Lord of Fire

CHAPTER 20: THE AVATAR SPIRIT (II)

Zuko stood infront of the young Avatar frozen with surprise. He couldn't begin to process what Aang just revealed.

No it wasn't Aang, he was now still not able to control the Avatar State. This meant that it was not Aang himself who knew his real name but the Avatar Spirit. Perhaps Raava? From what he understood there was a difference between Raava the Spirit of Light and Goodness, and the Avatar Spirit that accessed the passed memories of Aang. At the moment his mind couldn't cope with such a complicated thought process. Perhaps if he wasn't just a casual fan he might have more knowledge.

"How do you!?" He unconsciously uttered.

"I am a the keeper of balance in this world." The voices of many spoke as one. "I am the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. Thus I know when I know when balance has shifted. In order to restore balance you must be eliminated."

"Hey y-you don't need to fear me." Zuko tried to defend himself. "I am not the one throwing the world off balance here. I didn't even ask to be brought here alright!"

The Avatar silently looked at him while contemplating something.

"It doesn't change the fact your presence here has affected the flow of things. In order for things to return to normal your soul must be be smirched from this world."

Aang reached out his left hand and attempted to grab Zuko but he jumped back to put some distance between themselves. Zuko landed on the ground and attempted to start running for his life but a wall of earth rose and cut off his exit.

Cornered at the wall he turned to see Aang standing high atop the trees. He did a quick flig of the wrist and the wall starting pushing Zuko towards him. It was then that Zuko realised he couldn't run anymore. He had to find a way to survive long enough to just escape.

So with his composure returned he took a fighting stance. A narrow fighting stance with his fists out and ready. His feet located in a way he could attack or dodge in any direction.

"You honestly mean to fight me," the Avatar spoke. "Very well than. Let's get it over with."

In that sphere of air he descended from the tree tops and stood a ways off of Zuko. The air cooled and an eery calm ensued. The silence was as terrifying as it could get. Zuko felt every nerve in his body urging him to run for it. While at the same time he felt that any single movement could be his last. It was basic biology now. The flight or fight response. He knew he couldn't run but he also couldn't really win against a fully realised Avatar. So what was he to do? The brief moment of bravado he had vanished the moment the Avatar stood infront of him. Even in his wildest dreams he knew he couldn't win. He was frozen and caught in his thoughts. He couldn't move an inch let alone put up any sort of fight.

Suddenly a massive vortex of flames shot down from the sky. It created a massive crater that descended into the deepest bowels of the earth. The Avatar stood motionless while looking at the utter destruction infront.

"Where did he go?" a familiar voice suddenly asked from behind him.

He turned to see Suki and Katara holding up an exhausted Sokka.

"He's not that far," answered the Avatar. "I will make it certain that he doesn't live this place alive."

Using his sphere of air he rose into the sky and disappeared off in a particular direction. Living behind the three baffled by his words.

"Did you hear what Aang said?" Katara suddenly asked after a long period of silence.

"That didn't sound like the normal Aang I have known for a while now." Sokka answered.

"Well the same thing did happen when he saw the death of Monk Gyatso at the southern air temple." Katara defended.

"It was different than," Sokka answered. "I could've sworn that he had bloodlust in his eyes."

"Now that you mention it, he is not the same Aang that I first met on Kyoshi." Suki agreed.

"It doesn't really matter though," Sokka added. "Zuko and his entire family deserve whatever is coming for them."

"You're right," Suki reluctantly agreed.

"I guess," Katara added. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. Even given the circumstances her feelings still shone through on her face and Sokka noticed it clear as day.

---

[ZUKO POV]

I suddenly found myself next to a slow moving river. The sound of the water coursing through soothed my troubled mind.

"You were in quite the predicament nephew," a very familiar voice suddenly said.

I looked up to see my uncle Iroh standing next to the river. He had an extremely tired look to him. I could even see his breathing was erratic. Like he could drop tired at any moment now.

"Thank you uncle," I thanked him. I could feel the relief lifting off of my chest. It was a surreal feeling.

"The might of the Avatar is almost limitless," Iroh added. "He will be a tough nut to crush for any lone bender."

His words would be true for any other person but not me. I have seen that it is entirely possible to defeat the Avatar even in his Avatar State. Azula nearly ended the entire line. The guy from the Red Lotus who I can't remember the name did end the connections to the passed. If I remember correctly the Avatar is his most powerful in the Avatar State but also his most vulnerable.

