The Wulong Forest was unlike any other place in the Earth Kingdom. Situated on the far western coast, the land stretched endlessly into towering stone columns, hundreds upon hundreds of them rising into the sky like giant trees made of rocks, hence the name. Between those colossal pillars ran winding streams of water, weaving intersected paths as if nature itself had etched veins into the earth.
Atop one of these rock columns, far above the paths below, Tai Lung stood in silence. His arms folded, he seemed an unmoving statue against the backdrop of stone and sea. Gone was his Fire Nation armor, instead he wore simple civilian clothes.
His golden eyes, sharp and steady, drifted eastward. There, at the horizon, a vast clif stretched wide, running in parallel to the forest of rocks below. And along that cliff, the audience gathered from every corner of the Earth Kingdom, from the icy waters of the North to the isles of flame in the Fire Nation, they had come, thousands gathered at the stony edge of the Wulong Forest, their faces alight with curiosity, dread, or expectation.
Nobles and generals, chieftains and peasants alike, their forms darkened by distance, yet countless eyes were fixed on the columns. The duel had drawn them from every corner of the world.
Everything was in place. All that remained was the Avatar.
Yet among them, one thing was clear: nearly half bore the red and black of the Fire Nation. And at their head, regal and composed, stood Fire Lord Azula. Flanked on either side by her companions, Mai and Ty Lee. Azula carried herself with a poise that left no doubt who commanded these people. Beside her stood Admiral Lung, his eyes trained at his son's figure in the distance.
It was then that Suki, leading her Kyoshi warriors in their green uniform and unique face makeup, caught sight of the three girls. The sight made her hesitate, but only for a breath before leading her group toward them.
Ty Lee was the first to spot them. With a delighted squeal, she bounded forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat, and threw her arms around Suki and the two nearest Kyoshi warriors in one enormous hug.
"It's been forever!" Ty Lee chirped, beaming at them as though this were a festival rather than the eve of a duel. "How have you been? I didn't expect to see you here!"
Suki smiled, her eyes never leaving Ty Lee's. "The news of this battle reached even our island. We came to witness it, the true Avatar against the Fire Avatar."
Ty Lee leaned back with a grin, her eyes sparkling. "Tai will win. No doubt about it."
Suki's lips curved faintly, though the confidence in her tone didn't falter. "Not to break your hopes, but the Avatar has supposedly mastered all four elements. That means his strength is now on par with Avatar Kyoshi."
"So?" Ty Lee tilted her head, almost playful. "Tai is still stronger."
Suki straightened, her jaw tightening. "Avatar Kyoshi is invincible."
"Because Tai wasn't born during her era," Ty Lee replied without hesitation, her voice so sure that even the other Kyoshi warriors glanced uneasily at one another.
At that moment, Azula and Mai drifted closer, the Fire Lord's sharp eyes lingering on Suki. "Nice to see you are all doing well," Azula said coolly.
Suki gave an acknowledging nod. "Fire Lord Azula. I didn't think you'd become Fire Lord so quickly."
Azula arched her brow, amused. "You thought I would become the Fire Lord?"
Suki nodded. "When you eventually defeat your father, yes. I just didn't think it would be this soon."
Azula gave a soft shrug, her tone as casual as her words were sharp. "Tai Lung was furious with my dear father. That hastened the process."
One of the Kyoshi girls behind Suki turned to point toward the rear, where a group of chained men stood under heavy guard of Fire Nation soldiers. "What's with them?" she asked.
Mai's expression hardly shifted as she answered. "The Earth King and his high officers. We brought them here to bear witness."
Suki frowned, her voice hardening. "You brought them chained?"
Azula's eyes flicked to her and answered as a matter of fact. "They are prisoners of war after all."
Ty Lee added brightly, though her tone carried an uncharacteristic edge, "They kidnapped Tai's father and left him in an underground prison for weeks. Think of it as their punishment."
The Kyoshi warriors exchanged glances. But in truth, none of them felt sympathy for the Earth King. If anything, their loyalties leaned toward Tai Lung. Slowly, Suki and the others nodded.
Azula turned her head eastward. The faintest smile touched her lips. "And here comes our guest of honor."
