More Than One Lifetime
Author's Note: Hellooooo everybody! Once again, my apologies for this update being later than what I wanted it to be, but you know, life happens. Imma reply to some reviews, and then we can get started.
Rolando De Jesus Chamorro: I love seeing Sonic help people too, haha. It's a big part of his character. Not only is he adventurous, but he's an all-around good dude.
Guest: Thanks! And your question shall be answered, because the new chapter is here!
oofman78956: Hmm, interesting prediction you have there. The Chaos Emeralds seem to match up with the colors of each nation you chose. However, will it be that way?! I can't spoil anything! Lol
Guest: The next chapter is finally here!
AnnieRose56: Thank you for your kind words! I also appreciate your patience, because I do plan on having this story be long, but I also realize that can be frustrating since the updates might even be longer, lol. I love both Sonic and Avatar, though, so even if I don't update for a long time, this story will never be dead because those two series mean so much to me.
Marc: NANI?!
Okay, I think that's all the reviews. To all my readers, if you leave a review, I'll reply to it in the next chapter. Let's get started!
Chapter 8: Emotional Healing
Intro: Avatar: The Last Airbender Opening
"Water…"
"Earth…"
"Fire…"
"Air…"
"Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world!"
"Oh, and Sonic's here too."
"Hey!"
Years Ago In The Fire Nation Capital
As Sonic was speeding off in the Fire Nation Capital with the younger Azula, it's safe to say the young girl was beyond shocked at this development. It only took her about a second to realize why Sonic was his name, and she was screaming all the way through the run.
Not only was it so sudden, but the sheer speed Sonic was traveling at, this was something to behold. Azula also looked comical, seeing as her hair was flying all over the place with the wind hitting her face.
"Having fun?!" Sonic asked, smirking as he took a look back at Azula.
Azula would look at him wide eyed, yelling back, "Does it look like I'm having fun?!"
"Yes!" Sonic replied, laughing.
"NO! The answer is NO!" Azula shouted back, not enjoying this one bit.
"Don't let the speed get to ya!" Sonic told her.
Azula swears she should shoot a fireball at his head right now. "Easy for you to say! I can't even tell where we're going!"
"You said we're going to a pond, right? I think I see one up ahead." Sonic stated, not waiting for Azula's answer and casually stopped on a dime, leaving Azula speechless for a good moment.
She was also pretty dizzy and felt like she wanted to hurl.
"Ain't nothin' like a good run!" Sonic exclaimed, casually stretching his arms out as he felt satisfied with himself.
After Azula was somewhat able to regain her composure, she pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly being annoyed with how things went. "If you ever do that again, I will kill you." she said, dramatically pointing at the blue blur.
Sonic shrugged, showing a smirk. "Hey, I did warn you about my speed."
Azula rolled her eyes. "Saying 'grab my hand and find out' is not warning me about your speed, you imbecile!" she told him, her palm now meeting with her face. If this went on any longer, Azula was going to have high blood pressure.
She took deep breaths, seeing it as the only alternative other than straight up shooting all the fire she had at Sonic. Once she was done with that, she saw the turtle ducks swimming in the pond. Five baby turtle ducks, and one mommy turtle duck.
A wide smirk appeared on her face. "This should make me feel better." she told herself, bringing out a loaf of bread from her pocket. She would always keep the loaf of bread for occasions like these. Azula would then turn to Sonic, her smirk never going away. "Behold, Sonic. This is how you feed a turtle duck." she began, visibly charging up her throw.
Sonic looked at the turtle ducks, and he couldn't help but to form a small smile on his face. "Weird… but… Somehow, it works." he said, as this was obviously his first time seeing turtle ducks.
But then he saw how Azula looked like she was going to feed the turtle ducks, making his eyes widen. Was she about to literally throw the bread at them? That can't happen on his watch. So, just before Azula was able to throw it, Sonic grabbed her arm, making the girl turn around to look at him.
"What are you doing?!" she asked, clearly not happy with this.
Sonic sighed loudly. "Please don't tell me you were actually gonna throw that bread at them."
Azula raised an eyebrow. "Of course I was. There's no other way to feed them."
"Oh brother…" Sonic muttered, closing his eyes. This was even more confirmation that he had his work cut out for him when it came to helping Azula. "Might I suggest a more… I don't know… less aggressive way?"
"Why would I need to be less aggressive? They get the bread either way." Azula stated, acting like nothing was wrong.
"That's not the point," Sonic replied, soon taking the bread from her. He would then sit down by the pond, and afterwards, he would say, "Sit down with me."
Azula was annoyed at the fact that Sonic not only took the bread away from her, but now he was trying to teach her some other way to feed the turtle ducks. She would put her hands on her hips, replying, "Why should I?"
Her tone would carry an attitude.
"Just sit down with me, okay?" Sonic said once again.
While Azula didn't like this one bit, and it would be proven by her being stubborn enough to still stand, she would eventually give up. She sighed heavily, now deciding to listen to Sonic and sat down next to him.
Phew, who knows if Sonic would be able to do this with teenage Azula. At least the kid Azula can still somewhat be molded… hopefully.
