Chapter X

Sokka trudged wearily behind his sister, stumbling as he went. The pain in his feet was finally reaching unbearable levels, his energy expended at fighting off the spirit's visions. His lungs burnt with a fiery pain and his heart throbbed, the beats starting to become irregular. They had been walking for what felt like an eternity, the ground still leading further and further down, but he did not have the strength to think. He merely wanted to stop, to take a break from his labor and breathe. Toph was getting so heavy on his back; it was just becoming too much.

"Sokka, do you want me to take Toph?" Asked Katara, as if reading his thoughts. Sokka shook his head, panting as sweat trickled down his chin and onto the tunnel floor.

"I've carried her this far, I'll make it the rest of the way." He said, stumbling. Katara did not reach out to stop him, probably unable to see his falter in the darkness. He caught himself, bringing himself back up to shaky legs.

"Maybe we should take a break." Said his sister. "It's still a way to go. I don't know if you'll make it."

"Don't worry, I can make it." He replied, continuing on.

"If you insist." Replied Katara, her feet pattering ahead of him. The two continued on in silence, walking further and further into the heart of the mountain. It was strange, however. Even though they were walking further and further down, back towards where he had suffered the worse from the spirit, the feeling of dread did not grow. He felt uneasy, but he did not feel the evil presence around him. It was as if it had just given up and let him go, deciding that it could not best him.

He shook his head. Battling evil spirits, running from another diamondbender, Suki dying, it was all just too much for him. Ohh how he wished that he could just rest!

His stomach growled at him, reminding him that he had not eaten in over a day. Why in the world had he left that bowl of noodles alone! What was wrong with him?

He was struggling with grief, that was what was wrong with him. Suki was gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. Worse of all the last time he had spoken with her they had been arguing, yelling at each other, debating whether or not to have sex. Why hadn't he just done it? If he could go back in time and be with her once more he would have changed his mind in a heartbeat. One last moment of fiery passion with Suki before she had gone, at least then he would not feel so guilty about everything at the moment. His purity hadn't been worth her pleasure, had it?

Sokka stumbled again, managing to catch himself by putting his hand to the wall, a sharp pain stabbing into his hand. He could feel blood running down his hand from where he had braced himself. Great, just what he needed, another cut. He groaned out loud.

"Cut your hand, huh?" Said Katara, surprising him.

"Ya, how did you know?" He asked.

"Sister's intuition." She said, her feet continuing on. Sokka stood for a moment, staring ahead of him into the darkness. Sister's intuition huh? Maybe it was a good idea to stop and take a break, he could always let Katara carry Toph a while, ease some of the pain on his feet.

"You know Sokka, if you let me carry Toph for a while it would help your feet. They wouldn't hurt so bad." Said Katara, confirming his suspicion.

Sokka stopped, staring ahead of him into the darkness. "How did you know about my feet? I never told you." Katara was silent for a moment.

"Yes you did." She replied, her voice unsure. Sokka began to pace backwards.

"No I didn't. I told you that Toph's head was injured. I never told you that my feet were hurting." He said, taking another step back.

The sound of Katara walking after him hurried his pace "Don't be silly Sokka, of course you told me." She called. Ya, remember, you told her.

Sokka shook himself, turning around and making his way back up the tunnel.

"No you don't spirit! You're not tricking me!" He yelled. Katara began to run after him, the shade calling his name.

"Sokka! Sokka! Don't be ridiculous!" He ignored her calls, making his way back up the tunnel as fast he could. The spirit wasn't going to get him, not now not ever.

"Sokka!" Cried Katara, her image appearing before him out of the gloom, teeth razor sharp and eyes dripping blood. Sokka stumbled back with a girlish scream, almost losing his footing altogether. He put his knee to the ground, pain flaring up as it sliced against the stone. He managed to keep his feet, but barely, forcing himself back up with a few tears of agony. The spirit was trying to make him fall.

Sokka put his head down, walking back up the tunnel. The shade was nowhere to be seen or heard, but the feeling of dread once again fell upon him. Blackness surrounded him, holding untold horrors just waiting to pop out and take their turn at making him stumble. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The sound of feet pattering behind him made him pause, turning back to the darkness. The feet stopped as he turned. Swallowing, he continued on, reminding himself that they were just hallucinations, they couldn't harm him.

As he walked the feet shadowed him, pattering up behind him, growing closer and closer. Every time he turned around they stopped, making his heart jump.

Eventually they began to patter closer and closer, small little steps trailing just behind him. The next time he stopped they did so as well, but in their place came the sound of someone's heavy breath, breathing in and out, in and out. They sat just beyond him in the darkness, waiting for him.

By now fear was tugging at his heart. He needed to get out. Direct images of tormented people he could take, but a creeping menace determined to stalk him was too much. He hated surprises!

He tried to walk faster, running his hand along the wall to speed himself up, but the feet kept pace, pattering up behind him. His breathing started to become even harder, sweat trickling down his face as the feet drew closer and closer. When he stopped the next time he kept his head low, just listening. The feet stopped for a moment, then sped up, sprinting towards him at full speed. Before he even had a chance to move they sped past him, a slight breeze rushing by. He stood up straight, blinking ahead of him into the darkness.

