((Action time! A few in-jokes for fans of the series, including a reference to something Bryke almost added...))
Eyes of Silver:
Jahn sprinted and flipped forward, fire hurtling towards the spirit. It sidestepped with ease and immediately unfurled its wings, ready to take off. A moment's indecision struck Vehrin; the Soul Shaper was right there, ready to be consumed. If it fled now, it might not be able to find it aga-
A spinning whip of water smashed into Vehrin's side, bringing it to a hardened knee. Its head swivelled around fully to witness Anik stood by the edge of the cliff, water rising behind him from the ocean below. His hands were fluid in front of him; they twisted and twirled and the torrent of water surged towards Vehrin. It attempted to take off but the water coiled around one leg, preventing it from flying any higher.
Turning in mid-air, Vehrin hissed as it noticed Jinora mere feet away. Having flown into the air, she had soared higher to gain an advantage and her freefall dive had made her crash into the spirit. She tackled it in the air around the human midriff, breaking the water whip but sending both hurtling into the ground.
"Argh!" she yelled as Vehrin grabbed her head with one huge clawed and threw her off itself. Jinora landed heavily and did not move. Climbing to its feet, Vehrin roared at the collection of humans before it in a tone unlike its previous hissing tone. Shaking its head as though in pain, it looked up at Jahn and he was surprised to see its bat face slacken.
"Please, help us!" said the voice, strangely human.
Jahn paused for a second. "What? Is this a trick?"
"No! I'm the human he took when he…ah! Too strong! Free us! Please!" screamed the voice in agony before Vehrin roared once more and shook itself. When it looked up once more, malice had returned to the eyes and Jahn knew that the spirit was once more in control.
"All those souls Vehrin! All those souls just screaming to get out! You can't control them, can you?" he shouted at the spirit, which hissed and charged.
Powering forward, the Soul Eater lunged at Jahn, who dived to the side, rolling as he landed. Vehrin immediately turned and sliced down, his claws burying into the ground as Jahn dodged again. A number of ice shards clattered against the spirit's back, shattering into tiny fragments but Vehrin was unfazed. It span and punched the air; a strong gust of wind carved along the grass and struck Anik in the legs. His legs were kicked out from under him and he crashed into the ground with an "oof."
"It can airbend! Watch out!" Jahn yelled to the others. He glanced Jinora climbing to her feet from the side; relief spread through his chest. He thought she'd been out but he'd need her help to distract the spirit.
A clawed hand caught him by the shoulder and he fell back. Vehrin made the most of the weakness and pounced, clutching Jahn to the ground with both hands. White eyes looked into blue ones, malice against hope. The snake tongue flickered obscenely, tasting the scent of Jahn's fear. It lowered, preparing to feast on the soul of the Avatar…
….Anik tackled the spirit from the side, sending both rolling over each other in a desperate attempt to buy Jahn time. The Avatar clambered up to his feet and ran to assist his friend. Anik was likewise pinned but stared at the bat head with fearless abandon. "Ugly beast, aren't you?" he spat, struggling against the spirit's hold.
Vehrin hissed and struck Anik solidly across the face. The waterbender immediately went limp, his eyes rolling back into his head. Vehrin lifted him effortlessly and dropped him, watching as Anik crumpled on the ground, totally unconscious.
"No!" Jinora shouted loudly. She span around swiftly, slicing the air as she bent the wind to her will. Vehrin staggered towards her but was buffeted by the howling gale. It covered its eyes against the sheer force of the air and took a few weak steps forward.
"Jahn, now!" Jinora yelled.
"Which way!?" Auri shouted, her face confused. The passageways all seemed the same in this compound.
"To…the left…" Zukoh muttered weakly, holding up a shaking arm to point the way. Part of his mind found it amusing that the Red Lotus had kept them imprisoned in his own compound. Had they really been so naïve to think he would not escape?
Kai grunted as he helped support the firebender down the corridor. Zukoh was becoming weaker with every second and it would be difficult to carry him the entire way.
Auri checked that the way was clear and beckoned for them to hurry. As well as Zukoh, at least ten others were escaping with them, several of which were White Lotus members.
"Hey! Stop there!" a guard yelling, running round a corner. Auri immediately jumped forward and kicked with both feet, pushing the guard back with a blast of air. He skidded to the end of the corridor and his head impacted on the metal wall. "Ow!" he grunted.
