Chapter 18: Those Sagaku Favors

"Use me as you will

Pull my strings just for a thrill

And I know I'll be okay

Though my skies are turning gray

I will never let you fall

I'll stand up with you forever

I'll be there for you through it all

Even if saving you sends me to heaven"

From "Your Guardian Angel" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

The dangerous centipede like spirit blinked his odd face as it turned to the the woman. "Sen. How odd to find you in this area."

Sen merely inclined her head.

Aang barely managed to keep the confused look off his face. "You know each other?"

"All the spirits know the mortal foolish enough to think she could be Balance incarnate." Koh stated, his voice seem to have an angry ring to it. "And yet here you are. Imprisoned for eternity in the Spirit World. Only allowed in the physical world as a walking ghost. Makes one wonder why your here." The spirit stopped moving and the old man face it currently had looked thoughtful.

"I'm just here to help the Avatar." Sen stated

The spirit looked at Aang then back at her. "So it wasn't merely cause two of your favorite elements were so close together? Many of us had been wondering." Koh turned away and Aang caught Sen's face flinch a bit. "I remember those friends of yours, Sen. Didn't you kill one of them?"

"Excuse me." Aang said carefully. "Do you happen to know where my friends are?"

Koh looked at Aang. "Why, they're right here." Moving to the side showed the rest of the group curled up as if asleep.

Aang almost stepped forward but Sen was suddenly standing in front of him. "I'm not allowing you to go stealing the Avatar's face Koh. You realize this?"

The spirit seem to sigh. "I suppose he could go. I'm only suppose to guard against fools trying to get into the Spirit World. Though you did rob me of the last face I was going to get."

"I'm sure I don't know what you speak of Koh. I don't dictate people's lives. Just...give them ideas." Sen replied smoothly.

By now Aang had composed himself a bit better and stepped out from behind Sen. "I would like my friends back. We did not mean to come this way."

"I'm afraid that is not possible Avatar." Koh stated.

"Just breathe Aang." Sen said feeling the Avatar go rigid.

The monk took a deep breath like Sen said. "Why do you say it is not possible? Why are you keeping them here?"

"Oh, I am not keeping them here." Koh practically purred as he circled the pair. "They are keeping themselves here."

Taking another breath Aang asked. "What do you mean?"

"The caves are the resting place of hundreds of souls who's dreams were suddenly shattered when they died...most violently..." Koh seem to look at Sen as he said this. "Because of how close it was to the Spirit World it had a rather interesting affect on it. It lulls trespassers into a dream, mixing memory and their darkest desires together. It puts them in a paradise of the sleeper's making. When they first enter the dream they know it isn't real and in that time it is possible for them to leave. Your friends however, have submitted to it making it their reality. Why would they want to leave their dreamy paradise in exchange for a physical world of pain and suffering."

"Then how did I escape?" Aang asked.

"I think you should probably asked your friend Sen here." Koh replied.

Aang looked at Sen who seemed to be taking a breath to calm herself.

"You were the only one who hadn't submitted yet when I arrived. It took longer with you due to the Avatar spirit I assume. It was long enough for help to arrive for you. Although waking you up required some effort on my part. I had to drag not only you, but all your incarnation with you. If I had been any later, removing you would've resulted in you going mad, Avatar or no."

Only the fact that Koh was standing right there kept Aang from cringing.

"So you see Avatar. You might as well start walking out." Koh stated.

"I want my friends back." Aang stated. "I am not leaving until I have them. I need them to help me bring balance."

Koh laughed. "It is useless Avatar."

"Actually, there is a way."

Both Avatar and spirit stared at Sen.

"The caves cannot hold anyone who has a strong enough reason to leave. Even in dreams people are open to persuasion." Sen supplied.

"So I need only to remind them of the war?" Aang asked.

"That is more likely to drive them further into their paradise." Koh said smugly. "They are quite trapped until they give me their faces."

Sen's eyes narrowed for a split second before she spoke. "Koh, if Aang and I can convince them to leave their illusions and go back I will count you to remain loyal to your duty."

Koh seem to hiss. "I doubt you'll rob me of this many faces Sen. If you manage not to drive any of them mad, I'll let you all go."

The spirit curled around the others and glared while Sen grabbed Aang and vanished.

They appeared back in the shrine and Aang exploded. "Why does he hate me so much? What did I ever do to him!? It wasn't even this life!"

"Actually I think it's more me Koh wishes to get back at. He can't though so he's taking it out on you." Sen stated.

Aang blinked in confusion. "I don't understand."

Sen sighed. "I'll have to explain later. Right now we need to get your friends. Koh will have no qualms about stealing their faces in their sleep."

"He's right though. How can I get them to come with me when they have every reason to want to stay?" Aang asked, despair coloring his tone.

