Do hope you guys'll enjoy!
Disclaimer: What if I owned Avatar???? Hmm…. The story's gonna be suckish if I owned it.
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Chapter 6: Hearts' Conflicted
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"I solemnly hate this putrid place" Azula thought, while trying to struggle in her shackles. She was tied up pretty badly; every struggle leaves a bloody mark on her heels and wrists. Her robes were tattered, her disheveled hair covering most of her face and her shrieks were ear-breaking. "When I'll escape this horrible cell, I swear I'd make all of your lives miserable. To my good-for-nothing brother, to that water tribe peasant who caused my imprisonment, and to that wretched, vile Ava-"
She stopped in an instant, for the door to her cell opened, revealing a Fire Nation soldier lying on the ground. And his attacker; a teenage boy smirking at Azula.
"There's something very familiar about that guy," she thought as the boy moved slowly towards her. And then she noticed the boy's dark, stormy grey eyes, and the blue tattoos the runs at his arms, and she knew. "YOU!"
"Wow! You recognized me," he praised insincerely. "There seems to be some attitude shift, but I guess you'll have to do."
"Why are you here?" she questioned. "Do you want to mock me in my current state or spit at my feet in my lowliness?"
Aang quickly jabbed the chains loose with is bare hands. "You know, you'll have to repay me for your freedom."
Azula was having second thoughts about attacking him. She decided not, for she knew he's too powerful to beat. "Why are you doing this?"
"I'll explain when we've fully escaped," he nudged Azula to follow him. She had no choice but to follow.
They were both silent as they made through the hallway. Suddenly, an alarm broke the silence.
"Hurry up, slow poke!" Aang yelled and grabbed her bloody wrist. They ran as fast as they could, and stopped at the sight of 30 firebenders. Azula gasped in horror. She can't possibly take them all, especially in her state. Aang didn't seem to be worried at all, for he wiped every obstacle in the way. He blocked them using earthbending and burned them using firebending. He grabbed her wrists and ran towards the exit.
"You look like the Avatar, you bend like the Avatar but you don't act like the Avatar. What the heck is going on here?"
"Weren't you listening to me before, blockhead?" he snapped. "I'll tell you when we're not running for our lives!"
Azula's mind was racing. "Ok. It's official. The real Avatar would never say something like that, nor help me out to escape."
They stopped at the front of the prison, and Aang made a huge wall and set the prison on fire. Azula looked at him in disbelief. She could see a hint of hatred and cruelty in his eyes, and he grinned devilishly.
"Hahahahaha… Hahahahahaha…. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed without remorse.
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"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Aang yelled, removing him from his dream state.
"Where, who, what, how?" Sokka woke up.
"Ugh, when are the nightmares going to end?" Toph reluctantly got out of the ground.
"Aang, are you alright?" Katara asked wearily.
"Y-Ye-yeah. I-I'm fine," he said. "It's just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Sokka remarked and snuggled in his sleeping bag.
Toph yawned and went back to sleep.
Katara didn't seem convinced. "Are you sure you're fine?"
"Look, Katara," Toph scolded. "The guy needs some space! And you're seriously not respecting his boundaries."
"Toph's right, Katara," Aang stated. "I just need some more rest, okay?" He weakly smiled at her.
"Okay," she said and went back to sleep.
Aang slugged in Appa's soft fur, but there's one thought that echoed in his mind. "I can feel Azula escaped from prison and it's all my fault!"
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Morning
"Aang's head has gone haywire!" Sokka thought as he witnessed Aang and Toph quarreling.
"Aren't you listening? I said move the rock out!" Toph ordered at him.
"As if I care," Aang yawned.
"MOVE THE ROCK OUT!" she thundered.
With a flip of a wrist, the Avatar moved the rock towards ________, sending the girl flying and landing harshly on the ground.
Enrage, Toph wiped the grime out of her mouth. "Okay. That's it. You want a fight? I'll give you a fight." She went towards Aang but Sokka stopped her.
"Let go off me!" Toph shrieked.
"Don't hurt him," Sokka exclaimed. "He's probably sick because he isn't acting and thinking straight."
