Chapter 16 – Unexpected Victories
It was peek noon and both Zuko and Katara were running to the direction of the meeting tent, Zuko was amazed at how much ground Aang was able to cover with those Air scooters of his when he dragged him and King Kuei away.
The two of them came across a river that was flowing in the general direction of the battlefield and Katara water-bent a makeshift raft of ice and jumped on it, Zuko fallowed after landing on the raft Katara was kept to the motions to make the raft go faster and avoiding obstacles.
Zuko standing beside Katara he could see she was in very deep thought and looked quite worried, Zuko feeling he knew what was on her mind spoke to her to comfort her
"Sokka will be… good, he'll be good. he is a brilliant tactician and warrior, he can hold his own against even the strongest of benders"
Katara nodded then sighed
"I am worried for Sokka of course but it's Aang that I'm most worried about"
Zuko's smile disappeared and he looked ahead
"as am I, but I do have faith both Aang and Pathik's ability to help him"
Katara then looked at him
"and what of our relationship, we have yet to tell him, how are we…"
Zuko smile returned as he interrupted her
"I think when you stood between the two of us and even fought him, I think that is telling enough"
Katara think it over then said to him
"yea… but we do need to tell him strait up. We can't dance around this anymore, especially me"
Zuko put his hand around her shoulder
"if a obsessively goal driven banished prince can learn to calm down, make new friends and even find a healthy romantic relationship. Then I think the Avatar will be able to accept us and our relationship"
the two of them smiled at each other then Zuko looked past Katara, and he could see an enormous crowd of people several kilometres away.
Zuko then told Katara to drive the raft onto the land and he hoped on the back and told Katara to freeze his feet to the surface, to which she did and he aimed his hand behind himself and fire-bent propelling the Ice raft on land (like a hover craft) and they headed for the battle field.
Sokka dodged another of Fong's (Long Fang's) long stoney spears and weaved around Fong and got a strike on his back, though it was cover in armor he still felt it. Fong then turned and made his gauntlet much larger and back handed Sokka in the head, sunning him for a brief moment then Fong quickly made a scythe like blade of the crystal and made a quick swing for Sokka's head that he barely dodged but Sokka saw an opening on an exposed part of Fong's legs, and he slashed it causing him to yell in pain. Fong in a fit of anger knocked Sokka to the ground dropping his sword and Sokka left elbow landed over a rock and Fong took this chance to stomp on his fore arm with a boot quickly made from stones, dislocating that joint and Sokka yelled in agony but didn't let the pain get the best of him, he punched the cut on Fong's leg causing him to take a step back and off his leg then Sokka instead of getting up he rolled on his side towards Fong and tripping him in his unstable state and then Sokka picked up his sword and got to his feet. As Sokka was getting ready to attack Fong he could see Zuko and Katara on a flat almost melted slab of ice approaching them, Fong then got up also feeling exhausted looked at Sokka and asked
"does the commander need a respite?"
Sokka looking at his opponent then ask
"Five minutes?"
Fong in anger then said
"three!, no more"
and they went to their resting locations and were attended to, Fong (Long Fang) seemed to be sharing some strong words while his medics attend his wounded leg.
Sokka made his way to resting spot holding his arm, and was seated while Suki and Yasuaki attend to his wounds
"I cant believe I agreed to let you do this!"
Suki said in a frantic panic. Zuko and Katara came and Toph felt she needed to fill them in on what happened up to this point. Sokka then asked them
"how is Aang, where is he?"
Zuko explained while Katara tried to do some healing
"he is safe for now, he needs time though"
Sokka then looked to his arm and sighed
"I don't know how much more I can give him, I'm fighting some one…"
Sokka winced in pain as Yasuaki grabbed his arm and popped the joint back in place, this made a very distinct cracking/popping noise that made both Suki and Toph gasp. Zuko then says to him
"not exactly a disarming performance on your part"
Sokka winced a little at that remark
"hey I'm the one who makes the terrible jokes here"
he thought for a seconded and chuckled
"I like that, its pretty good"
After Katara finishes healing to the best of her abilities asked him
"how is it now bother?"
Sokka moved his arm, it felt a little stiff but better, he sighed with almost a chuckle
"good enough"
and he stood up, Zuko then told him to reassure his soldiers of his strength and Sokka turned to the crowd and lifted his sword (though he was in great pain) in the air causing the army to erupt in cheers, and he made his way back to the battle field. Zuko made his way to the Fire-nation army with Katara.
