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ABCLAF Logo This Kataang one-shot takes place in The Crossroads of Destiny.



Chapter Eighty-Five: Spiral[]

Everything.

Spiraling out of control.

Spiraling.

Spiraling.

Spiraling.

She simply continues to sit there and stare.

His clothing is burned beyond recognition.

His form is limp.

His eyes are closed.

It is terrible.

His eyes . . . are . . . closed . . .

His eyes . . .

They were dark gray.

So gray . . . so dark . . . like a storm . . .

Now they will never open again.

I will never . . . ever see them . . . his eyes . . .

Her heart beats.

Pounds.

Swiftly.

Loudly.

They're coming.

The Dai Li.

Azula.

Zuko.

But at this point . . . she doesn't care.

He's gone.

Everything else seems to spiral away.

I'll never hear his laugh again.

I'll never see his smile again.

I'll never be with him again.

He's gone.

The tears.

Down her cheeks.

They are almost here.

She barely even notices.

A flash of fire, bright and orange, illuminates the ground. Iroh—General Iroh—leaps before her.

Is he an enemy?

Is he a friend?

Does it matter?

Aang . . .

Why did you leave?

The tears.

Down her cheeks.

She shakes.

She can't stop.

It's all over.

Aang . . . please . . . I love you . . .

Don't go.

Stay.

"You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"

She raises her gaze.

Her heart hardens.

He isn't gone yet.

She stands.

I have to protect him.

I have to save him.

She moves forward, and everything suddenly surreal.

A nightmare.

She is in the waterfall, bending up the liquid, up, up, up.

Her Waterbending is enhanced a thousand-fold by her grief.

By her fury.

By her pain.

Aang is gone.

It's like a part of me is gone.

But I have to try.

I have to try.

She is reminded violently of how she felt when her mother died.

Of her powerlessness.

Of how . . . of how . . . of how she couldn't do anything.

Outside, the sun has set, and she tumbles onto the ground, her sides heaving, his unconscious body clutched tightly in her arms.

"Sokka!" she screams. "Toph! Someone! Anyone!" Her heart is broken, beyond repair.

She lifts the water around her into a wave and presses forward, pushing herself to her limits. In her arms, he stirs slightly, and for an instant, hope springs up within her chest, but then she realizes that it is only . . . the body moving.

Aang . . .

No . . .

Please . . .

With shaking fingers, she finds the bison whistle and presses it to her lips, aware that the same whistle touched his, and she blows.

She cannot hear a thing, and she feels the tears well up behind her eyes.

Please . . .

Please . . .

Everything.

Spiraling out of control.

Spiraling.

Spiraling.

Spiraling.

Notes[]

Actually, Spiral and Last Hope were supposed to be one chapter - Spiral - but Sifu Vulmen pointed out that way too much was happening, so I split it up.

As always, I try to fix the plot holes. It just skips from Katara and Aang to them on Appa. What happened in the middle? You'll find out!

"Her Waterbending is enhanced a thousand-fold by her grief.

"By her fury.

"By her pain." -> Grief, rage, and pain are the three points of the triaangle of violence, as you'll soon find out in the appropriate chapter.

"With shaking fingers, she finds the bison whistle and presses it to her lips, aware that the same whistle touched his, and she blows." -> This is how she calls Appa. This is also the reason we never see the bison whistle again. But remember - where is the bison whistle? [waggles eyebrows]

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