Cannonfire:
The spirits screamed their fury at them, the noise clashing with the thunder as the lightning flashed overhead. The beam from the spirit portal was their main source of light, flashing constantly as spirits continued to emerge with every second.
Across the shattered city, the human soldiers stood defiantly, the colours of all four nations on display as they stood, awaiting the battle. The two armies were still building, forces filing in from the Encampment and the portal respectively. This battle would decide the fate of the United Republic of Nations; if they won, they'd live to fight another day. If they lost, the spirits would continue onwards, marching through towns and ransacking everywhere in the nation, eventually moving onto the Earth Kingdom and the rest of the world.
Unless his plan worked.
In truth, Rizem had hoped President Sato would give in to his demand, though he wasn't surprised when she refused. If they were onto his location, he'd soon have a full army descending on him and even with his Red Lotus and Liberators, there wouldn't be much chance of escape. The only alternative was to create a distraction; his Liberators had attacked the portal at his command, forcing the spirits to retaliate. Of course they'd think the humans were attacking and strike back. President Sato would have no choice but to respond in turn, leaving him to complete his mission.
"It won't be long now," Rizem said quietly.
"Are they still standing around?" one of the Red Lotus asked curiously.
"For now," Rizem said, lowering his small telescope. "After Zhansha's death, the spirits seem a little less co-ordinated. Still, they don't need a figurehead anymore; they're all angry enough."
"Safe to say that we did our job well," Hajar said immodestly by his other side.
Rizem shrugged. "Ornatok was your figurehead as Zhansha was theirs; the rest of you flocked to him when my father died because you didn't know what else to do. In all honesty, the rest of you barely did anything of notice. You all even failed to kill the Elemental Spirits, a simple task."
Hajar frowned. "I searched for the Great Earth Spirit but it buried deep below the desert. The Great Water Spirit was destroyed, however. Ornatok could not have done anything without our support and neither could you. We only assist you in honour of your father, as he decreed before his death."
"Hm. I must say, I didn't expect him to die so quickly. I thought he'd be around to assist for much longer, so I do appreciate your help. From both of your groups," Rizem said without looking round. Lightning struck nearby, a blinding bolt that smashed into a valley to their right, quickly followed by an immense rumbling in the clouds. The storm was approaching.
They were stood in a large cavern carved into the side of the mountain; from the cliff edge, they could peer down at Republic City and the spirit portal, all those miles away. The armies looked like ants from here, though Rizem knew distance would not be an issue. Accuracy wouldn't even matter with the sheer power they possessed. When the time came, their Earthbenders would act and Rizem would be the one to push the button.
"So I was wondering," the Red Lotus woman said slowly, "what happens if we miss? I mean, it takes a ridiculous amount of energy to even fire the cannon...we really only get one shot."
Rizem shook his head. "You'd be correct if we didn't possess the key. Once we activate it, we can test-fire on the armies and take all the energy we need for a sustained attack."
"How long will it take to drain?" Hajar asked, frowning.
"By my estimations, around half an hour. The sheer amount of energy means we'll have to defend the cannon if the United Republic send anyone to stop us," Rizem replied.
The Red Lotus woman chuckled. "Good luck to anyone trying to break in here. They'd have to go through the tunnels from Taku unless they can fly," she said in a voice which suggested the very notion was insane.
Hajar raised his arm up, pointing past the spirit portal and the amassing armies. "In that case, I blame the Air Nomad appearance on you," he said, pointing at the small group of Sky Bison that approached the city from the south-west.
Rizem sighed. "I hoped Jahn wouldn't come. At least, not yet. I guess we'll have to move quicker than we thought before the Airbenders arrive. When they move on us, protect the cannon at all costs. Tell your groups to get ready. The real battle begins soon."
The air swirled round quickly, the gust making her long coat billow out behind her and flap wildly. The Sky Bison all touched down gently, amazing many of the people around. The other Bison that were left at the Encampment all started to walk over slowly, making low rumbling noises by way of greeting. Behind, the strange reptilian-deer that accompanied Jahn followed, head raised proudly. They'd all been looked after well in the Avatar's absence and Asami was relieved when she saw Jahn clamber off the nearest Sky Bison and jump down with some Airbending help.
She approached quickly, followed by Lin and Mako. Before she could say anything, however, Jahn turned round and held his arms out wide, grinning as the Luxiyi bounced over and affectionately nibbled at his hand.
"Hey buddy! It's great to see you again," Jahn said happily, scratching the animal behind one ear. "I'm sorry I had to leave you behind but I'll tell you all about it later."