"Sokka." Cooed the shade softly, its voice coming out of the darkness, blocking off his escape route. He could hear its heavy breath, breathing in and out with a warm blast of air. Swallowing hard, he began to pace forward, trying to make his way up and past the shade. It could not hurt him if he did not let it.

As he worked his way up the passage the shade rushed past him once more, the wind blowing back behind him as the patter of feet echoed down the tunnel. By now he was completely terrified. Knowing that it was a hallucination and feeling that it was a hallucination were two entirely different things. That shade was scarring the crap out of him!

He picked up the pace as best he could but the feet kept coming at him, pattering and speeding past him only to go back behind him. The soft cooing came to him again, echoing sinisterly in the tunnel.

"Sokka. Soookkkaaa. I've come to plaaayyy." It said, his skin crawling as the haunted noise came to him.

He began stumbling forward, tears crawling down his face as fear seized him. "Sorry, Dad said I can't stay. I have to go home for supper." He called out, trying to calm himself with banter.

The feet rushed past, then behind, then past him once more. Pittering, pattering, always in the dark, never in the light. The noise surrounded him, it echoed about him, it played in his skull. There was no escape from its noise.

"Sokka!" It cried, another image of Katara's face appearing before him. He cried out in fear, throwing his arm at the shade, but it just disappeared, leaving him to calm his raging heart, but it only grew worse as the pattering returned.

Stumbling forward, he made his way through the black tunnel as swiftly as his ragged feet would carry him. Eventually, as the feet followed him, he ran full on into a wall, crashing into its cold, rough, stone straight on. He blinked as his mind flashed white for a moment, his head clearing of the ghoulish shade as it was consumed by its pain.

Eventually he managed to reoriented himself, realizing that he was back where he had encountered the shade of Katara. He was almost out, he just needed to head up.

He walked as fast as he could, the shade still pestering him, but its terror grew less as the air became fresh once more. Sokka smiled, the image appearing before him once more with a cry, but this time he was not startled. He merely laughed at it.

"You always were pushy sis." He said, walking through the shade. A terrible cry went up from the spirit, echoing throughout the whole tunnel as he broke through the final test. It screamed and shrieked, a million tormented voices joining in with one noise. It even stopped Sokka for a moment, forcing him to cover his ears, but eventually it ended, and finally he felt the spirit leave him be. He had won.

Smiling to himself, he began to make his way forward, but he stopped when he heard another sound. Another person was laying on the ground near him, sobbing to themselves. He rolled his eyes.

"Seriously? Give up, I'm not falling for the same trick twice." He said, walking on. The voice stopped, a slight rustling sounding in the tunnel as it stood up.

"Sokka, is that you?" It was Aang's voice. Sokka groaned, continuing on.

"Look shade Aang, I ain't falling for it again. I'm heading that way, if you want to follow me that's perfectly fine." He said, moving on. Shade Aang came up behind him, tagging along with an orange ball of flame springing to life in his hands. Sokka blinked as the flame brightened the tunnel around him; the light seemed different from the other light he had seen, more wholesome and comforting than the crimson glow on the walls.

"Sokka! It's really me!" Cried shade Aang. Sokka took a moment and looked at the shades face, noting that it really looked like Aang. His blue tattoos, the haggard look on his face and red eyes from the spirits torment, it really seemed to be Aang. But then again, Yue had really looked like Yue, and Katara had really sounded like Katara. He turned back around, walking on.

"Like I said, I ain't stopping. Follow me or not, I don't care." He said. The shade followed him, still trying to convince him that it was the real Aang.

"There's an evil spirit in here Sokka. A really evil spirit. It likes to torment people." Said the shade. Sokka laughed.

"Ya I know. I'm talking to it right now." He said. A light was beginning to grow ahead of him. A white light near the edge of the tunnel. Daylight. He was almost there.

"No, Sokka, it's really me! I came in here to rescue you!" Said the shade. Sokka nodded his head.

"Sure you did buddy." He said, blinking as the light grew. The shade continued to follow him, walking right behind him as they neared the end of the tunnel.

Eventually, as they reached the edge, Sokka stumbled, falling down on his stomach on the cold, freezing ground. Wind whipped by his face, blowing his ragged hair away from his face. Tears welled in his eyes as the dazzling sunlight and stinging wind struck him, the fresh scent of cool mountain air reassuring him of one thing. He was outside.

He began to laugh, Toph still lying on his back. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed, the sound becoming hysteric as he realized that he was free from the tunnel. He was free from the evil spirit within, free from the horrid images, and free from the burden on his shoulders.

Reaching out, he began crawling forward, making sure to take Toph along with him. He did not care that he still had to go down the mountain, he only cared that he was out of the tunnel, and at the moment he wanted to get as far away from it as possible.

"Sokka!" Sokka blinked at the noise, his eyes still adjusting to the blinding light of day. Hands reached down and grabbed him, Toph being lifted from his back. He shot out a hand, latching onto Toph's arm. He wasn't going to let go at the end!

"No! No!" He cried, pulling his friend back to him. A warm embrace pulled him up to a sitting position, enveloping him as he held on to Toph's hand.

"Sokka, Sokka! It's okay, you can let go. It's us!" Sokka shook his head, holding desperately on to Toph.

