Chapter Twenty Two: Cold Shadow
Five Years Ago - The Fire Nation Prison
The heart of the volcano that held Ozai was cold - cold and hollow like a skeleton. Even with the howls of the deranged prisoners, even with the warden who was still loyal to him, Ozai's mind kept working, plotting.
He imagined what it would be like to be free - to seize control of the world that was rightfully his, to continue his plans that he had laid out so many months ago during Sozin's Comet.
But Ozai's mind was also turning over about what he could have done better, and what resources he had since that brat had taken away his bending. The emptiness that was left behind was infuriating, like a phantom itch that made him wake up and reach for that fire he knew no longer burned within him.
He thought, The Avatar would not even have an ounce of power if the spirits had not granted it.
And then Ozai stopped, his thoughts unwittingly turning to his older brother, the weak lump of a man who believed in things such as the spirits.
But had they not been raised with the stories of the spirits? The lion turtles? He had dismissed them at a young age, thinking them fanciful…
But then he heard that had happened at the Northern Water Tribe, and how Zhao had been sent to the Spirit World by none other than the Ocean Spirit…
Who says the Avatar is the only one who can control and communicate with the spirits? A voice whispered in his head.
Ozai stiffened, realizing the voice was not in his head, but all around him. Something in the shadows flickered and moved, like a snake slithering in the undergrowth.
What will you give, former Fire Lord, to have power again? What will you give me to tear the veil between this world and the Spirit World?
"Who are you?" Ozai demanded, his golden eyes narrowing.
A creeping cold slid across the floor, wrapping itself around Ozai's shoulders. He forced himself not to shiver, not to move or look at whatever creature was stalking him.
My name has long been forgotten. I was old when the light in the sky was born. I am what you fear when you walk in the dark. What will you give me, Ozai of the Fire Nation?
Ozai smiled slowly. His teeth flashed in the darkness, biting into the tender flesh of his wrist. Blood, as red as rubies, spilled onto the floor.
"A small offering," he said to the voice. "Show me what you can do, and we will have a bargain."
Even though the being was nothing but shadows and cold and darkness, Ozai swore he could sense its smile.
There was a massive crack, as if lightning had just struck directly next to Ozai. He looked up at the walls of the prison rumbled, and a howling wind blew through the volcano, bringing the screams of the prisoners.
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The Earth Kingdom
The ship that was supposed to take them to the Fire Nation was delayed due to a storm. Huge waves rose and crashed against the beaches and the cliffs, and the wind howled like an enraged animal.
Haru watched it all, marveling at the storm's power. His skin prickled as dark gray clouds boiled overhead, sending streaks of lightning crashing into the sea. The crashing waves glowed gold as they were struck.
And when he looked up, Haru's green eyes widened.
For the briefest moment, a huge figure was illuminated in the wake of the lightning that lit up the dark sky. A colossal, shapeless thing moved through the storm, and the only real thing Haru could make out was a pair of glowing eyes - crackling, bright yellow eyes that passed over the sea and the battered shore.
And then as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
Haru's heart pounded and he managed to draw in a ragged breath. Was that a spirit? He wondered, clenching his shaking hands into fists.
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Present Day - Omashu
Years later, Haru had not spoken a word about what he saw the day of the storm. He stated it was merely a terrible storm that barred him, his father, and a few other Earthbenders from attending Zuko's coronation.
No one gave it anymore thought, and Haru dismissed what he had seen as a trick of the light.
But when he had heard of Ozai and Azula escaping from their imprisonment, that same terrified feeling that had seeped into his body all those years ago returned. Even on a bright, lovely day as this one, he was filled with foreboding, his eyes scanning the horizon as if he could see a storm that was not there.
Ooo0ooO
Katara found herself alone when the rest of the group went off to enjoy the marketplace or to go to a tea shop with Iroh, who was claiming to have a sudden craving for jasmine tea.
Her rooms were smaller than the ones she used while in the Fire Nation, but were elegantly designed with paintings of the history of Omashu. She knew the story well and studied the gilded frames, the jade trinkets that were scattered along the fireplace.
