Burnings of the Heart

Burnings of the Heart

Chapter XXXVI:

A Battle filled Night

All was silent at the Remnants camp surrounding the Bai Fong Estate, and within the mansion of the esteemed family, Avatar Aang slept peacefully in his and Sokka’s room until he suddenly had a very rude awakening…

“Aang,” a voice cried loudly. The young avatar failed to awaken, “Aang!” the cried again, but still the boy didn’t open his eyes and just turned over and faced the wall. “AANG!”

“AHHH!” Aang cried the voice echoing loudly through his mind like and pair of symbols echoing in his ear. He looked to his to his left to find the ghostly specter, which only he could see, of Avatar Roku flouting next to him. “Avatar Roku, what is it, and what’s with the loud wake up call?”

“I have little time to explain Aang. The situation has turned dire,” Roku said in a voice of great distress and worry. “There is an ancient shrine north of here deep in the forest. You’ll recognize it by the thick ring of tall trees that surround it. You must go there at once and enter the spirit world.”

“But why what’s going on?” Aang asked confusingly.

“I will explain when you get there now get dress and hurry!” Roku urged as he vanished.

Aang didn’t know what was going on but he’d never seen Roku so distressed before. Whatever is was he didn’t have time to wake up the others. He quickly jumped out of bed being careful not to waken Momo, who was sleep on his pillow next to him; put on his cloths grabbed his staff and headed for the door. Using his airbending he increased his speed and ran for the stables. He quickly pulled open the stable doors where a cranky Appa groaned at the sudden intrusion of moonlight. He walked up to Appa and patted the Bison, when he suddenly heard familiar voice echo from his left.

“Going somewhere?” the voice asked.

“Whose there,” Aang cried turning to his left. “Sokka, what are doing here?”

Sokka stood leaning in against a wooden post in his full guise of the Black Fox. “I overheard your little conversation with Roku and thought you might need someone to guard your body while you’re in the spirit world.”

“You heard Roku?” Aang asked surprisingly.

“No, only you can do that. I just heard you scream and mention his name and figured out the rest after you jumped out of bed and left room like a saber wolf was after you. So I got dressed grabbed my gear and rushed on over.”

“How’d you get here before me?”

“I jumped out the window.”

“Out…the window…but we were on the second floor,” the Young Avatar said with wide eyed shock.

“And your point is…” Sokka replied.

The young Avatar just looked at Sokka confusingly. This bold, harden young warrior was nothing like the Sokka he knew before his training under Sing. He noticed the changes but never really stopped to truly take a look at him and see just how much they’d affected him.

“Wow, Sokka, you’ve really grown bold,” Aang said.

“Thanks…I think,” the Black Fox replied, “Listen we don’t have time to stand around and chat. As I recall you’ve got somewhat to be right, so let’s get going. Whatever’s going is obviously important. So we should hurry and get going.”

Aang nodded and then guided Appa out of the stable and the two climbed aboard and took off.

Meanwhile in Ba Sing Se, at Earth Temple west of the palace, security was high with Dai Li patrolling the Upper ring in force, and Yu Yan patrolling from the shadows vigorously. While deep within the Earth Temple, Yu Yan could be found having completely taken over. Using sleeping powder they put the earth priests to sleep and moved them all to their barracks and locked them in. What was happening in the city that night needn’t be known to the public and Sun Su and Shan-yi were determine to keep it that way, for deep within the temple in a large ritual chamber sitting on its knees, sat the still form of Kai-lin Sairon, his sword laid out in front of him, his hands on his hips, his head held down slightly, and eyes glowing a light bluish light.

He sat at the side of Princess Azula’s body, as it lay still and flat and close eyed. Sitting to her right just opposite of Kai-lin, sitting on her knees, was the Master Healer Yi Lin. She bore a position similar to Kai-lin except for her left hand being on her heart and the other lightly touching Azula’s forehead. Her entire body glowed a silver light and made her look like a goddess, and it was an appearance that didn’t go unnoticed by the princess’s brother, friends, and Jet who stood in the room with worried expresses as they look at the princess as she lay in the center of large three ring circle glowing a faint light and surrounded by seven moon priestess glowing like their lady and sitting on their knees with their hands clamped before them in prayer. The center circle held the symbol of a moon lined a string of sakura tree breaches lined with white flowers, the ring surrounding that one held seven symbols, four of them being of the four known elements, and the last three being unfamiliar to those outside the circle, and the final circle merely had writing symbols that were completely unfamiliar to them all, except for Iroh, Sun Su and Shan-yi…

“Is he in?” Iroh asked concernly.

