TLF - The Last Firebender

by Carrotine Clara

When all hope is lost, Aang is ripped from a dystopian world, only to find himself in a sick, distorted reality, forced to fight his friends alongside his foe. But can he really trust them? Trust people that destroyed his life? Trust those that don't even exist in his world? Against his own instincts, he may need to put his trust in one person above all: Azula, the last firebender.

45. Episode 4: The Princess and the Avatar

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, it's been a minute!

I got lots of stuff going on irl, so sorry for the lack of updates. All I can promise is next chapter out by the end of August. Hope y'all are enjoying the summer!

---

Earth. Water. Air. Fire.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.

But then everything changed when the Water Tribes attacked...

100 years passed and two Fire Nation siblings discovered an airbender named Aang. And although he is the Avatar in a different world, in this one, a girl named Azula was next in line. While her firebending skills are formidable, she doesn't feel ready to be the Avatar yet.

But I believe she is. I believe she will save the world.

---

Avatar: The Last Firebender

Based on Distorted Reality by Ogro

Written by Carrotine Clara

---

Book 3: Water

Episode 4

The Princess and the Avatar

---

Part I.

KATARA ALONE

---

The embers of her campfire give the surrounding woods a weird feeling. She's not a child anymore. Far from it. Merely the implication of danger communicated via shadows in a forest isn't enough to make her uneasy. So why is it Katara has been feeling uneasy? Who knows.

Who is anyone to frighten her? The Crown Princess of the Water Tribes Confederation. Or... well... hopefully she still is. Probably not.

She knows father all too well. Maybe more than anyone else in the world. He's a kind man, a just ruler. But a man putting his laws and his people above himself... such a man can hardly take her back with open arms. Not after everything. Not after losing Gaoling – failing to take Ba Sing Se and end the war like Hakoda and Katara had planned to do.

At least the Avatar of this world has now been dealt with, although Katara suspects that the nasty firebender probably survived somehow. That gnarly voice commanding her was convinced that using the girl would've been the only way to ensure victory. Katara didn't like that idea. Not one bit. She liked his earlier plan a lot more – kill Kenora then the rest of the Avatar's friends. But no, this girl wielding lightning is so much more important than wiping the slate clean.

Or granting her the vengeance she so eagerly deserved.

---

3 months earlier...

---

Utter chaos. Just when Suki was caught and submerged by Katara's former puppeteer did the waterbender have the brains to make her escape. It burned like hell to pull her broken angle from the crude rock trap that Aang had put it in, though getting captured and questioned by the Earth Kingdom was simply not an option. In some ways she was thankful that the Onryō finally let her go, seeing as his bombastic reveal and subsequent decimation of the Avatar's friends provided the perfect cover for her limping getaway.

Katara used the sewers to find her way to safety. Occasionally the girl needed to stop, either for the purposes of healing her ankle or because, at this point, Ba Sing Se's underground had begun flooding with troops keen on trapping any remaining Water Tribe soldiers. She was too cunning for them though. Long enough was she under the control of the Spirit of Vengeance, therefore some of his stealth skills rubbed off on her.

The princess' long and complicated exit from the Earth Kingdom's capital also gave her more than enough time to reflect on things.

Her breaths felt different now. They were no longer operating manually, instead being inhaled and exhaled simply whenever they needed to, reacting to her environment in a way that's simply... natural. It was a sensation the girl had not felt for years. Not since... not since that day at least.

Finally travelling further south, free of the massive walls protecting the impregnable metropole, Katara felt a strange sense of bitterness when recapitulating further on the Onryō and his influence on her. It's not like she regretted anything. At least... most things. Some of the murders could've been avoided, a rebellious piece of her mind that was simply unable to act up under the guidance of him. She also hated the way the Onryō used her body for... intimate stuff. The fact that she had to play porcelain doll for Aang or threaten that airbender girl with... doing things to her boyfriend. Back then it all made sense, suppose that was the effect the spirit had on her, though now in hindsight she shuddered at the thought. A part of her thought that kissing Aang would've been the lesser evil, but realistically, both instances were too much.

She also had been neglecting Suki, so much so that she and Akari ran away from her. That was when an inkling of something akin to opposition genuinely manifested. Onryō had explained that neither girl was necessary for their plan, that they would've gotten in the way, that Kenora had corrupted them with her treacherous thoughts.

But Suki was her sister. Still is. It just felt... wrong.

That was before the spirit straight up took over her body for a few minutes, showing Aang and Kenora a bunch of visions of other worlds. Katara's mind, in that moment, felt like it was freefalling, further and further down into the abyss, away from the light of her eyes experiencing the world, away from any semblance of control, away from the warmth of being.

One night, after making a campfire just like she did in the present, Katara decided that – in total – she was glad that the Spirit of Vengeance was gone. That the Blue Spirit was no more. She did however wonder if she would ever forget some of the screams.

That's when a rustling alerted her. At this point her ankle injury was fully healed, though the girl was still a bit uneasy when doing quick movements. She dismissed the noise at first, though as it reemerged with greater intensity the waterbender finally rose to her feet, her water pouch and the surrounding flora more than enough to give her a fighting chance.

A few moments of silence reminded the girl what real dread feels like.

Then, a flame of insane magnitude washed over her camp, devouring her measly collection of embers and sticks as she jumped to the side. Precise ice shards flew into darkness, missing their target as a gust of air blew her against a tree, a pained grunt overcoming her lips as she landed on her behind, immediately forced to roll aside as the tree in question was engulfed in orange fire. Sucking the grass dry below her feet, the girl spun a wheel of blue liquid around her person, waiting for her opponent to strike again, allowing her to retaliate with the reflexes of a master waterbender.

One of the few advantages the Blue Spirit gave her was that her waterbending skills were hers, and with it gone she was able to keep using them at her own leisure.

Her opponent saw this too, stepping into the crude light produced by flaming trees as he clenched his fists.

KATARA: I had a feeling I'd run into you.

Aang didn't like her comment one bit. Still wearing his stylized airbender uniform, it was ripped and burned in places, much like her own Water Tribe garbs were torn in way more spots than she liked.

The alien Avatar said nothing, clenching his fists even harder as he stared her down, a concerning glare chiseled onto a face that had seen little to no sleep in the past few days. A single pearl of sweat slipped down her temple, that absence of any fear now unfortunately gone alongside her shadowy spirit master.

KATARA: What are you doing out here? Why aren't you back in Ba Sing Se with your friend?

A redundant question, as the supposed death of Azula via his actions already answered the inquiry. Importantly, she only asked him to get his reaction.

And she got a very hefty one as his features pulled together harder and harder, his expression of pure rage making the surrounding flames grow slightly larger.

AANG (angry): You...

Her circle of water still spinning, the girl took a precautionary step back.

AANG (angry): You destroyed everything. You... you forced me to kill her...

KATARA: You and I both know that I didn't do any of that. If it was up to me, I would've travelled to Ba Sing Se much earlier but no – Shadow Hands McGee was obsessed with your little firebender girlfriend-

At her spiteful answer the boy shot more flames, carrying the ferocity of an erupting volcano. Katara blocked it successfully though. The boy's powers, Onryō had explained, while that of an Avatar, would never reach their full potential. His airbending remained the most powerful while the other three elements were mediocre at best. It meant this was an equal fight.

And yet Katara still grimaced with fear, her water turned shield evaporating as Aang caught his hectic breaths like a bull. While the girl herself did not really believe this, it might be her only ticket out of the attempted murder.

KATARA: She's not dead Aang.

Despite the weight of this comment, Aang remained ever so pumped with hatred.

KATARA: And even if she was – it wasn't me who did it. Killing me now won't change what happened.

At this his fists started shaking, Katara letting out a quiet gulp. The surrounding woodwork did provide more than enough water against this Halfvatar.

Still. The chemical suppressor allowing her to tackle every encounter without an ounce of hesitation is long gone.

KATARA: What do you want me to say?! You WON! Ba Sing Se is safe! We're probably gonna lose the war now anyway!

Only when saying that last part out loud did she realize that it holds true.

KATARA: Why don't you just back off-

Her water shield proved laughably ineffective against the tornado blast dragging her across the forest floor. Katara coughed up some of the pain as she tried getting back up, deciding against it as Aang came to a stop in front of her, two red fires burning from each hand as he stood over her. Any tree was now too far removed to make use of. The grass below them was too sparse as well, and behind her sat a cliff leading quite a long way down. Only Aang's flames and the moonlight allowed for some illumination now.

KATARA: Killing me won't make a difference.

AANG (angry): I don't care.

KATARA: You're being unreasonable. Air Nomads are pacifists.

AANG (angry and in tears): I lost everything I ever loved. I will do to you what I should've done to Princess Azula a long time ago...

Her heart, much like her lungs, was now also functioning normally again, meaning that her heartbeat started thumping like crazy right about now.

KATARA: She's not dead, Aang. Please...

AANG (angry and in tears): I will not fail ever again. I will finish what I started...

With his hand raised and his features expressing anything but hesitation...

KATARA: She's still alive!

AANG (angry and in tears): HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!

KATARA: Because she's the Avatar!

At her voice echoing through the vast forest, Aang's flames slowly dwindled. She could not read his mind, nor clearly see his face with the firebending now gone, but something told her that this shattered the boy's mind more than she could ever understand. As Aang stumbled back, the girl slowly and carefully got back up on two feet, taking a few careful steps first before sprinting out of his sight. The last glimpse she caught of him, Aang sunk to his knees.

---

That's when she last saw him. Thank Sedni for that. If Aang won't try to kill her again he'll probably start yapping about all of his problems like some crybaby. Perhaps a younger Katara would've been more sympathetic to a kid having gone through that much pain and anguish.

But that Katara was long dead.

For now, the Crown Princess keeps her eyes closely watching the surrounding woodwork, poking her embers on occasion with the remains of a mole squirrel stuck to a stick above it. There's clearly something out there observing the girl, that much she knows. The only thing she knows for sure is that it is neither a threat nor a person, as her encounters with the supernatural have made her something of an expert in the field of spirits.

---

Cutting her hair short might've been her single best decision in the last three months. That, combined with her olive-green Earth Kingdom garbs in a slight dress shape, and the waterbender has the perfect disguise on her hands. The only thing Katara was lacking was a good fake name. For this she would eternally hate herself.

SHOPKEEPER: Oh hey, Karapak. You're back already?

Katara openly rolls her eyes, her alter ego sounding like a random collage of Water-Tribe-sounding syllables.

KATARA: Yeah.

Hoping to avoid small talk with the noisy Earth Kingdom peasant, the girl simply places her coinage onto the counter with the expectation of receiving her usual rations. Much to her displeasure, the food package is significantly smaller than it was last week. With crossed arms and a stern frown from the girl, an accusatory question is transmitted non-verbally.

SHOPKEEPER: I know, I know. Tribes doubled our taxes recently. That's all I can afford to give you.

KATARA: This is barely enough for a day.

SHOPKEEPER: I'm perfectly aware, boy. Trust me, this is the best I can do for you.

In a usual scenario like this, her reaction would've been some manipulative remark masked in a warm smile, a force powerful enough that the old shopkeeper most likely would've folded. It also helped that she used to be easily identified as the Crown Princess.

Now she's this weird, androgynous "boy" named Karapak. And Karapak doesn't get what he wants.

Without another word of protest, still carrying a pretty harsh frown, Katara grabs her supplies and leaves.

---

Elsewhere in town, the last of Katara's money is spend on paying off her debts to a local tavern owner, allowing her at least another night before the girl will be forced to move elsewhere. In the last three months on the run, bounty hunting had been the easiest form of income. It also helped the girl in honing her waterbending skills, having since perfected using them without black goo at the helm.