A knock came from the door, revealing Zuko when she opened it. He was dressed in Earth Kingdom green, trimmed in gold. Katara wondered if he did so for Bumi.
"May I come in?" he asked.
Katara stepped back, letting him enter before closing the door. "Is everything all right?"
Zuko strolled across the room before pausing by the balcony doors. The view widened to the eastern side of Omashu, and the breeze that was filtering in brought the smells of spiced meats, flowers, and freshly tilled earth.
"I was going to go with Uncle and the others," he said. "But I found myself wanting to be alone."
Katara walked over to him, studying his profile. Standing by his right shoulder, she saw his smooth, pale features, which were relaxed. His eyes looked like pools of amber, glimmering in the low light.
Because they were alone, and because she could, Katara sidled closer to him. Her arm went around his waist as she leaned against him. She wanted to rest her cheek on his shoulder, but she was captivated by his gaze as it turned towards her.
She knew it was common for people's eyes to reflect their Nation; ocean blues and indigos for the Water Tribes, golds and ambers for the Fire Nation, greens and browns for the Earth Kingdom… And one could assume, based on Aang, that the Air Nomads had sky-colored eyes. There were exceptions, of course - she knew a waterbender from the North with eyes like pale green seaglass, and firebenders with eyes like smoke.
Zuko's eyes, however, seemed to transfix her. They reminded her, in many ways, of the Sun Spirit's…
Her thoughts were interrupted when Zuko murmured, "Or maybe I wanted to be alone with you."
Katara moved in his arms, sliding her hands along his chest. "Oh, really?" she asked, smirking slightly. "And why did you want that?"
"To do this," Zuko said, before kissing her deeply, just like she hoped he would.
The rest of the world seemed to melt away like rain sliding down a windowpane. She no longer smelled the scent of the marketplace, or felt the sunlight on her cheek, or heard the shrieking laughter of children.
She was swept away into a hot, consuming place where it was only her and Zuko, where colors danced behind her closed lids and the feeling of his hands on her body were the only thing she ever wanted to feel again.
They were alone in this little sliver of existence, no longer tied to the earth but to each other. He was the sun, she was the moon, and together they entered a never-ending dance that pulled them together like gravity, that would last until time ran out and the stars fell from the sky.
A part of her was aware, hyper-aware, of the fact that they were alone for the first time in weeks, and there was nothing to stop them from being together. That thought alone made her body pulse, made her nails dig furrows into his shoulders.
Katara heard him murmur her name in a chant, and she felt an echo of that call within her chest, alongside her heart. Zuko, Zuko, Zuko…
She barely registered tilting back onto the bed, only that she grabbed onto him tighter to pull him down with her. His body was heavy on hers, and she wanted every inch of it to touch her, she wanted his hands on her, his mouth…
Zuko pulled back, his chest heaving. His pupils were blown wide, leaving only a thin circle of gold as he stared down at her. It was like staring into a blackhole, a force that consumed everything and she felt herself being sucked inside, already lost in the reflection she saw of herself within their depths.
"Wait," he gasped. "Wait."
More, she nearly demanded, ready to combust.
A knock on the door had them leaping apart, as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over them.
Suki peered her head in, noting how disheveled they both were before grinning apologetically. "Sorry to interrupt," she said, even as her blue eyes danced. "But a messenger hawk came for the both of you."
Katara stood, straightening her clothes, brow furrowed. "Do you know who it's from?"
Suki produced two scrolls, one marked with the sigil of the Northern Water Tribe, the other with the Fire Nation crest. She handed the one from the tribe to Katara, and the other to Zuko. Her teasing expression gave way to something more serious.
"Aang received one too when we were at the teashop," Suki informed them. "From the Earth King."
Katara skimmed over the letter, which was from Chief Arnook, before her eyes widened slightly. Glancing at Zuko, she saw surprise and concern wash across his features as well.
When the group gathered together in the main hall, Aang showed Zuko the letter he received.
"What do they say?" Sokka asked, his hand hovering over his sword instinctively.