The Luxiyi made a curious noise, somewhat like a low rumble which sounded like acceptance. When Jahn ruffled the fur on its head, Asami stepped forward, eager to discuss the current situation.
"Jahn. It's so good to see you back. It's good to see all of you," the President said with a nervous smile, looking up at the various Sky Bison. Numerous figures were climbing down, including Jahn's team and, somewhat surprisingly, Tenzin and a number of Airbenders.
The Avatar turned, noticing them for the first time. "Asami. Lin. Mako," he said, nodding to each of them in turn. "I saw what was happening as we flew in. Why is your army ready for war?" he asked calmly.
"The Spirit Eaters took control of Taku," Lin said bluntly. "We also think that your friends Kuvu and Saall may have been…taken captive," she said awkwardly. Mako looked at her quickly, wondering why she hadn't mentioned their deaths, though he didn't say anything. "We all agreed it was best if we start to mobilise our troops in case of an attack, although some Rizem idiot called our bluff and opened the portal. The spirits think we attacked them and here we are."
Jahn frowned. "The Spirit Eaters are in Taku? My father will be there too. If he's there, the cannon is as well. We need to get up there and stop him from using it."
"Will the cannon reach this far?" Mako asked, surprised.
Asami shrugged. "I honestly have no idea what its range is, although if they managed to blast a whole through the mountains, theoretically they could hit us…"
"We've destroyed one of these things before. We can do it again," Lin said cockily.
Jahn shook his head. "No. If the spirits attack, you need to defend yourselves. I don't want a battle but it looks like it's already come to that. You need to keep the spirits distracted while we strike Taku; if we can capture the Spirit Eaters, maybe I can talk some sense into everyone. We've brought the Airbenders for this very reason; if they can assault the mountains and distract the Spirit Eaters, we can find the cannon and destroy it."
Asami frowned. "Do you even know where they're keeping it? There are far too many mountains around to find them in time…"
Jinora and Tenzin approached, just hearing Asami's concern. Jinora nodded back to the Sky Bison, a confident look on her face. "We'll find it. Whatever happens, they're bound to have some kind of storage bay at Taku where they've built the cannon. While Jahn finds that, we can fly around the mountains and look for the cannon. Once we find it, I can tell Jahn and we can move on its location."
"I must say, it's nice to be back," Tenzin said, looking around. "It's a shame about the city; I was always very fond of it," he said sadly.
Asami looked sympathetic. "I know Tenzin. We all were. This is our home. When this is all over, we'll rebuild, bigger and better than ever before," she promised.
As they fell silent, they just heard Anik grumbling as he walked past. "I still don't see why we left the boat, she was a beautiful thing…" he said as he walked off with Auri and Tilia.
Jahn rolled his eyes. When he focused back on Asami, he looked every inch the Avatar. "Asami, I need you to assemble all of our friends. Tell them to come to the front lines, ready for battle. I know everyone has a loved one to visit but we need to act quickly," he said, looking to Jinora. When she nodded, he relaxed slightly. "They have half an hour. Half an hour and we finish this at last."
The army stood silent, facing the spirits. The mecha-suits creaked awkwardly, the joints slightly rusted from disuse. The thunder boomed above and the spirits rustled as if one great entity. Time was slipping away and soon, someone was bound to act.
At the back of the army, behind the trenches that marked the boundary of the United Republic Freedom Encampment, the Avatar stood atop a small pile of crates and looked down on the small group of his friends who had heard his call. His own friends and allies, Jinora, Anik, Tilia, Kuan, Kazon, Eyuta, Sho-tahn and Auri, all stood watching him with proud expressions.
"You all know who I am. You've all stood with me against my enemies and you've all had my back since I found out I was the Avatar. We've repelled the Red Lotus, we've fought the Spirit Eaters and some of us have even fought a Chaos Spirit," Jahn said loudly, looking down at Jinora and Anik with a slight smile. Looking up again, he raised his head proudly. "Some of you were friends with Avatar Korra so you know how this goes," he said, looking towards Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, Lin, Asami and Kai. "I tried my best to prevent this war but spirits and humans have been fighting long before the first Avatar, Avatar Wan. When Korra opened the spirit portals, old grievances were bound to rise up once again. What we do today is not an act of war, but instead an act of freedom. Today, we take the first steps in healing a millennia of distrust and antagonism!"
The entire group cheered loudly, clapping their hands and punching the air. Jahn nodded, knowing they'd support him whatever came their way. "You all know the plan. You all know the risks. I wouldn't ask any of you to risk your own safety if there was any other way but…"
"We'll be fine, stop being soppy!" Anik shouted up in a teasing voice, raising a laugh from everyone present.
