I know I know. It's been forever. But yeah, here is the next chapter! :D *enthusiasm* so, um, I usually have a back and forth with Ty Lee and Mitsuki, but now this chapter is all Ty Lee. And the next will be all Mitsuki, so, without further ado, Happy Hunting!
Chapter8: The Lost Soul
"Ah, it is good to have the Gaang back," Sokka sighed comfortably in Appa's saddle.
"Plus two." Suki added, glancing at Ty Lee and Shang. Sokka chuckled and kissed his wife's cheek as she scooted closer.
"We're almost there," Aang stated, coaxing his bison to go faster.
In the saddle of the great sky-bison the old Gaang all sat around reminiscing on old times. Katara sat at the front looking out over the land and occasionally talking to Aang. Sokka and Suki sat off to the side, leaning against the edge and talking quietly. Ty Lee and Shang sat at the back, Shang occasionally looking back to see if they were being followed. And Toph clung to the rail, all the while wishing they would land already.
"Are we there yet twinkle toes?" Toph asked rudely. Katara chuckled at the old nickname while Aang sighed. "Toph, can you please lose the nickname?" He asked frustratingly. "Nope." She replied with a hint of amusement to her tone.
Aang sighed again. "Yes, we're almost there," He said.
"I'd be happy to get out and walk the rest of the way," Toph mumbled to herself.
"This will be so fun, the old Gaang back together again, fighting evil-" Sokka paused. "What are we fighting again?" Although they were all grown up, Sokka still had his goofy-kid side.
Aang started laughing at his friend, "Spirits. Angry spirits," He said.
"Oh," Sokka said. If he'd been twenty years younger that would've come out as high pitched, but as he grew older his voice deepened somewhat.
Aang finally spotted the forest Altoru had told him about. He handed Katara the map and asked where the temple was.
"Um, right there-" Katara pointed down to the middle of the forest, Aang whipped his reins and Appa flew down and landed in a small clearing just outside the forest.
Everyone stayed silent for awhile, staring into the darkness. Something flittered around in there, probably a bat, and then landed in a tree and let out a piercing scream.
Everyone jumped out then Aang got off the bison. "Here's where we go on foot," He said bravely. "Finally!" Toph yelled and jumped over the side of the saddle. Or rather, flopped over the side.
Suki and Sokka jumped off too, as well as Ty Lee and Shang.
"Here we go," Aang said, looking at the forest. Katara slipped her arm in Aang's and gulped. Aang patted her arm gently and they went in.
As they walked, many eyes peered at them through the brush, Sokka had gotten out his machete and held it poised for action. Suki clung to his arm with wide eyes looking at every tree they passed.
Shang walked at the back of the pack carrying his two swords, and Ty Lee walking in front of him trying desperately to remember all of her Kyoshi training.
The group came across a dead tree in the middle of their path. They all stopped to look at it a few minutes, it had no leaves and it's bark was dry and stale, it's branches tangled out creepily but the creepiest of all was the hangman's noose tied off one of the branches.
Aang gulped and walked around the tree, and the others quickly followed.
"Uh, guys?" Toph said quietly after awhile. Everyone turned to look at her, she was standing completely still, she would move her feet occasionally.
"Guys I think this forest is alive!" She said in a whisper. "Oh come on, a forest can't be 'alive'," Sokka corrected her.
Toph stood up strait and glared at him with her pearl eyes that couldn't see. "I know what I feel," She said between clenched teeth.
Sokka rolled his eyes and was immediately punched in the shoulder by Toph. "Ow! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his arm where it hurt.
"Don't roll your eyes at me," Toph said, folding her arms in front of her. "How did you-"
"I felt it." Toph quickly interrupted. A huge vibration suddenly broke up their fight. It came from off in the distance, to the left of where everyone stood. All eyes searched the woods for the source.
"See," Toph whispered.
"That explains the name," Katara said aloud. Aang stepped closer to see what his wife was looking at on the map. "See," She pointed to the forests name, "The Forest of Talking Trees," She read.
Aang raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Weird." He noted and then kept walking.
Another loud vibration sounded, only this one was closer. Only ten feet away from where Suki stood. She screamed and jumped back, landing right beside Sokka.
They looked out and the vibrating ceased. Everyone was on edge, looking in all directions for any other noise.