Speaking is easy but actually doing it will be tough. Then there's what Vumala actually told me explicitly. I cannot kill the Avatar. I can't even begin to imagine the types of consequences that will lead to.

"He is strong isn't he," I answered.

"I know you are obsessed with regaining the Avatar but not even I can capture him in his spiritual state." Iroh added.

This makes me think of something I have been trying to decide on for a while now. I don't really have any anything I want to do in this world except to get together with Azula. All the stupid isekai stories I used to watch the MC had a sort of goal. To either return home or get some type of level of strength. Only after honestly facing the possibility I could die do I now realise that I do have a goal. I always thought of it as Zuko's personality and his will showing itself but I know that it is also mine. My goal for now is simply to return to the Fire Nation and take my place as the Crown Prince. Find a way to make Azula my queen. Everything else can take a back sit until then.

There is just one small problem that is preventing me from returning. I can only return with the Avatar captured or killed. Since I am not allowed to kill him that means finding a way to capture him.

"The only way to prepare for the upcoming war is to take my place as the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. The only way to do that is to capture the Avatar uncle!" I urged my uncle.

"That supposed war is nothing but a product of your imagination!" The many voices of one suddenly returned.

I looked up to see the young boy standing on a tree branch. The glow of the Avatar State was still present but it didn't have the same unsurmountable aura of intimidation it had before.

Like a deity the Avatar descended down upon myself and my uncle. The intense scowl with which he glared at us sent shivers down my spine. For some reason looking at him from a distance felt quite calm but looking at him now, this close. I could feel every nerve in my body going haywire.

"General Iroh!," he began. "The young man you protect is no longer the Prince that you so loved. His soul was replaced by another. Another soul that does not belong in this world!"

What the fuck idiot!? You just blew my secret! I turned to my uncle expecting the worse but he simply smiled at me.

"I-I can explain," the words struggled to come out of my mouth.

"The changes I have noticed in my nephew all but hinted that he was no longer Zuko but another," uncle explained. "Zuko was never the spiritual type so I suspected he might have been possessed by a spirit. Only hearing your words now convinced me that Zuko, my nephew was no longer alive."

"How come you didn't say anything?" I asked.

"I sensed within you that the Zuko I knew was still in there." He revealed. "His will still lived on in you so I let it be."

"So you knew your nephew was dead and yet you did all that unnecessary damage and injured a lot of innocent lives!?" the many voices of one seethed with anger at that revelation. "It would appear that you are still the same Iroh who sieged Ba Sing Se for 600 days. It only makes up our mind more!"

Suddenly he pushed forth his left hand and a burst of air came forth and blew uncle away. Luckily Iroh caught himself mid air and used a burst of flames to stabilize him enough to land safely on the ground.

*BOOOOOM!!!*

I suddenly found myself slamming against a massive tree trunk. My vision went all blurry and I could feel the heat of the fire attack coursing over all my body. I couldn't calm my frantic mind let alone my vision. Still though, I willed myself to stand just barely. My clothes were burnt to a crisp.

I could just barely make out a silhouette of him approaching me. Walking up to me in an ominous slow pace.

"I won't let you take my nephew!" I heard Iroh roar. All I saw was a blur of massive sea of flames headed straight for Aang. The flames suddenly came to a halt as a massive wave of water washed them away.

Next moment a whip of water wrapped around my waist and pulled me towards Aang. As my head swayed side to side I noticed he was doing the exact same thing to Iroh.

I couldn't tell how he did it but a rush of cold swept through my entire body. I looked down to see I was frozen from the neck and down. We were brought down to the knees of the young Avatar and completely at his mercy.

"Your unnatural existence should end with this!" The many voices warned.

Aang swayed his arms in a wide arc and former his hands into a fist. I couldn't see what he was bending but I knew it wasn't any good. Next he brought down his hands towards my head. I closed my eyes in anticipation.

Well that was fast. I had gotten a second chance at life but I was dead again after just over a fortnight. I don't think I'm going to be getting a third chance. I might be one of the worst isekai mc ever. I couldn't even get laid even though I had chances. Well in my defence I was playing for the long run. In this time line there were really only 2 girls I wanted to fuck badly. One was obviously my sister Azula and the other being Katara. There was also Korra but she wouldn't be born for some 70 odd years.

The anticipation went on for what felt like forever but it didn't come. I opened my eyes to notice a heavy breathing Aang standing infront of me. The glow of the Avatar State seemed to have worn off. My body was still frozen but in my periphery I saw a pair of ice disks hovering just above my body.

[A/N: Read 5 to 10 chapters ahead, available on my Patreon right now.

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