Jahn chuckled quickly before growing serious once again. "I just wanted to say, just in case….thank you all. Thank you for your love and support; ever since my mother died, I've not been sure of who I really am. Standing with you all, our backs against the wall, I finally realise that it doesn't really matter. All of you; you're what matters and this time, I promise you all, I will not fail."
The group cheered once again, clapping loudly as Jahn stepped down from the crates. Asami stepped up quickly, hands raised as the small crowd fell silent. "I don't think I can follow that speech and I won't try to. I just wanted to say, good luck to us all. Tenzin and Jinora, are your Airbenders ready?"
When they both nodded, Asami smiled nervously. "Ok. Everyone to your positions. Be safe," she said, bowing to them all. After the gesture was returned, the group all quickly said farewell and made off in different directions. Jinora smiled through her worried expression at them, waving slightly as she walked towards the Sky Bison with her father.
Jahn clambered up onto Eyuta's back as Anik, Kazon and Tilia grouped up with him. "Are you all sure about this? We'll be directly in the line of fire if this doesn't work."
"If it doesn't, which I'm honestly expecting, then we'll make it work," Anik said with a shrug.
"We're ready. We'll make it; I'm not leaving my daughter without a father again," Kazon said resolutely.
Tilia didn't say anything; she just smiled and nodded, a fierce look in her eye. Jahn nodded back, realising just how much she'd changed. They'd all changed. Anik had matured considerably, Kazon had finally found something to tether him to a normal life, Tilia was no longer shy and quiet and Jahn…well, he felt so different to that day in Taku when the scared young man had discovered he could Firebend.
The army parted swiftly as they walked through the troops, eyes glued to the hordes of spirits ahead. Occasionally, someone would whisper "good luck" or "go get 'em" as they passed, though a respectful silence had fallen over the majority of the assembled humans.
Eventually, they stepped free of the front lines and walked carefully into no-man's land. Anik fidgeted with the large urn he carried on his back, clearly uncomfortable with its weight. Tilia likewise had a large bag slung across her shoulders in preparation for the confrontation, hanging by her hip, unzipped for easy access. Eyuta growled lowly as they approached, one ear flicking to and fro as his eyes twirled, watching the spirits. Tilia scanned the enemy army nervously, wringing her hands over and over.
"Jahn, if this doesn't work, how will the Airbenders find us?" Anik whispered out of the side of his mouth.
"They'll know. Hopefully they won't take too long…" he whispered from Eyuta's back.
The spirits barely moved as they approached; their numbers were incredible, most likely reaching into the thousands. They literally turned this part of the broken Republic City into a thriving mass of colour. It was strangely beautiful, Jahn thought as he leapt from Eyuta's back and stood facing them.
"Spirits! My name is Jahn. I'm the Avatar. I know you don't want war any more than we do, so let's talk!" he shouted loudly with his arms spread wide as a gesture of goodwill. "If we're willing to talk things through, we can stand our armies down and focus on taking down a bigger threat than either of us!"
The spirits reacted strongly, shouting and flapping wildly, various limbs, talons and claws all scratching at the air. When Jahn raised his hands for peace, they settled down slightly.
"Please! I wouldn't be stood here if I wanted a fight! None of us do, though there are people up in the town of Taku that are building a weapon to destroy you all!" he shouted.
The spirit army roared in response, a deafening clamour which assaulted their ears. Clearly, they were too incensed to listen.
"Jahn. We cannot prevent the fighting, but we can end it quickly. We have a different target," Raava's voice said within his mind.
Nodding, the Avatar turned round to his friends. "Defensive positions. We need to buy the Airbenders some time."
They all nodded, springing into action. Jahn immediately jumped high into the air with Airbending as his eyes flashed. The Avatar State surged as he slammed into the ground, his fists sinking into the ground. The earth either side of him ripped upwards, reaching further and further away as the enormous earthen walls built and towered above them. No human could climb the walls, though the only way through was in the gap where Jahn stood.
He wasn't stood long, however, as the spirits howled as one and charged, sprinting directly for them. Jahn launched himself backwards, the earth below his feet propelling him behind the wall as Anik jumped forward. The urn from his back rose into the air and shattered as the liquid inside coiled into the air due to Anik's waterbending. He twirled his hands intricately, suddenly pointing left and right with sweeping arms. The oil from the urn split apart; half coated the ground in front of the earth wall on the right whilst the rest did the same on the left, drenching the soil as far as it would reach.