---

2 months earlier...

---

A blast of red flames swept across the very same village Katara mostly resides in now. It was essentially toying with a child for her. It had rained the prior few days, and the muddy ground was sprinkled with enough puddles to cause someone with trypophobia to have a panic attack.

Despite his massive size and arguably impressive firebending skills, the criminal known as Chit Sang stood little chance against Katara's waterbending, not just because of her environmental advantage, though that particular aspect represents one of the core pillars of the martial art.

That's how Master Zorak taught her. She was much younger, under the early influence of the Spirit of Vengeance. Somehow, after failing to cure her of the goop, Hakoda became convinced that turning her into a weapon was the next best thing. The girl was forced to wear a disguise, cover her face as the thespian waterbender agreed to teach her. He had concerns of course, he could obviously tell that the short, slim figure was nothing but a child, though his old friend had assured him that he needn't worry. Zorak agreed to train this new weapon, though he always held back, Katara realized during their second, official period of lessons. Bloodbending was just one of the techniques, making Zorak correctly assume that Katara had mastered the rest on her own. The Onryō told her for years that, without it, the girl would be helpless, that her abilities would be lessened much like the remaining three elements for Aang.

Now, thanks to Chit Sang and many criminals before him, the princess proved that nasty heap of goo wrong.

More blasts of heat came hurling towards her, the girl transforming multiple puddles to form impressive pillars, not quite as pompous as she saw the former Chief Admiral Pakku do many years ago, but still more than effective.

Her main drive towards perfection however was the fact that her waterbending paled in comparison to the raw talent Kenora possessed.

While defending with her tendrils the girl formed a ring of water around her waist, blasting some ice shards that the muscular hunk fought off valiantly, though one of them did manage to leave a nasty cut on his forearm, making Chit Sang jerk with pain as Katara allowed herself to show off an overtly arrogant smirk, using only half her mouth for this expression.

KATARA: Had enough?

From the small bits of information she got from Kenora, the princess figured that there was no point in changing her voice's pitch. So long as she cut her hair short, and confidentiality introduced herself with some ridiculously blunt boy name people would simply assume that she was a late blooming teenager. That philosophy held true with the fugitive firebender as well.

CHIT SANG: You're better than the average bender, kid. But if I were you, I'd give up before your luck runs out.

Somehow denying her of skill recognition and writing it off as pure luck enraged the waterbender just enough to push her towards offense.

She began her barrage via blasting her opponent with streams of water, effectively draining most of the puddles surrounding them. Chit Sang dispersed quickly of this amateur attack, already correctly anticipating that it was a cheap ruse, an assumption proven correct mere seconds later. Unfortunately, the hulk expected more projectiles at eye level, not a nasty wateracle snaking around his ankle and dropping the man into mud face-first. A quick jab producing fire managed to free him, the incoming hailstorm of icicles meant to either lock him into place or kill him melting effectively as he spread his arms outwards, a pulse wave of flames growing around him. Finally, a hexagon spiral of water came flying towards the already exhausted man, forcing Chit Sang to counter with a fire blast shaped in the same way, creating a cover of steam and smoke as he caught his breath. That cocky little brat has taken up enough of his time – any more wasted and local law enforcement might catch up with them. Stabilizing his breath, Chit Sang put all of his eggs in one basket as he charged for one final move – producing two jets of fire in his palms, he expected to overpower the skinny boy in close combat.

His gambit backfired horribly, as Katara patiently anticipated the larger man to come close enough for her to trap his entire body in a mean water tendril, one squeezing him so tight that it abruptly turns off his firebending and forces him into a mummy pose. His scared expression focused on the girl as Katara bent up her finishing blow of water, extending her palm and letting the liquid slide across her arm and hand as if it were a sentient serpent. It smacked Chit Sang in the face hard enough to knock the man out, after which Katara extended her tendril, feeding it more water which she subsequently froze, leaving everything except the unconscious criminal's head in an icy cage, putting even more of an emphasis on the mummy comparison.

The girl crossed her arms confidently, turning around as she detected the sound of boots splashing across the muddy floor, a quartet of local gendarmerie comically exhausted as they reached the scene of the crime.

GENDARME CAPTAIN (out of breath): We're here... to arrest... the criminal Chit Sang...

KATARA (nonchalantly pointing towards a popsicle Chit Sang): You mean this guy?

All four of the waterbenders (all with weirdly distinct moustaches) stared in awe at the ferocious firebender they were tasked with hunting down effectively neutralized already.

YOUNGER GENDARME: Am I glad he's frozen in there and that we're out here.

GENDARME CAPTAIN: Chit Sang is one of the most dangerous criminals in the Water Tribes. Who did this?

SHOPKEEPER: He did!

The old shopkeeper hiding behind his counter finally made himself known, causing Katara to roll her eyes at how effective her lack of feminine self-expression causes old men to assume that she must be a boy.

GENDARME CAPTAIN: You?

KATARA (bitchy): Yeah?

SHOPKEEPER: We saw it with our own eyes! That boy is a master waterbender!

At this announcement the remaining villagers started leaving their hiding spots. Slowly but surely, one after another, individuals clapping turned into a full-on standing ovation, the shopkeeper and Gendarmerie joining in as Katara's ego is thoroughly satisfied.

KATARA (mumbling): Who's the best waterbender in the world now, huh Kenora?

Interrupting her self-indulgence, the Captain of the Gendarmerie approached Katara as his colleagues adequately dealt with Chit Sang.

KATARA: Hey! Leave him! That's my bounty!

GENDARME CAPTAIN: Don't worry kid, we'll make sure that you'll get paid every last gold piece for this little stunt of yours.

He aggressively slapped her shoulder, which the princess assumed is a form of comradery or something. Why men feel the need to essentially assault each other to show their affection remains an enigma to her.

GENDARME CAPTAIN: You have my respect. What's your name?

KATARA: Ka- ra... pak.

Was the best series of syllables the princess was able to string together on the spot. At least it'll always be a better alias than "Fu".

GENDARME CAPTAIN: How about you come down to the port station with us, Karapak? We have plenty of more work there for you.

---

And plenty of more jobs they did have! For about three weeks, Katara handling criminal pursuits like it was a fun afternoon pastime. Since then, all jobs had become so mundane that it left Katara scraping for bottom of the barrel small-time criminals that didn't even put up a fight. The captain of the local Gendarmerie, whom Katara had noticed loved the sound of his own voice, had offered a parttime position for the girl, though she declined. Partly on the basis that she wasn't a boy named Karapak, though just last month women had been allowed to join local police units, which did surprise her. It actually caused her to go to sleep with a satisfied smile. Yes, everything she has done in the past few years was at the behest of a supernatural being of pure rage, but the girl did genuinely care about equality in the Water Tribes. It's nice to know that her efforts to change the image of women apparently had a bit of an effect, even if that whole Princess Squad nonsense was to manipulate Kenora and gain herself the upper hand.

The main reason she didn't join the Gendarmerie is that she remains the runaway Crown Princess of the Water Tribes, and getting entangled too much with public officials doesn't seem like a very smart choice.

And so, the girl enjoys her modest mochi breakfast as she stares out into the village on her arguably very nice balcony in the inn she'll be forced to vacate tomorrow. It's the most luxury the princess had experienced in months, therefore being forced to let it go would hurt at least a little.

Katara was never the most pompous princess, she actually quite enjoyed the minimalistic lifestyle she was forced to take on during her travels with the Princess Squad. Again, none of it was her own choice, Onryō and stuff.

As she takes another bite and gazes out over the rows of shabby housing the girl wonders if, without the Spirit of Vengeance, she still would've gone on a journey such as this. Save Sokka, mostly from himself, participate in the war. Make some girlfriends. Maybe find a cute boyfriend...

Upsettingly, just as that thought emerges her eyes are glued onto the massive mural visible from her room. On one of the only stone buildings in this town rid of earthbenders reigns a massive drawing depicting a decently accurate caricature of Aang, dressed in his weird, asymmetrical airbender fit exposing half his torso. Next to it in stylized Chinese letters it reads "Have you seen me?". Local law enforcement had been discussing removing this piece of graffiti, a fact Katara learned against her will from the shopkeeper, though ultimately it was decided that the mural mocked the Avatar more than anything, meaning it was allowed to remain. And there it stood. There he stood, Aang, this strange, brooding, otherworldly anomaly, almost as if mocking her.

Three reasons Katara is keen on finding him.

1) No more surprises. No need to be attacked in the middle of the night by a revenge-fueled airbender boy. Even when that is his only useful element, she'd rather not have to face him again in that way. Could she beat him now? Sure. But being ambushed at night would definitely lower her chances, so better not take any risks there.

2) As of right now Katara remains a disgraced princess. So, what better way to regain her honor if not capturing the Avatar and bringing him to her father? Sure, honor isn't that big in Water Tribes society as it is, for example, in the Fire Nation, but the concept remained the same in such a circumstance. She has messed up and needs to redeem herself. Providing Aang as prisoner is the most effective way of doing this. Even if he is not the real Avatar, he remains with the Avatar Spirit for as long as he is alive in this world, so Halfvatar or not, it is of strategic importance to capture him.

Um... there is also a third reason, technically. Katara doesn't consider it as such but... I... think it's important to mention that a part of her... does just want to see the boy again. How the Onryō forced her to perform in that cave was despicable but... she did kind of think Aang was attractive. Unfortunate detail when considering their circumstances. But who am I to judge?

A knock on the door abruptly washes all of these things aside, Katara almost dropping her mochi at the noise. Harrowing seconds pass wherein the waterbender takes on a combat stance, unsure who or what might be awaiting her outside that door.

OLD MAN (on the other side of the door): Is this the room of Karapak? The bounty hunter?

Her stance relaxes at the frail, elderly voice, returning to her neutral ennui modus operandi.

KATARA: Who is it?

OLD MAN (on the other side): Perhaps it is easier if I'm allowed to enter.

A hefty sigh escapes her as she genuinely considers telling him to piss off.

KATARA: Sure.

The phrase is uttered with every muscle in her body telling her not to, yet alas, the old man enters. His appearance is a lot less groomed than that of the common colonial citizen, making Katara assume that he is not from around here. She also finds his clothing more than intriguing, long robes entirely consisting of black and white, the bottom white parts ruined by dirt and mud. The only thing deviating from the strict binary color scheme is his long, grey beard.

Lastly, around his neck dangles an elaborate necklace, orbs the size of tennis balls displaying the yin-yang symbol, intriguing the young waterbender the most.

OLD MAN: Thank you very much, you are nothing but kind.

KATARA: Just say what you want from me.

He wouldn't be the first poor person asking for her to perform charity work, though the girl's gut tells her that this is something entirely different.

ALDER: My name is Alder. I come from a village far into the woodwork north-east of here. We're a relatively isolated community. We're not... very prosperous...

KATARA: Oh, yeah, no, I think I'm done here.

An insistent flick of the brow and look over to her door serves as her declining whatever nonsense is being sold here.

ALDER: Please! We desperately need your help! The local Gendarmerie Captain recommend you specifically! You are supposed to be the best bounty hunter in this part of the Earth Kingdom!

The girl quietly notes Alder calling the Water Tribes colony "Earth Kingdom", though doesn't act on it for now, instead focusing on what's at hand.

KATARA: I'm sorry, but I don't do small-time criminals. You can ask the captain to deal with it.

Provocatively, she reopens her door, being even more insistent in her glares.

KATARA: Come back when you have a sack of gold and a real problem for me to handle.

She was thinking about moving towns a mere five minutes ago, so some irrelevant little rural job that pays peanuts is not nearly enough to convince her-

ALDER: Does a Tenome sound like a real problem to you?