"Ty-Lee, let him hold on to her." Said a voice, familiar yet cloudy. Toph fell back to him, allowing him to grab her and pull her close to his chest, holding her between his knees and hugging her tight. He ran his hand gently through her hair, his fingers shaking as he touch her silky strands. He froze as he saw the dried blood, matted both in her hair and on his blackened hand.

"Sokka." Said a voice, soft and tender. He hugged Toph tighter, drawing his little friend in as he laid his chin on top of her head. He could feel the warm arms drawn in around him, holding him as well, gently rocking him back and forth.

"It's okay. It's okay." The voice cajoled, rocking him softly. He began to weep, the emotion and stress of the situation completely overtaking him. He had thought he had no more tears to cry, no more sorrow to give, not after all he had gone through, but apparently there were a few left. Salty tears trickled down his face as he wept into Toph's hair, his shaking embrace drawing her in closer and closer. All his sorrows came to him at once, the worse of them Suki's death. He felt it like the wounds on his feet, raw and bleeding, with no salve to heal it.

He did not know for how long he sat up on the mountain top, weeping with someone holding him, the chill wind sweeping past and numbing his body, but eventually the tears dried. He regained control of himself, blinking away the final tears and seeing once more, the darkness of the cave directly ahead of him.

Shifting as to stand up, he felt the figure behind him move.

"Hold on Sokka, wait, I gotcha." Said a voice. He felt his arm being lifted away from Toph, making a small whine emanate from his lips.

"It's okay, it's okay. Aang, grab her." Sokka watched as Aang came over, his eyes red as he bent down and picked up Toph, not without some effort. Someone placed themselves beneath his arm, lifting him up.

"Go ahead, lean on me big brother." Sokka looked over to the voice, noticing Katara's soft face. Her hair was a complete mess, tossed about by the wind. Her eyes were red and moist, but there was a smile on her face as she looked at him.

"Hey little sis." He said wearily, taking a faltering step with her. Katara chuckled, a pained noise choked by emotion.

"Ty-Lee, help me." She called, turning back to him. "How you doing?" She asked. Sokka shrugged his shoulders, or at least, he tried. He did not really have the strength to perform such a task.

"You know, lost another girlfriend, attacked by a lunatic, tormented by evil spirits, same ol' same ol'." He said, bringing more tears to his sister's eyes.

"That all?" She asked, her voice choking. Sokka nodded his head, a thought crossing his mind.

"Ya, that's it. Hey, sis, can you turn me around a sec." He said. Katara looked at him strangely, Ty-Lee coming over and placing herself underneath his other arm.

"Sure thing big brother." She said, turning him around to face the tunnel. Sokka stared into it, looking at its haunting blackness. Light did not penetrate far into it, dying at its door. Even from here he felt a shudder crawl down his spine, but he had beaten the spirit. Him, Sokka, the non-bender. He had defeated an evil spirit bent on breaking his will. How was that for a Southern-Watertribe boy? He grinned at the tunnel.

"Hey, spooky, how about next time we play I choose the game, huh? It might be a bit scarier that way." He said, chuckling to himself. Katara and Ty-Lee exchanged a confused look.

"It was a good time but sadly I have to go. See you next time I need a bit of relaxation!" Said Sokka, his voice growing stronger as the taunts flowed through his mouth.

"Alright Sokka, I think we should go now." Said Katara, her voice unsettled by his taunts to an empty cave. Sokka shook his head.

"Hang on, I got one more." He said, laughing. "Hey spooky, knock knock!" He called. For a moment it was silent, the whistling of the wind the only response to his question.

"Who's there?" Replied a voice, sinister and black, echoing out of the tunnel. Ty-Lee and Katara jumped back, taking Sokka with them.

"What was that?" Asked Katara.

"We should go now." Said Ty-Lee, but Sokka shook his head, laughing.

"You!" He called back, continuing the joke. Katara tugged at her brother.

"Sokka, we should really go now." She said, trying to pull her brother away, but he refused to budge, waiting for spooky's response. For a moment the spirit was silent, the tunnel sitting in its sea of darkness. Then it replied.

"Agreed." It said, a black shadow, in the shape of a hand, shooting out and grabbing Sokka by the chest. It pulled him away from Katara and Ty-Lee, dragging him back towards the tunnel.

"Why don't we play another game?" It said. Sokka began to laugh, grabbing at the stones as he slid backwards.

"I'm all funned out at the moment." He replied, trying to keep himself from going back into the mountain. Katara and Ty-Lee came running up, Aang following up behind. They attacked the spirit, Katara lashing out with a water whip, Aang with a blast of air, while Ty-Lee leapt over a wave of blackness and grabbed Sokka's hands, digging her feet into the stone and pulling on him, trying to tug him free.

Sokka held on to Ty-Lee for dear life, using the last visages of his strength to pull himself forward. The spirit groaned behind him at the struggle, and finally it relinquished its grasp, Sokka flying forward onto Ty-Lee. He lay there a moment, on top of her, his face pressed close to hers. She smiled up at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Hello there." She said. Sokka blinked for a moment, shaking his head.

"Hey." He replied, still a bit stunned. Ty-Lee shifted slightly beneath him, still staring at him.