“Yes,” Sun Su answered.

“This is dangerous Sun Su, we should have gone with him,” Shan-yi said worryingly and seriously.

“I know how you feel Shan-yi, but if we had our lord’s power would have been split between fighting and having to maintain our presence there. It is better that we guard him from out here,” Sun Su explained wisely, though he too was worried about his lord. With everything that was happening he was glad he’d had Song and the young Lady Sakura Sairon, aka Smellerbee, escorted back to their rooms, despite Smellerbee’s protests. This night was not one to have too many distractions.

“Excuse me, but will someone please explain to us what’s going on?” Zuko asked, “Just what the hell is happening here?”

“I’d liked to know the same thing, is Azula going to be alright?” Ty Lee asked.

“And why’d you guys take over the temple like this? Just what is you don’t want people to know about?” Mai asked.

“Usually, I wouldn’t care what Kai-lin did as long as he didn’t veer of course from his goal, but even I gotta say this is weird. Just the hell is all this?”

Iroh didn’t like keeping the current happenings a secret from his nephew the and others, but at the same time he felt it wasn’t his place to explain. He looked over at Yi Lin who was completely focused on what she doing and paying little mind to what was happening outside the circle, and he knew Sun Su and Shan-yi, as loyal as they were wouldn’t say anything unless told otherwise by Kai-lin, but he also knew his nephew wasn’t the patient type when it came to the welfare of those closest to him…

“Uncle…just what’s going on?” Zuko asked with a worried tone.

Iroh looked at his nephew with a serious glance, “Listen Zuko, it is not my place to tell you everything, but I will say this. For a long time now our family has bore a horrible, but also great responsibility. For centuries that responsibility has been passed down from one generation to the next upon birth, but around the time of my father things had strangely been altered. The responsibility that our family has bared since the nation’s founding is one that I was supposed to bear followed by my son Lu Ten, but something happened that changed that and your father ended baring that responsibility and as his first born it should have been transferred to you, but instead something happened and it was instead transferred to Azula.” The old firebending master looked at his niece with great concern in his eyes, “and now that responsibility is taking its toll on her. I know my words may not be of any real comfort, but if Kai-lin fails to save her, we may have no choice but to KILL Azula.”

Everyone’s eyes went wide with shock…

“Kill…kill…Azula…but…but why?” Ty Lee asked fearfully.

“As I said, it is not my place to say, but I promise you will all learn the truth of everything before this night is done. For now, we must place our faith in Kai-lin and hope he succeeds.”

Everyone looked at Kai-lin and Ty Lee bit her lip in worry…

- - -

Thunder and lightning sang loudly throughout the sky. Kai-lin stood firmly on the black brick path as the violet armored and black armored soldiers surrounded him. He looked passed the armies at the dark purple robed figure standing atop the castle wall. The figure just smiled and held out his hand and held it there for a few seconds before closing it into a fist, and all soldiers charged at the young lord.

Kai-lin looked at the soldiers and frowned, “I don’t have time to play your stupid minions.” He raised his sword across his chest and the blade was instantly engulfed in red fire. The flare took on the shape of the blade and had a long string of fire spiraling around it.

He stood still and just as the first of the soldiers reached him, he swung his sword fast and hard to the right unleashing a large wave of flames that encircled his entire front and sides. The wave flew and destroyed the pupilless soldiers, almost completely clearing the path.

“This place…I know this place from my studies…just as I know this battle…” he blinked slowly and then looked up at the figure standing on the castle wall, “You’re even more twisted than I thought you were.” He frowned, “I’m putting an end to this.”

He then suddenly rose a quarter of a foot off the ground, red flames ejecting from the bottom of his boots and than in an eyes blink sailed down the path towards the castle walls his eyes even locked on the purple robed figure.

The figure stood and watched with an amused smile, “Not so fast, boy.” He then raised his hand into the air and then instantly clinched it into a fist and Kai-lin was forced to suddenly stop and jump and flip back as he dodged a two blasts of fire soaring at his front.

