The Avatar State Fin
Warning: This chapter contains depictions of graphic violence and bodily harm that may not be suitable for some. Reader discretion is advised.
"The secret side of me I never let you see, I keep it caged but I can't control it. So stay away from me, the beast is ugly. I feel the rage and I just can't hold it." - Skillet
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Today was the day Zuko had been waiting for three long years. As he stood atop the steps leading from the resort to the shore he stared at a pristine warship anchored along the docks. A small smile graced his lips while he hoisted his bag over his shoulders. Today Prince Zuko was going home.
"Wait!" A gruff voice called as he started down the steps. "Don't leave without me." Zuko turned and his happiness only grew when he saw his Uncle running after him, a bag of his own in his hands.
"Uncle, you've changed your mind." The boy grinned. He wouldn't have ever admitted it but he was hurt last night by his Uncle's skeptics.
"Family sticks together, right?" Iroh clapped his nephew on the shoulder with his free hand and a memory of his father doing the same thing when he was a child danced through the Prince's mind.
"We're finally going home," Zuko whispered as he looked at the ship once more, this moment still feeling so surreal. As he continued down the steps hope surged through his chest but his Uncle was the complete opposite. He wouldn't trust his brother if his life depended on it and today he feared that just might be the case.
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"The thing is, I don't think we'll ever be able to trigger it on purpose," Aang explained to Fong. Aelita and Sokka stood back letting their friend take the lead. Katara had been relieved when Aang told her and Sokka that he had decided to side with Aelita over the General but she still opted to stay behind and repack their belongings. Her brother had stood by their friends' decision like he promised he would, coming along for support knowing how uncomfortable Fong made Aelita. "So I guess that's it."
"Sure I can't change your mind?" Fong asked from behind his stone desk. He should've seen this coming, sadly the war was riding on the shoulders of children who just weren't ready to face their destiny yet. He still had one last idea to coax their true power out of them. Then he'd make them see.
"We're sure." Aelita moved to stand tall next to her partner. "We've learned we can only reach the spirit state when either ourselves or the people we care about are in genuine danger and by that point, our adrenaline has pushed us beyond control. I stand by what I've said before, it's not worth risking innocent people's lives or causing unnecessary casualties."
"I see." The General sighed, looking at his men along the edges of his office walls. "I was afraid you'd say that." Sliding his bare foot against the ground Fong pushed hard against the edge of his desk. The floor beneath the desk cracked and the entire solid mass of rock shot across the room and slammed into the Avatar and Akira. The two tried to brace themselves against the sudden attack to no avail, the desk pushing them back until it connected with the window behind them. The wall around it shattered into a large hole that sent them hurtling towards the ground several stories below.
"Aelita! Aang!" Sokka cried, thrashing against a pair of soldiers that had restrained him. Aelita was helpless to watch as the ground rapidly approached while they fell at a breakneck speed. With a terrified yell, Aang reached out and pulled his friend closer, bending the air beneath them with just yards to go, his quick thinking and the softened landing keeping them alive.
"Move!" Aelita pushed the Avatar as soon as their backs hit the ground, both of them rolling away just before the desk crashed down where they first landed. "Can I tell the General to fuck off yet?" She asked as she pushed herself to her knees.
"I'm sure there's an explanation." Aang rubbed his shoulder and looked up to the window they fell from. Giving everyone the benefit of the doubt was one of his best and worse qualities.
"Men!" Fong barked from the hole above, a small battalion of soldiers on foot and ostrich horses both surrounding the teenagers below. "Attack the Avatar and Akira!"
"That didn't sound like an explanation." The firebender said as she rose to her feet. Fourteen men boxed them in, all of them with their eyes locked on her and Aang. Fong jumped from the hole and landed feet first on the ground, a wave of earth lifting the monk to a standing position beside his partner.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I believe we are about to get results." The General smirked. The soldiers to the left and right of the teenagers lifted their arms above their heads and before them, massive coin-like pieces of tile rose out of the ground. Aelita and Aang shifted back to back, unsure of the earthbenders next move. With a great heave, the large tiles shot at the two aimed at their heads, Aang jumping high while Aelita ducked low.
