before joyously shouting, "It worked. It worked!" Aang began generating a massive wind force which made everyone shield their faces; General Fong smirked before his expression changed to one of alarm. Aang swung his hand at the General, hitting him with a strong wind blast that knocked him onto his back before creating a dust vortex as he ascended into the sky.
Back at Azula's ship, Prince Zuko jumped onboard the boat, at the same time incapacitating two soldiers with fire attacks. He entered a fighting position while his sister had her back turned to him. Zuko created two fire daggers as the princess glanced at him with a smug look on her face. On the shore, General Iroh and Prince Trunks were still taking out fire soldiers. Trunks blasted two of them aside, dodged one before elbow bashing him, and palm struck one in the chest before jumping onto the boat. Iroh dodged a fire kick before knocking the soldier down with a fire blast; two more tried to blast Iroh, but he ducked and fire blasted both of them into the water. Another one threw a fireball at the old master but he was once again able to deflect the attack and restrain the soldier. "Trunks! Zuko! Let's go!" Iroh called to his pupils, tossing the guard into the sea before deflecting another one's attack and pushing him into the water.
On deck, Trunks encountered two more Firebenders; they launched a combined fire blast at him and he retaliated by quickly bringing out his blade and swinging it at them, creating a curved Ki blast that cut through the flames and knocked out both of the fire guards. Trunks then sheathed his weapon just as he sensed someone behind him; instinctively, he threw a punch at the one approaching, which turned out to be his little sister, who easily caught his fist. The siblings stared at each other before Trunks tried to punch her again. Bulla deflected his strike and attempted to kick him, but Trunks dodged her attack and the two began trading blows. Bulla got the first hit by elbowing Trunks in the chin, yet he countered by hand chopping her. She attacked again by punching him in the right cheek and he skull bashed her. Bulla then kicked him in the chin; he backflipped away and fired an energy blast at her. Bulla simply deflected her brother's attack before firing her own. The lavender-haired teen dodged the attack and clashed once again with his blue-haired sibling.
With Zuko, the son of Ozai was swinging his blazing blades at his sister, but she managed to swiftly evade his onslaught. Azula then grabbed her brother's arm and tossed him to the side. Zuko started to take heavy breaths as she began to taunt him. "You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar," she stated with a smirk. "Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?" Zuko summoned his daggers again and tried to fire kick his sister, but she backflipped away and proceeded to evade her brother's angry assault. Her superior agility and calmness allowed her to dodge and deflect Zuko's predictable moves. She slashed his forehead, leaving three scratches; Zuko recoiled before charging at her in fury as they take their fight to the stairs.
With Trunks, the two Energybenders were still going at it before they fist bumped and separated. The prince then grabbed the hilt of his blade before hastily pulling it out; it flashed as he held it horizontally at his sibling. "I never thought that the day would come when I would use this on my own sister," Trunks muttered. "Don't worry, brother," Bulla replied as she held out her hand while channeling ki into it; her energy swam around her hand until it extended in the shape of a sword. "I came prepared." The two glared at each other before Trunks reflected the sunlight off his blade, temporarily blinding Bulla. He then charged at his sister and swung his sword, but she easily dodged his strike and swung her Ki blade at him. It would have taken his head had he not blocked it with his own sword. "You're pretty good," Trunks praised his sister. "Have you been training?" Bulla nodded before answering, "I learned a few things from your teachers. Not that you would know since you left!" She then swung her sword again, barely missing her brother as she sliced off bits of his hair. Trunks swung his weapon and got the same results; the two fighters clashed their blades together a few more times before separating again. "You lied to me. Both you and Azula lied to us, how could you do that?!" he questioned angrily.
"Don't try to act like the victim here! You left me for three years!" Bulla accused her brother. "You left me and Azula for so long just to be beside Zuko! I spent weeks worrying about you, wondering if you'd ever return or not! I blamed Ozai for so long, thinking that he sent you on an endless mission that you'd eventually die on before I'd get to see you again." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Then I realized something: it was your decision that caused your banishment, your choice to defy Ozai is what separated us. We're family, yet you chose an adoptive relative over your own flesh and blood!"
Trunks looked away, feeling the pain from her words before he looked back and asked, "So, was all that stuff you said about wanting your family back, how you missed us, that we should be together; was it all…a lie?!"
Bulla started shaking as if she were unsure of what to say next. "Perhaps I'd have meant it three years ago, but you left me and Azula to shoulder the burden of the strongest nation. You chose where your loyalty lies and so have I!" She then glared at him as her Ki began to increase. "So yes, everything I said was a lie!" Princess Bulla then charged at her brother and swung furiously; Trunks held up his sword to block her strikes but was being pushed back in the process. Trunks did his best to defend against his sister's assault, but he lost focus when he glanced over to where Zuko and Azula were fighting in time to see the princess grab her brother's wrist and blast the angry prince off the steps with a blue fireball. This distraction allowed Bulla to sock her brother in the face as she shouted, "Don't take your eyes off me!" before firing an energy blast that struck Trunks in the chest. The son of Iroh sailed across the deck on his back; he then used his sword to help him stand up as he was a little dazed from Bulla's attack.
"T-That all you got sis?" Trunks asked her.
"Not even close, bro!" she replied. Bulla then spread out her hands and focused most of her Ki into them. She put her hands together as her energy started to form in her palms; for a moment, Trunks thought he saw the image of a dragon behind her.