Without leaving a second to spare, Kazon front-flipped over Anik with a burst of flame from his feet, the Waterbender backing away underneath as he passed. One quick kick set the oil ablaze, so Kazon swiftly span and punched, the other trail of oil igniting as well. Within seconds, there was a huge woosh as the flames roared into the air, forcing the spirits to halt as they considered the immense flaming barrier.
"Tilia, quick!" Kazon shouted, allowing the smaller girl to hurry to the gap in the wall. She knelt down, her hands outstretched. Her bag shook considerably as hundreds and hundreds of tiny metal balls floated out, hovering in the air. She twisted her right hand and flicked with her left hand; the balls lined up and began to fly out towards the spirits at incredible speeds. The metal pellets struck countless spirits, knocking them to the floor unconscious.
Behind, Jahn and Kazon struck in unison; they kicked up into the air, the fireballs rising up and flying over the wall. They heard an almighty clamour behind as the United Republic forces charged, sprinting towards the wall in anger. Jahn turned his head, dismayed to see their attack. Asami was supposed to wait to see if Jahn could handle it; clearly she didn't think they were coping.
Gritting his teeth, Jahn spun round, kicking a spirit off the top of the wall with an Airbending slice. They were already climbing the walls, avoiding the centre due to Tilia's rapid fire. Kazon knocked another spirit down with a huge blast of fire, yet they were starting to crawl over in greater numbers. There were only four of them in the middle, yet the wall stretched for hundreds of metres in both directions.
"Jahn! We need to retreat!" Kazon yelled as he aimed at another spirit flying over the wall with ease. A burst of fire singed its insect wings; it spiralled to the floor, smoking slightly.
Jahn nodded. He'd hoped for a bigger distraction but they were clearly out of time. He ran forwards, avoiding a flurry of spikes which flew towards him, as he grabbed Tilia's shoulder and pulled her to her feet. "Come on!" he yelled, grabbing her hand and running back with her in tow. They all ran, sprinting towards the charging army who seemed to move apart slightly, as if to let them pass. As Anik and Kazon pulled ahead, Jahn released Tilia's hand and ran quicker, trying to catch up to Eyuta who easily outpaced them all.
"Aaah!" he heard Tilia scream. Jahn immediately stopped, completely alarmed to see Tilia lying on the floor some way behind him. The spirits were pouring over the wall now, crawling over each other in their haste to attack. The nearest ones were almost to Tilia, so Jahn instantly focused his mind, separating the energies within. He drew one hand away from his body quickly, pointing the other away as he drew the first hand back in, sparks flying from his fingers. Just before he released the energy that was pent up inside him, he willed Raava's power to help. The Avatar State flashed in his eyes as he released the lightning; a colossal bolt of lightning shot over Tilia and impacted the ground a metre away from the first spirits. The earth exploded violently, showering the air with chunks of soil and rock as a huge section of the wall crumbled into dust, destroyed by Jahn's enhanced lightning. The spirits were lying dazed on the floor, though more were quickly approaching.
"Eyuta!" Jahn shouted in a hoarse voice, feeling weak from the effort. His animal guide instantly appeared at his side, horns lowered and a snarl on his face. His clawed hooves churned the ground as the Luxiyi sprinted forwards, reaching Tilia within seconds. She jumped up on his back, clinging tightly to the fur around the animal's neck as Eyuta kicked, bounding over to where Jahn knelt.
The Avatar smiled in a daze, dimly aware of the approaching danger. The lightning had made his arm feel strange, as though there were a thousand tiny pins sticking into his skin. When Tilia reached down, he grabbed her wrist without sensation, hoisting himself up behind Tilia.
"Run, Eyuta. Run," he said to his friend quietly. The Luxiyi didn't wait; he ran for the United Republic forces, legs a blur as the spirits closed behind. Jahn could dimly sense their proximity, the shadow of their anger covering them, coming closer and closer.
Just as the nearest spirits leapt at Eyuta's flank, the United Forces swamped them, clashing with the spirits with an incredible yell. A whole line of spirits smashed into a line of humans, fighting instantly; it took only a few seconds for the two sides to merge into one messy, chaotic brawl. Fire and rocks flew everywhere, occasionally blocked with bursts of colourful energy from the spirits.
Jahn rubbed his eyes with one hand as he clutched Tilia's waist with his other arm. They rode through the rest of the army, Kazon and Anik following closely behind, carving a path back to safety as the fighting waged on.
As they reached the back of the army, they passed several large mecha-tanks which were firing large canisters of gas up over the human forces and into the swarming spirits. Asami was waiting for them; she looked stern, almost as much so as Lin who stood by her side.