He landed and looked forward to find two violet armored firebenders standing combat ready in front of him. He stood firm and glanced around as more benders surrounded him, two to his left and two more to right.

“Hum…two fire to my north, and two water to my south,” he glanced to his left, “two air to my west, and two earth to my east…just like combat training back home.” He stood firm as the first of the benders attacked...

Meanwhile deep within the palace, Princess Azula was still trapped inside the throne room. She stood pulling at the door, trying desperately to open, but so far her struggle was to avail.

“I have to get out of here,” she said to herself. She backed up and moved her arms in a circle in preparation to use lightening when…

“NO PRINCESS DON’T!” the voice yelled.

Azula stopped what she was doing. She recognized that voice. “Lady Yi Lin?”

“Princess…can you hear me?”

“Yes…yes I can? What’s going on?”

“It’s a long story princess, but it is one that can wait until later,” Yi Lin said. “Now as you may have learned you are in the deepest depth of your own mind. It here that some can take control of body if the can dispose of its original host. Know that it is of up most importance the person you met earlier does not get a hold of your body. The fate of entire world depends on his failure to do.”

“I don’t understand just who is he and why is he in my mind?” Azula said.

“That is a story I will explain to you another time.” Yi Lin explained. “Right it is imperative that we get you get back in control and out of there as soon as possible. Kai-lin has entered to help, but is being held up by the enemy.

“As much as I’m glad know that he’s here for me, the whole damsel in distress thing…” the princess said with a somewhat embarrassed face. It really isn’t my style. There has to be something I can do to help Kai-lin.”

“There is, you must retake full control of your mind.”

“How I do that?”

“The room you’re currently in is the housing for the core your subconscious, but it is under the control of the enemy, but if you can find and enter the core you’ll be able to start taking back control.”

“How would I find the core?” Azula asked.

“Close your eyes and focus your thoughts. Though the enemy controls this portion of your subconscious the rest is still yours. Focus your thoughts and rest of your mind will show the way.”

Azula closed her eyes and thought for awhile. A strange feeling of warmth surrounded her and she then slowly opened her and locked them on the throne. She walked over to it slowly climbed the stairs, pushed the veil aside and stood before it as it started to glow a feint light.

Meanwhile Kai-lin, had skillfully dealt with the eight benders that had surrounded him only to be met with more. He fought fiercely, blocking and countering every blow tossed his way, be it blasts of fire, whips of water, large rocks, bolts of lightening or simple sword slash. Kai-lin fought on cutting, burning and zapping his opponents as them came, but for every solder he took down, be they normal are others, two more took his place. He frowned at this endless fight. He needed to find a way a break through and get onto the wall, but the phantom soldiers had no intention of letting him get pass.

The figure stood on the wall and watched with sick delight as the young grand general fought hard, and though he loathed to admit it, he was impressed with his performance.

“He’s doing rather well, but I know he could do better…” he figure frowned. “Why is he holding back, at this rate I’ll learn what he’s fully capable of.” suddenly a loud cry of thunder rang throughout the sky, “What was that?” he looked up towards a portion of the sky that starting spiraling like a vortex then from it dropped a spinning ball of light bluish light and half towards the ground ball stopped spinning and turned into a young twelve your old, bald headed boy with arrow tattoos. “The Avatar!” the figure frowned angrily.

Kai-lin looked and spotted the young Avatar as he land behind him slamming his staff into the ground and unleashing a tidal wave of wind that struck and destroyed the army. Aang stood up and looked at the world in which he’d arrived. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before.

“Whoa, talk your creepy places?” Aang said. “I really wish Roku would have told where I was going when he and Kyoshi dropped into that dream lake.”

“Avatar Aang,” Kai-lin said.

Aang turned around and looked at Kai-lin and all the crimson that was on him. “Hey I know you, least I think so, you’re the Crimson Dragon, right?”

“The Crimson Dragon…yes…that is a name I carry, but it has been a while since anyone’s called me it.” He then suddenly glanced to his right and two of them immediately went back to as violet and black balls of smoke appeared and changed into a new battalion of thrown at his soldiers and benders.

“What the…where’d they come from?” Aang asked curiously.

“Welcome to the never ending challenge,” Kai-lin replied. “This entire domain is controlled by the emperor, here he’s like a god, and as long as he has that control we can’t get to him, let alone fight him.”