"We aren't your enemy!" The Akira shouted as she ducked beneath a second attack.
"We won't fight you!" Aang added when his feet landed back on the ground. Without a moment wasted the soldiers turned the coins to their sides and sent them rolling at their targets, four of them meeting in the middle like a cross as the teens jumped to avoid being crushed. Aelita landed on top of the coins while Aang landed between the two. The ones on either side of him closed like a book but thankfully the Avatar was able to hole himself up in a hollow square cut through the center of the discs. A long soldier pulled the coin holding the boy back towards him, crushing it with his fists and sending Aang crashing to the ground. Aelita flipped backward off the disk she stood on when a soldier nearest her tried to do the same, pulling Aang back to his feet after she landed.
In the General's office still, Sokka couldn't wait any longer. Swinging his fists back and he hit the men holding him in their groins, making them release their grip. From the hole in the wall, he watched as the attacks continued on his friends. He was thankful for their agility when he saw them dodge the blows that were being sent their way but he cursed their kindness when neither of them fought back. This was getting bad fast.
Aang and Aelita have pulled away from one another as they were forced to face their opponents. Both stayed on the defensive the entire time, bobbing and weaving around their attackers while they dodged flying rock. A set of mounted soldiers thrust their spears at the Akira, forcing the young girl to pull her father's tanto from its holster across her back to block the sharpened points that threatened to tear through her skin. She was trying her damnedest to hold back knowing the soldiers were just carrying out orders but Fong was making it hard.
"You can't run forever!" The General boasted while he joined in the chaos.
"You can't fight forever!" Aang shouted back. Forming an air scooter beneath him he wove through the fight until a stray wall of rock shut up before him and knocked him to the ground.
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The royal guard lined the docks leading to the ship, their stance rigid and their faces hidden behind ominous red helmets. Iroh found their presence strange seeing as the guard generally only traveled with the Fire Lord himself. His nephew, desperate for his father's love, assumed it was meant as a sign his Ozai wanted his children safe. As Iroh walked through the rows of men his eyes continuously darted around them all, the unease in his stomach only building. Azula and Zetzu stood side by side atop the gangway leading onto the ship, deceiving grins on their faces.
"Brother, Uncle, welcome." Azula spread her arms and bowed, Zetzu mirroring her actions, Iroh and Zuko bowing back.
"We're so glad you decided to come." Zetzu's wicked grin grew bigger. Behind his brother and uncle, the guard fell in line.
"Are we ready to depart your Highnesses?" The Captain asked.
"Set our course for home, Captain." The Princess nodded while folding her hands behind her back.
"Home." The word felt unfamiliar on Zuko's lips. He had never thought this day would come. His fingers brushed the cool metal ring that hung from his neck as the emotions flooded through him. He never thought he'd be going anywhere without Aelita.
"You heard the Princess." The Captain called to his crew as he walked up the gangway, Zuko and Iroh behind him. "Raise the anchor. We're taking the prisoners home." By the time the Captain realized his mistake it was too late, the Prince and Princess were glaring daggers at him. "Your Highnesses, I..."
Prisoners. The Captain had just called them prisoners. Iroh had been right, things in their family weren't as if seemed. This was a trap. The retired General knew they had to get out of here fast. Turning on his heel he faced the guard head-on, several of them pouncing on the older man. Iroh was far more sprier than any of them expected, quickly defusing their attacks with a series of side steps and well-placed counterattacks of his own. Zuko tossed the Captain into the ocean below as if the man were nothing and set his sights on his siblings.
"You lied to me!" He barked, his blood boiling.
"Like I've never done that before." Azula waved her brother off. Zuko had never been a threat before and she doubted he'd be one now. The Princess turned to walk away and decided she'd let the crew deal with him for now. "Come along Zetzu." She motioned for her other brother to follow.
As of now the Prince was still in control but knowing the plan he had thought of so carefully being so carelessly ruined had him seeing red. He knew he needed to walk away now or he'd blow this whole ship to pieces. As he followed his sister two guards took their place and attacked their brother, the other Prince blocking their fire with ease. Zuko was out for blood.