"You okay?" She asked. Sokka nodded his head.

"Think so." He said, staring down at her. A wave of red overtook his vision.

"You saved me." He said, his voice sounding somewhat surprised. Ty-Lee smiled.

"Anything for a friend." She said. Sokka looked closer at her, running a grimy hand across her soft, pink, skin. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her cheek, relishing the smooth, warm feeling of her flesh.

"Thanks." He said, rolling off of her. Ty-Lee lay stunned for a moment, so caught off guard by his thanks. She turned beet red as she ran a hand over the place where his lips had pressed against her skin.

"Sokka, are you okay?" Asked Katara, running up to him. She bent down beneath his arm once more, helping him to his feet.

"Just fine sis." He replied, a gleam in his eye. Aang came up beneath his other arm, helping him.

"I didn't know that spirits could reach out like that in this dimension." Said Aang, sounding more excited than relieved. Sokka smiled.

"Glad I could show you that then. Me and spooky, we go way back. You need anything from him just ask, I'll get it for you." He said, hobbling along towards Appa. Katara shook her head.

"Are you sure you're okay Sokka?" She asked.

Sokka frowned, a wave of anger coming over him. "Katara, I'm bruised up, cut up, and sliced up. Do you think I'm okay?" He snapped, shaking his head.

"Sorry." She mumbled, caught off guard by his chagrin. Sokka rolled his eyes. Geesh, what was with these people? Come out of a haunted tunnel and they think that you're going to be all peachy. Probably because they figured since he wasn't a bender the spirit wouldn't bother with him, you know, not being a threat and all. Well, it had.

"Just get me the hell out of here." He said, hopping along with them. "I'm sick and tired of this mountain." Katara nodded her head.

"Alright Sokka, don't worry, we'll have you back at the palace in no time." She said.

"You better." He replied. Aang looked at him, worried about the sudden change within his friend. Looking closer at Sokka's eyes, he could have sworn that, for only a moment, they flashed red.

"Come on, wake up." Said a voice. Zuko felt himself being hauled to his feet, his world clearing as he shook his head. He stumbled back for a moment, a hand shooting out and grabbing his shoulder.

"You okay? Still alive?" He blinked his eyes, the spots clearing up.

"Whah happened?" He slurred, a mixture of saliva and blood dripping down his chin. He wiped his chin on his sleeve, turning to the side and spiting.

"You were knocked out dear brother." Said Azula. Zuko shook his head.

"Didn't you knock me out?" He asked, things still a bit fuzzy. Azula stood before him, perfectly calm and in control. Mai and Jack also stood by her side, looking at him, Jack with an amused grin.

"Let's not start assigning blame here Zuzu. Let's just say that something happened, and I may have accidently rammed my head into your chin." She said, brushing it off like she did everything else. Zuko moved his chin around, feeling the soreness in the bone.

"Why'd you do that?!" He demanded. Azula shrugged her shoulders.

"You attacked me, I was just trying to defend myself." She said. Jack laughed.

"Not exactly how I remember it." Said the diamondbender.

Mai yawned "I believe that Zuko was trying to restrain you while you were having another one of your fits." She said. Azula glared at her.

"They aren't fits. I was just a bit upset with Jack, that's all." She said, brushing her hair behind her head. Zuko shook his head.

"How long was I out?" He asked.

"Couple of seconds." Replied Jack.

"You know Zuzu, you seem to be getting weaker and weaker as time goes on. Getting knocked out by a tap to the jaw?" Azula tisked at him. "Maybe you aren't in the best shape to lead the Fire-Nation." She said, a condescending smile on her crimson lips. Zuko frowned at her.

"I've lost a lot of blood recently." He said, defending himself.

"Plus." Said Jack, stepping in. "The jaw is the goodnight button on the face. Hit this thing here." He said, grabbing Zuko's chin and squeezing his cheeks with his big fingers. "And it's beddy-by-time." He finished. Zuko pushed him away, moving his jaw around. Azula snickered, Mai even cracking a slight grin.

"Alright, alright. You guys have had your fun. It's time to focus up. We've got a killer to catch, remember?" He said. The others nodded their heads, relinquishing their pursuit of fun for the moment. He gave a satisfied grunt.

"Good. Now let's get up on the roof. Azula, you and Jack go back inside once we get up there and check out the whole palace." He said. Azula groaned at him.

"The whole palace? Really dear brother, it is so large. Can't we just check the halls?" Zuko frowned at her, silencing her griping.

"Very well." She sighed. "We will check the whole palace, but only because you asked so nicely." She said with a grin, grabbing his cheek and wiggling it. Zuko smacked her hand away, shaking his head.

"Alright then, up we go." Said Jack, making a rigid motion from the floor to the sky, an earthen platform lifting them off of the ground and to the roof. Zuko stepped off, moving slowly up the red tiles. He turned and offered his hand to Mai, who merely raised an eyebrow at him. Azula and Jack laughed.

"I don't think she needs your help buddy." Said Jack. Azula snickered.

"I believe Mai would rather help you out, you are rather feminine Zuzu." She said. Mai froze at their words, her back to them. After a moment she reached out and took Zuko's hand, using it to help herself balance on the roof. Zuko grinned back at the others, victorious. Jack laughed as he lowered the platform, Azula shaking her head as they reached the floor.