"Quickly!" Auri yelled, motioning for the others to hurry past her. The group shuffled past, eager to be out of the metal compound and out in the metaphorically fresh air of Republic City.
Kai and Zukoh were the last to pass her. She sighed and slipped an arm under Zukoh's injured arm, ignoring his injured protests. Together, she and Kai lifted him and helped support him as they made their way to the metal elevator that took them to the shop above. It was quite large and so all of them managed to fit inside but before they could press the button, they heard shouting behind them.
Zukoh watched as plumes of fire roared into the air. A figure leapt onto a nearby roof and span off, becoming a spinning wheel of fire that descended into a group of Red Lotus guards. Recognising the signature move, he started slightly, making Kai pause with his finger on the button. "You know her?"
The Grand Master nodded slowly. "Sadly. We need….to wait."
The group stood for a moment, anxious to be ascending. One of the White Lotus at the back began to nudge and shuffle with nerves and finally cracked. "Press it! We need to go now!"
Zukoh straightened, ignoring the pain from his back which flared up like a rearing snake. "You stay where you are. She…comes with us."
The White Lotus seemed to shrink slightly, backing away in submission. It looked as though the others were about to agree with him, however, when the figure came into sight once more. Running between two metal houses, she continuously threw fireballs at her pursuers which kept them at bay. Sprinting, she waved one hand and began to shout, "Press it already!"
Kai obliged. He hit the button but the elevator did not move. Pressing it repeatedly, he looked worriedly at Auri. "Why's it not flying up!?"
Zukoh coughed and pointed. "The generator. It needs power."
"Argh!" Kai said, frustrated. He ran a hand through his messy hair as he thought quickly.
The figure had reached them. Panting, Akirai bent over and gasped for air. The Red Lotus were not far behind but she had managed to outpace them for a moment. "You…look like shit," she chuckled between breaths at Zukoh.
"You can talk. Felt better. We need to get out. Generator."
Akirai looked over at the side, where the huge machine sat quiet. "Ah. I getcha. Typical. Just because you're beaten up, I have to stay here and save all your asses."
Zukoh looked at his aunt sadly. "We can…come back."
Akirai shrugged. "Sod that Nephew. You get your ass up there to safety. I can deal with these piss poor excuses for benders," she said smugly. Her one good eye burned with energy and her lips curled in a confident grin.
The Grand Master looked at the floor and then up at Akirai. "Izumi. Would be proud."
His aunt's smile faded slightly and a quick look of emotion flickered across her face before the confidence returned. "Yeah whatever. She's dead now, I'm not. I intend to stay that way. This is what happens when you get set up with the Chief of Police. Mako was a wuss anyway. Tell him that from me. I'll see you later Nephew."
Turning, she took a few steps away before she faced the generator. Concentrating, she began to move her hands in a fluid motion. The area went dark as the lightning sparked between her hands. She continued to do this, building the energy until her hair began to stand on end and her skin fizzled with the energy inside. Opening her eye, she yelled as she thrust towards the generator. The lightning exploded forwards, striking the generator and immediately powering it up. It began to whir and splutter as the elevator began to rise.
Akirai remained where she stood, a conduit for the lightning which continued in a constant stream. Her face was alive with the sheer power of the bending and Zukoh smiled slightly as he watched his aunt. She had saved them. But there would be no saving her. The lightning would cripple the generator. This was a one way journey without a metalbending force to assist.
Indeed, the generator began to spark and shake as the lightning overwhelmed the system. The elevator began to rise quicker and Zukoh savoured the remaining glimpse of Akirai, firing lightning as the Red Lotus descended on her, before she and the compound vanished from view.
"...wait, she dated Mako?" Kai asked incredulously.
Zukoh simultaneously coughed and laughed. "Almost. Almost..."
"Jahn, now!" Jinora yelled.
The Avatar took a stance and twisted his right foot. The ground around Vehrin's right foot caved upwards, imprisoning the foot and half the leg. Twisting his body the other way, Jahn bent the ground around the other leg so that Vehrin was trapped. As he prepared to bend the rest of the ground around the spirit, the unexpected happened.