Tylee came and looked at Suki who were watching in a state of fear but understanding but he also noticed Toph was on her knees praying and he was able to make out what she was saying
"spirits and deities who are out there, please keep Sokka safe and help Aang find his way back in good time. The world… we need him now more than ever… TO HURRY UP!"
Aang was walking through the maze of statues his staff at the ready listening for anything, then the voice of Aung could be heard in the distance
"you are making great sacrifices for only a slight chance to balance the world again…especially considering recent events"
Aang looked around for the direction that voice came from, then replied
"yes, and I wasn't helping with it"
Aung then appeared and stuck at him but Aang was able to fight back and get some distance before he was hit again
"yea, you probably should be keeping your promise to Zuko rather than sparing him because of the dogma of the Air nomad teachings"
and he continued his attack. Aang desperately blocking the attacks replied
"You know why I can't kill him, If I did the Fire-Nation would be in civil war!"
Aung laughed
"no that is not the reason, you can easily set up a new government in the Fire Nation if you wished, weather it be a republic or make it into a series of city states; no the real reason you won't kill him is Katara"
Aang then lashed out at him deflecting Aung's defence and hitting him on the cheek hard launching him against a statue. He got up and whipped his cheek and smiled.
"you fear that if you killed Zuko she would never forgive you and want nothing to do with you. How do you know that is the case? You are the Avatar, she'll understand your choice, and then you'll be able to claim your forever girl"
that last statement hit him, 'claim his forever girl?' as if she is some sort of prize to be won.
was that what his relationship with Katara was the whole time? Treating her like a prize, a trophy to be won? He reflected on their relationship and started to see a disturbing pattern.
Aang was on the defensive again when Aung attacked him
"are you to cowardly to even try to claim her, if you killed Zuko, the Earth Kingdom is restored, a newer peaceful government will be established in the fire nation, and you get…"
but then Aang kicked him in the stomach landing him on the ground then Aang with his bow staff slid it under him and tossed him in the air smacking him against the ceiling. Aung fell in front of him looking angery, but Aang had a look of realization.
"no the earth Kingdom is already politically fragile and the colonies won't help, the Fire Nation will just fall to the hands of war lords to establish a new Fire lord, and Katara would never forgive me, not just for Zuko but for failing as the Avatar by my own selfishness"
Aang then looked at the statue of Katara in the skimpy air nomad outfit and hit it with his staff, shattering it into dust. This seemed to hurt Aung, because he yelled in agony and he attacked Aang but much weaker now
"you are willing to sacrifice your relationship with her to save a world that is probably going to go into conflict in a short amount of time"
Aang was having an easier time blocking Aung's attacks now
"I've come to realize something, that Katara was always there to emotionally support me and the rest of our group, but mostly me but I realized I never once supported her but you know who did?"
Aung lashed out at him but Aang dodged the attack and then proceeded to strike a statue of Katara and him at the theater sitting next to each other and it like the last one turned into dust and Aung fell to the ground as if having a heart attack. seeing Aung was in no position to attack he continued his rant.
"Zuko did, and he continues to do so, he did more for her in a few weeks than I did in the span of 12 months"
Aang sighed at this self discovered revelation, and he looked at another statue of him and Katara when he was having those nightmares and daydreams and he was as tall as her in this, he somberly looked at this and he smashed it into dust and Aung was on the ground, and cracks started to form on his body, even his clothes, that had that reddish light that his eyes were glowing with from earlier and he spoke in very weakened tone
"how, does that matter to what we want?"
Aang looking at Aung with disgust
"we can only think of what we… I want, and not what she wants?"
then he finished with tears in his eyes and a sob in his speech
"then it's a one-sided relationship that is doomed for failure"
Aang then noticed the Statue of him and Katara kissing at the patio of Iroh's tea shop, and he approached it with his staff in hand, Aung grabbed his cloths in a desperate attempt to stop him begged
"Please don't do it!"
Aang struck the statue and it didn't immediately gat destroyed but it cracked a little as did Aung
"your relationship with her…"
Aang struck it again and the cracks got mush larger, and Aung was on the ground wailing in pain as his cracks got much larger and the light coming from them got much brighter
"will be no more!"
Aang was about to hit it when he stopped, he then turned and looked a Aung in his cracked up dilapidated state
"no, if I continue to pursue Katara the way I was, I will lose her and everyone else and I will have no one"
and he strikes the statue, shattering it into rubble. Aang then looked at it and could see the crumbled faces of him and Katara now apart from each other, but he then heard Aung screaming so he turned around and could see Aung standing, his body cracking and the light intensifying from those cracks, then Aung collapsed but Aang caught him, but he didn't say anything he just looked up at him with anger and remorse as he turned to dust and the light faded.