"Thanks." He said as the other two went back into the palace.

"Don't expect it to happen again." Said Mai. Zuko nodded his head, his face turning red.

"Don't worry, I wasn't expecting it to." He said. Mai looked at him, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on then." She said, turning to head up the roof. Zuko stood stunned for a moment, intoxicated by the kiss. He wound up losing his balance, his arms flailing as he began to tumble off the roof. Mai's gloved hand shot out and grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking him back up onto the roof before he tasted dirt and fell unconscious for the third time that day.

"Come on lover boy." She said, walking up the roof. He sat on the red tiles for a moment, their cold stone pressing against his hot skin as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

"Coming." He mumbled, his face red. He lifted himself up and started off behind Mia, slipping a few times on the smooth tiles. Eventually they made their way to a flatter area of the roof, specks of black grime leading over to a one of the glassed roof windows that allowed sunlight into certain areas of the palace.

Zuko walked up to it, running his hand along the cold golden trim as he inspected the glass panels. There was a hand print at the bottom right corner of one of them, as if it was pressed against it while someone was trying to peak in. Looking down, he was shocked to see that the room beneath was the dining room, the table still holding their cups of tea.

"He was spying on us while we were talking." Said Mai, her voice even. Zuko shook his head.

"Why didn't we notice!?" He said, angered by his failure to realize someone was spying on him. Mai shrugged her shoulders.

"How did we not know about the underground passages to the palace? Or that he was still alive? You can't know everything Zuko, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches." She said. Zuko stood up, shaking his head.

"But that's just what he wants. He wants to keep us reactionary." He said.

"But why? The only reason he would do that was if he was doing something else at the same time." Said Mai, walking over next to him and looking below. Zuko shook his head.

"I don't know." He said, watching as Azula and Jack entered the dining room. Jack was checking the pillars, peering into the kitchen and even the storage closets while Azula merely made her way over to the table and sat down, pouring herself a cup of tea and propping her feet up on the table. Mai and Zuko watched as she sat and sipped at her tea, staring at Jack as he searched around. Eventually he noticed her sitting at the table. They could hear his voice as he started yelling at her, walking over and smacking her feet off of the table.

Azula responded by sipping at her tea, putting her feet back up on the table. Jack threw his hands up, apparently giving up, turning around and storming off, which brought an amused smile to Azula's lips. She then set her cup of tea down and went off after him, striding away and out of view. Zuko shook his head.

"She's impossible." He said. Mai looked at him.

"Hey, she's not my sister." She said, walking off. Zuko groaned. Only if, only if.

After searching the area around them they picked up on the trail once more, footprints slightly covered in black specks making their way to another section of the palace. Following them, they came to another glass pane, this one over a hall next to Suki and Katara's room. One of the latches on the glass panes had been unlocked, swinging open with a gentle touch. Zuko looked down, staring down the hallways, trying to determine which way Joshua had gone.

"He's still in the palace." Said Mai. Zuko turned to her.

"What?" He said, slipping and almost falling through the window. Mai shot out a hand and grabbed him by the belt, pulling him back and saving him for the second time that they had been on the roof. She shook her head.

"Think about it." She said, continuing on as if nothing had happened. "This is Joshua we're talking about, the king of overthinking things. If he was trying to hide from us the first place he would go is the place closest to us, not furthest away. He would think he was safer that way." She said. Zuko nodded his head. Sounded like Joshua.

"Then we need to get down there and help with the search, maybe start bolting the exits shut." He said. Mai shook her head.

"You really think locking the doors is going to keep him inside?" She said.

Zuko thought about it for a moment. "Diamondbending, right. Well then, I guess we just go down and help with the search." He said. They walked back over to the edge of the roof, finding an earthen stair way erected to help them to the ground. They quickly descended, making their way back into the palace.

As soon as they were inside they started searching, combing through the entire palace, searching every crook and cranny they could think of or imagine. They found nothing however. No Joshua, no body, no poorly written haiku. By the time they had gathered once more in the dining room Katara and Ty-Lee had returned, Toph, Sokka, and Aang, all in tow. They had marched Toph and Sokka immediately to one of the larger guest rooms, Katara spending hours inside healing them as best she could. Ty-Lee stayed and helped, locking the doors and keeping the others out as they worked. That left Aang to explain to everyone else what he had found.

Aang took in a deep breath, gathering the courage to start his tale. "There was a tunnel, the mouth hiding underground. I found it using my earth sight. I went in, the darkness pressing all around me. At first I thought it was just strange that all the light was being killed, but when I started seeing visions of blood, I realized that it was an evil spirit." The others sat around at the table, Zuko walking around and refilling empty tea cups. Aang hands trembled as he held out his, letting him refill it.

"Thanks." He said softly, the china rattling in his grasp. Zuko set down the tea kettle, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay. Go on." He said softly. Aang nodded his head, taking a sip from his cup.

"I tried to keep going on, but these thoughts started plaguing me. Dark thoughts." He said, shaking his head.

