The universe had been reduced to three things: the incessant roar of the sea, the cold that seeped into the very soul, and the suffocating weight of exhaustion. Ikari floated, or rather, was hurled from one side to the other by gigantic waves, his body dragged like drifting wreckage, without control or rest.
The water was absurdly cold, a chill that pierced the skin, bit into the bones, and drained what little strength remained in his muscles. The rain fell heavily, almost solid, mixing with the white foam of the waves, while lightning tore through the sky and revealed the chaos for brief instants before everything was swallowed once more by darkness.
Ikari gasped, choking every time another mass of water slammed into him. Saltwater flooded his mouth, burned his already swollen eyes, and left his ears ringing, leaving him nearly deaf. Blood ran from the corners of his mouth and dissolved into the sea. His fingers were burned, the skin sensitive and darkened, trembling uncontrollably whenever he tried to move them. And to make matters worse, his arms and legs, almost numb, barely responded to his commands.
No... there was no escape. Ikari harbored no illusions of survival. He was going to die there, in the middle of that furious sea. The certainty was clear, heavy, even as the rage that had accompanied him for so long still boiled inside him, screaming for him not to give up.
There was no way to flee from death this time.
His body was at its limit, perhaps it had even crossed that point some time ago. With every passing second, he grew heavier, the water pulling him down harder, closer to the end.
Still, even when everything in him begged for surrender and the certainty of death closed in on his chest, Ikari fought to remain on the surface.
Because there was one last thing to be done.
"Tui… La...", he murmured, using the names as an anchor, recalling the reason he was still holding on. His voice, however, was lost in a choke when another wave struck him head-on and dragged him under.
For a brief instant, everything fell silent. Just him and the strangely calm depths of the sea, far removed from the chaos of the surface. Then instinct spoke louder, and Ikari forced his body to react, fighting to rise once more.
When he emerged, he sucked in air with all the strength he could muster and looked ahead. A bolt of lightning cut across the sky, illuminating for a second his final objective. There, a few meters away — a distance that seemed as vast as a continent — floated a canvas bag, tied shut with a rope. Small, soaked, rising and falling irregularly among the waves.
Inside it were Tui and La, the Moon Spirit and the Ocean Spirit. The balance of the world, the eternal dance between sea and Moon, imprisoned in that filthy sack, at the mercy of everything.
He needed to free them.
The ocean would be dangerous for the spirits, Ikari knew that. But he also knew that there, they would have a chance to live. A real chance. Better than wasting away trapped inside that shell.
That was all that mattered.
All that still remained for him to do.
And that was enough.
Ikari began to swim — or something close to it.
His arms moved heavily, slowly, as if they no longer belonged to him. Still, the effort was useless. Each stroke seemed not to move him from his place, the bag remaining at the same distance, rising and falling with the waves.
He strained himself. Fought. Growled at the sea, at the wind, at his own body that was beginning to fail.
'Just a little more… come on... come on... come on!'
Then the sea roared.
A deep sound, almost alive, echoed around him. Ikari turned his head in time to see a gigantic shadow rising before him. A colossal wave, taller than any other so far, surged forward far too fast. He tried to take a deep breath, tried to dive, tried to do anything.
There was no time.
The mass of water collapsed over him like a wall. The impact was brutal. The world became noise, pressure, and darkness. Ikari felt his body being thrown, spinning and sinking, without the slightest control.
And then, everything went black.
***
[3 years ago, 97 AG]
Flames danced furiously in the torches that lined the vast throne room, casting trembling shadows across the walls. At the center, elevated on a platform surrounded by controlled fire, Fire Lord Ozai sat upon his throne, an imposing figure dressed in crimson and gold robes. His piercing eyes were fixed on the two soldiers kneeling before him.
