Book 4 Air
Chapter 68 Fall into Hell
Part One
Running down the hall, hand in hand, the girl and native Water Tribe warrior swiftly paced to the entrance. Once outside, Aeron led Sokka into the marketplace crowded with townspeople. Diao shortly exited out of the building as she narrowed her eyes. 'Damn it…I lost them…' Diao thought as she then turned and noticed four guardsmen on post.
"Report to Sergeant Cheo and General Sho. We have a stolen document and seal of important information; we can not let it leak out into the city." Diao said as two of the men left for back up.
"What are General Sho's orders?" one guard asked as Diao narrowed her eyes. "We must retrieve that document, at any cost necessary…" Diao said as the other men looked at one another.
Azula lay on a new futon, clean and dry as she tried to sleep. Earlier she was given a warm bath and hot meal; the girl managed to relax a bit easier as she closed her eyes.
Just then a heavy dense feeling surrounded the girl as she then cried out. 'He's back! He's back!' Azula frantically thought in her mind as she gripped her head.
The sight of ten long roach-like legs encircled the girl as a voice spoke out, "Hello my dear…They seem to be taking care of you more." the spirit said with a low chuckle.
"Please…Just leave me alone!" Azula cried out as the spirit stopped his laughter.
"Leave you? You are the one who said you didn't want to be alone…Abandon from everyone who ever cared about you…" the spirit said taunting the girl.
"No…No! It's not true!" Azula cried out. "They love me…" the girl said in a low whisper as she opened her eyes.
"Hmm…They only tell you what you want to hear…" the spirit said as Azula's eyes widen.
"Please…We can make things better…It doesn't have to be like this."
'He…He lied?' Azula thought as she remembered the young man's hopeful words that still rang in her ears.
"They don't care about you…All they gain for having you in this world was your rare talents as a firebender. Your rare blue fire…such a lovely, destructive power you have…" the spirit said as he lifted one of his clawed legs and brushed away Azula's bangs.
The girl flinched as she turned to face the spirit. Never once had she ever seen the creature's face. She wanted to…She wanted to see him. "Where is your face?" the girl asked as the spirit paused.
"I cannot reveal my face to you. I don't want to risk taking you just yet…" the spirit said with a dark chuckle.
"What do you mean, take me?" Azula asked as she sniffed out.
"Heh…Princess…Would you want to leave this hell and join me in heaven?" the spirit asked as Azula's eyes lit up.
"To join you…In heaven…" the girl repeated as she slowly thought about it.
'But everyone who is trying to help me…I can't just leave them…' Azula thought as she then felt dizzy.
"Go with him…Join the Great Spirit into the gates of heaven…" a low voice said in a malicious tone.
"You will never feel pain, you will never get hurt ever again…" another voice said darkly with a light chuckle.
"Go with him…Go…with…him…"
"Stop…Stop! No I won't! I won't go with you!!!" Azula cried out as she then gasped as she felt the air thicken with dark energy.
"Hmm…Very well…Normally I would have taken you by force…But I have enough for my collection. Just remember, princess…You were quite a rare find…" the spirit said as he chuckled loudly as the heavy spiritual energy slowly disappeared and Azula gasped out for breathe.
"Ah…Ahh…He's gone…He's gone…" Azula said panted out as she lowered her head.
Running passed the stands and through a dark alley way, the two teens stopped catching their breaths as they panted.
"I think-I think we're safe here." Aeron panted out as Sokka recovered. "Well we got the paper, now what?" Sokka said as Aeron stood straight. "We go to the prison cell." Aeron said as she started to walk to the capital.
"Wait, tell me…Exactly who is it that you plan to save?" Sokka asked as he stopped the girl.
"Her name is Ursa, Wife of Fire Lord Ozai and princess to her nation." Aeron said with the tone of pride.
"Ursa…? Zuko's mother!" Sokka said finally understanding.
"Hmm…? You know the new Fire Lord?" Aeron asked interested.
"Of course…He helped trained the Avatar, fire bending. He helped win the war. If it wasn't for hi-
"Stop it! You're lying!!!" Aeron screamed out as Sokka stared at her in shock from her sudden outburst.
"He-he is the one who ordered troops into my village. He was the one who wiped us out!" Aeron cried out as she clenched her fists with rage.
"He is the son of Ozai. Hatred and war is in his blood." Aeron said darkly as Sokka quickly grabbed her. "How dare you say that! He is helping his nation, your nation! You must have him mixed up with Ozai. There's no way he could have done that!" Sokka said offended by the girl's words.
"It was when Ozai was defeated…That troops entered into my village and killed the last of us! My ill father, boyfriend and I were the only ones who managed to escape!" Aeron cried out as tears fell down her face.
Sokka sighed, he understood her pain…But the war was over. She had to learn to let go of that pain…
"Listen to me…I know Zuko and he would never do something like that…Trust me." Sokka said as he looked deeply into the young woman's eyes. Aeron looked at the Water Tribe warrior. His blue eyes still held that raw determination she witness on the stage.
"You people are so strange…" Aeron said in a soft whisper as she pulled away from the young man wiping her tears.
"What?" Sokka asked as Aeron smiled, "I have heard in old tales of the Water Tribes…That your people have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything, you can adapt to change…I admire that…" Aeron said in a low, soft voice with a hint of envy.
Sokka blinked then blushed, "You make it seem like we're something out of a story." Sokka said with embarrassment as Aeron giggled lightly.
"Is that so? Hmm, I wonder what fate has in store for us, then." Aeron said as she looked up at the cloudy skies.
"Heh…Yea." Sokka said in a low tone as he lowered his head.
"Come then, we have to hurry." Aeron said as she started to walk up the hillside.
"Yea…" Sokka said as he followed.
Entering into a clearing, Aang saw the glooming large, gnarled tree casted in a landmark of elevated rock formations, much like the Patola Mountains in the Air territories. Aang took a deep breathe as he slowly walked up to Koh's lair. The branches dug out and broken aside from the gaping hole inside; Aang paced inside as the light grew dim underneath the earth. As he continued on in the tunnel, Aang kept his breath low and shallow as he stepped each step quietly.
Lowering his head under a branch, Aang entered into a massive clearing surrounded in a circular formation of the roots entwining a small figure on a platform of a huge water lily.
Aang was in awestruck as the sight of patches of rays of light beaming down on the girl as she lay curled in a ball.
"To-ph…Toph!" Aang exclaimed as the girl sat up. Her green eyes widen as her long black hair swayed in a singled movement to the side as she stared at the boy. Tears formed in her sightful eyes as she then cried out, "Aang!" Toph cried as she then gasped out, "I-I can...I can
She couldn't speak she was so surprised and happy. He found her, she was saved.
Aang quickly jumped up on the platform and held Toph in his arms bridal style, "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." Aang said in a low whisper. Toph clinged to his neck as she muffled out, "Aang…" Toph said as tears fell down her eyes. Just then a voice spoke out.
"You must go now, before he returns!" a soft yet frantic voice called out.
Aang turned to the shadows as he saw an outline of a woman. "Of course…" Aang said as he then jumped down off a large branch then ran down the dark tunnel.
I know it's a short chapter; I'll be cutting this into two parts. I hope you enjoyed it and also no; there is no romance with Aeron and Sokka. Aeron just likes him that all. I mean, Sokka is popular with the ladies right?
As for our favorite Zutara couple, they'll come in next chapter. Please review for a quick update!!!