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Katara was still in the room repacking with Momo and Mushu when she heard the sound of crashing rock outside. "Oh no." She sighed while the animals watched. "I bet Fong convinced them to do one more trial." She dropped the tunic she was holding when the ground beneath her feet shook enough to scare Mushu and Momo, both of them darting up the waterbenders leg and wrapping around her shoulders. "I wonder what crazy thing they're trying now." When the ground shook again she could feel her nerves rising. "Maybe we should just make sure Aang and Aelita are okay." By the time she reached the main steps of the training ground Katara practically ran headfirst into her brother who looked frantic. "What's going on?" She asked.
"The General's gone crazy!" Sokka explained as he ran down the steps. "He's trying to force Aelita and Aang into the spirit state."
When they reached the bottom of the stairs the siblings watched as the soldiers continued their onslaught on their friends. Sokka launched his boomerang at a soldier with his sight set on Aang, clipping the earthbender on the head and making him drop. Katara was off to help Aelita who was still fending off mounted men with spears. When one moved to stab her Katara bent a stream of water from the pouch strapped to her chest, whipping it through the air and slicing off the head of the weapon. Neither Sokka nor Katara realized their efforts landed them right in the path of Fong.
"Maybe you can avoid me." He called to the Avatar and Akira who had both disarmed the soldiers they were fighting. With a stomp of his foot, the discs of tile lifted one more, forming a v-shaped wall that separated them from their friends. "But they can't."
Katara bent the water from her pouch and shot it at the General at the same time Sokka threw his boomerang. Fong lifted a wall of dirt and pebble that collided with the water, turning it into the mud and catching the boomerang in its mess before dropping it all to the ground. They were defenseless as the General shifted his feet and began pulling them into the earth up to their knees. The siblings tried as they might to break free but found they were stuck.
"We can't move!" Katara cried. Aelita connected the hilt of her blade with the helmet of the man she had been fighting before turning her attention to Fong.
"Fine, you want a fight, I'll give you a fight but let them go." She said as she sheathed her sword. "This between us, not them."
"You brought them into this when you chose to ignore your destiny." Fong shot back. Seeing no other option Aelita thrusts both fists forward, violet flames pouring from her hands. Fong had to move quickly and raise a thick wall of rock between himself and the Akira to keep from getting burned.
"Don't hurt them!" Aang bellowed as he joined the fight, mimicking his partner's move with a gust of air. Fong raised another wall on the other side of him to block the Avatar's attack as well. When the fire and air stopped he dropped the walls and pulled the siblings' father down into the earth, both of them sinking to their waists.
Aelita could feel her panic levels rising. Fong was crazy and she feared he'd stop at nothing to draw out the raw power inside of her and Aang, even if it meant killing her friends. Aang was just as terrified. He knew if the General pulled Sokka and Katara completely under they'd either be crushed or suffocated. This was bad, really bad. He launched himself at Fong, distracting the mad man enough for Aelita to rush to their friend's side.
"Stop this!" He shouted while he ducked beneath a boulder aimed at his head. "You have to let them go."
"You could save them if you were in the spirit state." Fong chided. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Akira with one hand tightly gripping either sibling's arms as she tried her hardest to pull them from the ground. Dammit, he'd hoped it wouldn't come to this but he'd have to push them harder. While she strained to free her friends he lifted one hand and encased her right forearm in pieces of rock, watching as she attempted to shake it off. He almost felt bad for what he was about to do but he told himself that she made him do this. Fong closed his fist and even he could hear her bone snap.
The pain was so sudden and intense that it dropped Aelita to her knees. The rock fell away and she cradled her arm to her chest, feeling exactly where it had snapped in two. Sokka wasn't sure what had been worse, the sound of the break so close to his face or the fact that he could see where her bone pushed up against her pale skin.
"You hurt her!" Aang cried. He moved to help his friend only to be knocked to the ground by Fong.