"Aang I think we should-" Katara's voice was interrupted by more rapid violent vibrations coming from all directions, the Gaang moved in circles, following each noise and desperately trying to find the source so they could at least make it stop.
"Aang!" Katara squealed, pointing behind him. He looked and saw the tree directly behind him vibrating rapidly. He stepped back but wouldn't allow the others to run, "I think it's speaking to us," He said, touching one of the moving trees.
It stopped its vibrations but Aang's eyes and tattoos began to glow. "Aang?" Katara's soft yet fearful voice called. He didn't move. He just stood there with one hand on the tree and the other grasping his staff. His eyes and tattoos were blinking rapidly, Katara was in a panic but her brother held her back.
"He's the Avatar he can handle it!" Sokka kept saying. Katara screamed and lashed out for her husband, trying to get him out of this terrifying state.
She was always nervous when her husband entered the Avatar State, but now this just freaked her out.
Suddenly all noise stopped and so did Aang's blinking. He stepped back from the tree, "Huh. Guess it didn't have anything to say," He noted, as if nothing ever happened.
"Aang!" Katara's fear grabbed his attention. "Yes?" He answered, looking to her with concern.
"Did you just- didn't you -you mean?" She struggled to form a sentence, but nothing was as it seemed and that scared her.
"She's trying to ask you if you're ok, and if you realize what just happened," Suki chimed in.
Aang shrugged, "I'm fine. What just happened?" He asked curiously.
"Your eyes glowed like the freaky avatar thing and they blinked a lot," Sokka spoke up, letting his sister go to run in Aang's arms.
"What?" Aang asked confused. "It was scary," Katara made sure to tell him.
He still seemed confused however. "It was like you were in the Avatar State but your glowing eyes and tattoos were blinking, and when the tree vibrations stopped so did your glowing," Ty Lee explained. Aang nodded.
"Well, I didn't feel anything. I was just touching the tree and then I stopped." Aang said.
He took Katara's hand sadly, "I'm sorry I scared you," He whispered. She let out a small smile and kissed his cheek.
"We'll be ok, let's just get this spirit girl and get going." She said.
"You're right lets go," Aang said, leading the way to the spirit temple.
They arrived without any further interruption, but the temple was surrounded by an invisible wall. It was discovered because Sokka ran into it and passed out.
He woke up fine, and Aang tried to walk through the wall. But he couldn't get through,
"Now what?" Toph asked. "Did the spirit man ever tell you what to do with the wall?" She pressed.
Aang shook his head, then quickly remembered she wouldn't see it. But she probably felt it, "No." He mumbled.
"Well, then we're stuck." She announced, crossing her arms.
"Um. Guys?" Shang said quietly.
"What's with the wall? You can't see it but its there," Sokka said, rubbing his head.
"Guys," Shang said again. But no one heard him.
"I don't know." Aang said. "But didn't Altoru say that he couldn't get in but we could?" Katara asked.
Aang nodded.
"Guys?" Shang called out again.
"But he never really said any of us could get in, he specified Ty Lee could get through-" Aang recalled.
"GUYS!" Shang yelled. "What?" Aang turned to him and then gasped.
On Ty Lee's forehead a purple star was glowing. "Um, something's wrong with her," Toph noted as she felt her physical reaction to whatever it was.
Her heart was beating too fast and her breathing was shallow and ragged. But only Ty Lee knew what was going on in her mind...
She saw a memory, the memory of back the first time Mitsuki had come on a mission,
She was just about to send Ty Lee to the Spirit World of Keonama,
'Mitsuki pressed three fingers to her lips and then touched them to Ty-Lees forehead. "Be safe," She said with a confident look in her eye.'
Ty Lee instinctively put her hand on her forehead and felt it, then she had a vision through the others eyes, she saw herself standing there staring, on her forehead right where Mitsuki placed her kissed fingers, a purple star was glowing. And then it hit her; I am the only one who can enter the temple.
Her imaginings vanished and she was back seeing through her own eyes again. She blinked to clear her vision and then saw everyone around her in a panic.
"Ty Lee, are you ok?" Shang asked, worry written all over his face.
"I'm the only one who can get through." She stated immediately.
"What?" Aang asked. For an answer Ty Lee stepped through the invisible wall. Everyone stared in awe.