"Eventually I ran into a fork in the tunnel, and I couldn't decide which way to go. That's when…that's when…" Tears sprang to Aang's eyes as he recalled the memories. He shook his head, sniffling.

"I'm sorry, I can't say. It was horrible." He sobbed softly to himself for a few moments, Zuko's hand resting on his shoulder. Eventually he managed to calm himself, taking a shaky sip from his tea and wiping his nose on the back of his robe.

"Well." He said, continuing on. "I don't know how long I was down there, but eventually Sokka stumbled across me. I followed him out. He had been carrying Toph on his back the whole time, his feet torn to shreds. Katara doesn't know if she'll be able to fix them properly." He said, shaking his head.

"I don't know how he got through the spirit. I've never encountered something so dark, so hateful. Not even in the spirit world. It seemed to thrive on torment, but it didn't make it happy." Said Aang. "I just felt like it wanted peace." He finished. The others sat silently around him, watching him as he told his story. Even Azula refrained from saying anything, her brow furled as she sat in thought.

"You said that this spirit thrived on tormenting you, yet you felt as if it wanted peace?" She asked, shocking everyone. Aang looked over at her, surprised.

"Uhh, ya. Well, at least, that's what it felt like." He said. Everyone looked at Azula, waiting to hear what she was thinking. She grabbed her tea, lifting it to her lips and sipping softly, her eyes distant in thought.

"Well?" Said Zuko, losing his patience after a while. Azula set her cup down, turning to him with an oblivious look.

"Well what? I was just asking a question." She said. Zuko groaned in frustration.

"Azula, we're all in on this together! You can't just withhold information if you think it might be helpful!" He said. Azula shrugged her shoulders, taking another sip of tea.

"Please Jemnile." Said Jack, sitting next to her. She looked at him for a moment, then sighed.

"Very well." She said. "It's obvious that this spirit that you ran into is the very same one that is in Joshua." Aang lifted an eyebrow.

"There's an evil spirit in Joshua?"

"I'll fill you in later kid." Said Jack. Azula cleared her throat.

"Continuing on with my explanation." She said. "This spirit, as we already can tell, lives for torment. That tells us two crucial details." Everyone stared at her, their faces blank. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Don't you people know anything about spirits and possessions?" She said. Most of them shook their heads, Aang rubbing the back of his neck.

"The monks didn't really go over it with me." Azula groaned.

"It's like talking to a wall."

"Azula, please." Said Zuko. She looked at him for a moment, her eyes vacant, staring behind him, then she snapped back, blinking.

"Very well, possessions one-o-one. When a spirit and a human agree to a contract the two entities exchange part of their essence. That means that there is some of whatever evil spirit that Joshua made a deal with inside of him." She said.

"I think Sokka said it was called spooky." Said Aang, interrupting Azula's lecture. Everyone paused at the table, looking over at the young avatar.

"Spooky?" Said Mai, her eyebrow raised. Aang turned red, nodding his head.

"That's what he said, when he was talking with it." He said. Zuko took a seat next to Aang.

"Sokka was talking to the spirit?" He said. Aang nodded his head.

"Ya, and it was talking back." Azula cleared her throat again.

"Excuse me, I'm trying to explain something here." She said, trying to get the table to listen to her once more. Everyone shushed her, making her cross her arms and pout.

"It talked back to him?" Said Zuko.

"Ya, it was really creepy." Said Aang.

"What was it saying?" Asked Jack.

"Well, Sokka was telling it a joke, and it responded to him." Everyone looked at each other, totally befuddled.

"Sokka was telling it a joke?" Asked Zuko, stunned. Aang laughed nervously, his cheeks glowing bright red.

"You have to understand, that tunnel does funny things to your head. I don't think Sokka was in his right mind."

"Like that snow-peasant ever is." Snorted Azula, still mad that everyone was ignoring her.

"Sokka was taunting it, and it responded to him. And then it reached out and grabbed him." Said Aang. That got everyone talking at once, questions bombarding him. Eventually Zuko stood up, hushing everyone. Once they were all settled he turned back to Aang, sitting down.

"It attacked him?" He asked simply.

"Ya, it reached out this big black shadowy hand and grabbed him. It tried to drag him right back into the tunnel, but we managed to fend it off." Everyone sat silently, stunned by this revelation. Azula sat up, a sly smile spreading across her lips only to disappear the next moment.

"I thought spirits couldn't physically attack us in this world?" Said Mai. Azula laughed, finally drawing the attention back to her.

"My, my. You people really do know nothing about spirits, don't you?" She said, a condescending smile on her lips.

"Azula, would you like to explain to the class how these things work then?" Asked Jack, drawing an amused laugh from around the table. Azula glared at him, but continued on none the less.

"Like I was saying earlier before I was so rudely interrupted." She started, shooting a look over at Aang. "There are only two ways a spirit can attack a human in this world. The first is through a spirit portal. That is not the case with Joshua. The other is a deal."

"How so?" Asked Zuko.

"When a deal is made between human and spirit an essence of both parties is exchanged."

"Kinda like a guarantee that both parties follow through on their parts, right?" Said Jack. Azula frowned.

"Yes, I guess you could put it that way. But what you have to realize is that these entities are active in both participants. The stronger the person the stronger the influence has on the other party. No doubt Joshua made a deal with a very old and evil spirit, so, more than likely, we won't ever actually run into him."