"I did what I had to do!" The older man insisted. He was disappointed and even more infuriated when he saw silent tears rolling down the Akira's cheek but no sign of the spirit state. It took every ounce of willpower Aelita had to not give in to the adrenaline and pain coursing through her veins. She was horrified that if she did there wouldn't be anything or anyone left standing by the time she came back down. Katara and Sokka both howled in fear and pain as they were pulled down to their chests, the ground pressing hard against their ribcages.
"Ah! Please stop!" The waterbender cried.
"Dammit, Fong that's enough!" Aelita groaned as she tried to stand, her broken arm still clutched to her.
"I don't see glowing!" The General hissed. The siblings sank down to their shoulders.
"We can't breath!" Sokka choked.
"You don't have to do this!" Aang pleaded at Fong's knees, his own tears falling from his grey eyes. Fong was sad to know the boy was wrong, this was the only way.
"Apparently I do." He scowled. Closing his fist one more time Aelita and Aang both lunged for their friends but they were too late. Their fingers touched nothing but dirt as Katara and Sokka disappeared beneath the earth. The emotional turmoil ran them over like a wild buffalo lion. Fong had done it, he pushed them to their breaking point. The pair rose to their feet and turned their glowing eyes and tattoos on the General. "It worked." He smiled like a mad man, blissfully unaware of the beasts he had unleashed. "It worked!"
A powerful torrent of wind whipped through the training ground, damn near enough to send even the largest soldiers toppling to the ground. Fong watched as the water from the nearby troughs raised into the air and raced toward the Akira, circling her like a barrier. It was then he noticed just how unsettling the pair's faces were, the only clear emotion on them pure rage. The Avatar waved his arm and a gust of air sent the General flying to the ground. He was still pushing himself to his knees when the Akira shot her hand forward, some of the water hurtling from her body towards her target. Fong had just enough time to cross his arms over his face when the water split into four jagged daggers. The ice pierced the edges of his clothing and pinned him to the ground. He was helpless as he watched a gale of winds, dirt, and violet fire swirled underneath the Avatar and Akira both, lifting them high above him into the air. Aang and Aelita were on a rampage he hadn't been prepared to deal with.
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"Since you're the youngest LaLa I'll let you decide." Prince Zetzu posed to Azula as he could hear his brother battle past the guards onto the deck where the three siblings now stood alone, their backs still to Zuko. "Would you rather I will be the gentleman and offer to take care of this little problem or would you prefer I be the generous big brother and step back and let you tackle it like I know you're dying to." Part of the Prince hoped she'd step back and let him unleash his rage but part of him feared he'd take control. As awful as she could be he wanted to hurt Zuko, not Azula. If the Lord took over he'd hurt everyone.
"Mother would be so proud of how much better we're getting along." The Princess purred. "I think I'll take this one if you don't mind. Sit back and watch how a real firebender does it, big brother." Zetzu chose to ignore the snide remark and laid back lazily against the nearby steps to watch the show.
On the docks Iroh ticked through the members of the guard one by one, bobbing and weaving through the fire and returning his own. "Zuko!" He called towards the ship. They needed to get as far away from here as possible. When another guard lunged at him he flipped the man over his shoulders into the water below. "Let's go!"
Zuko ignored his Uncle, he had unfinished business with his siblings. Azula had been a liar and a manipulator for years but Zetzu has always faded into the background so his betrayal hurt the most. Zuko's fists hung from his sides, a dagger of orange flames pouring from either one of them. He lunged at his smiling sister without hesitation. While he scrabbled in an all-out brawl, only ever coming close to his target but never quite connecting, Azula glided as if she were dancing. Still seeing no need to bother wasting her bending her palm connected with his shoulder as she simply pushed him away.