"I've been watching you all enough to know that if you convince Zuko and Katara, the rest will fall in line. That won't be easy as they are the most ensared though. You need to find something personal to them. Something that would make them want to help you." Sen tapped her chin in thought. "We'll have to see what's around the corner."

Aang blinked at her. "What?"

Sen grabbed Aang's arm and turned. Colors blurred together and things things swam before Aang's eyes. When the spinning stopped he wanted nothing more then to lose what little lunch he'd eaten.

"Sorry. I forgot that spinning through time does that to a mortal." Sen said.

"I'm ok..." Aang groaned out as he looked around.

They were standing in a garden. There was a table set out like company was expected and a brown haired woman in fire nation robes was counting the chairs.

"Katara!" Aang said. He ran over to hug his friend but he passed right through her.

"We're not really here Aang." Sen said.

"Where...or when, is here exactly?"

"Let's see..." Sen stopped for a moment and counted on her fingers. "I think about fifteen years in the future. Well the most probable one if you defeat the Fire Lord that is. There's a number of different ones but I picked the one most likely."

Aang got up and studied Katara closer. Now that he was actually looking he realized that she did look different. Her hair was longer, she was a bit taller, her mother's necklace wasn't around her neck anymore...

"So why is she in the Fire Nation?" Aang asked.

"Where else would she live? Doesn't make sense to live away from one's husband."

"Oh well yeah that...Wait a minute Katara's married!?"

"Yes." Sen said. "She and Zuko had a long courtship. Mainly due to the attitudes of their countries towards each other. Many think it a political union but those closer to the family know better."

"Family?" Aang asked.

As if on cue a black haired girl pounced out from under the table, startling Katara. The little girl's bright blue eyes sparkled as Katara counterattacked via tickling.

For a moment while Katara hugged her Aang swore the little girl looked right at him.

"They are all very happy." Sen stated. "Even Sokka, though he still gets into enough grief, is happy. They all adore Katara's children. Specially since some don't have their own quite yet. Mari for instance never has any. Toph is having a tough little earthbender soon though I think...or is that the other time line."

Aang ignored Sen's rambling and watched a little longer. Soon Zuko also came in. Still scarred and as demanding as ever. Aang could see a glow of happiness though. It didn't just shine through when the firebender looked at Katara, but also looking at the little girl, and the baby boy he brought with him.

A sudden thought occurred to Aang. "You said we needed to find something personal to Katara and Zuko right?"

"Yes."

"I've got an idea."

The wait was agonizing, but Aang agreed to let Sen handle waking his friends.

"It was difficult enough pulling you from your dream. It will be much easier if I convince them to sleep in their realities then pull them out." She explained. "Sadly you can't manage that."

So Aang was forced to wait while Sen sat in front of his friends. Koh was nearby but with his back turned to them for now in order to honor his word that he would not interfere with their attempt.

His friends slowly came to. All of them looking around confused.

"I know your all very confused right now." Aang stated. "I need to talk to all of you though."

They stared at him, as if in a drunken stupor, their eyes were clear though showing that they were listening. Albeit with little interest.

"I need your help guys. I know you might not remember me but I need your help to end this war that's been waging for years. Do you remember?"

All of them nodded. Each one remembering a war going on at least, if not their parts in things.

"I need you all to come with me then so we can fight for peace."

Everyone frowned. It was almost predictable when they started to vocally disagree and argue. Each one stating reasons not to go. It wasn't their war, they didn't want to leave loved ones, the Fire Nation would never touch them, they didn't want to fight...

Aang looked at them all for a moment. Every one of them deserved to be happy in care free lives. They didn't deserve to be dragged into this.

Don't let the caves get to you again Aang.

Aang looked around but he didn't see Sen any more. The little girl was staring at him.

Life is not all about happiness and fun, but neither is it always sorrow and heartache. Life is a balance, like everything else. It doesn't stop being funny when people die anymore then it ceases being serious when people laugh. That is the way of everything.

Aang let Sen's words comfort him a moment as everyone ranted. He let memories wash over and strengthen his resolve. When his friends had all wound down he stood up straighter. He would get his friends to come with him again, or die trying.

"You all have to come with me. Now." He stated. "If you don't a lot of people will suffer for it."

"Like who? You?" Zuko sneered, ever the challenger.

"Her." Aang said pointing at Sen.

Everyone looked at Sen in confusion, no one understanding what he was meaning.

Aang sighed looking at Zuko and Katara. If he could convince them, the others would follow, out of loyalty to each other if nothing else.

"It's not just her who'd suffer though. Surely you have some memories of how things really are? Katara you remember losing your mother don't you? Zuko would you rather curse others to live on the run like you had to? Mari would you rather everyone live in fear? Sokka how about everyone watching their father's go off to war? Toph do you want everyone to live as restrained as you did?"