This is what Sonic was betting on.
"Even though I've never been here before, I can appreciate what's around me." Sonic told Azula, motioning his hand for her to look at the environment. It was a beautiful sunset shining down on the area, giving it that extra bit of beauty. The pond, the trees, the grass, the turtle ducks, everything looked stunning. "While I'm known for going fast, I do think there's moments that require me to slow down and smell the roses every once in a while."
As he said this, he would show Azula how to feed the turtle ducks. He would break off pieces of the bread and gently gave it to them.
In Azula's mind, she didn't approve of Sonic's method of feeding the turtle ducks, but what she was also surprised at was that the turtle ducks didn't try to attack him. She tilted her head in confusion, clearly not getting it. "How come they're not attacking you? They always attack me when I feed them."
"Maybe it's because you mistake trying to kill them as feeding them." Sonic joked, making Azula roll her eyes. "But honestly, though, you asking that question is good, because it tells me where you're coming from." he assured her, taking a quick pause before continuing.
"You might've felt in power, or felt like you ruled the ducks by throwing the bread at them. Sounds like ruling by fear, really." he told her. "Ruling by fear is a dangerous thing to do, and in my opinion, it's something you shouldn't do." Sonic said, looking at Azula as he was speaking. "If you lash out at the turtle ducks like that consistently, what does it eventually turn into? Lashing out at people. Ruling people by fear. People only wanting to be on your side because they fear what would happen to them if they weren't on your side. Even for the people you may call friends, that still might be the case for them."
As Sonic was speaking, Azula kept looking at him. She had a lot of thoughts going on in her mind due to what he was telling her. Although, she wasn't quite sure how to respond.
Thankfully, she wouldn't have to worry about responding because Sonic would keep talking. "You're gonna become a princess one day, right? That only gives you more leverage to do what you want to do with people. You finally get the power and everything else you think you desire, but in the end, where does ruling by fear leave you?" Sonic asked, not necessarily waiting for Azula to answer as he would answer his own question. "Alone. And the worst part is, you might not realize it at first because you think you have everything you could ever want. By all accounts, you should be happy because this is the path you chose."
Sonic would look at the pond, making Azula look at it as well. Both of them could see their own reflections. "A simple reflection can describe a lot of things about yourself. You might be confused, angry, hurt, or all of the above due to the path you choose to follow. While it's a scary part of life, it's also a beautiful thing. You can choose who you want to be, and in this decision, you're making your own reflection."
As Sonic finished his mini speech for the moment, Azula continued to look at her own reflection. Oddly enough, all the words Sonic used as examples, confused, angry, hurt, they all described her right now, whether it was on the inside or the outside.
"Do people… really have control of their own reflection?" Azula managed to say. "What if they're forced into a situation they don't want to be in? What if they end up getting no support from friends or family?"
"I'll reply to your question with a question," Sonic replied. "As far as the friends and family part, are you able to empathize with any of them when they're going through something in their life?" Sonic asked, making Azula silent.
The answer to that question would be a resounding no. Azula really wasn't able to empathize with others, usually only thinking about how to use people's problems in her journey to get what she wants.
Manipulation.
Personal gain.
Abusing people physically is something Azula can do, but she prefers to attack others' hearts with emotional and psychological manipulation.
"If you're not able to empathize with others, then how can you expect them to empathize with you?" Sonic brought up, which was a good point. "If your only purpose is to get something out of people for your own personal gain, where does that leave you?"
Like before, the answer remains the same.
Alone.
"Well, let me ask you this then." Azula began, proceeding to say, "Who says I'm not doing that very thing with you right now?"
"I know you're not." Sonic replied.
"How do you know for sure?"
"Because the fact that you're asking me all these questions only proves you're really thinking about what I'm saying." Sonic confirmed. "Oh, and this ain't my first rodeo when it comes to helping people." he said, showing a small smile.
Then Azula would ask another question.
"Why?"
Sonic tilted his head.
"Why what?" he replied.
"Why do you help people? What do you gain from helping people?" Azula clarified, as Sonic would begin to explain.
"It's not necessarily about what I gain from helping people. It's more about just trying to make a true difference in the world." Sonic said. "The most difficult fact I have to deal with in my journey is… You can't always help or save everybody, no matter how hard you try."
That's when the conversation went silent between the two. As much as Sonic succeeded in helping people, he's failed many times as well. He usually picks himself back up and keeps on running, but the failures never leave his mind entirely.
They're only pushed to the backburner so he can keep moving forward.
It's a weight that he carries on himself, and that's never going to change.
"You talk about helping others, but do you ever take the time to help yourself?" Azula pointed out. "You burden yourself with this mission in helping as many people as you can, but in that mission, you could very well end up forgetting about helping yourself."
What was happening here?
Azula making a good point wasn't foreign, but it goes deeper than that.
On Azula's side, you have a person that struggles to empathize with others and usually only focuses on herself.
On Sonic's side, you have a person that excels in helping everyone, while never really focusing on helping himself.