With Zuko, he struggled to get up after Azula's attack. He managed to get to his feet and he gazed as his sister while his vision was a little blurry. When he could see again, he saw Azula swinging her arms with lightning tracing them. The electricity danced around her and she pointed her fingers at her brother; the lightning shot out, but at the last second, Iroh grabbed Azula's fingers and redirected the lightning through his body and into the side of a cliff. Iroh then kicked Azula into the water, which grabbed Bulla's attention."Azula!" she cried. Seizing the opportunity, Trunks shouted, "Don't take your eyes off me!" as he fired his signature Burning Attack. The Ki blast collided with the energy in Bulla's hands, causing a small explosion that knocked her into the water. Trunks stood at the edge of the ship and stared into the sea with sadness. "I'm sorry it had to be this way," he muttered before jumping off the ship to join his companions and the three fled from the ship.
Back at the Earth Kingdom base, Katara and Sokka watched, terrified, while General Fong looked excitedly as Aang continued to generate power still enraged. Suddenly, Gohan's hand that was seen under the rubble had clenched into a fist and the pile of rocks exploded. Gohan stepped out of the earth, clutching his right arm; he looked up and saw his friend in the Avatar state. "Oh no," he mumbled. He then flew up to his brother's level and tried to speak to him. "Aang! You've gotta calm down! This isn't you!"
Aang responded by launching a wind blast at the son of Goku, sending him plummeting toward the ground hard. Aang then came crashing onto the ground, creating a tremor that blew away the General. Earth soldiers were incapacitated by Aang's attack and the small buildings in the base began to crumble. Aang stood in the center of it all, still looking angry, when his spirit was abruptly pulled out of his body. He was soon placed on the back of Roku's dragon with his predecessor sitting in front of him. "It's time you learned," Roku said as he flew Aang through the Spirit World, where they saw numerous past Avatars.
"The Avatar state is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars," Roku explained, and as he spoke, Aang could see memories of some of his past lives. One was of Avatar Kyoshi earthbending in the Avatar State; another was an Avatar in Water Tribe clothes and in the Avatar State, bending a tidal wave. "The glow is the combination of all your past lives, focusing their energy through your body." Next was a female Avatar airbending in a large meadow, also using the Avatar State, and the last one was of an Avatar in Fire Nation clothes using the Avatar State to bend lava out of four volcanoes. "In the Avatar State, you are at your most powerful, but you are also at your most vulnerable."
"What do you mean?" Aang inquired.
All the Avatars were suddenly lined up and slowly fading out of existence while Roku answered Aang's question. "If you are killed in the Avatar state, the reincarnation cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist." Roku then disappeared and Aang looked worried. He was then placed back in his body that was inside an air dome and he came out of the Avatar State, falling to his knees. Aang glanced around and saw the destruction he caused in his anger: the ground was cracked, buildings were in ruins, and earth disks were sticking out from different places in the base arena.
Gohan then approached him. "Hey Aang, glad to see that you're yourself again," he remarked.
"I can't believe I hurt you," Aang said as he sat on the ground in sadness. "I'm sorry, Gohan."
"You didn't hurt me. Don't you know it takes more than a gust of wind to take me out?" Gohan joked. "If you ask me, you're Avatar State isn't all that powerful."
Aang smiled at him before looking away in wonder. "Hey Gohan, what did you mean when you said I wasn't the only one with that kind of power?" he inquired the Z Fighter.
Gohan's face turned serious as he sat beside his brother and began to explain. "Like you, I also possess a powerful state: the Super Saiyan state."
"Super Saiyan state?" Aang repeated.
"My hair turns gold, my eyes become teal, I emit a gold aura, and my power is enhanced greatly," Gohan answered.
"Like the form you used at Roku's temple?" Aang asked as he remembered seeing it before.
Gohan nodded. "And like your Avatar State, it's usually triggered by my anger, but I don't have complete control of it nor can I enter it at will."
"Guess we both need be careful," Aang said.
"Of course, we're in this together, bro," Gohan agreed.
Katara then came up to the boys and embraced both of them. "I'm sorry, Katara," Aang apologized remorsefully. "I hope you guys never have to see me like that again." Just then, General Fong came up to them with an excited look despite what he just witnessed.
"Hah! Are you joking? That was almost perfect! We just have to find a way to control you when you're like that," he said while stroking his beard.
"You're out of your mind," Aang told him in refusal.
"I guess we'll figure that out on the way to the Fire Nation," Fong replied.
Sokka then came up behind Fong on the Ostrich-Horse and bonked him on the head with his war club, knocking him out. "Anybody got a problem with that?" he questioned. Three Earth soldiers shook their heads no; they then bowed humbly to the group and asked, "Do you still want an escort to Omashu?" Katara thought for a moment before saying, "I think we're all set," as Momo jumped onto Aang's shoulder. The Gang then exited the Earth Base on their flying beasts.
At the Fire Nation bathhouse, the Princesses had called all of the citizens together to make an announcement. "Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord!" she declared as she held up a wanted poster with Iroh, Trunks, and Zuko's faces on it; a few of the citizens looked horrified. "There will be no place left to hide," Azula assured angrily.
Meanwhile, the three traitors were running in the woods alongside the river; they eventually stopped to rest. "I think we're safe here," Iroh said. Prince Zuko then brought out a small dagger and stared at it; his companions nodded grimly and Zuko held the dagger above his head. He cut his ponytail off and handed the blade to Trunks, who did the same before handing it to Iroh. The boys gazed at their ponytails. The three then dropped the hair into the river, officially becoming fugitives of the Fire Nation. Their hair floated down the river as they stared out in the distance.
A/N: And done! Sorry this took a while, I was having a little trouble. I may not be able to do more chapters for a while since I'm studying for an exam that I'm taking soon. Give me about 3 weeks until I become active on Fanfiction again. For now just please be patient, I'll get back to writing when I'm ready. Thank you to all of my readers, and it's nice to see that the numbers of favs and followers is growing! Stay tuned; until then, TTFN AntiHero out!