The fact that it causes her spine to tingle with unease is reason enough for Katara to assume the worst.

KATARA: That doesn't sound like a person.

ALDER: You would be correct. I can give you more information in our village. But beware – the Tenome is a terrible, vengeful spirit. Many of our own have gone missing in the past few weeks. We don't even know if they're still alive.

There it is, the one thing Katara hates more than anything, the one thing she hates more than spirits – feeling conflicted. She lets out another sigh as she crosses her arms, leaning against the doorway, now effectively preventing Alder from leaving. Not that he intends to do so.

KATARA: And you've already told the Gendarmerie?

ALDER: Multiple times. They laughed at us. It is only this morning that I was finally able to speak to their captain. He told me "If anyone can handle a dangerous, vengeful spirit, it is Karapak."

The girl flicks her eyebrows at the quote, wondering if it was meant as a real compliment or ridicule. She also rolls her eyes at the inherent irony of that statement.

ALDER: I beg of you – we will pay you with everything we have. It is not much but... this isn't about a mild nuisance – it is about the survival of our people.

Having a few seconds to consider her options, Katara quietly ponders.

-Dealing with (another) spirit, getting (some) money, being allowed to stay in this (relatively) nice location.

-Getting the hell out of here and never dealing with spirits ever again. Having no money and being forced to start over somewhere else.

It is a certain thought that makes her lean towards the first option.

KATARA: How many people have disappeared?

ALDER: Nine. Well... eight and...

The old man tries keeping his pride and stern expression as he swallows a large amount of pain.

ALDER: My grandson was captured as well. He's only eight.

---

And so, once again, Katara is out in the woods, in the middle of the night, poking her embers as she scans her environment with keen, ultramarine eyes. After the whole grandson bit (which might've been a lie!) "Karapak" allowed "himself" to be convinced via the old man paying off the innkeeper, promising the bounty hunter a fresh room upon her return.

Once again, a comfy bed replaced for a soft spot on the ground. This would've happened by tomorrow regardless of taking the job or not though so, suppose it's-

The sound of a stick breaking gets her to jolt up in a flash, readying herself with a ring of water surrounding her waist. Getting some bad flashbacks to a certain ambush, the girl can feel her heart pounding inside her chest cavity with the intensity of an industrial engine. Breathing heavily through her nostrils at first, the waterbender finds her center eventually.

KATARA: Show yourself or I'll impale you with a frozen spear!

The threat proves effective, as an increase in rustling sounds tells her that whatever spooked her a second ago is leaving the shadows and entering the warm lights of her campfire.

She expected something at eye level, forced to look at the forest floor as the... thing reveals itself.

Roughly the size of a hand and with multiple legs, she takes it as a large spider at first, perhaps a bug of some kind. The longer she looks at it, the more confused she grows.

The... creature possess a weird, blueish-silver color, four legs and a fifth, stumpy one attached to an equally stumpy torso. Katara returns her bending water to her pouch as her jaw drops, the creature erecting itself to full height as it stands on its... behind?

Comparing it to a hand earlier was surprisingly the right call.

THING: Bim!

With a squeaky voice it proudly exclaims the word which... might have some meaning. It spoke said word with no mouth actually, as the creature only has one notably feature on its body – a cobalt-colored eye right in the middle of it. As it stands there upright, blinking, stretching its limps as if it were fingers...

It's a hand. It's just a hand with an eye.

THING: Bim!

Katara crosses her arms, remaining partially ready to strike in case this little spirit critter decides to attack her.

KATARA: I'm guessing you're not this Tenome then, huh?

At this, the little hand appears fearful, possibly offended, shaking its... "head" in protest.

THING: Bim? Bim! Bim.

Right after it falls back on all fives, crawling around Katara's camp at ridiculous speeds, the girl completely overwhelmed as she can only watch in surprise.

KATARA: Uh – hey!

THING: Bim! Bim!

It begins to scatter her things, pokes the dead rodent above the campfire, walks over to her backpack-

A singular ice shard impales the ground in front of the thing, causing it to stand upright again, its fingers angled slightly as it shivers like a chihuahua.

THING: Bi... Bim...

KATARA: Careful. I'm not too fond of spirits messing with my things.

THING: Bim... Bim!

In a flash, the little hand creature begins clearing up the mess it left just a second ago in Katara's camp, even sweeping away some dirt and folding her blanket at amazing speeds. Upon performing this little stunt, it stands upright again, fingers erected straight as its eye closing clearly expresses joy on the creature.

THING: Bim!

Notably, not an ounce of happiness on Katara's features causes the thing to look sad again, the hand lowering its fingers in shame.

THING (disappointed): Bim...

KATARA: I'm not looking for a partner or a... uh... pet. Plus, the last time I trusted a spirit to help me it took control of my body so... pass.

Somehow understanding English, the hand seems surprised by this, clearly expressing empathy with its eye widening.

THING: Bim? Bim!

It shakes its... body, akin to a person shaking their head. It then proceeds to crawl over to Katara, halting at her boot, which it begins to stroke gently.

THING: Bim...

Quite carefully, Katara, in response, picks up the spirit by its... neck? The part that would be the back of your hand (I suppose), dangling it right in front of her face as the creature looks scared.

KATARA: I will not repeat myself.

She drops it nonchalantly, the hand landing on all fives before frantically looking around camp, finally flinching as if coming up with an idea. Katara sighs at it rushes over to her backpack, cramming inside it for a second before taking out a familiar item.

The hand opens Aang's wanted poster, presenting it to the waterbender before using what would be someone's index finger in order to tap the Avatar's picture, then pointing at itself. It does this two more times before Katara reacts.

KATARA: You've seen him?

The thing nods.

KATARA: Where?

Forming its body like a pistol, it points straight north-east.

KATARA: Hm. Exactly where I'm headed.

THING: Bim?

A final sigh, sealing her slightly annoying fate.

KATARA: Sure. You can come show me where Aang is. Then you can leave.

THING: Bim!

Clearly excited at this it rolls up the wanted poster again, storing it in her backpack before racing around the campfire with weirdly youthful energy.

KATARA: And you'll clean up all my stuff.

The hand comes to a halt, using its "thumb" to imitate a salute, its eye similarly serious.

THING: Bim.

The waterbender rolls her own set of eyes, lying down on soft-ish grass as she pulls up her blanket.

KATARA: Oh yeah, and if you try anything funny, I'll kill you.

THING: Bim?

It helps greatly with her confidence that the weird little critter is easily intimidated, Katara letting out one final sigh before she tries to relax.

KATARA: Is that your name? "Bim"?

BIM: Bim?

KATARA: I'm just gonna call you Bim.

Expecting no more pushback, Katara is frightened for a second as Bim crawls onto her stomach, angling its fingers and closing its eye as it... supposedly goes to sleep. Pretty fast actually, already producing snoring sounds as Katara calms down again. At least Bim is not whispering sweet nothings about vengeance, nor is he made of goo.

---

Part II.

THE WHITE HOLLOW

---

That dreadful night returned in her sleep. Muffled sounds of a monster. Suki's horrified expression. Blood covering her hands. The look of despair as the monster dies.

It was only briefly, most of Katara's slumber was painted in pastel colors of mundane events, boring people, average days.

The girl opens her eyes slowly, finding her camp drenched in a soft blue, early morning sunlight penetrating parts of the foliage above. The waterbender tastes her lips before rising to her feet, bending a drop of water from her pouch with which she washes her face, a tired expression followed as she slurps up just a sip from it.

After performing all of those things in a sluggish fashion, Katara's eyes finally fixate on something ahead of herself.

A small child, five or six years of age, standing in front of her. For how long it had been doing that the waterbender is unsure, though it couldn't have been longer than a few minutes. It immediately becomes clear where this child's allegiance falls to, as the preschooler is dressed in a simple tunic of the black and white variety, the resemblance to Alder enough of a clue to explain what's going on.

CHILD: You look pretty.

Katara's head turns slowly to the right, finding a second, slightly older child, dressed in the same fashion, though her tunic leans more on the white side while the first one's is more black. She assumes that this second child is a girl and the first one a boy, though based on their age and androgynous appearance she can't really tell.

CHILD: Are you the bounty hunter?

Clearly irritated by this interaction the princess manages to keep her composure, packing up her things as her voice remains in that same, monotone pitch.

KATARA: I assume Alder arrived before me then.

CHILD: He came last night and told us about you. He said your name is Karapak and that you're a boy. But you look like a girl.

Katara assumes that if she was genuinely trying to be a boy named Karapak this little comment would offend her, in this circumstance however it's only mildly annoying how the mouthy brat is able to look through her disguise so easily.

KATARA: You're very rude, you know that?

Her younger visitor refuses to answer, either hurt or confused by her comment, which one Katara doesn't much care for. Finally putting her things into her rucksack, a little memory from last night emerges.

BIM: Bim!

Having crawled inside it, Bim waves with pure joy before getting buried in the girl's belongings.

KATARA (quietly): Stay in here for now. We don't wanna scare the village folk with any more spirits.

Under the pile of stuff, a mumbled "Bim!" can be heard, though with her backpack properly closed Katara cares very little about the little hand's opinion.

CHILD: What was that?

KATARA: None of your business.

Walking a few steps, Katara comes to a halt, finally expressing confusion at the younger of two children, whose mouth has been gaping open throughout the entire scene.

KATARA: Is he okay?

CHILD: That's my little sister. She thinks you're cool.

KATARA: Can she do that somewhere else?

At this comment the little sister's mouth shuts and her older sibling grabs her hand, dragging the both of them away.

KATARA: Finally.

CHILD (in the distance): Come!

Furrowing her brow in annoyance, Katara looks towards the distance, the two black and white siblings on a hill, the older one waving her over.

CHILD (in the distance): We'll show you the fastest way!

Grabbing her rucksack handles firmly, Katara lets out an angered snort before following the tedious children. Inside her backpack, Bim quietly digs himself up from all of Katara's belongings, taking a peek into the outside world. The spirit would, on occasion, do this during their trek lasting several hours, getting them from the woodworks, to soft hills, a bamboo forest, and finally, an entirely different type of woods. Whenever Bim did pop out from her rucksack, the two children seemed enamored by him, keeping his existence their little secret.

---

Once the bamboo thicket is crossed Katara finds herself in a strange new environment, one she would arguably stop to admire more were it not for her circumstances. Since the human carrying him remains with her arms crossed and focused on the path ahead, the little hand spirit residing inside her backpack has made it his mission to quietly admire their new locale.

BIM (quietly, in awe): Bim...

The village itself is quite the naturalistic place, all housing constructed within the spacious roots of birchand trees, a rare kind of botany possessing massive size, white bark with treetops far beyond Katara's reach, and with roots that grow partially above the ground, giving these impressive plants the look of white-skinned-arms reaching downwards into the ground below. Within these hollow parts between trunk and forest floor adorable little huts made from a bright, brown material are filled with excited-looking villagers, all of which are styled in ambiguous appearances, their clothing carrying predominantly white color or black, though every single outfit includes both sides.

The further Katara steps into the village the more jolly children join her two previous tour guides, providing the waterbender with a cacophony of noisy question, none of which the girl would be able to answer, not that she cared to anyways. The adult villagers are themselves focused on various tasks which, to a princess growing up in financial security, she herself would describe as more or less primitive. A woman previously dedicated to bludgeoning animal skins finally enters the fray, the image of her approaching the rambunctious flock with a club coming off as decently intimidating.

WOMAN: Alright, alright. All of you – leave our guest alone! He's here to discuss business with us!

A collective moan of disappointment echoes through the village before the younglings finally disperse. Only the younger sister from before briefly halts for a second, Katara meeting her eyes with a curious look before the small thing races inside a birchand hut.

