1Walking around the quiet corridors of the Western Air Temple gave the area a haunted feeling. Every creak and sound of the wind made me jump until I had convinced myself that there was no one and I had simply been saved by a good spirit. I let down my guard, setting the duel swords at my sides as I laid down on a fallen pillar.

The stone was cold and hard, but to me it seemed quite comfortable. I relaxed and thought of what to do next.

"AHHHHHH!"

My reaction to the yell made me fall off my perch and I looked up just in time to see a flash of orange falling down past the temple and down into the gorge. I sprinted forward and stood at the edge where the patio fell away to air. The figure I had seen falling was hanging on a stone ledge. He pulled himself up and sat on the narrow shelf breathing heavily.

Bald kid, arrow tattoos. His grey eyes stopped looking down to the water below and focused on me. I was standing in the dark shadows, no doubt my white hair and clothing made me stick out like a sore thumb.

But I wasn't afraid, it was an airbender, it was the avatar, it was Aang. I wasn't afraid because I was pissed off, this kid caused me unimaginable pain and now I was going to repay the favor. One hundred years and I could finally have my revenge. I wouldn't kill him of course, unless I couldn't control this anger. This anger which I had repressed my whole life. This anger which had just bubbled over into a volcano of hatred.

"Aang, get your air-whipped butt over here!"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, now!"

As he jumped across the narrow valley with ease, each second he came closer, each inch that was shaved off between us, a pound of adrenaline was pumped into my system. My muscles remembered every fighting lesson I had learned in the past few decades. My mind became clear except for the anger I felt. My being felt lighter, stronger and ready to take him down. Even if he was the avatar, I had been training for this moment over a century.

I turned as he landed a few feet away from me. I balanced on the balls of my feet and the instant my eyes saw him so close I sprinted forward instinctively.

He dodged as I punched, but my knuckles still grazed the tip of his nose. His footwork was fast and he was already trying to get behind me to evade my attacks, I pivoted off my left foot and steadied myself with my right so I could smoothly send another set of punches at him. He sent a gust of wind to move my first fist and then ducked to avoid the second. As he was crouching I unbalanced myself on purpose in order to kick him.

He wasn't ready for the attack and my foot made contact with one of his bent knees. Aang fell flat down onto the ground I jumped while unbalanced to land steadily where Aang's chest was a moment ago. He rolled on the ground to avoid the blow.

"What are you doing?" He said after he had gotten up and was backing away.

I ran for him and he turned tail and jumped over the fallen pillar I had been lying on. I followed, but as I passed over the stone I made sure to grab the pair of swords I had left behind.

Aang turned around again his eyes wide as he stood still. I was walking slowly toward him, my intense hatred burning out my eyes. Handles tightly clenched in my grip I sprinted forward again.

The avatar ran for it, even if I was attacking him he was still true to his peaceful ways. He was only avoiding me, what would he accomplish, there was nothing that could stop me now.

He turned again and I recognized his movements, it was sharp, rigid, strong, he was pulling the stones beneath my feet. Without looking down I turned on my heel and pushed off the ground backwards. An instant later the floor I'd just been on moved up about ten feet, part of which opened the nearby fountain and sent water spilling onto the floor. I wasn't letting this chance slip me, I turned back onto my other foot while rearing my arm back and releasing the weapon in that hand. The blade was headed in a straight line for Aang who only noticed it in time to let his jaw drop and put his hands pitifully up in a weak defense.

A sheet of water rose just as the sword passed through it, Aang had been waterbending at that last second. It caught the handle as it froze, but it didn't turn to ice fast enough. The weapon broke through, spinning now that it had been intercepted and the blade hit him square on the head broadside. The boy fell backward, eyes closed as the fresh sheet of ice melted quickly back into water form.

He didn't have a scratch on him. Not even from the flat side of the sword. He was unconscious, sweetly in a peaceful sleep. I moved forward, treading quietly in the small layer of water. I stopped and raised the second sword in my hand. My body temperature was cold, as cold as the anger I'd been brewing, there was only one thing left in my thoughts to do, only one thing I wanted to do, more than killing myself. But I hesitated as the cold encased my whole being, my adrenaline became a stand still. I wanted it to be Katara, using her waterbending to freeze me before that final blow, I wanted it to be me passing out from fatigue or hunger. I wanted it to be anything than what I knew it was. That feeling when I knew that a source of heat was nearby, my body stopped itself from creating heat so that I wouldn't be burned when the fire came. A firebender was close.

A hand slipped around my wrist, the sword fell harmlessly from my collapsing fingers. My whole thoughts were focused on that incredible heat above my hand, the strength in the fingers imprisoning me. The sharp sense of fear that had replaced my dull anger. It couldn't be, my delirious mind had been right all along, the Avatar along with all his friends and Prince Zuko, they were all here. Even the son of the firelord.