19. Crystal Cavern

The night air over Ba Sing Se was cool. High above the agrarian rings, a black war balloon drifted silently through the clouds.

Manning it was a solo rider wearing a stealth suit: Zuko. He stood in the wicker gondola, peering over the edge.

“Interesting,” he whispered.

He adjusted the valves, venting hot air. The balloon then descended rapidly toward the Upper Ring and aimed for the palace gardens.

He didn’t fear being seen since Azula’s most recent report had been clear: the Dai Li controlled the city now, and they answered to the Fire Nation.

So the landing was smooth.

Zuko stepped out and casually moved through the shadows of the palace. He bypassed the confused servants and the few remaining loyalist guards who were being quietly rounded up by stone-gloved agents.

He was headed to the Crystal Catacombs.

The air grew cooler as he descended underground. The walls soon turned from polished marble to glowing green crystals.

When he turned a corner, he found Azula standing framed by jagged crystals. She was also flanked by Dai Li agents. And when she saw him, her smirk widened into a look of genuine triumph.

“Fire lord Zuko, the Earth king’s and the Council of Five are in chains. The city is yours.”

“Well done… I expected nothing less from you, Azula. But where is he now?”

“Our spies say he’s currently headed to the catacombs with his flying bison.”

“So he’s coming for the waterbender after all. Good…”

“Yes, but that report was made…” Azula contemplated, looking nowhere in particular. “Thirty minutes ago.”

As if on cue, the sound of running footsteps echoed from the cavern ahead. Zuko knew it had to be Aang. So he signaled the Dai Li to hold their positions.

Not long after, the group burst into the main chamber. Aang was on top of Appa. Behind him were Sokka and Toph.

“Aang!” Katara called out upon seeing them.

“Katara!” he said. “I felt you were in trouble, so I came back as soon as I could.”

She was relieved after Dai Li agents captured her. No one should have known she was down here. Thankfully, her friends and brother came to her rescue.

As their moment of reprieve settled, they all halted when they saw a line of Dai Li agents blocking the exit. The real horror dawned on their faces when the figure in the center stepped forward into the light.

“It’s been a while, Avatar,” greeted Zuko with Azula behind him.

Aang’s eyes widened. He raised his staff slightly as confusion warred with fear. “Fire lord Zuko!”

“Glad you haven’t forgotten about me…”

Sokka drew his boomerang. “What are you two doing here?!”

“We set this up after taking the city,” Azula explained.

They were demented by her answer. Since when had they taken control over Ba Sing Se?

“I can see you’re all a little confused,” Zuko deduced. “So I’ll put it as plainly as possible: the Earth king is my prisoner now.”

“He… He’s not lying,” Toph understood.

Aang soon stepped forward with a pleading expression. It was pathetic, really. Even now, with an army breathing down his neck, the kid wanted to talk.

“Fire lord Zuko, please. I understand you killed your father, but now is not the time for this. People are being hurt because of your nation. We can find a peaceful solution.”

Zuko threw his head back and laughed out of amusement. “Aang… you really don’t seem to understand things, do you? You’re trying to negotiate over corpses. The Fire Nation has already taken this city. The war for Ba Sing Se is over. And you missed it.” He then stopped to narrow his eyes. “You only have a few choices left: surrender or die. Make the right one.”

“We’ll never surrender to you!” Katara shouted after summoning a whip of water.

“Wrong choice,” Zuko sighed.

When he snapped his fingers, the Dai Li moved past the two siblings. Rock gloves shot through the air as Toph slammed her foot down to raise a wall.

Bang!

Their volley of attacks was blocked, and the cavern soon erupted into chaos. Zuko and Azula merely stood back to watch.

Aang was fast—much faster than the reports suggested. He danced between the stone pillars, using airbending to deflect attacks and earthbending to launch counter-strikes. Truly a talent.

But he was holding back to escape, not to win.

Weakness, Zuko thought.

Then, the tide turned. A Dai Li agent managed to flank Katara and pin her arm to a crystal pillar with a rock shackle. She cried out, causing Aang to freeze. He looked at her, then he looked at Zuko and Azula, realizing he couldn’t fight them both while protecting his friends.

So he made the decision Zuko knew he would make.

Aang retreated to the center of the cavern. He then slammed his staff down and created a tent of thick crystal to seal himself inside.

A moment later, there was a glow from within. As the crystals retracted, he rose into the air. His tattoos were glowing white and his chi was strong; the power of a thousand lifetimes was concentrated into one boy.

Azula, however, was prepared.

Snap-CRACK!

A jagged streak of lightning from her tore through the air and struck Aang squarely in the back, right at the point where his chakra connection was open. The glowing white light of the Avatar State vanished instantly as his body fell.

“Aang!” Katara screamed.

Toph shattered Katara’s shackles, allowing her to catch Aang with a wave of water before he hit the ground. She then pulled him close, unsure of what to do.

Azula stepped forward as her fingertips cracked with electricity. “I’ll finish them.” But Zuko threw his arm out to block her path. That made her look at him with confusion, and he could practically hear the bloodlust in her tone. “What are you doing, brother? They’re vulnerable!”

“That was a direct hit with lightning,” Zuko said loudly, making sure the surviving members could hear him. “You killed our nation’s biggest threat. But… if you really want more…”

The moment he retracted his hands, she sprang forth. Yet Katara had been given too much time to recover; she and Toph summon a massive wave of water and crystals that covered the team. Then, with one pound of the bison’s tail, the Dai Li agents were knocked back.

Straightaway, Aang was carried on the bison, and they escaped the catacombs.

“Let them go,” Zuko declared. “They’re carrying the body of a dead child. It’ll more than break their spirits.”

The cavern soon fell silent as Zuko walked to the spot where Aang had fallen. The stone was scorched black.

“Secure the palace,” he ordered the Dai Li agents. “Tear down the Earth Kingdom flags. By morning, I want the Fire Nation emblem draping every wall in the Upper Ring.” Then he turned to Azula. “You did well, sister. Grandfather would have been… adequate in his praise. But I’m impressed.”

Azula preened under the compliment. “The Avatar is slain, brother. Ba Sing Se is ours, and the Earth Kingdom has fallen. All that’s left are the remaining rebels. No one will stand in our way now.”

At least, that’s what she thought. Zuko knew things were not over yet.

On Katara was still the spirit water from the North Pole. It would bring Aang back from the brink, allowing their group to try and attack during the next eclipse when no one could firebend.