With a warm smile reminding Katara of her mother the woman from before lays down her tool before a bow serves as the most polite way of greeting the girl.

WOMAN: I'm very sorry about that. We usually don't get a lot of visitors around here.

KATARA: I can see that.

Seeing as the bounty hunter responded coldly and didn't even bother to meet her eyes, the woman continues. Her head is one of the only few with long hair, though she makes sure to carry it in a wild, unkempt fashion, giving it the appearance of a headpiece, or a triceratops's shield. Based on her silver hair and similarly distinct set of eyes Katara makes a wild guess in assuming that the person greeting her is related to Alder.

LILIA: My name is Lilia. I'm the chieftain around here. Though it's more ceremonial, I don't exactly "rule" over anyone.

Sensing that the friendly conversation starter is meant to evoke a sense of sympathy, Katara finally bothers to meet her eyes.

KATARA: What is this place? It's not on any Water Tribes maps as far as I know.

A nervous scoff tells the princess that it might be best to avoid mentioning the Water Tribes from here on out.

LILIA: Wuyanse. That's what we call ourselves at least. We're not on Earth Kingdom maps either for the most part. We're incredibly small and isolated. Again, it's why all the children are so enamored by an outsider.

The princess flicks her eyebrows once, letting her hostess know that she understands. This is also the precise moment Katara makes a rough estimate that her payment will most likely amount to more or less nothing.

LILIA: Well... if you don't mind me asking... you're Karapak, right?

In her mind Katara responds with a very rude "No".

KATARA: Yes. And...

After that little shameful reminder of her lack of creativity... the waterbender momentarily feels a strange ounce of compassion.

KATARA: I don't mind you asking that. You've been very nice so far, thank you.

In the moment Katara can't decide if this is her genuinely nice side or if this is a leftover of that fake niceness she carried herself with when travelling the Earth Kingdom. Lilia simply nods politely, leading the way to the widest birchand with what she assumes is the main building of Wuyanse. Before the girl follows her, she takes one last peek around the place, finally taking the time to spot some more miserable-looking souls. She makes a guess that those might be the relatives of the missing victims, a suspicion only strengthened by one extremely tired woman, making the girl wonder if any more people have been taken away since Alder last spoke to her.

---

The inside of the chieftain's house immediately gives Katara some strikingly close memories of illustrations she saw in the past, ones depicting the more... primitive parts of the South Pole. Though most of the continent is rapidly growing and changing, some isolated communities still choose to live in more modest ways. In fact, making that comparison, Katara feels slightly ashamed for thinking of these people as primitive earlier.

ALDER: As I told you before, Karapak, what we are dealing with is a Tenome.

Alder having returned, only he, Lilia, and "Karapak" are seated inside, some tactical holes in the wall providing natural sunlight as they all sit around a low table looking at a drawing provided via a book the old man places down.

The illustration is of a creature vaguely resembling a geriatric man, his eyes closed and with a gaping mouth that gives off the impression like this creature is groaning in agony. His skin is slightly beige, a brown toga covering parts of his torso, everything below it submerged inside the ground.

Here's the real kicker though – the Tenome's hands, equally boney and with long fingernails, both possess an eye each of a blood red color.

With that in mind, Katara places her hand on her rucksack, feeling how Bim inside is shivering with what she assumes is fear.

ALDER: It is speculated that the Tenome is the spirit of an elderly blind man robbed and murdered. It sees with the eyes on its hand and uses his sense of smell in order to hunt down unsuspecting victims.

KATARA: And if it gets them?

LILIA: We don't know.

An unusual cough and Katara's earlier suspicion only grows further.

KATARA: Your son was taken. Wasn't he?

A sad nod from the chieftain and the girl knows not to ask any further.

ALDER: Indeed. We... haven't found any signs of Magno, or any of the other villagers who are missing, so we assume that they are still alive.

KATARA: That's something. How do you recon I deal with this thing?

ALDER: Most spirits are unharmed by mortal weaponry. The Tenome is different, however.

LILIA: En, one of our hunters, went a few days ago. We didn't find any signs of him. However, we did find some of his arrows.

ALDER: And his knife.

The elder presents said item alongside a piece of brown cloth.

ALDER: If the Tenome's clothing can be cut, so can he be hurt as well. Perhaps En managed to injure the spirit itself before being caught.

Yet another look drilling into Katara's backpack gives her the necessary confidence she requires.

KATARA: Right. I think I can do it then. You can pay me when I'm back.

Which isn't her usual strategy, however, this also isn't her usual mission.

ALDER: Thank you, Karapak. Our people will never forget your heroism.

The girl writes off a warm sensation in her stomach as her ego being padded.

KATARA: No problem.

With a relieved smile Lilia brings forth a map of Wuyanse and the surrounding areas.

LILIA: You'll have to go through the White Hollow first. It's not as dangerous. However, the Black Chasm comes right after. That's where the Tenome is most likely nesting.

KATARA: Gross. Alright – I'll be on my way.

Surprised to see her jolt up already, Lilia and Alder follow suit.

LILIA: Thank you very much, again. Good luck out there!

The girl halts for a second before exiting.

KATARA: I don't need luck. But thanks.

---

Once far enough into the White Hollow, the large, impressive trees are replaced for tall, thin, creepy-looking sticks, as if the massive arms from before had died off, merely long bones remaining stuck in the fog-covered ground. After a while Bim feels brave enough to exit the girl's rucksack, dropping onto the floor and walking alongside her like a pup.

KATARA: When were you gonna tell me that you're part of some other spirit? One that I happen to be in the business of killing right now.

BIM: Bim?! Bim! Bim!

Seeing the thing so openly protest, Katara begins to wonder.

KATARA: So... what's gonna happen when we reach the Tenome's nest? Won't he try to stick you back on his arm?

Expecting more annoyingly adorable noises, Bim instead halts, cowered together in a fist of despair, whining like a dog would. While instinctually she would leave it here, Katara instead tries to approach him, picking Bim up and placing the spirit in her own hands forming a bowl.

KATARA: You really don't wanna go back to that life, huh?

Not getting another "Bim", Bim instead huddles inside her palms.

A hint of a smile appears on her features, only very briefly.

KATARA: But I still need you to come with me, you know?

In a flash the little spirit springs back into action, crawling onto Katara's shoulder before doing that ridiculously cute salute with its thumb.

BIM: Bim!

KATARA: You're way too trusting, you know that?

Once that exchange is over, Bim remains on Katara's shoulder for a while, the girl stepping over a pathetic creek before walking into a valley of sorts, dead leaves from above covering the floor below them.

KATARA: Weird. Just when summer is-

Her rambling thoughts are interrupted as she spots something on the distance – no – someone.

A short, bald kid dressed in airbender clothing.

BIM: Bim!

Without another word the chase commences, Katara traversing these woods with the speed and agility of a leopard hawk, easily jumping over dead trees and hurrying further down the valley. The little creek from earlier reappears as a slightly larger body of water, Katara using her element to surf downwards, making her even faster and the chase even shorter.

What would she do if she caught Aang now though? She can hardly bring a prisoner to deal with the Tenome.

Would she abandon those people?

It seems the pursuit is coming to a close, Katara stopping in a dead-end, the Avatar nowhere near to be found.

Catching her breath and readying her water, even Bim looks around confused.

KATARA: Where are you?!

The girl's voice echoes with a strange level of malice she hasn't allowed herself to express ever since losing the Onryō.

KATARA: Show yourself, Aang!

KAIYUKO: Yeah... I'm sorry.

Immediately, her attack is flung in the other direction, going right through the transparent Water Tribe surfer dude standing across from her.

KAIYUKO: Man, I feel really bad about this – I totally lied to you.

The girl lowers her stance, looking just as intrigued as Bim while she crosses her arms.

BIM: Bim?

KATARA: You're Avatar Kaiyuko.

KAIYUKO: Heck yeah, man! Girl got the brains, yo!

KATARA: That means Aang can't be too far from here.

KAIYUKO: Uh... I'll neither confirm nor deny-

KATARA: Thank you.

With that, the waterbender begins to trek back up next to the creek, Kaiyuko eagerly following her, why the girl hasn't been able to figure out yet.

KAIYUKO: Wait! Hold on, little lady! I was just trying to chat with you about something!

KATARA: Thanks, but I'll decline. I have a spirit to kill and an Avatar to hunt down, and I'd rather get both of those done sooner than later.

KAIYUKO: Man, that sounds dope. But for real – this is like, really urgent.

KATARA: I don't see how talking to a dead man is in any way shape or form productive.

KAIYUKO: What about talking to your great-grandfather?

At this the girl stops, Bim's eye remains on the Avatar behind them.

BIM: Bim?

A few seconds pass before Katara finally turns around, at least having gotten her answer as to why exactly she is having this strange encounter.

KATARA: My what?

KAIYUKO: I'm your great-grandfather, man. It's what I'm trying to tell you.

There's not a massive shift that Katara experiences internally, she seems more so intrigued by this revelation.

KAIYUKO: I was hoping maybe you could help out Aang. He's all on his own, man. The last three months have been fricking hard on the kid. He needs a friend.

Katara audibly scoffs at the suggestion.

KATARA: A friend? And you want me to be his friend?

KAIYUKO: Sure. Why not? I mean, you got that nasty black goo out of your system finally. There's no better time than now.

The princess briefly stumbles at... everything she just heard.

KATARA: I- you – you're kidding me, right? I'm the Crown Princess of the Water Tribes! We're in the middle of a war that, from what I recall from my history lessons, you supported!

A deep sense of shame overcomes Kaiyuko, the otherwise chill dude lowering his head in a seriously dour fashion.

BIM: Bim...

KAIYUKO: I... only supported it in the beginning – look, this isn't about my mistakes, alright? This is about making things right in the present!

KATARA: I am making things right. If it wasn't for Aang and his posse me and father would've ended this war three months ago. I can only hope that, once I return, he and I can find a way to end it for real this time. And the only way I can return is with my honor restored.

KAIYUKO: Which means you wanna take Aang with you as your prisoner?

KATARA: Correct. Not exactly friendship-y, is it?

With his hands akimbo, Kaiyuko lets out an obnoxious amount of air through his lips (though not real air since he's a ghost).

KAIYUKO: Look, I totally get it, and I respect that you folks are trying to actually end this conflict. But ending it with the way things are now just isn't right, man. Fire Nation gone, parts of the Earth Kingdom made colonies. It's not just about ending the war. It's about ending it in a way that restores balance in the world.

Finding his input less than appealing, the girl takes a few provocative steps forward, halting right in front of her ancestor. Thanks to the hilly environment, the two actually meet at eye level.

KATARA: Balance is not a real concept or goal. We have to take the world as it is, not how we want it to be.

The cold rebuttal serves as an ending their little convo, Katara turning her back towards him as she walks back up the hill.

KATARA: Thanks for the little factoid though. I'm sure someone somewhere cares about stuff like that.

Feeling defeated and too stunned to follow it up with something, Kaiyuko slowly fades away, getting one last friendly wave from Bim before disappearing indefinitely.

---

Hours later Katara is back to even grounds, a soft cover of fog still creeping around her legs as she passes fewer and fewer bone trees, her hair starting to turn messy from the sweat of her travels. The girl grunts as part of the forest floor gives in from the pressure of her step, half her boot covered in dusty dirt that she wipes off with a frustrated expression. Bim, having done some scouting on all fives, returns to his partner as he climbs onto her shoulder.

BIM: Bim?

KATARA: How much longer is this nonsense?!

As the waterbender slaps aside a branch sticking into her face, the hand spirit ducks under it.

BIM: Bim...

She stops in an abrupt fashion, her face turned upwards as she lets out an even more aggressive groan.