Sonic was quiet. Wasn't he supposed to be the therapist here? Azula was absolutely right on what she said.
And hey, the fact that she even brought it up, was it proof that Sonic's attempts at helping her were starting to work?
"Not gonna say that isn't true, because quite frankly, it is." Sonic confirmed. "But… If I can make a difference in that person's life, a good difference, even if it's just me telling them to hold on for a second longer… then all of it will be worth it."
He would stop for a moment, before saying this.
"I hope I'm helping you."
Azula would remain silent, not sure how to reply to Sonic's comment.
Was he truly helping her?
Well, the fact that she was able to simply talk to Sonic about some of her issues is a miracle in two ways. One, she never, ever reveals her issues to anybody. And two, just the simple fact she felt like she had someone to talk to, which is a feeling she never has, could arguably be even more of a miracle than the first fact.
But still, would this conversation mean anything in the future? Would she actually listen to what Sonic was trying to tell her?
It's hard to say.
Even so, as much as she hates to admit it…
Sonic was helping her emotionally.
And not only that, but she truly started to think about her actions along with the reasons behind them.
However, Azula still wasn't sure what to say. Should she thank him? Should she say something else? Oh good grief, she was horrible at things like this. She's not sure how to react when someone is actually trying to help her.
As her mind wandered off, everything would get interrupted by two voices.
"Azula!" a kid said, having the voice of a young girl. She wore Fire Nation attire, had brown-gray eyes, and long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail. She also had quite the bubbly personality.
There was also another girl beside her who was around her age, and really, she was the exact opposite personality wise. Tawny eyes, medium length black hair at this current point in time, while having Fire Nation attire. Her personality could be described as a 'big blah.'
Meet Mai and Ty Lee, everybody.
"We came to-" Mai began, but then she saw the figure of Sonic sitting right beside Azula. She tilted her head in utter confusion, especially when she got a good look at what Sonic was. "What the?"
Ty Lee also quickly noticed the same thing Mai did. She wasn't sure who or what Sonic was, but this was… definitely weird. "Who in the flameo is that?!" she shouted, as the two girls obviously have never seen anything or anyone like Sonic before.
Azula's eyes widened, as all of the alarms were starting to go off in her mind. Sonic wasn't supposed to be seen, but yet, here we freakin' are. She began to worry for-
Wait a minute, did she just catch herself worrying about Sonic?
To clarify, did she just catch herself worrying about somebody that isn't her?
Oh dear God, what has the world come to?
Her face showed conflicted emotions, because she clearly wasn't used to this, as it was pointed out for like the billionth time today. She feels in one way that Sonic has poisoned her mind.
But in another way, she feels like he's helped it.
Why must this be so hard?!
"Oh great…" Azula said, seeing her two friends Mai and Ty Lee show up. She knew she had some explaining to do.
"Sooooo, uhhhh… should I start running?" Sonic honestly asked, clearly not having any idea on how this was going to turn out.
It's a possibility he might have two more people to help.
One thing is for sure, though. His job ain't finished in the past just yet.
END OF CHAPTER 8: EMOTIONAL HEALING
BGM: Avatar: The Last Airbender – Credits
Azula: Welp, we're busted.
Sonic: Time to retreat!
Ty Lee: Who and what the heck are you?!
Mai: I feel like we're on drugs.
Next time on More Than One Lifetime!
A Deeper Look
Sonic: A deeper look?! But I gotta help Aang, Katara, and Sokka soon!
Author's Note: There you have it, guys. Chapter 8 is done. WOOOOOO! *Ric Flair Voice* I really wanted to dive into Azula's character in this one, as you can see, while also pointing out the differences in her personality and Sonic's personality. Oddly enough, both of them can learn something from each other. But now Mai and Ty Lee have joined the madness! What's gonna happen next? Who knows? I do! Am I telling? Nope! XD
As always, if you guys like what you read, leave a follow and a favorite! Don't forget to READ AND REVIEW!
In the meantime, while you guys wait for this to be updated, check out my other fanfics, too. I have a Spider-Man fanfic called Spider-Man: Fire and Desire, another Spidey fanfic that's a crossover with the 90's X-Men series called Spider-Man and The X-Men: Dreams and Nightmares. I have a Sonic and RWBY story called The New Heartbeats, a Ben 10 fanfic called Can You Stand The Rain, a MHA fanfic called Whatever You Want, a Sonic and The Legend of Korra fanfic called Don't Think Twice, a Persona 5 fanfic called Don't Go Breaking My Heart, another fanfic called Ready or Not, which is a Big Hero 6 fanfic. And finally, I have a Spidey/Avengers crossover fic called Just My Imagination. I also have other fanfics too, so be sure to check them out!
Also, I have a YouTube channel called JonnyAdventure. I do a lot of Sonic stuff, Sonic Discussions, Spidey stuff, gaming, (Did a playthrough of Spider-Man: Miles Morales on the PS5 last year!) and I also plan to do skits and other things. If any of that interests you, be sure to check out my channel and subscribe!
Alright, that's all for now. See ya guys next time!