Vehrin flapped its huge wings twice and burst from its earthly constraints. Turning, it spread its wings and used Jinora's constant air torrent to accelerate towards Jahn at a frightening speed. It careered into him, kicking with two strong feet. They caught Jahn in the stomach, severely winding him and making him crash into the floor, struggling to breathe. Between gasps, he was faintly aware of Vehrin approaching from the side.
The spirit grabbed Jahn by the neck and lifted him clear off his feet. Staring each other in the eyes for a moment, Vehrin smiled maliciously as it struck the Avatar thrice in the chest. Before it could do so again, however, Jahn noticed a change come over its eyes. Another soul had surfaced for a split second.
"Jahn, honey. I'm so sorry. You can do this though, I believe in you…." said the woman's voice. Jahn's eyes widened in horror as his mother's voice spoke through the needle teeth.
Vehrin roared once more. "SILENCE!"
Jahn struggled to free himself from Vehrin's unrelenting grip, clawing at the hands desperately. Jinora was running in from the side but his vision was beginning to darken.
"STAY! Or I eat your daughter's soul!" Vehrin roared at Jinora, making her stop still in revulsion. "The most spiritual of all the living humans, so delectable. I shall finish her spirit if you do not cease this useless assault!"
Jinora considered these words in panic. "You…have Aana's spirit. Jahn, he has Aana. Please."
Choking, Jahn was dimly aware of the impact of these words. He was on the verge of giving up before he heard a voice in his mind. One of peace and battle, of water and fire. "Jahn. You can do this. For me," Korra whispered.
An overwhelming surge of energy overcame him and his eyes snapped open. So much was at stake here, for both the living and the deceased. He would not fail. He was the Avatar.
He lifted both of his legs and pressed them against Vehrin's torso. Focusing the image of heat in his mind, he willed the fire forth. It spluttered from his feet and immediately scorched Vehrin's chest, burning away the fur that covered it. The spirit howled in pain and threw Jahn aside like a ragdoll. He landed on the edge of the cliff but did not get chance to move away. Breathing came first.
The first gulp of air was intense. It filled his lungs and cleared his mind, brushing away the darkness with ease. The second was more normal and finally he could think clearly again. He felt the pain in his body and it took all of his inner strength to stand up tall.
"I…need help," he admitted. The burden of the Avatar was not his alone. He would never be alone again.
A blinding golden light flew through the air to end up at his side. The Soul Shaper had resumed her normal form and billowed with amazing golden light which pulsed with life. "Jahn. Take my energy," she said, holding out a shining, formless arm.
As soon as Jahn touched it, he felt the spirit's power. She enfused every cell in his body, filling him with amazing power. The combined temporary fusion of the Soul Shaper and Raava was incredible and almost ripped him apart. No human body could withstand this much power.
He marvelled at the renewal of his strength before coming to his senses. He had enough time to see a dark shape before him before Vehrin's foot collided with his face, kicking him backwards and off the cliff.
"Jahn, no!" Jinora screamed. Jahn had vanished off the cliff and Vehrin had turned, sadistic glee evident on its face. It pointed at Jinora and cocked its head to one side eerily. "Your daughter is next. I shall finish her off with all the…"
The spirit did not finish its sentence. It should not have been so victorious so quickly. The earth began to tremble and even Vehrin had trouble remaining standing. The air shook with vibrations, booming forth to signal the approach. A great silver light had erupted into the sky from the ocean and within it rose Jahn. His eyes were bright silver and his body was a dark gold, glowing intensely with the combined power of Raava and the Soul Shaper. He rose defiantly, hands clasped around a shining ball of cosmic energy as the Avatar State was unleashed in all of its power.
Vehrin hissed at the sight of the enhanced Avatar and took to the air. He attempted to fly directly away but Jahn held out a hand. The air before Vehrin descended and the spirit fell haphazardly. It landed on all fours and attempted to run but the ground before it cracked like an egg, revealing a huge fissure from which fire erupted. The wind became a howling circle around Vehrin which became tighter and tighter and a gigantic wave crashed against the cliff-face. It pounded against the rock, smashing it to pieces as the fissure continued to crack and spread.
Jahn's eyes wandered to Jinora and Anik, who both lay on the floor. Lifting one hand slowly, both of his friends rose into the air and hung there, unable to move but safe from the oncoming assault. Jinora watched Jahn with awe; his power excelled that of any Avatar before him. The power of the Soul Shaper had temporarily connected him with all of his past lives and all of Raava and her powers were open to him.
