Chapter 9: Pulsating Darkness

Zuko starred at the figure with fear in his eyes, "H-H-How? How did you escape?"

The figure walked out of the dust. "Do you really think that pathetic jail could hold me?" Aang looked at the figure and his entire body filled with rage, "How dare you Ozai, you have no right to be here!"

"No right? This is my palace"

"You are no longer Fire Lord, Zuko is."

Ozai started laughing "Zuko? Fire Lord? That is quite hilarious."

Zuko became enraged and charged Ozai, "You bastard, get out my home." Zuko turned his fist into an inferno and unleashed it on Ozai. But D intercepted the blow his own hand. D chuckled, "Your not even powerful enough to stop me, what makes you think you can stop the Phoenix King?" D shoved Zuko back and launched a flurry of fireballs at him. Aang jumped in front of Zuko and sent an air blast extinguishing the fireballs and sending D flying out the palace door.

Ozai glanced back at D, unconscious on the ground and sighed, "Good help is so hard to find nowadays. And D is wrong, I am no longer the Phoenix King."

Ozai's shadow started to move and merge with his body. A dark aura started to pulsate around his fists. His eyes turned a bright yellow, "I am the Shadow Emperor!"

Ozai charged Aang and started to attack him with a frenzy of fists. Aang dodged them until one made contact on his left shoulder and sending him flying into a wall. Ozai laughed, "You are worthless." He looked down at Zuko, "No wonder Mai died, a weak, pathetic husband like you could never of protected her."

Aang jumped out of the debris and saw Ozai heading his way. Aang filled with fear, not because of Ozai, but because of Zuko. Zuko had risen up and turned towards his father, his eyes glowing. Aang was in shock. He could only mumble, "N-N-No, it cant be the Avat….." Ozai swung and smashed Aang into the wall again. Ozai began to laugh manically, but his laughter stopped suddenly. He coughed up blood and looked down at the fist coming out of his chest. He turned his head to see Zuko behind him, enraged and glowing. "You have no right to speak her name!" screamed Zuko as he pulled his arm out of his fathers chest.

Ozai fell to his knees, "How? How did you become so powerful?" He collapsed on the floor and stopped moving. Aang emerged from the rubble. His right arm was broken from the impact. He stared at Ozai's motionless corpse with despair. He then turned his attention to Zuko, who was still standing there staring at his father's corpse. His eyes were still glowing and his face still showed the rage pent up inside of him. Aang approached Zuko and put his left hand on Zuko's shoulder, "Zuko get a hold of yourself. This is not who you are anymore. You need to get rid of this anger!"

The glowing disappeared in Zuko's eyes and he slowly fell to the ground. "Zuko? Zuko are you ok?" Zuko shook his head and rub his eyes, "What the hell happened to me?"

"I don't know yet. But you became enraged with power and struck your father down with a single blow," said Aang pointing to Ozai's body. Zuko covered his mouth and looked away. "He may have been a monster but…..he was still my father."

Aang face turned pale white, "Zuko, I think you may want to look at this." Zuko turned back and his face filled with shear terror. Ozai's shadow started to creep up his back and into the wound. The wound began to heal and then as if it never happened, was completely gone. Ozai started to move around and slowly rose up. He turned and looked at us, "Is that the best you got?"

Zuko could not move, he was petrified with fear. The fact that his father was alive and breathing was scary enough. But the fact that he healed himself while dead was even scarier. "How are you doing this Ozai?" yelled Aang.

"This power was granted to me by the original element, Darkness." Ozai said with a chuckle. D came running into the hallway, "My Lord, I'm here to he……." Ozai grabbed D by the throat, "What makes you think a pathetic fool like you can help me?" Ozai lifted D into the air. His shadow started its way up his arm and onto D. "No Lord! Don't do this!" Ozai's shadow completely enveloped D. His body ignited in black flames. D let out a blood curdling scream. Ozai dropped his body on the ground a let out a bellowing laugh. "Every one this planet deserves to die. And I will make it happen!"

Ozai charged Aang and Zuko grabbing them and slamming them into the ground. A distant sound was becoming louder. Ozai looked behind him and saw a giant boulder flying towards him. Hit him straight on and sent him flying out into the main courtyard. Aang and Zuko quickly got up to see where there the rock had come from. When they looked down the hallway they saw an old, buff man snickering, "Bumi!" yelled Aang.

Bumi walked towards them, "Don't think this old man came alone."

From behind Bumi came two more familiar faces.

"Pakku!" yelled Aang.

"Uncle!" yelled Zuko.

"We can finish our greetings after this fight," said Iroh.

They all ran out side to find Ozai standing in the courtyead surrounded by fire bender bodyguards. "Brother, its so good to see you," laughed Ozai. They all surrounded Ozai.

"Now……this doesn't seem fair at all!" screamed Ozai. His body became enveloped in darkness. His entire body turned black, except for the yellow light emanating from his eyes. Everyone took defensive stances. But before they could launch an offensive, Ozai unleashed a powerful wave of darkness sending everyone flying. Zuko was the first one back up. He ran back to confront his father. Aang quickly joined him. But Ozai just started to chuckle, "The Dragon of the West, The Earth King, The Master of Northern Water Tribe, The Fire Lord and The Avatar. Not even with your combined strength can you hope to defeat me!"

Zuko fell to his knees, "He's right, we don't stand a chance." Zuko felt 4 hands on his back. He turned to see them all. Bumi, Iroh, Pakku and Aang. "We can do this nephew," said Iroh. Zuko turned back, "But its all over, his power is undeniable."

Aang began to glow, "No, its not over!"