"I couldn't wait, not with you all out there," she said quickly as they rode up. Kazon and Anik bent over, gasping for air, though Jahn and Tilia were fine. Jahn stood shakily, leaning on Eyuta's strong neck for support, hugging it quickly. "Thank you," he whispered to the Luxiyi, who shook his ears and stuck out his tongue.
"I…it's a…shame we couldn't stop them…" Kazon said between gulps of air, leaning his head back.
"You did well. Four of you against an army. Impressive stuff," Lin admitted, looking impressed.
"Not well enough," Jahn said at last, turning towards them. "Have the Airbenders found the place we're looking for yet?" he asked.
When Asami shook her head, the Avatar frowned. "We can't just sit here and wait. We need to go to Taku and find their base, maybe even find the cannon. Once we destroy that, we just need to show the spirits-"
"Oh Jahn, that won't work!" Asami said in exasperation. "They won't just realise that one person is responsible, they don't care! They're too angry and I don't blame them; since I met Korra, nearly everyone has been trying to use spirits for their power! Korra would have just finished the war on her terms, not pinning her hopes on some miracle!" the President shouted, almost on the verge of tears.
Jahn looked at her properly, for the first time since meeting her. He could sense Korra's memories, full of affection and warmth, though Jahn realised that his own feelings for Asami weren't quite so fluffy. "You're wrong," he said coldly. "You trusted Korra because she earned your trust but she wasn't perfect. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be in this mess, so I'm trying to fix thousands of years' worth of negative emotions. If you're not going to help, Madam President, shut up and stay out of our way," he snapped, turning his back on her.
Tilia frowned slightly but remained quiet; despite her affections for both Asami and Jahn, she clearly wanted to stay out of their disagreement. Kazon seemed slightly surprised by Jahn's rudeness but Anik was grinning slyly, as though he secretly agreed. "So, Taku?" the Waterbender asked.
When Jahn nodded, they heard the screams of the dying out on the battlefield, occasionally drowned out by explosions as the last of the United Republic fought the countless droves of spirits.
A shockwave suddenly rumbled beneath their feet, travelling through the ground at immense speeds. They all felt it; it seemed to lift the ground up ever so slightly, the dust rising into the air. Jahn looked up in concern as something in the mountains beyond the spirit portal flashed brightly.
"Erm…was that us?" Anik asked nervously.
The mountain range beyond Republic City was the range that separated the city from Taku. One impressive peak rose just higher than the rest and it was from this mountain that the light emerged. It grew intensely bright, even from all these miles away, until it faded suddenly.
Jahn watched in horror as a titanic orange beam of energy fired from the mountain, spiralling round as it travelled the leagues between the mountain and the spirits. It smashed into the spirits, disintegrating hundreds at once, sending specks of energy into the air which fizzled into nothing. After a minute, the beam retracted, flying back towards the source in the mountains.
"What the hell was that!?" Kazon gasped in amazement. He sounded half-scared and half-pleased at the spiritual destruction.
"The cannon…" Asami gasped quietly.
The Avatar nodded. "He finished it. My father's done it. With that, he can destroy anything…" he whispered in defeat.
"No," Tilia said defiantly. "The plan stays the same. We still need to destroy it."
Anik nodded. "She's right. It's just a machine; if we take it down, Rizem has no leverage."
Just as Jahn looked up, considering their words, the air above them flickered slightly. They all looked up, amazed as Jinora's astral projection burst into view.
"We found the cannon! It's here in the mountain!" she said loudly, as though she was surrounded by strong winds.
"We know!" Anik half-shouted up to her. "It just fired!"
Jinora shook her head. "It's worse than that! It's not just the spirits! It's going to fire again, it's going to-" she said before her projection flickered and vanished.
Lin's eyes grew wide. "Everyone, get down!" she shouted as the light from the mountain shone once again. They all dropped to the floor instantly, covering their heads as they expected the cannon blast to hit.
When they felt the ground shudder, they all knew the cannon had fired. Jahn looked up quickly, however, fully aware that they hadn't been hit. He leapt to his feet, eyes wide as he watched the huge beam of energy envelop the spirit portal, surrounding it with a dull orange light, pulsing as though a shield had been created around it.
Suddenly, everything made sense. His father's plan unravelled like a tapestry before him. The spirits, the war, the cannon, and the key, the most important part.
"Asami!" Jahn gasped, spinning round as his friends all looked up cautiously. "The key! The anti-cannon device you created from studying the cannon; you said it absorbs energy!?" he asked in a panic.
The President nodded. "It's not a key. It's an energy battery," she said in a hushed tone.
Jahn's face drained of colour. "It's the portal!" he exclaimed in shock. "He's going to destroy the portal!"
((One chapter left. Next week, the finale!))