Aang exchanged a glance with the Fire Lord, then with Katara. "That spirits have been stirring, even attacking some villages. Few have been seen, but the ones that have are…"
"How is this happening?" Toph demanded. "Do you think Ozai…?" The earthbender trailed off, remembering what Iroh had said about Ozai bargaining with dark spirits.
Someone cleared their throat, and the group turned to see Haru standing a few feet away. His hands were clasped together as he looked at each of them anxiously.
"I think there's something else you need to know," he said softly. He then told them about the storm that prevented him and a few other earthbenders from attending Zuko's coronation. When he told them about the massive sea spirit, his voice shook.
"Yue and the Moon Spirit warned me about this," Katara said once Haru was finished. "But the Sun Spirit told me something else…"
Sokka ran a hand over his eyes when Katara was done explaining her conversation with Agni, and how the existence of descendants from the original element spirits were destined to aid the Avatar in his quest to keep the balance between the physical and spiritual worlds.
"Well, I always knew I was great," Toph stated. "Now we know why."
Suki and Katara choked out laughs at the earthbender's brashness and severe lack of humility.
"Where was the last attack?" Sokka asked.
"North," Katara replied, eyeing her letter. "Chief Arnook told me that the spiritual leaders have sensed unrest coming from the spirit oasis."
"You were just there," Zuko pointed out. "Was this what Yue and the moon were warning you about, or the dark sea spirit that attacked you?"
"Both?" Katara shrugged. "One has to be linked to the other."
"Then that's where we need to go," Aang surmised, gripping his glider tightly.
The others nodded and murmured in agreement.
"Dress warmly," Katara warned. "The beginning of winter might be mild here, but we have to be prepared when we arrive at the Northern Water Tribe."
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The Northern Water Tribe
"I want to attack all the spirits, and take their power for my own."
Ozai sat in front of a small fire he had forced Azula to build, eyes closed as he meditated over what had happened, and what still needed to be done.
He thought back to years before, when he was recently thrown into his cell to rot, and how a cold, dark shadow- a spirit- had appeared before him, asking him what he would do to have power again. His wrist still bore the scar his own teeth had made as he offered his blood as payment. Only recently had he learned of the deep sea spirit that had been unleashed, creating storms that had swept across the oceans only days before…
His teeth gritted at the thought of Zuko's coronation, the absurdity of it all.
Now there were more and more spirits slipping between the veil, and his fists clenched. He had not asked for this to happen. He had not communed with the dark spirit since that time in his cell, and had not felt its presence-
As if summoned by his darkest thoughts, a familiar cold feeling swept across his skin, colder than the winds that howled outside the cave where he sat.
Ozai of the Fire Nation, your thoughts betray you, the thing hissed.
"This was not the plan," Ozai answered, opening his eyes.
The Dark Spirit laughed, which sounded like glass shattering. No, it agreed. You did not reveal the truth to me when I came to you all those years ago. Did you think you could hide from me, Ozai? Did you think your thoughts were safe from me?
Its presence slithered through the cave, darkening the shadows, sucking away any warmth that came from the fire. I could kill you, it told him. I could drag your soul into the Spirit World, and allow it to be lost in the mists with your old general…
Ozai forced himself not to move, not to blink or show any emotion. "Why don't you?" he challenged.
Kill for me, Ozai, son of Azulon, the thing purred, ignoring his question. Kill and soak your hands in blood, and I will give you the power of the spirits I unleash…
"What's in it for you? The destruction of the world? I wish to rule it, not ruin it."
And rule it you shall, the creature assured him. A new world of darkness, where you will be the ruler of everything and everyone - be it spirit or man. And I will be by your side in the dark…
Then the Dark Spirit was gone, and the shadows lifted. The fire crackled.
Ozai looked down at his hands, frowning when he saw they were shaking before clenching them into fists.
Before, he had wanted the world to be reborn from fire. But as his thoughts churned over what the Dark Spirit had told him, offered him, he knew that his old purpose could no longer be.
Now, the world was to be choked in a cold shadow, where he would be more powerful than any man, any bender, and any spirit.
As Ozai was consumed with these thoughts, the Dark smiled.
For the former Fire Lord was not the only one with their own agenda…
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Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of its characters.
Author's Note: Please review!