"Ty Lee! You have to go get Kira," Aang shouted. Ty Lee nodded, took one last look at Shang, and then walked into the temple.
She tried to open the giant doors quietly but they creaked heavily. She cautiously peered through the crack, seeing no one she ventured in.
The big door slammed behind her, making her jump. "Let's just get this over with." She whispered to herself and pressed forward.
Despite her fear of walking into certain death, Ty Lee couldn't help but admire the temple decor. After living in an Air Temple for a long part of her life, Ty Lee grew fond of the sacredness that surrounded her now.
As she walked her heart rate went up. She suddenly regretted coming in here, even though she was the only one who could enter, it was scary in the dark temple with only a few torches to light the place.
"Please!" A terrified female voice rang out, making Ty Lee jump back.
"Please, just let me go," The voice screamed. It sounded like whoever it was was in extreme pain.
There was a flicking whip sound followed by a piercing scream and a desperate cry for help.
Ty Lee ran down the halls faster, all she knew was that somebody was being tortured and she was that persons only hope.
But as she ran around the last corner and spotted a young girl with fiery red hair, an arm reached out and she ran strait into it.
A strong spirit-man grabbed Ty Lee and dragged her back.
"I knew you'd be coming." He growled. Ty Lee couldn't speak because he held her in a choker hold.
She was gasping for air, his arm was gripped tight but just barely loose enough for her to catch some air.
"No! I told daddy I'd be fine! He didn't need to send you," The redheaded girl said. She had eyes that looked like eternally burning flames and she had a few red freckles as well.
Her hair was long, it was sprawled out around her, and Ty Lee estimated that if the girl was standing it could easily touch the floor.
"Now I've got two prisoners," The evil spirit mumbled. He bashed Ty Lee over the head and she was knocked unconscious.
She woke up minutes later with a throbbing headache. She sat up and looked around. She was still in the room with the redhead only now she was chained to the floor beside her.
The girl smiled at Ty Lee, trying to reassure her new prison mate.
"You're Kira?" Ty Lee asked, sitting all the way up and wincing in pain.
"Yes, and you're Ty Lee." The girl replied surely. Ty Lee smiled.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing, I was trying to save you," Ty Lee mumbled sadly.
Kira nodded. "That's ok. I've been here awhile now," She replied.
"What was it you said before? You didn't need a rescue, and you told your dad," Ty Lee asked curiously. "Have you found a way to escape?" She asked again.
Kira sighed.
"I don't need a rescue because I've failed." She said in disappointment. "I'm gonna be obliterated," She whispered.
Ty Lee gasped, she struggled with her chains but couldn't get loose. "We'll get out of here." Ty Lee said. "No ones gonna die."
Kira grumbled in frustration, "I've failed! I'm gonna fade there's no doubt about that," She said.
"Not everyone makes it out alive." Kira whispered and a tear slid down her pale skin.
Ty Lee wanted so badly to help Kira escape alive, but it seemed hopeless, there was no way out. She looked around but there was nothing to help them escape. All seemed lost.
This had to be the end.
Hours later and Ty Lee started to feel sick, the stench in the air was too much. She felt nauseous. The spirit-man had come in a couple times, he brought a hammer and a metal rod with him. All he'd do was stick the rod in the furnace, and then hammer it down a few times. Occasionally he'd be in there to put more coal in the fire but he'd leave without a word.
Kira was very weak, she just sat on the floor with her hands chained behind her and her head hanging. Ty Lee tried to talk to her and keep her awake, but it was no use. Kira was slowly dying and there was nothing they could do about it.
"Kira. I'm sure Altoru will come for us," Ty Lee said quietly. There was a whimper from Kira but nothing else.
"Kira?" Ty Lee begged, fearing for her life. "He can't. And won't-" She whispered. She spoke with such weakness Ty Lee thought she'd probably die soon.
They had to get out now.
Suddenly the roof of the temple broke and fell down on top of them. In dropped Mitsuki with a warriors yell and a sword in her hands. Tears were streaked all over her face as she looked around,
"Mitsuki!" Ty Lee squealed. "She's gonna fade!" She jerked her head to Kira and Mitsuki ran over.
The spirit-man came back in with a new sword he made. Mitsuki ran at him for an epic battle to the finish.