“Then how are we supposed to beat him?” Aang asked.

“My people are working on that, just hang on until then.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Aang said worryingly. “I sure hope Sokka’s having an easier time than I am.”

- - -

SLASH and BANG! The sound of metal deflecting off metal echoes throughout the white marble ruins of an ancient and forgotten temple as Sokka bravely stands at the top of a twenty step staircase centered in the middle of a large clearing surrounded by fifteen rings of ruin wall, with a single solid path following through the rings towards the staircase. The stairs led up to a small platform with an altar surrounded by three walls with the side facing the stair case open. The altar was a white, rectangular marble table with it’s long side facing the opening, and Avatar Aang sitting upon it crossed lagged, his eyes and tattoos glowing a light blue light, his hands upon his knees and a beam of moonlight shining down upon him through a small hole in the ceiling above. Sokka stood at the entrance to the small shrine holding off a line of red clothed figures he was all too familiar with.

He clashed blades with the one in front for a while before kicking him back and deflecting a fiery mental star t, “Either you guys are just bunch low ranking flunkies—AHH” he cried as he parried his opponents latest strike and then slash his sword across the figures chest, “or I’m just getting better at this.”

Shortly after he and Aang arrived, they sent Appa to find a safe place to hide, for the young Avatar didn’t want to risk damaging the ruins. They then quickly climbed the stairs to the shrine and Aang climbed onto the altar, sat down, and entered the spirit. His body defenseless, Sokka stood by to ensure his friend’s spirit had a vassal to return to, but not long after Aang entered the spirit world did the mysterious figures in red show up. Sokka knew not the reason for their arrival, but he knew it wasn’t a good one and he’d no intention of letting them get to his friend. He blocked the only way to get into the shine and prepared for a difficult fight. One of them attempted their little trick of turning in streams of fire to try and bypass him but the Black Fox had long figured out how to put a stop to that and merely slashed through the stream leaving them a vile looking site on the floor of the shrine, his broken body soaking in its own blood. Those that remained didn’t dear try it after Sokka did the same to three others who attempted the same.

The sound of steel against steel echoed throughout the night sky as Sokka bravely held his own. To the best of his ability cutting down the strangers as they came and being grateful for their restriction of movement by their current position. He fought and fought clashing his steel with their enflamed blades until all lay dead at his feet or had fallen over the edge to the ground.

Sokka stood and breathed hard as he looked at the split corpuses behind him and then the ones on the stairs in front of him and then let out just one big breath of relief. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it has got to be important for these guys to be showing up at a moment when Aang’s at his weakest.” He looked at the corpuses again. “They must somehow be connected to this whole great evil thing, but if that’s the case than why are they helping the Remnants, just what are they after?” He turned then walked over to one them, but then instantly went wide eyed, turned and stabbed in the air before Aang’s forehead and just barely managed to stop a pair of enflamed blades from slicing into the young avatar’s skull!

He held strong and fast as he gazed at the red-clothed figure and slowly started to lift his blade until he was finally able to fling the assassins blades into the air, slide between him and Aang and kick him back. The figure stumbled back, holding their stomach, but quickly recovered and attacked again. Sokka held him off the best he could as their blades, but his eyes went wide with shock when another one of them came running from behind his friend and over towards Aang, blades ready.

Sokka’s heart raced, he wanted to stop him but was too entangled with his current opponent to do anything. He watched helplessly as the figure grew closer and closer to Aang until out of no where and knife came spinning into the shrine and impaled itself into the second assassin’s back forcing them to arch inward as another figure, Sokka knew all too well and was very surprised to see, dash into the shrine bearing a pair of chakrums and slashed the shaped edged rings across assassin’s back and neck, and then quickly turned their attention to assist Sokka. The first assassin immediately move to block the incoming attack leaving him to Sokka’s deep cut into their side their blood spraying like tightly packed water through a creak.

The assassin fell to the floor dead and Sokka quickly turned his attention to his unexpected assistance. “Thanks, Ji Shu.”

“Anytime Fox, anytime,” Ji Shu replied.

“Not to sound ungrateful are anything, but what are you—” he started to asked.

The two suddenly sensed footsteps charging up the stairs.

“How about we discuss that when we’ve finished these guys first.”