"You know, father blames Uncle for the loss of the North Pole and he blames you for not letting him get rid of Aelita before she became a problem." Azula taunted. She hadn't even broken a sweat while Zuko panted heavily. "He considers you a miserable failure. You couldn't find the Avatar, you couldn't convince the Akira to fight for the Fire Nation, you couldn't even keep a hold of her. Why would he want you back home except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"
Azula had always known just what to say to break someone down without even having to lift a finger and Zetzu had to admit it was almost impressive now that it wasn't aimed at him. The Prince sat back and watched while his twin charged wildly again, pain and anguish etched into his face. Good, Zuko deserved it. When the failure made the mistake of getting too close Azula backhanded him across his scared face, blood seeping from a fresh cut where her nails grazed the skin. The twins both knew their little sister could be lethal against someone she considered a real threat. The fact that she continued to let Zuko flail while she dodged with ease showed just how pathetic she found him to be. This only continued to enrage him even more.
Azula held her head high as her oldest brother backed her up the steps where Zetzu continued to lounge, fire missing her face by just inches but the Princess still not flinching. Just when Zuko's fist was about to connect with her cheek she caught him by the wrist, twisting his arm back until the flames in his palm extinguished. Perfect opportunity. His eyes went wide he realized the spot she had him in and Azula reveled in the sight. Zuko barely pulled back in time as the intense heat of blue fire skirted over the top of his head, the banished Prince toppling down the steps and cracking his face against the hard metal.
"Well, LaLa." Zetzu drawled as he rose to his feet. "I believe you've played with him enough." The Prince circled his brother like play, stopping when he stood opposite Azula with Zuko in the middle. "How upset do you think father would be if we just finished this here and now?"
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all." She agreed.
Zuko's vision was blurry when he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. Behind him, Zetzu was focusing his chi, before him Azula forming sparks between her palms. Not a single sibling had noticed their Uncle sneak on board the ship until it was too late for the younger two. Just as Azula jabbed out her two fingers Iroh appeared out of nowhere, catching her hand. With intense concentration and determination, the Dragon of the West redirected the lighting through himself, away from his heart, and over the head of Zuko. Zetzu had been caught off guard as well and tilted his head just slightly, the explosive energy that shot from his forehead connecting with that of the lightning. Zuko rolled out of the way just in time for the two forces to meet, the resulting explosion deafening. The force of it sent Zetzu flying backward, landing with a heavy thud as his skull cracked against the deck. Iroh swung his niece around by his grip on her arm and placed a hard kick against her stomach, the Princess plunging overboard into the waters below.
By the time the smoke cleared and the ship settled the Fire Nation fugitives were long gone.
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"Avatar Aang, Akira Aelita!" Fong shouted through his hands cupped around his mouth. "Can you hear me?" The two powerful beings stayed suspended in the air, a tornado-like funnel beneath them lifting them high while their eyes continued to glow. "Your friends are safe!" He assured. When he raised his palms up Sokka and Katara were pulled up out of the earth, falling to the ground as they tried to catch their breath. They were horrified when they looked up to see the distressed and overwhelmed state their friends were in. "It was just a trick to trigger the spirit state and it worked!"
The explanation wasn't enough for either Akira or Avatar. The funnel gave way and they crashed hard into the ground, the earth breaking like a wave of jagged rock. The force of the impact leveled the smaller stables and structures closest to the duo, soldiers and the General alike being knocked off their feet. Without warning or any control over themselves, Aelita and Aang felt their souls detach from their bodies that trembled with rage. The two suddenly found themselves watching from above, seated one in front of the other at the back of a familiar dragon. Avatar Roku sat behind Fang's head, looking at them with somber eyes.
"It's time you learned." He explained as they rose into the clouds. "The spirit state is a defense mechanism designed to empower you with the skills and knowledge of all the past Avatar and Akira." The teens looked around them as they flew on. Standing in the clouds were what appeared to be hundreds of men and women of every nationality and social class, all with eyes shining blue. "The glow is the combination of all your past lives focusing their energy through your body. In the spirit state, you're at your most powerful but you are also at your most vulnerable."
"What do you mean?" Aang asked.
"If either of you is killed in the spirit state," The last Avatar said as the people in the clouds rapidly disappeared one by one. "that person's reincarnation cycle shall be broken. The Avatar or the Akira will cease to exist."
