Suddenly, I feel something in my mind.
"Aang's back," I say. My dream comes back to me—the floating island, Aang talking to Yangchen, all of it.
"How could you possibly know that? He's nowhere in sight," Zuko says.
"I have a connection to the Spirits. I've been having weird dreams, too. He was on an island of some kind, talking to his past lives."
"And the Spirits just told you all of this?" Zuko says in disbelief.
I snort, "Of course not. They never do anything explicitly if they can help it. I've had to figure it out along the way, but it just clicked."
I don't tell him about my other realization, about the hooded figure. I recognize the stranger, though I had never seen her before. It was Metis, the first Time bender, warning me. Now that Aang had found his way back, how much more time do I have with Zuko? Would it be long enough to save him? To fight his sister? Or would I vanish without a trace, leaving the man I love forever?
"We're nearly there," Zuko points to a mountain in the range we're flying over.
I tie my hair into a tight bun to keep it out of my face. "Is that a volcano?"
"A crater, left over by a meteor centuries ago. It's been the capital of the Fire Nation as long as anyone can remember. But it's not usually so empty…"
I flex my hand as I pull on some fingerless gloves from my backpack. "I hope Azula's ready for some payback."
"I hope she's not," Zuko smirks. "It'd be much better to catch her by surprise."
We hear the ceremony taking place as we fly into the crater.
"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai," a man says with a flame crown above his head, "I now crown you Fire Lord…" The man trails off as he catches sight of us.
"What are you waiting for?" Azula shouts. "Do it!"
Appa lets out a mighty roar as he lands in the courtyard where the ceremony is taking place.
"Sorry," Zuko says, not sounding sorry at all. He leaps to the ground. "But you're not going to become Fire Lord today. I am."
Azula laughs. There's something off about her. The last two times I've seen her, her hair was flawless and her clothes clean and proper. Now, her bangs are crooked, her hair is in dreads and her outfit? Well let's just say it would be better suited for vegging in front of a TV rather than a coronation ceremony.
"You're hilarious," Azula cackles.
I leap down to stand by Zuko. "And you're going down."
The man with the flame crown moves to place in Azula's messed up hair, but she stops him. "Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be: Agni Kai."
I flinch at the maniac gleam in her eye, but Zuko doesn't back down. "You're on."
"What are you doing?" I hiss as he moves to the other side of the yard. "She's playing you! She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us."
"I know," Zuko lays a hand on my shoulder. "But I can take her this time."
"But even you admitted to your uncle that you would need help facing Azula," I plead.
"There's something off about her. I can't explain it, but she's slipping, and this way, no one else has to get hurt." He gives me a kiss full of emotion. Then he faces his sister.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother," Azula says removing her cloak.
"No you're not," Zuko countered.
They stare at each other for a full minute. Then Azula throws the first move.
A wall of blue flame moves toward Zuko, but he easily deflects it with his own orange Fire. The explosion of their two energies meet with a boom, and the resounding explosion leaves my ears ringing. I can't hear anything but my mother's voice from so long ago.
…a family of time benders…forced to travel back through time…when the Spirits believe your task is done, you will be pulled back to the future…no bending abilities…no memory
For a moment, I think I'm burned and going crazy. I grip my arm, since that's where the pain is most concentrated. I scream, but nobody seems to hear me.
…with Time Bending, you can also heal…
Azula is too focused on her fight, and Zuko doesn't notice. I scream again, and still no one responds.
…Starr Marie Calaeum, what have you done…?
I look down at my arm—it's fading, going invisible. I glance at my surroundings and see that they too are disappearing. My mother's voice continues to echo.
…pulled back to the future…no bending abilities…no memory…
…throw it all away for some boy…last of her family in the past…wreak destruction…might as well me your death certificate…you will perish in the past and bring an unstoppable force to the future…
…I know of no one who can stop a prophecy of the gods…my own daughter…
The purple mist that I use when I time bend wraps itself around me, obscuring my vision. Zuko's gone, and I try to cry out, but I can't hear a sound. It's as if my senses have stopped working.
…you have a great spiritual connection with the Spirit World…you were pulled and pushed through time by their whims…it could be the Spirits telling you something important…
I twist around, trying to make sense of everything. This can't be happening now! Not when everything is happening!
…throw it all away for some boy…my own daughter…the spirits will push and pull you as they see fit…you have the power to bend Time itself…
I close my eyes, trying to block out the pain, to think.
…pulled back to the future…no bending abilities…no memory…
I scream again, this time in rage. They can't do this to me!
