Hello, People..
I know it's been a long time, but I'm finally free to continue writing this story and other stories that I've put on hold.
I hope you're doing well, and I'm sorry for the late release.
Anyhow, this is chapter 12, and it's filled with events.
So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter.
*Flashback*
8-year-old Azula was practicing firebending, with her friends Mai and Ty Lee watching her, Mai came along with her father who was having a meeting with Firelord Ozai, and Ty Lee just loved their company, so she came along with Mai.
Princess Azula hated the idea of her brother Zuko gaining their father's trust before her and so she spent most of her days practicing, her fire was very intense that the mere sight of it scared the nearby guards,
except for one guard that didn't seem at all fazed, that one seriously intrigued Azula, as she's never seen him before, he came along with Mai and her father, so Azula turned to her friend,
"Mai..." She started, grabbing her friend's attention, "Who's the big fella?" Azula asked, nodding at the guy.
Mai looked over to the guy in question, "Oh, that's Aoi... My father's new bodyguard."
"New? Well, that explains why I've never seen him before." Azula remarked.
"Yeah, you wouldn't know him, he's from a very humble background, he came into my father's service after saving him from a bunch of thugs in some back alley in the outer borders… My father said he took down twelve firebenders quite easily, it was one of the best firebending displays he's ever seen." Mai said.
They Had Azula's curiosity, Now, they have her attention.
The words Mai said seriously intrigued Azula.
"Aoi…" Azula said, inspecting the guy, she smirked as she finally had an idea, she looked over at Mai, "Can I borrow Aoi for a couple of minutes?" She asked.
Mai understood exactly what she was hinting at, "Just don't mess him up, my dad really likes him." Mai said, as she waved with her hand dismissively.
Azula smirked as she walked in his direction, "I will try not to." She said, as she got within earshot.
"Hey, you." She called on him, Aoi turned his head to look at the girl.
The look in his eyes made Azula hesitate for the first time in her life, something about his eyes seriously intimidated her, it's like… there's nothing there.
"You're Aoi, right?" Azula asked.
Aoi observed her for a couple of seconds before answering, "Yes, Princess."
Azula smirked sneakily, and with a quick move, she used her hand to create a fireball and she launched it at Aoi, "Catch this!" The Princess said as she launched the fireball.
Aoi was shocked by the display, he was unable to move at first, but then he moved both his hands up at the fireball and it was immediately snuffed out just inches before his nose, he could feel its heat on his face.
He looked at Azula, still shocked by the display, only to find the princess taking a fighting stance.
"Fight Me, Aoi!" Azula said.
Aoi was even more shocked at the fact that Mai and Ty Lee didn't move an inch, they didn't even react to what Azula was doing, as if it's become a routine to them, to see Azula launching fireballs at a random guard and challenging him to a duel.
Aoi then stood his ground, he was confused at the fact that he found himself excited by her challenge.
this girl's challenge… it's awakened something in me… I don't quite understand it yet, but it's there… Aoi thought.
But he then remembered his place, he's just a guard to Master Ukano, and she's the princess of the firenation, it's not right.
"I don't want to fight you, Princess." He said, before returning to his natural state.
Princess Azula at first was astonished by Aoi's reflexes, despite not showing it, but she was amazed at the fact that he reacted so fast to her fireball, that indicates that he's no ordinary firebending and that this was going to be a fun fight, but alas, Aoi turned out to be a coward.
"Oh, don't be a coward." Azula said, teasingly.
There it is again… Aoi thought as he felt that same feeling he's had earlier, something about her challenge is making him feel excited.
But he tried once more to contain the excitement, "You're the princess of the firenation, I can't fight you." Aoi said.
Unbeknownst to him, Azula had already determined that this fight is going to take place, she knew how to make it so.
She created some more fire and attacked Aoi with it, relentlessly.
Despite being eight-years-old, she showed enough power and resilience that could rival that of thirteen-year-old Aoi, it amazed him to no end.
He wanted to fight her so bad, but he just kept dodging her shots.
"Princess, Please, Stop this at once." Aoi said, as it was getting difficult to avoid Azula's strikes.
"The only way to stop this is to fight back, Aoi." Azula said, still attacking relentlessly.
At a certain point, Aoi couldn't dodge the shots anymore, she was too fast and strong.
But he was faster and stronger.
And with one swift move, he took hold of both her arms, he looked into her eyes before lifting her up, completely sweeping her off her feet, and throwing her on the ground.
The impact affected Azula's lungs, she struggled to take her breath, but she still stood up and looked at him, Mai and Ty Lee were shocked by this but as soon as it happened, they rushed to Azula's side.