Aang looked up to what looked like Ozai in his phoenix king armor he smiled and approached him and Aang had to ask
"why did you assume this form?"
the Ozai looking man looked at his appearance then replied
"I was hoping that I was able to use this that if you continued down that path of over possessiveness and obsession you would have become like, well Ozai and both the spirit world and mortal world doesn't need an Avatar Ozai"
Aang then looked around at the ruined statues and sighed in disappointment
"what do I do now"
the Ozai spirit then walked up to the ruined statue picked up a piece and looked at Aang
"tend to the relationships you have, till them like good earth"
and he did something that resembled elemental bending and made the ruble into a new statue of Aang, Zuko, Sokka, Iroh, Mai, Tylee, Toph, Suki, and Katara all together just having a good time.
Aang looked at this new statue he looked at himself who along with Momo and Mai was enjoying some tea while Tylee was going off on a story of some sort , Toph and Suki were watching Sokka and Iroh playing Pai Sho, Zuko and Katara were sitting together on the ground, hand in hand looking at everyone enjoy themselves.
Aang reached out to Katara but stopped himself and he looked to the Ozai spirit
"thankyou, and I am ready to go home"
the Ozai spirit made some light in his hands then made a circle with them and he pointed at him and a beam of light shot out and Aang was on his way back to the mortal world, as Aang was leaving he saw the Ozai spirit change into what looked like Monk Gyatso and dozens, hundreds of other Air nomads appeared, even ones he didn't meet before.
Aang woke up and he felt a tear in his eye, but he didn't feel any sadness or anger but joy?
"How can I feel joy now?"
then a voice he thought he would never hear again spoke to him
"welcome back Avatar"
Aang stood up immediately stepping on al the little spiritual tokens that he had around him "Guru Pathik!"
Aang said stunned and confused
"what are you doing?"
Pathik then raised his hand, and he stood up collecting the tokens
"calm down Avatar, I was just here doing my part in helping you awaken"
Aang then confused asked
"so no chakra lessons or anything like that?"
after bagging the last of the tokens, Pathik shook his head
"no, I am just here help you and I want to meet with you"
Aang was even more confused
"but I am here now"
Guru Pathik then turned to him
"yes you are but it can wait because I have received a message that you are needed back at the meeting tent, that is immediately I may add"
Aang remembering how things went panicked
"oh no! I got get out of here, where is my…"
he looked everywhere for his glider but then remembered Zuko destroyed it but then looked at Pathik who was holding an original glider and went up to him and thanked him
"were do you want to meet?"
Pathik let go of the glider
"meet me where Gyatso rests"
and he just walked away disappearing into the woods. Aang holding this glider opened it and yes it had the original round orange wings, and tail. he flew up and headed to the battlefield.
Sokka was dodging the spears that Long Fang was launching at him, eventually sokka's sword was knocked out of his hand and Long Fang buried it under some stones so he had to change his battle style so he puled out his water tribe club and one of Suki's war fans and started to fight in the Kioshi warrior.
Long Fang launched a spear at Sokka but Sokka holding the fan in front of him then danced around it, then he did the same for the next spear.
Long Fang then tried to sink the ground beneath Sokka but Sokka was onto this trick and he just kept moving, jumping, not letting a single part of him get caught in the ground traps and he got close enough to take a swing at Long Fang striking his head knocking the helmet off.
Long Fang still in a daze lashed out with a stone/crystal whip knocking Sokka back 10 or so feet.
Sokka looking at Long Fang he could see his fake beard he was using to be disguised as General Fong, then Long Fang tried to use earth to get his helmet back but Sokka crushed it with his club rendering it unwearable
"common Long Fong, let the people see your pretty face"
Sokka snarked in a sarcastic tone.
Long Fang clenched his fists and made two short sword like weapons on them and started to attack him with a deraigned bloodlust Sokka was dodding and blocking these attacks but barely. Then Long Fang made one of his weapons into a flail and chain weapons and lashing at him Sokka caught one of them on his club but then Long Fang pulled him close and made the other weapon back into a large gauntlet and punched him multiple times causing Sokka to lose his helmet and mask, Sokka then let go of his club and backed away.
Long Fang now holding the Blue Spirit mask in his hand looked at Sokka who was tending to his now swollen left eye and he laughed
"so this is it. You think you can undo your contribution to the Harmony Restoration Movement by defeating me?"