Katara motioned slowly to Aang. She touched his forehead. "What are you feeling?"
"I'm none of your business! What are you, my mom?" Aang snorted and walked away.
"You're not going anywhere. We have to talk," she held his arm.
"I don't need any of you're yapping!" he barked and freed himself from her grasp. He stormed out of the grounds and went towards the hallway.
"He totally lost his mind this time," Sokka freed Toph. "What's wrong with him?"
"Whatever's wrong with him, I don't care," she grunted. "He's going to pay for shoving that rock on my face."
"I think we need to ask Guru Pathik for some advice I guess," Katara said.
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"He's gone insane!" Sokka waved his arms hysterically. "I mean, he's clearly not acting like the Aang we know."
The Guru nodded. "I can see your point. Capture him and meet me at he temple's grounds."
"Capture him? Now you're the one who's talking crazy here," Toph huffed.
"Just do as I say. I can probably get him back to normal."
Katara only shrugged. "If you say so."
They left and searched for their friend. "The problem is, where is he?"
Toph placed her hand at the chilly floor. "He's on the grounds actually. Come on! He's about to leave."
They hurried to the stairs and went to the grounds. They were aghast at what they saw. Aang was bending lightning! They stared at Aang; who skillfully manipulated the lightning and annihilated the dummies he created.
"He can bend that crazy blue firebending thingy!" Sokka uttered.
Aang wiped the sweat on his forehead, and saw his friends gapping at him. "This is a private training session you know!" he scuffed. They were moving towards him. "What are you doing? Get back!" he shot lightning aimed at Sokka. Luckily, he dodged it.
"Ugh! Aang! You're in a world of trouble!" Sokka stated as he grabbed Aang with the arm.
"Let me go!" he was about to airbend Sokka out of the way when Katara grabbed his other arm.
"Get off of me!!!" he screamed and tried to get rid of both of them but Toph earthbended his feet flatly on the ground.
"Sorry we have to do this to you Aang. But I hate to see you acting like this. I want the old Aang back." Katara said to herself.
"Hold still!" Toph shrieked.
Guru Pathik made his way towards Aang. "You're heart has been troubled lately. And I could see why you're acting this way." He ruffled through his hair and touched his arrow. Aang suddenly stopped struggling. In a few minutes, he fainted.
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Aang's eyes' fluttered, trying to be fully awake. He sat up and saw the guru sitting beside him.
"Life really is confusing, isn't it Aang?"
Aang rubbed the back of his head. "ohhh…. What happened?"
"You've been acting strangely out there for a while."
Aang jerked. He remembered everything. "What! I can't believe- how did I- what did you?"
"Calm down, young Avatar. You don't need to rush on these things."
He wrapped his knees and buried his face on his arms. "I can't believe I tried to hurt my friends."
"Well yes. Everyone's perception may sometimes darken and we can no longer control ourselves. And we sometimes do things that are very against our will," he turned to him. "Look at me, Aang."
Aang shifted his head to face him.
"Everyone, even the Avatar have two different sides. The other one is good. The other, bad. The important thing is what side you want to choose. Keep that in mind, young airbender. And you'll never loose your insight again."
Aang smiled and stood up. "Thank you for your guidance, Guru Pathik." He bowed. "I must leave now. I have some things to fix."
He beamed and nodded. Aang ran towards the grounds and shouted. "Guys! Guys!"
Just then, Toph punched him on the shoulder. "That's for planting the rock on my face."
"Yeah, about that. I'm really sorry about how I acted earlier. I just can't control myself," he apologized.
"It's okay. It isn't entirely you're fault," Katar replied.
"Anyway, I've got some news," he announced. "We have to go now."
Sokka questioned. "Where?"
"We're going to the Fire Nation."
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Aang's definitely being conquered by his bad side. Hehehe… A symptom of a depressed person. Good thing he's trying to shake it off... Sorry if I've been confusing you with two Aangs…. Anyway, there's going to be special guests next chapter. TANTADADANTADADAAAAAA! It's Shoji, On Ji, Hide and the other Fire Nation school kids of the episode: The Headband! WOOHHOOO! Well, tune in for next chapter!