The two of them then immediately moved to the entrance and stood side by side as more of the red-clothed assassins came charging up the path, but went wide-eyed with surprise when two dark balls of swirling dark light crushed into the stairs and blew most of the assassins off and two dark cloaked figures rose from the shadowed steps before them…

Meanwhile back in Ba Sing Se’s Earth Temple, the situation was no better. The sound of clashing steel echoed throughout the temple as the Dai Li stood at the entrance in the dark of night hoping that city would remain asleep and unaware of the battle raging within. Fire Ninjas had came dashing out of the torches as streams of fire and then instantly clashed with the Yu Yan upon reverting to human form. The sounds of battle echoed loudly throughout the temple including the ritual chamber where, Prince Zuko and the others fought fiercely along side a small collection of Yu Yan to defend the priestesses and their lord and princess within the glowing circle.

“What the—blasted—hell—is going on?” Jet asked! As he parried and cut down a ninja, with his hook ended duel swords, only to be quickly be engaged by another.

“It appears the enemy has grown desperate, but do not worry I do not believe this assault will last much longer. Just hang on and no matter what don’t let them get to the circle,” Sun Su cried as he fought skillfully with a stone blade ejected from his glove, the other hand behind his back, and hard moving beyond a two to three small steps purr opponent.

“Mai, this has gotten really weird,” Ty Lee said side as she dodged an assault and made two quick jabs at an opponent’s shoulder disabling and knocking them to the ground.

“That’s understatement Ty Lee,” Mai replied as she threw two darts into the throat of an enemy. “After this I don’t think I’ll ever complain about nothing happening again!”

“Uncle!” Zuko cried as he exchanged fire blasts with an opponent.

“Not now, Zuko, not now!” Iroh replied, entangled with an opponent of his own.

Shan-yi backed up towards a wall as two opponents attempted to corner her, but she suddenly vanished into the shadowed floor beneath and then instant rose up behind her opponent and cut them down fiercely with the daggers she’d hidden in the sleeves of her dress-robe. She glanced over at her lord with a serious expression, “Please be well my lord,” she whispered and then turned back to the battle.

- - -

Meanwhile back in the confines of the Princesses mind. Kai-lin and Aang continued to fight back, what seemed like, an endless wave of soldiers while the purple robed figure stood atop the castle walls smiling with delight.

“It is only a matter of time now, soon I’ll—wait!” his dark violet eyes suddenly went wide with surprise. “No she couldn’t have found…” he looked down at the battlefield to his men falling left and right as Aang used all his bending skills to take down one soldier after the next. They were dropping like flies before the young Avatar, but Kai-lin was not amongst them. The figure scanned the battlefield…

“Looking for me?” a voice yelled.

The figure looked up to find Kai-lin dropping down him, his gapped sword now split into two separate blades. The figure jumped back and dodged the assault and a bolt of lighten ejected from his fist and forged into dark violet handled blade. With which he used to block Kai-lin’s next assault and lock blades with him. His sword engulfed in lightening and Kai-lin engulfed in fire the two pushed against each other.

“How! This is my…”

“Wrong, this is Azula mind, emperor. You’re just an unwanted tenant and it’s high time you learned you’re place!” Kai-lin cried as he knocked and the emperor’s blade and out of the way and moved to deliver a fast and harsh slash across his chest, but the mad man had no intention of being struck and he quickly jumped back dogging the attack, and lunched his arms forward and sent two raging bolts flying towards Kai-lin! The Young Grand General crossed arms in front of his face as the assault hit and exploded against a barrier of red fire. Smoke filled the air and Aang after finishing off the last of the soldiers and the assist of his airbending jumped up and onto the wall and ran to Kai-lin.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

The smoke cleared and Kai-lin stood straight and unharmed, his swords held in backwards grips, and his hood still cloaking his face as he stared at where the emperor once stood.

“Where’s the emperor?” Aang asked.

“He ran, like all tyrants do when the odds turn against them,” Kai-lin replied somewhat frustrated.

“I prefer to think of it as a strategic withdrew,” a sinister voice echoed, “I have something I need to tend to. If you truly wish to finish this then come find me. If you dare…ha ha ha.”

Kai-lin and Aang looked at each other nodded and then jumped down into the courtyard and ran for the castle steps…