KATARA: Who does he think he is?!

Wanting to be more helpful, Bim climbs down her shoulder, scaling a tree with a thick enough branch to carry him on eye level with the girl.

BIM: Bim?

KATARA: Kaiyuko, of course! Just shows up to mess with me...

In her angered mumble Katara paces a few steps forward before turning back to the hand listening in closely.

KATARA: He's just like Aang! An annoying pest that ruins everything! I mean, look at all the damage he's done!

Bim quietly tilts his head to the side as he observes her.

KATARA: He just... pops into a world that's not his, steals the Avatar Spirit for himself – he messes with everyone around him, tries to kill his best friend...

For a moment the girl wonders if she should continue leaving out her involvement, though lying to a cute little hand thing extremely loyal to her seems pretty silly.

KATARA: If it wasn't for him someone else could actually be the real Avatar and make a real difference. You know what I mean?

BIM: Bim?

KATARA: Forget about it.

As she continues onward, Bim follows her hesitantly, his adorable crawl becoming slower and slower without the girl's knowledge.

KATARA: Of course, a real Avatar would hurt the Water Tribes more. This is more so about the principle-

BIM: Bim! Bim! BIM!

The creature sounding like it's in dire distress, Katara bothers to turn around.

KATARA: Bim? What's going on?

As she does spot him, the hand has already scaled the waterbender again, digging into her rucksack as it shakes with fear, telling the girl that she needs to ready herself, a stream of liquid forming her signature protective ring.

In the distance, fog grows to ridiculous heights, dispersing again as it reveals an all-too-familiar creature extending its arms towards her while it sticks from the ground, howling with an ominous echo sounding like it wants to be put out of its misery.

KATARA: And there we have it.

With confidence, and while maintaining both water ring and eye contact, the girl hangs her backpack plus a hiding Bim onto a thicker tree branch.

KATARA: How about you come a little closer and we make this easier?

The moment the spirit begins to shift Katara has already shot several ice shards, though the Tenome dug itself into the earth as to avoid the attack.

For a few terrifying seconds the girl looks around in a 360-degree angle, closely inspecting the ground as she waits for the right moment. The spirit is much faster than its appearance might indicate, though that won't stop her.

It isn't the first spirit to mess with her, and this time she will get her vengeance.

KATARA: You know, I have a little friend with me...

Looking over to the backpack she decides against calling Bim in as bait.

KATARA: He's said some nasty things about you. Makes me think you're kind of a jerk. Care to elaborate?

With the soft ground shifting only a few feet away from Katara, the Tenome resurfaces, staring at her intrusively with its left hand's eye, the right arm pulled back in a grey stump. She smirks, preparing to-

TENOME (Kya's voice): Why did you leave me, Katara?

A previously stubborn level of confidence shatters like a thin layer of glass.

KATARA (terrified): What...

TENOME (Kya's voice): Why did you leave the play? Your father had to go after you. If he had stayed, I wouldn't have died.

Her water ring loses some of its speed as she almost drops it.

KATARA (terrified): M... mom?

TENOME (Kya's voice): Oh, my little angel... why did you kill me...

With a roaring scream she blasts the spirit, or at least tries to, as supernatural reflexes allow it to disappear into the ground again. The girl recollects her water as her mind races with an ungodly amount of fear the Onryō kept at bay for all these years.

TENOME (Sokka's voice): You were supposed to be my sister.

Her head turns in another direction, the spirit still keeping a healthy distance from the girl in combat stance.

TENOME (Suki's voice): You abandoned us. You're a liar.

TENOME (Sokka's voice): And a murderer.

Another strike misses her target, though this one lacked her usual finesse regardless, so it's likely that it wouldn't have hit the Tenome either way.

With every new voice, with every time the spirit emerges somewhere else, Katara's nerves get closer and closer to short circuiting.

TENOME (Kenora voice): You're a fucking monster. And I think you know it. You deserved everything bad that happened to you.

TENOME (Akari voice): You manipulated us from the start.

TENOME (Kanna's voice): You used to be such a kind little girl, now look at yourself.

TENOME (Zorak's voice): Nothing but a mindless weapon. You are no principessa.

TENOME (Hakoda's voice): You're a disappointment. Don't bother to come back at all, Avatar or not.

TENOME (Onryō's voice): You are just as pathetic and helpless as when I found you. Without me you will perish like the disgusting filth that you are!

TENOME (Kya's voice): Just accept it, Katara. You are nothing. YoU aRe n0tHinG...

KATARA (in tears and distress): SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UUUUUP!

With her final word ending in a scream the girl starts barraging every corner of the forest visible from her location, slicing several trees and draining others as her emotional offense bears no fruit, the Tenome not even remotely visible, though it's not like she was able to follow it earlier. As her breath exhales in heaps and her face is drenched in tears the girl restructures her water ring, keeping her focus sharp despite the harrowing torture she just endured.

Part of her wants to break down and sob on the spot, though that would surely be her death sentence. So instead, her eyes remain on the forest floor, looking all around in the hopes of spotting any spots shifting-

STING!

Her breath stops as a striking pain from the back prevents her from making another breath, her mouth instead foaming green as her strength seizes to exist. Just like her water splashes onto dirt so does the girl fall to the ground, barely managing to get a good look of her attacker, though her vision slowly begins to blur.

From above the Tenome lowers itself, the bottom part of its anatomy below the waistline resembling that of a black widow wasp, the stinger on its back surely having been the cause of her fatal injury.

In her final moments of consciousness, Katara spots a brave little hand standing between herself and the massive spirit about to indulge itself with a meaty dinner.

After that the girl's mind slips into darkness, as it did all those years ago when it agreed to let the Onryō take control of her.

---

What pulls the girl back into a state of living is a warm sensation around her back, roughly the same spot which had been stung by a nasty spirit before.

It all happens very quickly – the feeling of nausea reaches her brain a mere second before Katara pukes onto the ground. A few coughs serve to shake her system up again, the girl wiping the disgusting green slime from her chin as she spots a whole puddle of it below.

AANG: You were lucky.

Her mind does not even fully register who just talked to her, only focusing on the tiny red fire dancing on the palm of his hand, which is quickly extinguished by a flicking motion.

AANG: It was just about to wrap you in a silk cocoon when I got here. Your little friend did its best to try and protect you.

KATARA (weak): What...

BIM (happy): Bim!

On command the little hand flings itself onto her face, hugging her left cheek in relief as the situation comes crashing down on the Crown Princess.

AANG: Can you get up? We have a long way to go.

---

Part III.

THE BLACK CHASM

---

The deeper they stumble the steeper it gets. Gross vegetation shaped and colored like bones replaced by strange, alien creatures which could be fauna or flora, which one Katara can't decide. Maybe these carnivorous flowers in the darkest parts of the woods are not as bizarre as the princess perceives them, yet the leftover effects of the Tenome's toxin make the waterbender feel about as fuzzy and disoriented as it can possibly get. Luckily her handy helper redirects her whenever the girl stumbles into the wrong direction, a jolly "Bim!" providing her with a vague sense of focus as to where she needs to go. Then there's also their tour guide of course.

Much like the plant life that seems like it shouldn't be here Katara still hasn't decided if this strange specter leading the way is actually Aang or not. Last time she saw the airbender he was wearing a strange custom Air Nomad fit, shaven head and tattoos proudly displayed for the world to see.

The boy leading her now looks more like a firebender than anything. A red shirt mixed with brown pants, boots, and a lotus headband covering the arrow on his forehead, combined with his black hair and gloves, any semblance of the character being of airbending origin has effectively been erased from existence. With a backpack slumped over his shoulder Aang occasionally looks back at his temporary partner to see if she can keep up, tossing her a warm smile every time he does so. That last part confuses the girl the most.

AANG: It looks like the ocean. Doesn't it?

He gives her yet another fun look that communicates way too much happiness coming from one of her current enemies.

AANG: It's like we're walking on the ocean floor. It's all shaped like algae and coral.

Indeed, it is, the coral-like plants in particular growing to the size of a two-story suburban house.

AANG: I always wondered what it would be like to walk underwater. Guess this is the closest I'll get to-

The noise of Katara falling down alerts the airbender, Bim already preventing the worst via pulling on her collar before she can plunge into what looks like a terrestrial sponge.

AANG: Hey-hey – easy there!

Fortunately, that last stumble gets Katara back up to at least 70 percent.

KATARA (dizzy): I'm fine...

AANG: Really? Cause you're talking through gritted teeth-

KATARA (dizzy, but still firm): I said I'm FINE!

He backs off right away, allowing Katara to regain balance on her own, arms erected like she was Ty Lee balancing on a rope.

AANG: Okay.

After a while the girl gets it together, brushing past by Aang and bumping his shoulder on purpose, forming the head of their little travel party as the boy politely follows her.

AANG: Do you know where you're going?

KATARA: Did you know where you were going?

While the girl doesn't bother turning around, Bim, on her shoulder, tosses a curious look over to Aang, the airbender yet to have asked who or what her little companion is.

AANG: I didn't. But I'm guessing the Tenome is nesting somewhere here. They don't like sunlight too much.

For some reason this gives her the rest, the waterbender halting and blocking their only way forward as she crosses her arms in between two coral-like ferns.

KATARA: And since when are you the spirit expert?

BIM (inquisitive): Bim!

Her question is of course meant to be as confrontational as possible, the girl still trying to get a reaction out of this Halfvatar who seems, if anything, foreign. She is yet to get a proper answer though, Aang simply shrugging as he seems little offended by the question.

AANG: I... wouldn't say expert. I did a lot of research, plus I talked to Avatar Lostris. She dealt with spirits a lot in her time-

KATARA: Yeah-yeah-yeah – one history lesson per day is enough.

Annoyed by his answer, she trudges onwards, allowing Aang to follow as he avoids being touched by flora.

AANG: I happened to stumble into a nearby village. There I overheard someone talking about a forest people dealing with a vengeance spirit.

KATARA: So you decided to check it out?

AANG: I did. Which is how I ran into you.

Yet another shrug that makes the boy look just... way too nice. Katara shudders at it, although more likely she shudders at the aftereffects of the supernatural venom, a category which includes all the disturbing vocal imitations.

KATARA: Haven't you had enough trouble with vengeance spirits in your lifetime?

He chuckles, upsetting her even further.

AANG: That's one way to put it. But yes... I was looking for the Onryō.

At the name drop the waterbender stops once again, some elongated creature on the floor crawling away as she nearly stepped on it.

BIM (concerned): Bim?

Sensing some kind of nerve having been hit, Aang takes just one step closer, still respecting her wish of him staying away.

AANG: I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.

She finally turns around, the ultramarine in her eyes both expressing tiredness as well as dread.

KATARA: I'm guessing you were hoping to find a way back home.

A flick of her eyebrows carries a sense of spite that hopefully gets a reaction from the airbender. Sadly for her, it still does not, the two trekking forward as Aang lets out a reserved sigh.

AANG: I was actually hoping to kill it. So that it wouldn't hurt anyone-

KATARA: The Onryō is dead.

Finally a slightly stronger shift, Aang's expression laced with shock.

AANG: How do you know?

Some ominous seconds pass before she answers.

KATARA: Because finding a prime host for an Onryō is a one-in-a-million. It grew in me as a child. It wanted to switch to your girlfriend in Ba Sing Se. So, unless it found Azula, I doubt it's still out there.

A pinch of pain appears in her stomach as she shares all those very personal things with Aang.

AANG: I'm sorry to hear. But... at least it being dead is a good thing.

Bim looks with concern at her human companion, Katara weighing her options in this conversation.

KATARA: Guess it is.

A few minutes of silence overcome the Black Chasm as the two keep moving forward, Katara's need to lie down and take a break growing stronger by the minute.