"It's just going to be the spirit." Finished Zuko. Azula nodded her head.

"Yes." Aang did not look entirely convinced.

"But why was the spirit able to attack Sokka in this world?" He asked.

"By exchanging essences both parties now have a foothold in both worlds. The spirit's reach is limited, but it can physically reach out and take someone if the need arises. Apparently your mouthy friend presented such a need." She said, sipping once more at her tea.

"What was your second point?" Asked Mai. Azula set her cup down, brushing off imaginary dust from her tattered dress.

"Well I'm glad that you're still the sharp one Mai." She said, glaring at her for a moment. "My second point was that Joshua isn't actually going to kill any of us, at least not for a while." She said. Zuko blinked.

"Uhh, Azula, you do realize that Suki is already dead." He said, pointing out the obvious. Azula laughed.

"Ohh please, that's not who I meant. I meant us, his original friends. Me, you, Jack, Mai, and Ty-Lee. Since the spirit is obsessed with torment it will seek to capture us and hold us for the rest of our lives, whether that be natural or unnatural." She said. "As for the others, well, they're expendable. Sorry avatar." She said, sticking out her lower lip. Zuko groaned.

"Great, just great. He wants to capture us and kill everyone else. This is just what I needed one month after becoming Fire-Lord." He muttered. Azula looked over at him.

"You know Zuzu, if you think you can't handle it, I could take over for you." She started.

"Shut up." Said everyone at the table. Azula slouched down in her chair, muttering something incoherent. The group broke up from there, everyone staying in pairs just in case Joshua was lurking about.

Eventually the guards returned to the palace, accompanied by Iroh. Zuko immediately sent them to search the palace, but they turned up the same thing as their search had yielded, nothing. He was standing in the hall, speaking with Katara about what had happened on the mountain.

"Toph isn't too bad, I managed to heal her quite well, but Sokka." Katara shook her head. "He's a different story. He was walking on his injuries for so long, it's going to take a long time to get them right." She finished. Zuko nodded his head, distracted as a guard came up to him, holding a piece of parchment.

The guard bowed, holding out the parchment. "Fire-Lord, we found this nailed to the front door. It's addressed to you." Zuko raised an eyebrow, taking the piece of crinkled brown paper from the guard. He noticed that it carried an eerie similarity to the paper from his study, only with flecks of black grain on it. His heart leapt in his throat.

"Joshua." He muttered, swiftly unfolding the parchment and reading over the flowing calligraphy.

Fire Lord Zuko

One year's rest I shall take now

To allow respite

Come a year from now

I shall be back to claim mine

Vengeance, blood, torment

Rest while you still can

Fear the upcoming horror

Truly, you shall be mine

Sincerely yours, Joshua

P.S, sorry about the last line, it just sounded so good, I had to use it.

Zuko shook his head, handing the piece of paper over to Katara for her to read. She scanned over it quickly, then looked at him.

"Do you really think he'll leave you alone for a year?" She asked. Zuko nodded his head.

"If I know Joshua, he'll be back exactly one year from today. We have our respite, I suggest we use it."

Sokka awoke with a blinding headache, his vision completely white. He groaned as he rolled over, trying to remember what the heck he had been doing the night before. He blinked, trying to clear up his sight, watching as the dots slowly faded away, a strange red hue tinting his sight for a moment. It cleared up with another breath, but the headache remained, much to his annoyance. He pushed himself up, swearing as he did so. What the heck had he done last night?

Shaking himself, he looked around, realizing that he was in his room back in the palace, lying in his bed. A glass of water sat next to him on the wooden stand. He reached out and grabbed it, downing the refreshing liquid greedily. He slammed the empty glass back down, with a little too much force, the fine white china cracking along the side.

"Dammit." He muttered, grabbing it and looking it over. There was no way that was going unnoticed. He turned and threw it against the wall across the room, the glass shattering into thousands of tiny white shards. That was when he realized that there was someone else in the room.

The person sat up with a start, blinking their sleeping eyes at the sound of the glass smashing.

"Sokka! Are you alright? Is someone attacking you? Just point me to em, I'll deal with them!" Said Toph, raising her fists to fight. Sokka almost laughed at his friend's comical appearance. Her hair was pressed flat on the side from where she had laid it on the bed. A bit of drool ran down her chin, her mouth open slightly.

"Easy Toph, I'm fine. The glass cup just broke, that's all." He said. Toph raised an eyebrow, blinking away her sleep.

"What'd you do? Throw it against the wall?" She asked. Sokka frowned, a flash of red spreading across his sight.

"So what if I did? What's it to you." He snapped, annoyed at her question. Toph's smile faded away, her countenance falling.

"Sorry, didn't mean to upset you." She said, hurt. Sokka shook his head.

"Well maybe then you should think about what you're going to say before you say them. Your mouth has a straight hookup with your brain." He said. Toph blinked, stunned by his outburst.

"I, uhh, sorry." She managed. "I wasn't trying to offend you." She repeated.

"You better not have." Said Sokka, standing up. "What the hell you doing here anyway?" He asked, noticing that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Toph shifted, standing up.