All eyes followed her gaze. High above, cutting through the pale sky, a white shape loomed, the Avatar's bison. Gasps rose from the crowd as Appa's mighty tail stirred the air, carrying him closer and closer to the Wulong Forest.
As the beast drew near, a smaller figure leapt from his back. Glider open, Aang soared forward, heading straight for the lone column where Tai Lung waited. Meanwhile, Appa descended with heavy grace, circling toward the cliff edge where the White Lotus members had gathered in solemn anticipation.
The battle of legends was about to begin.
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Tai Lung did not stir, his arms still folded, his stance still. Time passed in absolute silence, save for the wind sighing between the stone towers. Then, at last, Aang's flying bison appeared in the distance followed by the Avatar soaring alone, leaving his friends behind, flying him.
Tai Lung's eyes narrowed as Aang descended onto a rocky column opposite him. Slowly, he unfolded his arms.
"You sure took your sweet time," Tai Lung said lazily, his voice carrying over the gulf of stone and air. "For a moment I wondered if you would run."
Aang's face was set, his voice firm. "I will never run. I will put a stop to your plans."
Tai Lung's lips curved into a smile. "That's the spirit. Fight me with everything you have."
But Aang hesitated, taking a deep breath. "Before we start… can I ask you a question?"
"Go on," Tai Lung replied, amused.
Aang's grip tightened on his staff. "Why do you want to replace me? To replace the Avatar?"
For the first time, Tai Lung's smile thinned. His tone was calm, almost thoughtful. "The Avatar, the bridge between humans and spirits, master of four elements, keeper of balance. I think your creation was a mistake. Wan broke the bond between Raava and Vaatu, sealed Vaatu, and crowned himself lord of order with Raava's aid. Balance? No. An imbalance disguised as peace."
Aang's eyes widened, but he stood his ground. "The Avatar, my past lives, always tried to make the world better, to keep balance. Some may have made mistakes, but their intent was good. And even if you claim the Avatar isn't a force of good for the world, freeing Vaatu will bring only darkness and destruction."
Tai Lung's brow arched. "I am indeed thinking of freeing Vaatu. But I highly doubt you know what I plan to do with his power and I have no intention to explain it at this point, I know you and the world would refuse my words and maybe call me a lunatic or the enemy of peace."
Aang's knuckles whitened on his staff. "It doesn't matter what you're planning. I will stop you."
Tai Lung's grin returned, confident and certain. "Good, our conversation ends here."
He slid into his stance, feet braced, shoulders set. Aang mirrored him, staff gleaming faintly in the sun. And then Tai Lung struck.
His fist snapped forward, an explosion of blue fire roared across the space, immense and searing.
Aang slammed his staff to the stone. A great wall of wind surged forward, pressing against the flame. For a moment it held, rippling like a curtain in a storm, then the fire pressed harder, forcing its way through.
Seeing this, Aang quickly crouched low, then leapt back into a flip. A crack echoed as a chunk of the stone column tore free, clinging to his legs as he spun. With a powerful kick, Aang flew backward while launching it forward, boulder meeting flame. The impact burst in a violent explosion, rock shattering to dust in the fiery blast.
He landed lightly on a second column, his focus on the cloud of dust searching for Tai Lung.
But Tai Lung was already on the move, the dust had barely cleared before his form emerged above it, soaring high, fist drawn back in punching motion. The next moment, another torrent of fire erupted toward Aang.
This time, Aang decided to fight it back with fire bending. His own orange flame flared and surged from his palm to meet Tai Lung's.
The two streams collided mid-air. For a brief, blinding instant, fire met fire. Then Tai Lung's blue flame crushed through the orange, devouring it, forcing it back.
Aang's eyes widened. He dropped his staff, throwing his second hand forward. Another jet of flame burst from his palm joining the first, desperately trying to stop the attack. It wasn't enough to overcome Tai Lung's, but it was enough to shift the tide of flame, angling the inferno just enough to roar past him, scorching the stone instead of flesh.
Aang breathed a sigh of relief before looking at Tai Lung who landed on a nearby column with a confident smile. Aang knew this was going to be a difficult battle.
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Happy new year!!