BIM (quietly): Bim?

KATARA (quietly): I'm fine.

AANG: Why did it want to infect Azula?

Hearing yet another question, the waterbender finally allows herself to show a hint of weakness by sitting down on a mossy rock with an exhausted grunt.

AANG: Sorry. I'm just... trying to piece this thing together.

KATARA: I can see that.

Having stopped in a relatively quiet valley, Bim begins to prepare their camp. Based on the time passed the sun has probably set already, though they couldn't tell in these haunting parts. Part of Katara wants to stop the little spirit, though her exhaustion gets the better of her and she allows it to continue.

AANG: I'll help him.

BIM: Bim!

The boy smiles at the little hand's jolly voice.

Katara's eyes close for a moment, the pain she experiences from it telling the girl that her spirit infection is not over yet. She lets out a sigh as Aang spreads out some firewood he collected earlier.

KATARA: Because she's the Avatar.

A stark reminder that seems to ignite a spark within Aang, a hopeful expression as the boy nods and produces a small fire in his hand. Shortly after, the flames of their campfire drench these eerie woods in some hope.

KATARA: If he'd been able to take over you, he'd have done it. But he obviously can't take over the Avatar.

BIM: Bim?

AANG: I thought Azula-

KATARA: Is the real Avatar, yes. But you're the one carrying the Avatar Spirit. It's why you can speak to your past lives and bend all the elements. At least in a... rudimentary fashion.

A weirdly snide remark that does make Aang think. Just as Katara begins to shiver feverishly, Bim is already pulling a blanket from her rucksack and handing it over to her.

KATARA (tired): Thanks.

Finally, the girl lies down, not before her handy helper grabs some non-disgusting leaves and foliage to create a makeshift mattress.

KATARA (tired): It has a name, by the way.

Aang's brow furrows as he pokes the burning wood in front of him.

KATARA (tired): The Avatar Spirit. He kept mentioning it a bunch.

The boy turns his head in excitement as Bim starts preparing some kind of stew.

AANG: Do you remember it?

Her eyes closed already, Katara considers not answering for a moment.

KATARA (weak): Raava.

As the fire produces light, warmth, and strange, crackling sounds, Aang smiles just ever so slightly, morphing into a somber expression right after.

AANG: Do you think I'll be able to return Raava to Azula?

He got no answer to that question for the rest of the night.

---

The soothing sound of the campfire is slowly dragged into Katara's dreamland, turning into the image of a properly ventilated chimney system sucking away the smoke from the inside of the southern palace. Inside this smaller, cozier room Kya stitches up a fur blanket with a calm expression, stopping her task and turning her head towards the entrance as she hears small footsteps racing towards her.

KYA: Hey, angel.

YOUNG KATARA: Mommy, what is a Avatar?

With a smile as warm as the fireplace the woman puts away her work project, holding the small child's hands instead.

KYA: Where did you hear that word?

YOUNG KATARA: I asked Sage Karapak about Kyoshi Island because I wanna know more about Suki and then I asked what a Kyoshi is and he said Kyoshi was the Avatar.

Kya nods, picking up Katara and allowing her to sit on the woman's lap, something the small child is still short enough to do.

KYA: You know how there's four elements, right?

YOUNG KATARA: A-ha.

KYA: Well... the Avatar is a person who can bend all four elements at the same time.

Like any kid her age Katara's mouth morphs into an O shape as Kya smiles once again.

KYA: The last Avatar was named Kaiyuko. He died almost a hundred years ago.

The girl gasps before responding.

YOUNG KATARA: So there's no Avatar now?

KYA: No, angel. There might not ever be an Avatar again.

Leaving her with that little piece of information, the small child rubs her chin for a second, then lights up with excitement as she presents her idea.

YOUNG KATARA: I could be the new Avatar!

Her mother chuckles at this, not in a manner of mockery, but of sharing her daughter's joy.

KYA: You would be a wonderful Avatar.

YOUNG KATARA: You really think so?

KYA: I really think so.

Hearing the encouragement in the moment, the young girl does genuinely think about it.

YOUNG KATARA: Can I... can I become the Avatar?

Wanting to let her down easy, Kya strokes Katara's hair before holding her face.

KYA: I'm sorry, angel. No one can become an Avatar...

The waterbender's eyes widen as the memory becomes blurrier and blurrier.

KYA: ...you are only ever born an Avatar. Nothing can change that.

---

Katara's eyes open once again, a few blinks and they are moisturized enough to allow the girl to look around camp. All the plant life from earlier does indeed look rather strange, though not nearly as much as she perceived them earlier. Good. Means the toxin has finally worn off.

Sitting upright from her prior sleeping position also gives her some clues as to her current physical condition. The usual level of exhaustion she mostly ignores is about the only thing preventing her from jumping into any action, not that she needs to.

Then again, there is an Avatar seated in front of her, still awake and staring endlessly into the flames in front of him. As soon as movement appears in his peripheral vision the boy turns to Katara, his expression quickly forming a smile that seems strangely normal.

AANG: Feeling better?

She lets out a sigh, a snoozing Bim on her lap yet another reason the girl can't get up.

KATARA: Very much.

He nods, continuously providing that stoic compassion that Katara had been missing for the past three months. Despite how none of her decisions were her own, she did enjoy travelling. She enjoyed Suki's company, Akari's snide remarks, Kanna's wisdom, Zorak's tutorage, and even Kenora's passion.

And now they're all Sedni knows where.

AANG: You should get some rest. We still have a long way tomorrow before we take on the Tenome.

Feeling almost her full strength again, Katara's brow ridge furrows.

KATARA: Why are you going with me?

He finds himself stumbling at the question, quickly finding his footing.

AANG: I don't know. It's not the Onryō. But still. People apparently got taken. Why shouldn't I help them?

No arguing with that logic, as she herself also felt inclined to take this job in order to help out the village. Still...

KATARA: I'm not sharing the bounty, by the way.

He looks to her with a gaze of intrigue.

KATARA: The bounty. For the job. I'm taking it.

AANG: That's fine with me.

Katara's eyes refuse to be taken off of his dumb smirk, the airbender's eyes wandering down over to her lap.

AANG: Who is this little guy? You didn't introduce us earlier.

The waterbender scoffs as she watches the hand's body rising and sinking. At what exactly? Lungs? Breath? Who knows.

KATARA: That's Bim. I think. No need to introduce you two when he keeps blurting it every two seconds.

Surprisingly her spiritual assistant is not woken up by his name being dropped.

AANG: He's nice. Where did you find him?

KATARA: He found me, actually. He uh...

"Promised to help me hunt you down." isn't exactly an option here.

KATARA: He's clingy.

AANG: I can see that.

Her eyes wander down to Bim as well, a hint of a smile repressed as her attention shifts back to her future target.

KATARA: He's actually the Tenome's right hand.

Aang's eyes widen at this, Katara finally allowing her smile to fully grow.

KATARA: Not... right-hand-helper. I mean... literally his right hand. One of the people I'm supposed to rescue cut the Tenome pretty good. Apparently... Bim fell off and... gained sentience. Chose his own path.

AANG: Chose to travel with you. Just like me.

Having kept up a façade of indifference thus far, the waterbender finally cracks.

KATARA: Why?

AANG: Um... I don't know. Can he say anything besides Bim-

KATARA: That's not what I meant.

He shuts up quickly as he turns towards her all the way, seated with his legs crossed.

KATARA: Why are you smiling, Aang? Why are you... happy?

She lets that first part sink in as the boy exhales quietly.

KATARA: You lost... everything. Everything that a person could ever lose. And that was just in your world. Here you... lost everything as well.

AANG: I didn't lose everything.

Her curious features take on a slight grimace.

AANG: But you're right. I lost more than most people. The Air Nomads. The war. For a while now I lost my friends being stuck here. And I lost my friends in this world as well.

A scoff later and a hint of tears collects at the bottom of his eyelids.

KATARA: So? Are you just faking it?

AANG (slightly teary): Maybe. I don't know.

A quick wipe later and the tremble in his voice is stabilized.

AANG: I don't know if I'm pretending to have moved on or if I really moved on. All I know is that all this pain and loss I felt... I couldn't let it control me. I let it control me for years. It's made me a worse person. And it had to stop.

Hearing herself to some degree, Katara pushes that part of her person aside.

KATARA: So you just... decided not to be sad anymore?

Aang chuckles mildly.

AANG: No, I don't think it works like that. But I think I decided to try to be happy.

Respectfully, the waterbender nods, feeling herself shifting back to sleepiness as time passes.

AANG: It's also because of what you said.

As Katara's ultramarine stares at the boy with intrigue, Aang's grey eyes stare back into the fire.

---

Flames that shone much like they did when he attacked Katara all these months ago. After the waterbender ran away, the boy, battered and lacking rest, stumbled to where she had set up her camp before, dropping to his knees as his mind felt like it was ripped in half.

Azula is the Avatar.

Azula is the real Avatar.

Azula is the Avatar of this world. She was always meant to be.

And now he killed her.

KAIYUKO: She isn't dead, bro.

With tears in his exhausted eyes the airbender turned his head to a transparent version of Azula's prior incarnation.

AANG (teary): But I... she wasn't...

KYOSHI: You seriously injured her.

His gaze spins in the other direction, the painted warrior in particular illuminated ominously by the flames behind her.

KYOSHI: You came very close to creating the next Avatar in the Earth Kingdom. But no, Azula is still out there. We can feel her.

LOSTRIS: We could always feel her, we just didn't know what it meant.

AANG (teary): But... but how did I not know?

YANGCHEN: You couldn't.

For some reason the soothing voice of the Air Nomad comforts Aang the most, all four incarnations now surrounding him in a square pattern.

Though this time their presence was not meant to intimidate him, quite the opposite.

YANGCHEN: None of us knew. We couldn't. You least of all.

Aang breaks down sobbing as he falls on his hands.

AANG (sobbing): I should've known. I should've protected her.

YANGCHEN: Listen to me, Aang.

The adult woman goes down on one knee as the broken boy looks up at her.

YANGCHEN: The past lives and the Avatar Spirit of your world only tried to protect you. Perhaps they did it with a purpose. Perhaps sending you into this world, at the exact moment that you were, was destiny.

Still in shambles, Aang's soul begins to slowly build itself back up again, Yangchen holding his arms with a kind of warmth as if the woman was physically there.

YANGCHEN: The burden of your own world will be lighter once you help out this one.

KAIYUKO: And you already have, man! Look at the cool stuff you did.

LOSTRIS: You helped Azula a lot so far. She wouldn't be where she is now without you.

Notably, Kyoshi refrains from a positive comment, though also from a negative one, which is a good thing.

YANGCHEN: This world is not your burden, Aang. And it never was.

Some seconds of gasping for air and the young airbender manages to respond.

AANG (teary): But what about all the people I've hurt? I've done so much damage. How can I... how can I change that?

With her thumb on Aang's forehead and her other hand on his shoulder, Yangchen takes a deep breath.

YANGCHEN: At our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

Simultaneously, all sets of eyes present start glowing, Aang's and Yangchen's tattoos alongside it.

---

Their campfire crackles for a few more seconds before Katara reacts, first with a dismissive scoff.

KATARA: That's it? Some words of encouragement and Azula are enough to get you back on your feet?

For the first time Aang emotes slightly insulted, continuing his tale as he politely ignores her remark.

AANG: I travelled to Goldmouth after that.

---

A hooded Aang with significantly less hair, but already in his firebender disguise, sits down in front of the Cube of Bendigo in a meditative position. After a short while his eyes and (hidden) tattoos briefly glow up again, not noticed by anyone else present. As Aang looks ahead, his own reflection in the monument morphs, showing him something else...