He could see it as faint memories trickled into their minds.

"Do you want the your children to live like you did?" Aang asked.

All of them looked at each other and seem to ponder for a moment.

"Daddy?"

Zuko looked down to see the little girl tugging on his leg. "Excuse me?" He said with wide eyes as everyone stared at him and the little girl.

She smiled up at him. "Daddy will you tell me a story?"

"Uh..."

"Tell me the princess one. Where you saved Mommy from the bad princess remember?"

Zuko put a hand to his aching head. Everything seemed to be all jumbled up in there as his mind tried to separate dream and reality. The only person he could remember ever saving from any princess was...

Annoyed the little girl gave a very Zuko like snort and stomped over to Katara. "Mommy make Daddy tell me a story." She demanded as she pulled on the waterbender's robes.

Katara couldn't help but stare. Her lower lip terribled a bit as her mind slowly started realizing what was truth and what was fantasy.

The little girl looked at Zuko confused as Katara knelled and crushed her into a hug. "Daddy what's wrong with Mommy?"

"NO!" A voice snapped. "Not again!"

Aang turned around to see Koh barreling out of the dark. His blue oni face on with it's mouth open as if to swallow them all whole.

Suddenly bright light seem to fill the cave. He heard Koh shriek but he couldn't see a thing.

"Aang? Aang are you ok?"

He blinked for a bit but finally his vision cleared and he saw Katara standing over him.

"What happened?" He groaned.

"We're not entirely sure." Toph replied. "I just felt rocks shift under me."

"I got blinded from some light." Sokka stated. "There was this horrible shrieking though."

Aang sat up carefully, he was half expecting to be injured but found everything was alright. Well mostly so.

Zuko and Mari were playing guards over Sen. Mari looked distrustful while Zuko looked as confused as Aang felt. Sen herself was sitting between them looking around like she'd never been in a cave before.

As Aang replayed the last moments he was conscious in his mind it occurred to him that Sen had to be the one that saved them. Even if he wasn't sure how she'd saved them.

Yet Koh had said something about her killing her own friends, and trying to become an all powerful spirit herself.

None of this added up in Aang's mind. How could a person or spirit be evil enough to kill her own friends, yet decided to save a bunch of strangers?

He stepped over and knelt down in front of Sen, staring at her until she consent to stare back. "There are a lot of questions you need to answer." Aang stated plainly.

She seem to ponder this a moment.

"No games this time. Answer the questions and stop talking in circles." Zuko growled.

Sen sat silent.

"Who are you?" Aang asked.

"You know my name."

Zuko growled even as Aang glared. The others looked at each other confused.

"Koh called you Sen, but you look like the spirit called Sagaku. Which is the truth?"

Sen seemed to sigh and she suddenly looked defeated. "Humans call me Sagaku. They forgot my real name over the years. Spirits call me Sen though, they will never forget that I was once human."

"I've heard of her." Katara stated. "Guru Pathik told me about her. She's the Spirit of Balance and the one who created the Avatar."

A loud, rude snort came from Sen who looked at Katara like she was insane. "People are saying what?" Before anyone could answer she burst out laughing. "Oh that's a great one... Made the Avatar! Ahahahaha! Oh, that one is gonna stick with me for a few millenniums."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion as Sen dissolved into panting and an occasional snicker.

"You told me you were the Spirit of Balance." Zuko said angrily.

"No, you assumed. I didn't say anything." Sen stated primly.

Zuko growled and his fists flamed. He really hated being lied to.

Katara quickly got between him and Sen. She wrapped an arm around him and hugged him as the fires went out. She always did soothe him.

"Koh said you tried to become Balance incarnate." Aang said picking up the interrogation.

Sen was quiet for a moment. "That's...a truth in a way."

"In a way?" Toph said.

Sen scowled. "It was a hard lesson to learn that mortals are not meant to hold the powers of Spirits."

"Doesn't Aang technically?" Mari asked.

"Yes and no." Sen stated. "He was born with the Avatar Spirit in him, being a part of him. I was a mortal trying to chain a Spirit to me as an adult. To bend it to my will. There's a difference as I'm sure you can see."

"You were trying to chain a Spirit!?" Aang said in rage. "How stupid could you be?"

Sen cocked an eyebrow. "About as stupid as stealing from an all knowing Spirit." She said with a glare.

Sokka shifted uncomfortably as Aang looked at him then back to Sen. "That's different...we needed that information."

"And I needed it when I stole how to bind a Spirit from that Library." Sen stated flatly.

"You stole from Wan Shi Tong?" Sokka said in surprise.

"You act surprised. Who else would have such information if not Wan Shi Tong?"

"She has a point." Toph stated.

"Look we're getting off track here." Sokka stated. "Why are you even helping us?"

Sen simply sat.