…listen to the whispers of the Spirits…they could be telling you something important…
All you have to do is trust them, and everything will be released.
Before I even know what I'm doing, I call upon the purple energy of time, ignoring my mother and the scenes whooshing past me. I wrap the energy around myself like a cocoon. The scenes slow down, but I can tell it's because we're getting closer to my present day.
Thoughts start to slip away. Sokka, Katara, Aang, Suki, Appa, and Momo…the names begin to lose all meaning to me. I'm about to let go, to succumb to the inviting darkness waiting for me. Then I see Zuko's face start to fade from my mind.
…no memory…all you have to do is trust…everything will be released…no memory…
With newfound energy, I fight what I can't see. I bend the purple mist as I've never bent it before. I force the scenes flashing by to slow and go in reverse. I can feel myself drawing closer to the past, closer to friends that completely understand me…closer to a boy that doesn't exist in New York City.
With one more scream of power, I burst back to Zuko and Azula's battle. I can hear again, and I can feel the cool air become hot with the flames slowly burning the surrounding houses.
While they exchange fire below, I'm floating among the clouds battling the Spirits. They attack in all styles and it takes more strength than I know I should be capable of to fend them off. I shoot bolt after purple bolt of power at them and they eventually slow. No longer do they attack. They flee my strength and power and I'm returned to the ground with a bang—a bang that draws Azula's attention.
"No lightning today?" Zuko taunts. "What's the matter, afraid I'll redirect it?"
I run forward to protect Zuko, to defend the reason I fought to come back.
"Oh, I'll show you lightning!" Azula screams. She grins wickedly and shoots the blast of Lightning at me.
Everything happens in slow motion. Zuko turns to see where she's directing her strike and I see the fear in his eyes. I shake my head to show him that it's okay, I can protect myself. But I'm too late; he throws himself in the line of fire and redirects all of the Lightning towards the sky…almost all of it.
Though the majority races for the clouds, some Lightning wraps itself around Zuko, knocking him to the ground.
"Zuko!" I cry as I race for his unmoving body. But a blast of blue Fire cuts me off.
I turn to glare at Azula. All of my fear and worry becomes rage at the sound of her maniacal laughter.
I throw a jet of purple energy at her, but she Lightning bends it away. She and I lock on each other, neither backing down. I throw Earth, she blocks it; Air she dodges; Fire she manipulates away. Finally, I'm left with Water, my weakest element.
I leap out from behind the pillar I had used for protection and bend an entire pool onto where Azula was standing on the roof. When it drips down, there's nothing there. I hear her battle cry just in time behind me and leap out of the way. Not even knowing if it will work, I try Katara's wave technique. I pull the Water to act as the ocean and I'm able to surf on it away from the crazed princess. With a smile, I realize that I'm really and truly controlling the water. But my victory doesn't last long.
Azula sends a wall of Fire into my wave, knocking me to the ground next to the wall of the courtyard. I look through the grate I landed on, ignoring various aches and pains all over my body. There's a river of water underneath. I look around and see chains hanging on a wall. An idea forms in my mind.
"There you are, filthy peasant," Azula calls from behind me. She steps forward, moving her arms to call upon the flames again. I grit my teeth and wait until she's on top of the grate. Then I send jets of energy at her. Just as she points her hand at me to send lightning, I use all my strength to pull the water up and freeze Time around us.
I liquefy the water around me and with the chain, bind her hands together and attach the links to the grate. I let out the breath I had been holding since I was pulled back to the future and let the water fall. Finally, I'm able to point right at Azula and freeze only her in Time.
I hear a cough and turn my attention to Zuko. As I turn him over, I see the gaping tear in his shirt framing the ugly burn on his chest. I try to remember what Katara said about healing, but I can't grasp it. I wrap my hands in Water, and call upon my purple Time energy.
I focus all my strength on healing the ragged burn on Zuko's chest. The mist seeps through my fingers like when I healed his scar. Slowly, the wound stitches itself together, leaving his skin smooth and unblemished.
Slowly, he opens his eyes. "Thank you, Starr," he whispers weakly.
I feels tears spill over my face. "I think I'm the one who should be thanking you."
He gets up slowly, with my help and looks over at the frozen Azula. I release her from being frozen. She struggles with the chains binding her to the grate, but can't escape. I almost feel sorry for her as she screams and cries. Zuko holds me close so I don't have to watch and I sag, tired, into his warm embrace, and promptly pass out.