They couldn't speak as Azula has always asked them to stay away from her fights, but this is the first time they have ever seen her struggle in a fight.
Mai looked at Aoi, she now realizes what her father sees in him.
"Azula, are you okay?" Ty Lee asked, with concern.
Aoi feared the worst, from what he's heard of Azula, he knew that it could be any moment before she gives him up to her father.
But her, Mai and Ty Lee were all shocked by what came next…
After regaining her composure, Azula started to laugh.
She laughed hysterically, "I knew you were strong!" She started, "There was just something about you, I could feel it." Azula said.
Everyone was speechless, so Azula took a couple of steps towards Aoi and looked into his eyes, "From now on, you're training me."
"What?" Aoi was shocked by this.
"We'll keep dueling until you've taught me everything you know, or until I get bored of you, whichever comes first." Azula said, firmly.
Aoi didn't know how to respond, but judging that those words are coming out from the mouth of royalty, he felt obligated to give her an answer, and also… the fact that she's awakened something in him that he hasn't felt in a very long time.
"Are you sure about this, Princess?" Aoi asked, still confused by the whole thing.
"100 percent." Azula responded confidently, her smile became genuine for some reason.
Aoi couldn't help but return the smile, "As you wish, Princess." He said.
And that was the first of many meetings between Aoi and Princess Azula.
*End of Flashback*
The Avatar State, the strongest force on the face of this earth, an incredible power, it's designed to empower The Avatar with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatars, the glow is the combination of all his past lives, focusing their energy through his body.
Aoi, or Berserker, was starting to feel the magnitude of such an incredible force, to the point that he wished he had never committed all the crimes he'd done.
But it was all too late, he'd done a lot, and he had to face the consequences, in the form of a very angry Avatar.
Everyone was on the ground witnessing the power of Avatar Aang, as he was in the sky with a sphere of air around him, The Avatar proceeds to roar and creates fire out of his mouth, fists and feet.
He then created a massive gust of air causing Berserker to cover himself as he groans in struggle on the ground.
This was followed by Pillars of earth disintegrating and moving toward Aang as other pieces of rock rise up from the ground to surround Aang.
Water also rises toward Aang as he creates a ring of fire around himself.
The earth begins to create a ring inside the air sphere as the water continues to rise up and form another ring inside the earth sphere.
With Berserker who was watching in awe, covering his head with his arms, as the atmosphere was too severe for the normal senses.
Similar to the battle of Wulong Forest, where the avatar fought and killed firelord Ozai, Aang was surrounded by a ring of water, a ring of earth, a sphere of air and a ring of fire, all combined to create the most intimidating sight Berserker has ever seen.
With a loud roar and without any hesitation, Aang charged at Berserker, ramming him, taking him on his magnificent Elemental Sphere, only to blow him off after mere seconds.
As Berserker was flying away from Aang's blast, Aang uses earth-bending to shoot earth bullets at him, it was so fast that if it were someone other than Berserker, it would have definitely hit him, but Berserker cleverly evaded them and fled away, to gather his strength.
Aang proceeded to chase a fleeing Berserker, as the battle raged on, and moved to the other side of Caldera City, which was taking severe damage at the moment.
All the while, Azula was following the battle, trying to find the right moment to strike.
After a few evasive maneuvers from the vigilante, The Avatar finally caught up with him and caught up his legs using waterbending, he then lifted him up and slammed him on a nearby rock.
He then encased both his legs and arms in small cones of earth, completely pinning him to the ground, The Avatar then spoke,
"It's time you pay for all the crimes you've committed." The Avatar said, with the voices of all the past avatars showing their rage through him.
The Avatar then combined all four elements for his final attack, and with one swift move, he launched them at a pinned down Berserker.
All of a sudden, The Avatar sensed a familiar attack, one he's had to endure before, but this time, he was prepared for it.
It was Azula, who generated lightening to attack Avatar Aang, she attacked the avatar who anticipated the attack and used his fingertips to take the lightening and redirect it, the avatar used the technique which was taught to him by Firelord Zuko.
All the while, the attack on Berserker went null as Aang lost control of it, and only the water fell on Berserker's face, not even scratching him, merely splashing him with water.
Berserker knew what was coming next for Azula and so he used all his might to free one hand of the earth shackles to attack Aang and defend Azula.
He used firebending to attack the avatar, but alas, it was already done.
It did help alter the course of the regenerated lightening though, as Aang was about to redirect the lightening towards Azula, but after the course was altered, the attack hit Azula's arm, completely taking it off, with Azula falling to the ground, screaming in pain.
The shock and the pain made her panic, she screamed for a couple of seconds before passing out.