"So we're back to the silent treatment?" Mari snapped.

Still the gray haired woman said nothing.

Aang stayed where he was as Sen looked about. She paused for the barest second staring at Zuko and Katara. Her face twitched just a bit as if suppressing a scream of pain.

Confused again, Aang looked at the pair. They didn't look like anything that would cause a spirit to get involved with things...

He wasn't sure what brought it on but Aang suddenly remembered another blue and gold eyed couple.

I remember those friends of yours, Sen. Didn't you kill one of them?

"Your making up for something you did." Aang stated.

Sen stared at him and looked suddenly sad.

"That last vision. Right before you pulled me out of the dream. It wasn't mine or any of the Avatars. It was yours." Aang stated. Even as he said it he knew it was truth. "Who were they?"

Sen sighed. "Their names were Zairia and Kane. They were a fire and a water bender I was jealous of, even as I was happy for them. They were...my friends." She looked at her hands with a far away look. "I killed Kane..." She whispered, her voice full of hate directed at herself. "Zairia used what we'd learned to bind me into the Spirit World. With some help from the Spirit I tried to bind to me."

Sen glared at Katara. "The Avatar wasn't made by me. It was made because of me. The Spirit of Balance and I fought over my own body. In the end though my body was destroyed and the Spirit was trapped in the Physical World while I was banished to the Spirit World. It lived the only way it could, in other people, and set out to balance the world. That is the Avatar Spirit and the tale of every Avatar."

"I don't understand, why doesn't it just go back to the Spirit World?" Sokka asked.

"I'm not sure myself." Sen answered. "Perhaps it has grown to prefer this realm like Tui and La did. While there is no threats for it in the Spirit World there is nothing for it to balance out there either. The Physical World though is in constant need of balance the Spirit probably feels needed here."

"You've had time to theorize about this haven't you?" Sokka asked.

"A number of centuries, give or take."

"So what was the promise you made to Zairia?" Aang asked. "Why would you make a promise when she was about to attack you?"

"For one I didn't know she was going to attack me as you put it. Binding any spirit forcefully to a realm takes the blood of four benders, one from each type of element. As for the promise I made..." Sen glared. "That is between friends and none of your business."

"There's one part of your story that makes no sense." Mari sneered. "If the Avatar Spirit helped imprison you, why are you helping it?"

"Because one chain did get forged between me and the Spirit. If the Spirit dies, so do I. I don't know what happens to mortal spirits that die again but I have no wish to find out. That's also why I didn't show up until after I knew the Spirit was having problems. Or did you think it coincidence that I didn't start appearing till after the Avatar took a lightning bolt to the back?"

"So you've been pulling our strings? Making everyone dance to your tune?" Zuko growled.

Sen snorted. "No. I haven't. I didn't push you into your girlfriends arms if that's what your thinking. Mortals always have free will. Spirits can push and pull your strings all they want but in the end it's a mortal's choice what they do with their lives. Even Avatars have free will. If one didn't want to be an Avatar they can run and hide for instance."

Aang looked guilty as Sen stated this. "I suppose that's true. Otherwise the Spirit would make us do whatever it wanted."

"Exactly." Sen said with a nod. "And speaking of free will you had all better get moving otherwise the Fire Lord's free will will be the only will of this world."

Everyone suddenly paled all looking worried.

Sen smiled. "Don't worry. I put you back on the way out. You only have to walk for a little longer and you'll be out of the caves. However a lot of time has passed and you have only about ten hours before the comet arrives."

"Any words of wisdom for the road?" Sokka asked.

"I'll give you two." Sen replied. "First, the Avatar is a master of all the elements."

Everyone blinked. "How is that wisdom? Everyone knows that." Toph stated.

"Second," Sen continued as if she hadn't heard. "The comet's cosmic energies strengthens firebenders."

Everyone merely blinked again.

"Are you ever not going to be confusing?" Zuko asked.

"No."

Everyone started to file out but Aang hung back.

"You have a question." Sen stated.

"Yes actually. It seems kinda stupid to ask it though."

"No question is ever stupid. Thinking to long on it just makes it seem so."

Aang gave Sen a small smile. "Well. You see the future and I was wondering. Did I ever have a chance?"

Oddly enough Sen seemed to have relaxed at the question. "I can see many things. Love however, is not something one can predict any more then death. Did you have a chance? Yes. Could it have worked? No one knows. That has more to do with free will really then fate, and fates are all I'm allowed to see when it comes to the future."

Aang pondered this a moment till Sokka yelled for him.

Sen watched as they climbed down towards the Palace. In her time it had been a fort, defending one of the last refuges against fear and hate of those who had dubbed bender to be not normal. She pondered and brooded, much as she'd done for centuries. Things were in motion now and she'd done all she could to keep her promise.

The rest was in the hands of the Avatar.