AANG (voiceover): I had a vision. I saw Ogro...

Ogro the Leviathan in all his glory as he rules the stormy waves below him.

AANG (voiceover): ...the Onryō...

A strange, deformed version of it to be exact, though Aang could not make out any specific shape.

AANG (voiceover): ...and Azula.

Finally, the only part of the vision that's clear – Azula, in a strange, new fit, wearing her headpiece, and with her eyes glowing.

---

AANG: I know your father must be stopped before Ogro's Return and the Onryō defeated once and for all.

The serious tone in her voice does give her the chills a bit. Ignoring that comment about her father, Katara inquires further.

KATARA: Then what? Then you'll finally be happy?

AANG: Then I'll finally be able to go home.

Getting to the heart of the issue, the waterbender finally nods.

KATARA: I see.

Seeing as the boy finally lies down, the princess is not yet fully satisfied.

KATARA: So why aren't you scared? Sounds like a lot you have to do.

AANG: I am scared.

The airbender has the curtesy to turn around one last time as he finishes his answer.

AANG: But it's not my destiny. I've been sent here to help Azula achieve hers.

Coming off as slightly colder, Aang turns away from the girl as he audibly sighs.

AANG: I'm gonna go to sleep now. You should too.

Supremely befuddled by everything, Katara blinks a few times before finally nodding.

KATARA: Right. Good night.

She falls asleep rather quickly, unsure about what to make of any of this. As she finally dozes off the princess dreams of being back on the Pāpaka with all of her friends, including Kenora, Zorak, and her mother.

---

Within the confines of a dark, hidden valley devoid of any plant life, the Tenome is busy tending to his victims, all villagers carefully hidden inside silky cocoons, how long they've been like this neither Katara nor Aang can make out. Though based on their chests clearly heaving and sinking, both assume correctly that the victims are still alive, including the smallest cocoon.

The two humans lower their heads again as the waterbender quietly exhales.

AANG: What's the battleplan?

The girl raises her eyebrow in an offended manner.

KATARA: Aren't you the spirit expert?

AANG: I only heard about this thing. You actually fought it. Any tips?

Her mind briefly returns to that encounter from yesterday, a haunting moment that, unlike the physical toxin, may never leave her. With her eyes coldly fixated on the ground she responds.

KATARA: It messes with your head. Imitates people you know. It's scary.

Based on her tone and body language Aang can politely infer just how harrowing that whole ordeal was for her.

AANG: Well... I got all four elements. It shouldn't be a problem, I think.

As he takes another peek over the ledge a battle rages inside Katara, her crossed arms and pouted lips hinting just ever so slightly at the internal argument the girl is having with herself about whether or not she should reveal this information.

BIM: Bim?

As her human companion's gaze switches back over to her she quietly cracks.

KATARA: That's not gonna help us a whole lot.

AANG: How come?

A defeatist sigh and the girl finally uncrosses her arms.

KATARA: Your body, your real body back in your world – that one was designed to handle four elements. This one you're currently occupying was not. Your airbending is really the only element you're good at.

Another bombshell forcing Aang to reevaluate his entire situation. Not that he needed another but suppose it's one more reason to return Raava to Azula.

AANG: I thought I caught up with it.

KATARA: I'm sure you trained a lot. But haven't you noticed how much harder it is? Surely you must've felt a difference.

With two simple sentences the Halfvatar feels like Atlas dropping the Earth from his shoulders.

AANG: I thought I was... weaker. Fire came easy but-

KATARA: That's because fire is very similar to air. But still. You'll never be as good as someone else at it. Isn't that why you lost against Kenora?

If it weren't for their stealth scenario Aang's internal gasp would probably be audible back in the White Hollow. Katara takes another peek before shielding herself once again, returning to the topic at hand. For some reason she finds pleasure in educating this ignorant boy, even if it might prove to be a fatal error later on.

KATARA: Suki always trains with extra padding on her arms and legs. Then, when she actually fights someone, the padding comes off and all the movements she practiced while handicapped are twice as fast. It's like that for you, except the padding only goes off when you're back in your own body.

BIM: Bim...

AANG: That explains so much.

A scoff later and a very humble smile causes her to slightly blush for a second.

AANG: Thank you.

KATARA: I'm only being practical. Plus, it doesn't really give us any ideas for how to tackle Grandpa Arachnid.

AANG: I guess not.

With yet another confined smirk he looks over to Bim, the naïve little spirit meeting his curious expression with one of his own.

BIM: Bim?

AANG: But he just gave me an idea.

---

Its segmented appendages clack on the forest floor as the Tenome continues admiring his future dinners, rearranging the silk cocoons in some indecipherable pattern, the very same manner a spider would continuously perform certain tasks countless times with no apparent end goal other than their brains being hardwired to do so.

Eventually though the spirit creature changes its current behavior, quickly digging itself into the dirt below as it senses an approaching traveler, only the part resembling an elderly man remaining above ground.

Aang takes a deep breath as he reaches the nest, sensing the hostile energy penetrating his mind.

TENOME (Gyatso voice): Why did you disappear?

Hearing the familiar voice of his mentor, a tingle starts creeping down Aang's spine. It's crucial for the plan to remain frozen here, and so he needs to endure any torment presented by the Tenome.

It was his idea after all.

TENOME (Sokka voice): I told you to stay away from our village!

TENOME (Katara voice): Why did you burn me, Aang?! I told you to be careful!

TENOME (Yue voice): I didn't need to die, Aang.

The airbender takes a deep breath, calming himself as the inflicted guilt avalanche continues.

TENOME (Toph voice): You said you'd protect us, Twinkletoes.

TENOME (Earth King voice): You're the reason the Earth Kingdom fell.

TENOME (Guru voice): This wouldn't've happened if you only listened.

Some individual tears appear on Aang's features.

TENOME (Zuko voice): You were supposed to bring balance and defeat my father.

TENOME (Iroh voice): You only brought pain and suffering to the world.

TENOME (Ozai voice): You're weak, just like the rest of your people! They did not deserve to exist in this world... in my world! Prepare to join them. Prepare to die!

Just as it thinks Aang is helpless, the Tenome digs itself up from below, revealing the arachnid-insectoid main part, preparing its stinger as Aang wipes the tears from its face.

AANG: You're right.

At this, the hungry spirit suddenly halts, its unhinged jaw wide open.

AANG: I did all of those things. And I did hurt all of these people. I let them down.

For a moment it seems as though this alone might convince the spirit to leave things be, yet as the Tenome charges for attack those hopes vanish, replaced by a determined expression of the Halfvatar.

AANG: Now!

Before the Tenome is able to reach Aang, a bubble of water is flung at impressive speed, covering the creature's mouth as it stumbles backwards slightly. As it uses its left arm to scan the area, another projectile attacks it, this time a grey hand latching onto the other as the two eyes wrestle for dominance. In this ensuing chaos, Katara slides down the nest, giving a cautious look to Aang, as she still isn't super cool with his whole plan.

The airbender on the other hand jumps in a high arc, landing on the edge of the Tenome's nest as it struggles to rid itself of the ice or a courageous Bim.

AANG: Hey! I'm over here!

As he obnoxiously waves, the Tenome finally shakes off the hand spirit attacking it, turning to Aang, who sweetens the deal via performing a silly dance he enacted countless times in his world years ago. Forced to use its arm for vision, the creature races up the step nest and after Aang, allowing Katara to freely deal with the captured villagers, shaking her head with a scoff as the image of Aang's silly dance is now permanently edged into her mind.

Back in the Black Chasm, Aang dodges any violent tackles or attempted stabbings with his excellent agility, blasting it with multiple currents of air in the hopes of tiring it down in the process. With its mouth still covered any psychological attacks are stunted for now, forcing the Tenome to resort to a state of extreme physical violence.

In this little fight it also really clicks for Aang just what Katara meant earlier. Restricting himself to purely airbending makes this one of the easiest encounters he's ever had, allowing him to truly focus on movement and defense rather than having to adhere to the philosophies of any other bending style. Despite how serious the situation is – Aang, for the first time in years, finds himself enjoying a combat situation. This is also the first time since Musho Ichi that he has used his air scooter, speeding past by the Tenome's legs before flinging himself over it, blasting it with air from above and landing with a cocky smirk.

His joy quickly subsides as the spirit pushes over a massive coral-like plant, Aang forced to dodge it last second as right after, a mean swing from one of the spider legs knocks him to the ground. Just as the Tenome's stinger is in reach, Bim once again launches himself like a crazed house cat, bothering the creature's humanoid half before the left arm smack it to the ground, staring at it right after with a grimace.

As the left eye identifies what it's looking at, the Tenome backs off, seemingly shocked as to what it has spotted.

AANG: That's Bim.

Daring to take the opportunity, Aang jumps to defend the little hand spirit recovering, shielding it as Tenome's left eye blinks repeatedly.

AANG: He used to be a part of you. But he's on his own now. He made his choice. You can make that choice too.

Finding the human's words more than intriguing, Tenome finally powers down, the invertebrate part of the creature digging itself into the ground, only the old man part remaining.

Much to Aang's surprise, as Bim climbs up the boy's shoulder, the Tenome's left hand reaches for its shirt, removing it and revealing a wide mouth on what would be its stomach.

TENOME: You impress me, Avatar.

Hearing that much more soothing and regal voice, Aang exhales calmly, the left arm closely admiring him as the eye on it blinks once more.

AANG: Thanks. I'm just Aang though.

TENOME: I am aware.

As a show of good faith, Aang melts the ice restrains from the fake mouth, feeling an immediate difficulty that wasn't present in any of his airbending. This allows the spirit to showcase its impressive abilities one last time.

TENOME (Kenora voice, sobbing): Leave and never come back.

With this he is catapulted back to the Crystal Catacombs and his biggest failure yet.

Despite the pain and grief resting in his stomach, Aang rises above it.

AANG: For a long time, I felt nothing but pain. I hated the world for how cruel it was but... I mostly hated myself for not being able to fix it.

Some tears reappear as Aang wipes them away.

AANG: When I restore balance in my world, it won't magically fix everything. I'll still have to work hard every day to make things right. And then the Avatar after me will have to do the same.

The Tenome nods, the left eye blinking yet again before the stomach mouth answers.

TENOME: Back when I was a human, a man I trusted betrayed me and took my life. In spirit form, I swore to unleash my grief onto the world, onto unsuspecting humans.

Pausing shortly, the left arm takes another look at a curious Bim.

BIM: Bim?

TENOME: But you two have showed me that I have a choice. That vengeance is not the only way of dealing with my grief.

AANG: So how will you be handling it?

A somber moment ensues before Aang gets his answer.

TENOME: Trying my best to move on.

Before departing, the Tenome takes one last look at the little handy helper.

TENOME: Goodbye, Star. I shall miss you.

BIM: Bim...

AANG: Wait... his name is "Star"?

TENOME: Yes. Suppose humans can't quite decipher his speech. Feel free to keep calling him what you've been calling him so far, I don't think he minds.

BIM: Bim!

Finally, the spirit grabs his shirt, slowly sinking to the ground as Bim waves it goodbye.

TENOME: Farewell, Aang. I hope I'll get to see the real Avatar one day.

---

PART IV.

WITH PURPOSE AND DESTINY

---

Aang returned with the brightest of grins, Katara rolling her eyes at it, her gut telling her that that image is gonna be stuck in her mind for the foreseeable future. While the boy was busy dealing with the Tenome, successfully it seems, Katara had carefully sliced open all of the cocoons, treating the victims on the inside with her waterbending as best she could. Aang fell back on his firebending one last time in order to remove the spiritual toxin from everyone's body in a bizarrely disgusting process, though it was obviously necessary, and while Katara believed very much in her own bending abilities, she did not trust herself to venom bend that green goo from all those people's systems. Better leave that for the boy. Once the procedure was done and the small group headed back for Wuyanse Aang made a resolution then and there that, besides non-combat emergencies like this, he would never use any of the other three elements in this world again.

