THE OTHER AIRBENDER (Book 3)

(XV) Fire

I hurry and hover myself down, towards the ball that's still being hit with heavy fire by Ozai. Inside, I find Aang, crouched into a ball-like position, his eyes closed while he fights the increasing heat. Honestly, it's so hot in here, I'm surprised he hasn't been cooked to death at this point.

"Aang," I call him, hoping he'll be able to see me. "Aang, it's okay."

"Wait... Is that you, Alya?" Aang asks, as he slowly opens his eyes and looks at me with surprise. "No. This isn't you... It's your Spirit Form! You're in the Spirit World!"

"Yeah. But that doesn't matter right now. You can't be afraid now, Aang. The world needs you to be brave."

"I can't fight him on my own. He's too powerful."

"But you are not alone. Not just because you have us, but also because you have a thousand lifetimes inside of you that are always willing to help."

"But I can't get into the Avatar State, not since I blocked my chakra."

"Unblock it."

"But that would mean..."

"It's alright, Aang. It's okay to let go."

"I don't want to."

"The world is depending on you. And I believe that you can do it, do the right thing," I assure him with a smile. "Let me go. We'll always be friends, regardless of whether we have a 'cosmic bond' or not. Besides, who knows? Maybe we'll go back to each other in your next life. I'm kind of curious about what you'd look like as a waterbender."

Aang simply chuckles, shaking his head. He then gives me a grateful look and nods, finally agreeing. "Okay. I'll do it."

I wave back at him as I leave the ball, just in time before Ozai cracks it open. He hits Aang with a strong blast of fire, that he manages to shield off by using his airbending. Aang closes his eyes and when he opens them back up, both his eyes and tattoos are glowing.

The next time Ozai tries to attack him, he is struck by a very powerful gust of wind. That's the last thing I see before I get back into my body, gasping for air and opening my eyes.

Suki seems completely confused by what just happened. "What happened? I tried to talk to you, but you didn't respond."

"I was in the Spirit World."

"You activated the Avatar State?!" Sokka asks with surprise.

"No. Aang did."

We watch as Aang continues the fight by englobing himself inside an elemental orb, with all winds, rocks, water and fire orbiting him continuously. The Fire Lord attempts to flee but instead is constantly struck by Aang, forcing him to try to retaliate. Suddenly, this fight's tide has completely been overturned and Aang most certainly has the advantage here.

"I don't know what you did, but whatever it was... It absolutely worked," Toph notes with a smile. "Should we go after them?"

Surprisingly, I shake my head, as I watch the fight migrate further away. "No. We have to get back to the Fire Palace and make sure Zuko and Katara are alright."

"You really don't want to help?!" Sokka questions me.

I shake my head once again. "I thought I did... But not anymore. I trust Aang. I know he'll do the right thing."

***

It turns out, coming back was a better idea than I initially thought. Katara tells us that, even though Azula has been restrained for good, Zuko took a very hard hit. Thankfully, Katara's master healing was good enough to keep him alive.