Vehrin screamed as the fire lashed at its body. Burned and wounded, it made to run to the ocean but the wave towered skywards, preventing the spirit from escaping. The fire roared equally as high; a wall of flames and a crushing wave prevented the spirit from escaping either way. Vehrin attempted to airbend the air ring away but it did not work; the howling winds merely circled tighter and tighter until they squeezed Vehrin tightly. His arms and wings were pinned to his body as he was lifted slowly into the air. The ground on which he had been stood buckled and popped and the lava coalesced into three huge pillars which began to close on the spirit. Vehrin struggled and screamed but could not escape as the pillars crashed in on it.
Jahn opened a fist to reveal his palm and the lava all shot up to create a dome above Vehrin. The spirit was still alive but badly injured; the bat head was mangled and the skin was blistered and damaged. The eyes were scorched but still raised to look at the Avatar.
"If…you…kill…no…more…mother."
Jahn slowly descended, stepping on invisible stairs as the air solidified under his feet. His eyes were not furious; they seemed to be resolutely aware and determined to complete this task. His voice echoed deeply; the voice of every Avatar and Raava herself sounded through the air. "I accept this. They wish to be free. I am their salvation."
The Avatar rose into the air once more and the elements raged onwards. The dome of lava connected with the vertical wave of water and the gigantic wall of fire and all began to tighten inwards. The dome of elements shrank on Vehrin, finally becoming a pure ball around the spirit. Jahn punched forwards with his right hand and the ball began to spin quickly. Around this elemental orb of fire, lava and water wrapped a stony exterior which covered it completely. Jahn considered the spinning ball of earth and thrust his hands down, sending it crashing into the ground. Raising it finally, the Avatar concentrated and an intricate pattern began to glow white on his chest.
"You wished for energy. You shall receive it," he said in his all-powerful voice. Arching backwards, the pattern burst into light and a huge beam of spiritual energy erupted from Jahn. Energybending the sheer amount of energy supplied to him, Jahn directed the beam at the orb, which instantly turned white hot as the beam collided with it. It grew bright and brighter, emitting a high-pitched whistling sound, until...
Too much. The explosion was considerable. The shockwave rippled along the ground and the entire cliff-face cracked and fell into the ocean, sending an enormous spray of water into the air. The sea itself shuddered at the sheer mass of rock that plunged into its icy depths. The orb itself had vanished, splintering into a mass of tiny fragments and fiery violence. Vehrin was gone, obliterated by the vast amount of energy that had it had absorbed within such a short time. The parasite had wanted more souls but could not feast on so much energy all at once.
Jahn slowly descended and Jinora and Anik descended with him. They touched ground softly on the new cliff-edge. It was still glowing red with the heat of the recent fissure but Jahn merely raised an arm. The seawater rose to engulf it and steam billowed into the sky as the lava hardened.
Jahn's body shook as the Soul Shaper left his body. His eyes, which were glowing so intensely, began to fade until his bright blue pupils shone forth. Unlike past times, he did not feel drained from the Avatar State and so stood there, in slight shock at his own actions. Perplexed as what to do, he scratched his head and took two steps forward before collapsing totally into the grass.
Jinora ran over and supported his head. His eyes had begun to glow under their sockets, which usually happened when an Avatar visited the spirit world. They were already there, however.
The glow did not last long. It faded and Jahn sighed as he opened his eyes. Blinking quickly, he noticed Jinora's relieved smile. "Are you ok? What happened then?"
Jahn smiled back. "I just spoke with Korra and Aang. They both said thanks."
Jinora gasped and a tear fell from her eye. They sat there for a moment, catching their breath, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.
The Avatar looked over at the cliff-edge and bit his lip as he bade farewell to his mother at last. "Goodbye..." he whispered.
"She'd be proud. In the end, you saved her. And you saved Aana. Thank you," Jinora said in a hushed voice and embraced him. Jahn clutched the Airbender tightly, struggling to hold on to his emotions. Eventually, a voice broke the silence, making the two jump apart.
"Hey guys? Where's Vehrin? Did I miss it?" Anik asked, rubbing his head.