The two kept their foreheads pressed to the floor and trembled visibly, feeling the weight of the oppressive heat radiating from their ruler. The older of them, a sergeant with fresh scars crossing his face, spoke first with a hoarse and hesitant voice. "Fire Lord… w-we were ambushed," he began, swallowing hard. "T-they were warriors from the Southern Water Tribe—"
"I know what happened, sergeant." The interruption came quickly, sharp as a blade and dripping with contempt. The flames around the throne swelled, pulsing in sync with Ozai's irritation. "You are here to give me something better than that pathetic report I received. A decent justification for how my men were humiliated by savages who, as far as I know, do not possess a single bender among their ranks."
"T-that…" The sergeant hesitated, exchanging a quick, desperate glance with his companion before continuing, his voice barely more than a whisper. "... HODAD was among them."
All the flames in the room burst in intensity, making the air suffocating as a low growl escaped Ozai's lips. "I am quite certain that nickname was forbidden to be spoken, sergeant."
"F-forgive me, Fire Lord!" The sergeant shrank back, wishing he could sink into the floor for his mistake. "I-I meant Ikari. He was among them and… completely turned the course of the battle against us."
Veins bulged on Ozai's forehead, his face twisting with rage. "And you deliberately left that out of the report?"
"W-we were afraid, sir!" the sergeant stammered in panic. "The punishment for failing to kill him is—"
A blast of fire erupted from Ozai's hand, striking the sergeant with precision. The scream that followed echoed through the room, a howl of pain and suffering that soon faded, leaving only a strong smell of charred flesh.
The other soldier, younger, his face pale and eyes wide, remained frozen, not daring to move a muscle.
"You!" Ozai turned to him, narrowing his eyes. "Tell me exactly what happened. Now."
The soldier swallowed hard and, though trembling, did not dare hesitate before he began to speak.
***
[Ten days earlier]
The sun was setting on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and red. The company of 90 men from the Fire Nation, exhausted after an entire day of marching through the Earth Kingdom, was setting up camp in a clearing. Simple tents were being raised, fires lit, and the clinking of armor being removed repeated itself as the men prepared to rest. In two days, they would join the main regiment advancing toward Omashu.
Among the soldiers, one of the youngest, Fai, struggled to set up a tent, sweat running down his face and arms. He felt the weight of the day in every muscle, but his determination remained intact. Taking Omashu would be the Fire Nation's greatest achievement in decades. And he would be part of it!
However, he knew it would be difficult. Very difficult. The fortress-city had strengthened drastically since HODAD joined its ranks, increasing its army, racking up victory after victory, and reclaiming lands that had long been under Fire Nation control.
Even so, Fai was certain the Fire Nation's glory would prevail. After all, the Fire Lord himself was placing enormous importance on this, sending large numbers of troops to subjugate Omashu.
It was only a matter of time before the city fell, along with the Mad King and the last airbender.
FWOOOSH!
Suddenly, a loud, sharp sound, like a howl, filled the air, making Fai freeze. Alarmed, he looked up just in time to see only a blur descending from the sky, far too fast for the eye to follow.
'What—' Before he could process what it was, the blur hit the center of the camp. An explosion of wind spread out, lifting a thick cloud of dust that swallowed everything around. Confused screams echoed as disoriented soldiers, blinded by the dust storm, struggled to understand what had just happened.
Fai coughed, shielding his face from the dust with his arm. Even so, he didn't close his eyes, enduring the stinging sensation just to see what had caused it—and he saw: Standing in the center as if the fall hadn't caused any impact, there was a slender, medium-height figure holding two daggers, with windswept black hair and light clothing that danced with the wind.
Fai knew instantly who it was. How could he not? That was one of—if not the—most wanted men in the world. Ikari, the last airbender. The man who, in only two years, had become one of the deadliest enemies of the Fire Nation.
Everyone thought he was the Avatar when he first appeared, but it soon became clear he was just an airbender. "Just" being a euphemism for the terror he represented. Ikari had shown the entire Fire Nation army and the other nations why Sozin exterminated the Air Nomads at the start of the war, revealing how dangerous and lethal airbending could be when used in battle.
Fai had no time to think beyond that.
Because… Ikari moved.
***
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.