Sokka just stood there while everyone just watched, but then Long Fang spoke up again
"you know that every life that has been lost by recent events is on you, you could have just made the ash-makers leave and that would be it. But no, you had to play hero and protect these… creatures and the fools who consider them family. Maybe I'll let them stay and let them learn their new place under my reign"
and he crushed the mask with his gauntlet and crushed the helmet with the flail, Sokka only raised his fan and Boomerang and looked at him with anger.
"over my dead body, Long Fang!"
Long Fang was shocked that he knew this and the crowd whispered to each other but he had no time to retort as Sokka charged at Long Fang, and dodged the flail using the fan and hit long Fang in the arm with the boomerang.
Long Fang made his gauntlets int the swords again and was attacking him, shredding one of the fans. Sokka drew the second fan and continued to parry the attacks, he even managed to use the boomerang to snap one of the crystal swords off the gauntlets, but with that gauntlet Long Fang managed to punch Sokka hard in the chest sending him back a few feet, Sokka then noticed a gap in the belly section of long fangs armor, then he saw the handle of his sword sticking out of the ground.
Sokka then threw his boomerang but it missed as Long Fang earth-bent a stone at him knocking him to the ground near the broken crystal sword and long fang lunged at him with his gauntlet sword trying to stab him in the neck, but with Suki's Fan he was able to hold it back but it was getting closer, then Long Fang placed he other on the sword and used the crystals to lengthen the blade that was now less than an inch from his throat.
the look on Long Fang was of total blood thirst, the blade was now touching Sokka's neck cutting it slightly, then the boomerang came back hitting Long Fang on the back of the head stunning him, Sokka not wasting a moment rolled to the crystal sword picked it up and seeing the exposed part at the gut of Long Fang's armor, Sokka stabbed Long Fang in the stomach.
Long Fang on his knees was gasping for breath unable to do anything.
Katara had one of her hands to her mouth in shock while holding Zuko's hand with the other, Zuko was watching with analysing everything and very serious, Suki had both of her hands to her mouth, and Toph was staring blankly (even more than normal), and everyone else was completely silent.
Sokka walked with a slight limp to his sword and dew it from the sandy ground then approached Long Fang and held the edge of the sword to Long Fang's neck, then grabbed the handle with both hands and wound up as if he was going to behead him but he just stood there and Long Fang looking up to this young man with a bloody nose, swollen shut left eye, and bruises every where, he asked in his bloody gasping breath
"what is wrong warrior? 'chough' not strong enough to take a life?"
Sokka then slashed, removing the fake beard and he grabbed the remnants of it removed by hand to reveal it was Long Fang
"just strong enough to know when not to"
he sheathed his sword
"you can keep your life, but I am giving the people of the colonies a republic to call their own"
and he turned and headed for his camp. Long Fang even more angered than before, use his earth-bending to make his crystal gauntlets into a spear and shot it at Sokka, Suki cried
"watch out!" and Sokka turned around but then a bright light flashed in between them.
The next thing everyone saw was the crystal spear on the ground and Avatar Aang (in the avatar state) with his hand on Long Fang's forehead and chest, Aang like last time was emitting a blue light and Long Fang was emitting a lime green light; eventually Aang's blue light overpowered Long Fang's green light and everyone knew what that meant, how ever Long Fang did try to earth-bend to attack Aang but was unable to and he fell to his side.
Sokka, walked up to Aang and patted his shoulder
"took his bending?"
Aang nodded and then shook his hand in the water tribe fashion, after breaking the handshake, Sokka was then tackle hugged by Toph and Suki not to long after and despite being in physical pain he just hugged them back.
Zuko and Katara then came in and Zuko helped Sokka to his feet while Katara went to heal Long Fang fatal wounds.
Zuko looking at Long Fang after Katara healed him, he wondered if he was one of Ozai's contacts, especially considering that he was trying to kill Sokka and King Kuei. He then went to Sokka and Aang.
"We should make sure that Earth Kingdom Army honors the result of the duel"
Aang and Zuko picked up Long Fang by the arms and took him to the Earth kingdom camp along with an escort of guards, Katara, Suki, Toph, and Sokka.
Tylee came in with King Kuei who still looked pretty weak from blood loss, but Tylee and another Air acolyte were helping him to the earth Kingdom camp.
King Kuei was grateful to these people for saving his life and helping him to his camp, but he also couldn't help but feel a little humiliated considering he was betrayed by his own guard well one of them any way, and also knew that the result of the duel he had no choice but to abide to the demands of this new Republic.
