I move through the southern water tribe trying to get to the southern portal. After days of running I can feel my stomach start to turn from not eating for days, and my mind starts to wonder. Thoughts go through my mind, I start to think if it was a good idea to go on this journey with Vaatu. After a lot of time passes, I start seeing a bright light in the distance and I try to run to it, but after all these days my legs have grown tired and my body collapses. I clench my fist and I begin pounding my fist into the snow out of frustration.
"Damn it! When I'm so close to the finish and this happens." Tears start to run down my face, Vaatu manifested right in front of me.
"Why have stopped mortal?" He looks at me with confusion.
"I'm exhausted, I've been walking for days non-stop, so why don't you figure it out." He pauses for a second and starts to float away, I reach out my hand, after all I have went through to go on this journey and he can just leave me? I can't let leave me not after all we have gone through. I shout out to him.
"Wait, where are you going!" He turns back.
"I have no need for the weak, so if you can't continue then this is where we part our ways." He said scathingly. My eyes start tearing up, I can't believe I went all this way just to be thrown away like trash. No, I can not give up now not after I left everything behind in order to go on this journey, so I can not give up now. I turn myself over onto my stomach, I use what little strength I have to crawl toward Vaatu.
"Wait! I'm coming too! You made a deal with me to make me more powerful, did you not?" Vaatu turns to look at me for a second, he sees a man standing even though his body is weak from exhaustion, he stand out of pure unwavering conviction to achieve his goal. He turns back.
"Very well mortal."
After a few more hours of crawling, we make it to the portal, I finally have enough strength to stand up, as I do so I see beautiful waves of blue and white lights radiating from the portal. This is the first time I have ever seen a spirit portal up close. It looks so beautiful and serene, but energetic in the way the waves of light move.
"It's beautiful isn't Vaatu?"
"You could say that, but enough looking: let's go."
"Where are we going anyway Vaatu?"
"We need to find Koh the face stealer."
"Why do we have to find him?"
"He has information we need in order to make you as powerful as the Avatar."
"What kind of information?''
"You'll see when we get there. A piece of advice: remember when we get there To never show any emotion, lest he make your face a part of his collection."
Shivers run down my back and I slowly walk into the portal. I can feel my feet being lifted into the air, and my body leaving the physical world and becoming one with the spiritual energy of the portal. I can feel my body starting to disappear, then reforming into the spirit world. After a moment of my being amazed by what just happened to me. I quickly fall to the ground, hitting it so hard it feels almost as if I broke something.
"Damn it, aw." Vaatu emerges from the portal, he takes a quick look around in order to survey the area, he looks like he is searching for something.
"Hm...it looks like we are about a two hours journey from Koh's tree, do you think you can still walk?" He says with a cold voice, almost as if he has sympathy for me in his voice.
"If I said no you would just leave me here, so I don't have much of a choice, but to say yes." I stand up, try to shake the pain from my legs, but it still hurts like a thousand pins piercing my leg. I have to keep walking: I can't let Vaatu see me lagging behind or he will throw me away like I meant nothing to him at all. To him I am only a tool he can use up and cast aside. We walk for two hours as we move closer toward Koh's home the air around us begins to form into a thick mist. The mist gets so thick that I am barely able to see anything at all but the crimson red coming from Vaatu's chest. The mist starts to clear up a little.
"We are almost there." as he says this we reach the hill and we begin to walk up, after a few minutes we finally make it out of the mist. In front of us stands a giant tree with a hole in it arched in such a way it almost seems like a giant doorway. I begin to move toward the tree, but Vaatu stands in front of me blocking my path.
"Remember Koh is not our friend, he will steal your face if you show any emotion at all."
"I understand."
"Good."
I hesitate for a moment to follow Vaatu into the tree, my stomach starts to ache, I can feel the fear run through my body. After a quick thought of my mother, my body begins to move like it has a mind of its own. The closer we get the more scared I become, but I can not let Koh see that. We enter Koh's home and Vaatu calls out his name.
"Koh, where are you!" Vaatu's voice echoes. After a moment he gets a response. Koh makes his way down to where we are. He seems to have an insect body, with so many legs strapped to the side. It takes him a moment to get to where we are. hIs face changes every few seconds that he stands in front of us, it almost seems random, but purposeful all at the same time.
"It's nice to meet again Vaatu, it's been a long time since I've seen you. Let's see ten thousand years to be exact." Koh looks behind Vaatu. "It seems you brought someone with you this time." I try to conceal my expression from him. But the more I try. The more of the faces see I start to feel unpleasant by his presence. It feels like a thousand dead face staring deep inside of me. It makes me feel sorry for all those faces he stole.
"He is just a boy"
"What is a boy doing with you?" He says seeming to not believe a word of what Vaatu says.
"It does not concern you, Koh. All I need is information." as he says this Koh turns back to look at Vaatu. He seems intrigued by what Vaatu just said.
"What type of information could the spirit of darkness need from me?" He turns his head seeming intrigued by what Vaatu's answer will be.
"I need information on the whereabouts of the water, fire, air, earth lion turtles." Koh turns his head back in confusion as if he is surprised by Vaatu's question.
"Why would you need that type of information?" After a moment Koh looks at me, then titles his head at Vaatu.
"Now I get it you wish to become like Rava and fuse your essence with this boy and make him as powerful as the Avatar."
"Do you have the information or not Koh! Don't play games with me."
"I would never think of playing games with you." He smiled. "After the first avatar put all the spirits in the spirit world, the Avatar made a deal with the lion turtles for them to hide in each nation that held their respective element. In case an imbalance of the elements ever existed they would spread their power to those with no elements, and restore the balance." I look at and speak.
"Why hasn't the air lion turtle done that yet then, Koh?" Koh looks at me as though he is surprised I can speak.
"Don't worry boy the time is coming soon and one day there will be plenty of air nomads again." I look at him not knowing whether or not I should believe him or not. He seems, so unpredictable. Vaatu interrupts.
"Just tell me this Koh: is there a way to find them?" Koh looks at him for a second not know whether he should answer or not. After a second Koh seems content and he tells us, after that me and Vaatu leave, headed towards the lion turtles.
To be continued.