All the while, Berserker was watching in agony…
All of a sudden, a memory dawned on him, just at that very moment…
*Flashback*
Aoi was training with Azula, it's been two years since they've started training together, and so Azula has become more powerful.
She attacked him relentlessly that Aoi was unable to block her attacks anymore, he fell to the ground and Azula pinned him down on the floor.
"Yield." She said, huffing as the sparring took a toll on her.
Aoi held his hands in the air, "I yield." Berserker said.
Azula smiled and rose her hand to the air, "Finally!" Azula said, victorious.
After two years of training, she's finally defeated him in a sparring, although she knew Aoi didn't go all out, but it was more enough for her.
Aoi stood up, dusting off his clothes, "That was a good session, you've become a force to be reckoned with, Princess." He said.
"Although I hate to say it, but I can't take full credit for it. You did help. Maybe, you weren't so useless after all." Azula said, and although she didn't know how to show it, but Aoi knew those words had a lot of meaning behind it, specially coming from Azula.
"I'm glad I helped." Aoi responded.
Azula loosed her hair from the usual bun to wash up in the pond, all the while Aoi was watching her in awe, as he never realized how beautiful she is.
His train of thought was stopped though as Azula started talking, "I know you didn't give it your all, you're much more powerful than that, I can tell." She said.
"What? No, of course not, I gave it my all." Aoi said, genuinely telling the truth.
Azula glared at him, "You know what I hate more than defeat? Someone patronizing me." Azula said.
Aoi's thoughts about her being beautiful were completely blown away by the thought of how intimidating she looks when she glares, "I'm not patronizing you, I swear I'm telling the truth." Aoi responded, starting to get really nervous.
Azula huffed, "Maybe you're telling the truth… but… I don't know, there's just something about you… maybe it's a new power you haven't discovered yet, I don't know… just something I feel whenever I'm around you." She said.
Aoi smirked at her, "Oh, getting attracted to the berserker, are we?"
Azula turned back to look at him with a confused look on her face, "The what?"
"The berserker, it's my new nickname my fellow guards gave me, you like it?" Aoi asked.
Azula chuckled, "It's pathetic."
Aoi's face fell, "Oh…"
"Anyways, it's not attraction, you idiot. Just something powerful… I don't know, something I've never felt in any firebender before, not even my father who is the strongest firebender I know." Azula said.
Aoi was silent, because he knew exactly what she was talking about, he's always wondered how he beat those guards who murdered his brother in the alley back then, he couldn't even feel it, one moment they were ganging up on him, and the next, they were on the ground, killed and disfigured.
"Tell me about it…" He found himself saying, his voice was above a whisper but enough for Azula to hear.
"I'm sure you've felt it too at some point, I trust my instincts, it's never failed me, not even once… I guess we'll have to find out at some point what this thing is about." Azula said.
Aoi looked at her, completely caught off guard by her words, "What do you mean?" he asked.
Azula looked at him after drying her hair with a towel, "I mean… at some point in the future, one way or another, you're going to have to fight for your life, or perhaps the lives of those you care about… and maybe then, we'll see what those hidden powers are about." The Princess said.
He couldn't tell if she was tricking him into confessing who he is or not…
Rest Assured, Azula… I don't even know what I am... all I know is that it's important to the government. Aoi thought.
But the thought of it coming out for the lives of those he cares about… what an interesting thought, those powers did come out when he used them to avenge his dead brother, and when he murdered his family and fled.
Maybe, he'll have to face the same situation again, and then, it'd be enough to summon those powers again…
Food for thought…
*End of Flashback*
Now that Aoi fully understands his powers from his travels after leaving Lord Ukano, he read a lot about his ancestors, and Yaketsuku, the first wielder of the power of the dragon, he knew that him and Azula weren't in the wrong when they thought he had something hidden.
Seeing Azula fall on the ground, losing her left arm and falling on the ground was enough to trigger those powers.
The powers of Berserker are now in full force, and even more so, he's now in full control of it.
Berserker's eyes started to glow, he spread the wings of the dragon and he launched himself up in the air, meeting the avatar mid-air.
Avatar Aang looked at him, as he was using his elemental ball to float, he was completely caught off-guard by the wings and those powers.
The same powers that once defeated Avatar Szeto, and threw the world into total chaos until a fully-realized Avatar Yangchen came about to put a temporary end to it,
The powers of the white dragon.
Berserker's eyes were glowing yellowish-red, while Avatar Aang's eyes were glowing white.
The White Dragon has decided to show up to level the field, and he won't rest until he'd avenged his love.
he won't rest until Avatar Aang is dead.
Oh, it's not looking good for our boy...
That's it for this chapter, stay tuned for more soon..
Don't forget to review and have a good one :)