They were Azula's to wield, regardless.

Aang found the black-and-white village just as enthralling as Bim first did yesterday, the little hand once again having returned to Katara's backpack as the group arrived hours later. While all of the still dizzy people were escorted away by their fellow villagers, Lilia took her son into her arms with tears in her eyes, Alder mouthing "Thank you" as he saw two people having performed this task. While a flock of jolly children swarmed the two benders like butterflies a pretty flower, Aang did some surface level introductions, explaining away that he and "Karapak" were old friends who happened to run into each other.

AANG: My name is Kuzon. I'm from the Golden City.

Hm. Katara scoffed inaudibly with her arms crossed, overtly jealous of the Halfvatar's much better alter ego. She should've just called herself Sokka or something.

AANG: No, Karapak did most of the work. He should get the full reward.

He winked and she rolled her eyes again, gladly accepting a fairly modest amount of gold and silver pieces. While "Kuzon" adamantly refused any spoils, the village did offer him some food supplies for his travels, something the airbender gladly accepted, though naturally he refused any meats. Katara was offered some ailments alongside the boy, though she refused. That sack of gold she carried with her now might be quite literally everything the village has to offer. Taking any more of their supplies felt just ever so slightly wrong.

Before their departure, while Aang sincerely thanked Alder and Lilia, giving off the calmness and peaceful nature of a true Air Nomad.

Katara briefly interrupted her internal scheming as she looked down to her left. The younger sister from yesterday was staring at her again with a gaping mouth. The princess almost felt inclined to shush her away, though it was not necessary, as...

YOUNGER SISTER: Thank you.

Upon speaking with a very quiet and high-pitched voice the toddler ran away again, Katara flicking her eyebrow as part of her did light up a bit.

BIM (quietly): Bim?

KATARA (quietly): Stay inside for now, Bim. You'll be safer that way.

The hand nodded, though expressed a worried glance as he returned into the rucksack once more.

---

The sun is beginning to set on this part of the Earth Kingdom, Aang's smile continuously plastered onto his features as he and Katara enter the nearby bamboo fields. A soft breeze blows over his wild hair and the boy ponders the possibility of shaving it once again.

AANG: Can I ask you something?

The girl's gaze remains stuck to the grassy ground, her mind occupied with something entirely different as she reacts way too late.

KATARA: What's that?

AANG: Are you okay?

KATARA: Yeah, sure. What did you ask me before?

AANG: Nothing yet. I... asked if I can ask you something.

The waterbender's features freeze up momentarily with annoyance.

KATARA: Sure. Go ahead.

Aang's eyes move back forward as he tries to make out the quickest path through these tall plants.

AANG: I'm thinking about shaving my head again. It's much better for airbending, but I might get recognized by someone.

Getting no answer, the boy grows nervous.

AANG: I just thought cause you're the incognito expert-

Turning back around towards her, the spot on which she should be standing on is vacated. Another soft breeze blows through the bamboo maze as Aang drops his backpack.

AANG: Katara?!

For a second panic washes over him. Could the Tenome have returned? Could it be a different spirit-

Then, within the blink of an eye, his worries do a 180 as he considers yet another possibility.

Only a few moments later water tendrils shoot from the ground, any grass immediately dead and dry as the wateracles pull the boy to his knees with an almost industrial force.

Finally, from in between some of the bamboo, Katara appears in a combat stance, her arm movements clearly indicating that she is the blueprint behind this attack.

AANG (struggling): Katara... why?

KATARA: Shut up!

Unable to move any limbs, Aang begins to fear that he might actually be captured here.

AANG (struggling): We don't have to do this. You have a choice.

KATARA: You're right. This is my choice. My only choice.

A slight tremble is audible in her voice as the tendrils begin to freeze. In a last-ditch effort Aang decides to attack her with an old-fashioned mouth-blow, the vortex blocked easily as Katara bends water from her pouch into a shield. Her grip on him briefly weakened, the boy utilizes a rare (and pretty nasty) gravitational trick – on himself – slamming his own body against the ground, causing some of the water's friction to break, an impressive spin maneuver getting him back on two feet as offensive wind currents strike Katara's improved aquatic defenses.

With a loud grunt the princess switches to offense as well, creating a ring of liquid around her person from which powerful ice shards fly at her opponent, who manages to dodge everything quite successfully, though the boy refuses to attack her with any air slashes. Getting frustrated by his passive style, Katara lets her water ring drop into the grass, drying it all to death as she creates huge tendrils all around their narrow battlefield, Aang switching to his air scooter as he speeds past all of her octopus-like smacks. Getting angrier with every dodge, Katara abandons her land-kraken form and instead focuses all of the collected liquid into a concentrated stream, Aang gasping as he jumps up last-second, a hole stretching for quite a distance now present within the bamboo forest. Holding his balance between two sticks in the air, he looks down with a nervous expression, Katara visibly wheezing.

AANG: I'm not gonna fight you, Katara!

KATARA (angry): I'm not letting you DECIDE!

This time, rather than draining any flora for bending material, she instead bends the water inside the bamboo, puppeteering the vegetation first to break Aang's balance, then to slap him repeatedly from all sides as he descends to the ground, grunting loudly as he lands in some distant, thicker part of the forest. A loud exhale and a smirk follow.

KATARA (exhausted): Finally.

With her aqua ring returning, the girl cuts through any and all greenery standing in her way, closing in on the spot Aang crashed down earlier. She reaches him coughing on the ground, clearly injured. Not fatally, but the boy's definitely not in any condition to keep on fighting.

Then, within the blink of an eye, despite her victory, a wave of shame overcomes her.

KATARA: (exhausted): Look... I'm sorry. I have to do this. Please understand.

AANG (distorted): It's all good, I get it.

Finding his supernatural tone and cadence worrying, she takes a few steps back as the boy gets back up on two feet.

Eyes and tattoos glowing.

AANG/KAIYUKO: We all need to take things at our own pace.

With the words of her great-grandfather echoing in her mind, a wind blast mighty enough to break every bone in her body instead allows the Halfvatar to shoot away like a bullet, disappearing at a good 60mph and leaving nothing but a loud bang and some loose leaves behind. In her moment of defeat, Katara's aqua ring splashes violently against the ground.

KATARA (frustrated): DAMMIT!

---

Nighttime overcomes the village as Katara slams the door to her room in the inn.

KATARA: We'll have to be quick if we want to catch up with him.

Cramming her backpack like a maniac, what Katara considered a momentary home for the last few weeks is quickly swept empty, Bim watching this in terror on a short table.

BIM: Bim?

KATARA: We'll leave tonight. I'll track him for a few hours. He probably went south.

As her final possession is stuffed into her rucksack, Bim's fearful shiver is finally noticed by her.

KATARA: What?!

In all of their adventuring, the waterbender had not made it clear when their partnership would end. And now, with nowhere else to go, Bim is scared more than anything that-

KATARA: Are you coming or not, Bim?

"Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll)" by George Harrison begins to play.

While internally conflicted over her master attacking another human whom he very much likes, hearing those words in enough to get the loyal little helper back into action, Bim climbing back into her backpack just before she closes the door to a comfortable life.

---

The song continues to play over Aang tending to his bruises in a village south of Katara, the Avatar State having given him to ability to grab his supplies and get as far away from the crown princess as possible in a very short time.

Under different circumstances, he very much would've liked to remain there. Suppose they didn't discuss travelling together, though after their bonding on the Tenome Quest it felt natural to Aang. Now he uses the opportunity to work through his bad habit of returning to his cold shell whenever he opens himself up to someone and it doesn't work out. He had made a choice to abandon that mindset – a conscious effort to keep his head up, even when life is trying to put him down.

Under the cover of the moonlight, inside a wooden shack storing hay, Aang stares out into the ocean, the sound of salty waves calming his mind even more.

KAIYUKO: Yo... that went pretty well, dude.

His only real companion for the last three months, the relaxed surfer with his chill aura returns to his side once again. The other Avatars hadn't really tried to communicate a lot with the boy, Kaiyuko being the welcome exception.

He would surely miss him in his world.

AANG: I'm not sure. I thought she wanted to be friends maybe.

KAIYUKO: Yeah... didn't really work out this time. But I'm sure she just needs some space, bro.

AANG: Everyone heals at their own pace. Whatever it is... she'll get through it. I know it.

Many months ago, he couldn't even fathom sleeping calmly next to a completely different Azula. Now, with full conviction, the boy knows in his heart that even this Princess Katara can be good. Provided she truly wants it, which he had a feeling might be the case. If anything, during their bamboo fight, it felt like Katara was battling two different enemies at once.

KAIYUKO: Girl got a lot on her shoulder. Dad being the Great Chief and all.

AANG: I know. All in due time.

He briefly allows himself to smile when thinking of the girl.

AANG: I have a feeling we'll run into her again.

KAIYUKO: Amen, brother. We need to find someone else first, though. And I recon we find her quickly.

As the boy stares out into the sea, Kaiyuko's shape begins to slowly dissolve, the prior incarnation only ever briefly able to communicate with Aang like this.

KAIYUKO: Where do ya think she is, bro?

A strange waviness is attached to the man's voice as he disappears back to... somewhere. Aang takes a deep breath before answering basically himself.

AANG: She's probably closer than we think.

---

The song continues into this scene as well.

On the Hama, after a brief make-out session with her girlfriend/captain, Azula catches some fresh air outside, the boat calmly traversing the warmer waters of the occupied Fire Nation. It was a weird gut feeling to come out here tonight. And if she's learned anything in her short time as Avatar, it's that those usually mean something.

Staring up towards the bright moonlight, a strange thought pops into her head, as if placed there by an invisible hand, needed to be uttered the moment it happens.

AZULA (quietly): Raava.

---

The song cuts off abruptly.

Adithya groans in pain as her face smacks against the stone floor.

---

3 months earlier...

---

Disoriented for a few seconds, she gets back up again, looking around with gasps, as the area next to the palace she stood on moments ago returned beneath her. That's when the memories come flooding back in.

The Onryō, which had taken over Katara apparently, grew to apocalyptic size, devouring Ty Lee, Suki, Caraman, Shahar, and herself.

Yet as she looks around the palace court, no one is there. The sky itself is painted in a mix of greys and dark reds, as if the zenith was one giant smoke plume. Dread overcomes the girl as all of those things come crashing down at once.

ADITHYA: Hello? Is anybody there!?

SHAHAR: Adithya!

The firebender princess sheds some tears as she spots her new friend, the kimono earthbender. The girls exchange a quick hug before Shahar gestures for the girl to be quiet.

SHAHAR: You need to stop shouting.

ADITHYA: What's going on? I-I don't know what's happening. Did the Onryō spit us out again?

Deciphering that the girl across from her has not realized it yet, Shahar's feature become eerily quiet.

ADITHYA: Sh...ahar?

SHAHAR: He did spit us out again.

As no further information is relayed, Adithya grows exponentially nervous.

ADITHYA: O-okay. W- we're still in Ba Sing Se, though. Right?

Just as she utters those words, the girl's sepia eyes catch onto something horrifying to her left, Shahar staring at the object in question herself as the earthbender lets out a dreadful exhale.

SHAHAR: No.

A crimson flag hanging down what they perceive as the Earth King's palace. Despite appearing as Fire Nation, the insignia is no flame, rather a golden bird shining with brilliant glory.

A phoenix.

SHAHAR: I don't think we're in Ba Sing Se anymore.