"I was just waiting for you to wake up." She said. Sokka looked at her.

"Why? You think now that Suki's gone that you got a shot?" He said, annoyed at the thought. Toph stood silent, her face contorting with emotion.

Sokka took the opportunity to continue on his tirade. "Look kid, I only go for real women. You got some growing to do before you get into my league." He continued, walking over to a mirror hanging on the wall, golden trim shining slightly in the candlelight. Dang, what the heck was Zuko's obsession with gold!?

Toph stood behind him for a few more moments, utterly stunned.

"I…" She stopped, her voice choking. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Ohh gosh, don't tell me that you actually thought I liked you like that?" He said, turning back to her. Toph shook her head, running a sleeve across her nose.

"Of course not!" She snapped, tears in her voice. "You just saved my life in that cave, I only wanted to say thank you like a decent friend would." She said.

"Well then do it!" He yelled, throwing his arms up.

"Fine then!" Cried back Toph. "Thanks asshole! I'm really appreciative that you saved my life!" She yelled.

"You're welcome you little mutt, now you done here?" He retorted. Toph snorted.

"Ya, I'm done here!" She growled, limping to the door and opening it. She stepped into the hall and slammed it shut behind her, the door cracking from top to bottom with the force. Sokka shook his head, grabbing his head as pain flared once again through his head.

"Bitch!" He yelled.

"Asshole!" She called back, her voice coming through the wall. He spat on the ground, realizing that his feet hurt as well. Limping over to a chair he sat down, swearing underneath his breath. The nerve she had, sitting there and daydreaming about him while he slept. What right had she to pretend about anything with him?

Sokka sat there, fuming for a few moments. Why was he getting so mad? She had only wanted to say thank you. He had saved her life.

He thought back to his time in the tunnel, surrounded by that evil spirit, his body calming. He put his hand to his shoulder, imagining Toph's hand sitting there in his embrace, soft, and vulnerable. He sat up.

What had he done?! He had to apologize, now! If he didn't he could ruin everything with her. She was his best friend in the world, why the heck was he being such a jerk?!

Standing up, he started to hobble over to the door, wincing with every step. He reached for the door knob, already thinking about what he was going to say. When he reached for it, however, it flew back, revealing Ty-Lee, standing there with a tray of food.

"Ohh, you're up." She said, surprise on her face. Sokka blinked, staring at her, clad in her tight pink outfit, her brown hair braided down her back; absolutely beautiful. A flash of red crossed over his vision. What was he doing again?

Ty-Lee continued to stare at him, waiting for him to say something, stunned at his lack of a shirt.

"Do you want something to eat?" She asked, holding up the tray of food. Sokka stared at her, looking at her brown eyes, her soft, pink, skin. She stood there, so shy, so enchanting. A plumb ready to be picked.

He reached out a hand, caressing her face with his fingers. A deep desire began to burn inside of him, hot and vile. He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her in and closing the door.

"I think I do."

"Are you really going to wait a whole year? Do you really think he won't figure out what you're doing for that long?" Joshua shook his head, his blonde hair waving about.

"No, he won't figure out. I'll give him six months, then we'll strike again." He replied, holding onto a broken locket, shaped like a heart.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why didn't we take them out while we had the chance? With their security gone and the element of surprise…" The voice trailed off as he held up his hand, his back to the speaker.

"Patience my friend, patience. I don't want to just kill them, that would be too easy. I want to torment them. To strip away everything they hold dear. The only way to do that though is to allow them time to hold things dear. At the moment all they had was each other, but soon it will grow, and as it grows so will their torment when I burn it down!" He growled, black flames leaping to life in his hand. He let the hatred course through his body for a few moments, the anger burning in his heart. Eventually, though, it subsided, leaving him empty. He sighed, lifting up the broken locket, rubbing his finger along the worn wood. A tear fell down his face.

"Amy, what would you think of this?" He said to himself. The figures behind him stood silently, watching their leader as he gazed out into the forest. Eventually Joshua tucked the locket around his neck, stoning himself.

"Soon everything we want will be within our reach. I'll get to have my old friends, and you'll get to have the avatar. Then, we'll have the world."

"But sir, what about the one who made it out? Couldn't he…" Again Joshua silenced the voice with a wave of his hand.

"He won't do anything!" He snapped. "The man managed to persevere through the spirit, so what."

"But sir, what if he is drawn to you? He could find us and ruin everything." Joshua shook his head, a wave of black washing through his eyes. His voice dropped, becoming more sinister and vile.

"No, he won't be led to me." He said, turning around with a wicked grin. "I'm afraid that the man didn't quite leave the tunnel unchanged. He'll be too obsessed with his lusts to realize the pulling feeling inside of him." He finished, turning towards the back of the cave.

He walked past the two men, their bodies covered in blue tattoos. They bowed low as he walked past, making his way into a side room. He closed the door, stripping down. Vengeance could wait, he had time. He had sat in prison for years, another six months wouldn't kill him. His lust, however, just might.

End Part 1

Thank you for reading. If you could please leave a comment as to what you like, what you didn't like, what should be changed, what should be added, and so forth, let me know. I would love to hear your opinions and incorporate them if I can. Other than that, thanks for getting all the way through of part 1!