The partners were stunned to silent while they tried to process the information that they were faced with. Not wasting any time the animal guide took a sharp nose dive and plummeted into the ground where the teens physical forms stood. As they returned to their bodies the glow faded away, Aelita fell back while she clutched her broken arm, and Aang fell to his hands and knees. The two looked around and we were horrified by the destruction that surrounded them, the destruction they had caused. The training grounds stood in shambles. Katara and Sokka rushed to their sides.
"I'm sorry Katara." Aang hugged the girl who had tried so hard to tell him just how terrifying he could be. "I hope you never have to see me like that again." The waterbender wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck just happy to see him okay. Aang watched as Sokka pulled Aelita's uninjured arm on his shoulder, hoisting her to her feet. "I owe you an apology too Aelita." The monk said when he saw her wince. "You we're right, this spirit state is too dangerous, it's not worth it."
"Ha!" Fong jeered, still so very proud of himself. "Are you joking? That was almost perfect. We just have to find out a way to control you when you're like that."
"You're out of your fucking mind!" Aelita hissed through clenched teeth. "Sorry, Aang."
"No, I think that was appropriate given the situation."
Fong ignored the insult as his mind raced with possibilities. He didn't even pay attention to the clearly pissed-off bender stalking towards him. "I guess we'll figure that out on our way to the Fire Nation. Akira Aelita..." The General was cut off when the small girl's fist connected with his nose, a painful crunch before his world went dark. Aelita dropped her hand and went back to using it to cradle her broken arm as Fong fell to the ground unconscious.
"Anybody got a problem with that?" Sokka challenged the troops that had gathered near them. Not a single one dared to say yes.
"We're deeply sorry." The closest soldier apologized sincerely. None of them had agreed with their eccentric leader but they had been too scared of the repercussions of opposing him. "Do you still want an escort to Omashu?"
"You can escort me to the infirmary and the nearest bottle of sake cause fuck this hurts."
"Aelita!"
"I'm the one with the broken damn arm, give me a break Happy Feet."
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Zuko and Iroh didn't stop running until they possibly couldn't run anymore. The two fell to their knees next to steam deep in the woods having put as much distance as they could between them and the family who wanted their heads.
"I think we're safe here." Iroh panted heavily. Beside him his nephew pulled out the very dagger he had gifted him so many years before, Zuko staring at his reflection in the blade. He wasn't sure if he felt more pain or anger, all he knew was he no longer felt hope at all. Gripping his hair in one hand and the dagger in the other Prince Zuko sawed off what had once been a sign of his status beneath the wrapper that secured it. He handed the dagger to his Uncle who did the same with his own top knot. Standing up from their knees two men dropped their hair into the stream. Side by side they watched as it disappeared into the water, the lives they once knew drowning with it.
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"You do realize this is your fault, don't you Captain?" The Lord paced back and forth before the sniveling man, his arms folded behind his back as the older man begged for forgiveness from his knees. Azula was off in the town addressing its citizens, letting them know that anyone who harbored their brother or Uncle would face the wrath of their father but the truth Ozai wasn't the only person people should fear. Lord Zetzu had inherited that same rage. "If you hadn't opened your mouth Zuko and Iroh would be in our custody right now, or better yet, dead. We should all be on our way home sipping tea but instead here I stand in this shit hole empty-handed."
"Please your Highness!" The Captain pleaded, his face already battered and bruised. "Forgive me! I am your humble servant! I promise you I will never fail you again!"
The Lord stopped pacing and stood directly before his prey. "I know you won't Captain." He consoled and relief flooded the older man's face. "You'll never have the chance to."
Zetzu wasn't sure what was louder; the thundering boom of the explosion or the Captains dying scream.
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I told you shit would get real quick, didn't I?
Also I still suck and writing fight scenes so I'm sorry, just when I felt like I started getting the hang of it at the end of Book One I had to add in a whole other element and it's throwing me off. On a happier note reading your comments, thoughts, and reactions to both specific parts and chapters as a whole are one of my favorite things so keep em coming. Y'all rock. (Haha, get it rock? Just me? Okay I'll stop now.)