Vaatu, the Spirit of Darkness

Pov Kai:

I was alone, just reflecting my own thoughts, in front of me was the barrier that demarcated the forbidden territory. The area forbidden from the spirit world was indeed unpleasant, the only physical remnant of the Eclipse War.

I stretched out my hand to touch the golden barrier, and the power that was constituted was gigantic, similar to my own, but more powerful and refined by the constitution of Hana's power. Even though the barrier had been in place for over 9,000 years, it was frightening how much power it had, and if she had caught a glimpse of that power in the battle we fought, I'm sure I would have been defeated.

- Time and darkness have diminished Hana's potential, it was very fortunate that I defeated her in that battle. - I mused to myself, glancing at the other side of the barrier.

My moment of contemplation was interrupted when I felt Aki's energy approaching me at high speed, with the peak power she had used, she was certainly in her true form. I turned to look at the sky and saw a 16 meter high dragon descending towards me at a high speed, she opened her wings to reduce speed and landed a little aggressively, making a tremor upon landing.

- What are you doing here, Aki? - I asked my grandmother, knowing that this was her territory.

- I should be the one to ask, this place is dangerous. I know it's not stupid to cross the barrier, but just in case, don't think about it. - Aki said worriedly, her draconic eyes reflecting her emotions.

- I didn't come here for that, I just want to feel Hana's power.- I looked at the golden barrier and felt the purity of the light's power. - It's a pity she didn't become the goddess of fire.

- It is a shame. - Aki lamented nostalgically as she walked, her footsteps shaking slightly under her weight.

- I can sense that you came with someone. - I looked at Aki and felt that she had a much stronger spiritual energy on her back than usual.

A small red-scaled dragon cub appeared behind Aki's back, looking curious and afraid of Kai because of his human form. The little cub looked at Kai, for some reason it seemed to recognize him, but he wasn't sure, so he just tugged at one of Aki's hairs, making her bend down to get it off her back.

- Hey! Don't pull my hair, it hurts! - Aki complained, understanding what the cub wanted and lowering herself to a safe height for him to jump off her back.

I found the interaction between Aki and the little dragon a bit funny, I couldn't deny that she was a good mother by nature, but there was something familiar about the little dragon. I crouched down, only one of my knees touching the ground, the little dragon approached me cautiously, always sniffing me, almost instinctively I did the same, but I kept control because I was in my human form.

The dragon was only a step away from me, I put my hand out slowly so as not to frighten him, it took a few seconds but he let me touch and pet him. I was very confused because I felt like I had seen this little cub somewhere before, it was very familiar.

- What is your name? - I asked, stroking under his chin and making him spread his little wings.

- My... my name is Tizo. - The dragon said, not noticing the surprise in Kai's eyes.

- Tizo... - I closed my eyes and concentrated on his spiritual energy, surprised that it was identical to that of my friend. - His energy is identical.

- That's because he's the same Tizo you met. Now, this is his new form. - Aki said, understanding Kai's surprise. - I've decided to adopt him, I'll take care of him until he finally grows up.

I was surprised, it meant that Tizo had died and been reborn because of the fire cycle. As sad as I might have been, he was standing right in front of me, without his memories of course, but it's still him. But if he is here, then I need to find out how he died, not just anyone in the mortal world could kill him, he was easily one of the strongest in the Fire Nation.

The only ones who could kill him would be Ozai, maybe Iroh or some conspiracy, but Tizo was highly respected, so I don't think it would be through betrayal, he would never let his guard down to be killed behind his back. Maybe someone who never revealed his power or the Avatar, now that I think about it, the only one who could really be a priority enemy who would be a threat could only be the Avatar.

- I'm sorry, old friend. - I whispered to myself. Feeling guilty about his untimely death.

- You smell like Mama Aki. - Tizo said innocently, sniffing at Kai's arms.

- I'm a relative of the family. - I replied and patted his back. - Have you learned to fly yet?

- I... I don't know how to fly yet. - Tizo lowered his head, looking disappointed.

- Don't worry, your wings will grow in a few years. - Aki approached cautiously because of his size and gave Tizo a dragon smile to cheer him up. - So, Kai, since you're in your human form, I thought you'd take the opportunity to spread your wings while Azula was away.

- I've lived a good part of my life only in this form, I'm used to it enough not to feel trapped. - I answered honestly. - Aki... how did Hana get corrupted?

Aki's dragon eyes narrowed for a moment, a feeling of melancholy came over her, something Kai noticed even though she was in her true form.

- Tizo, can you play in the trees over there? - Aki nodded in the direction where Tizo should play, he accepted and went off to have fun while she kept her watchful eyes on him. - Hana was corrupted when her son became an Eternal Dragon and transferred his corruption to her soul. In the first few days, some of the Celestial Dragons accidentally corrupted their souls while trying to help, and it quickly became a pandemic.

I listened attentively to Aki's words, her voice fluctuated slightly due to the topic of conversation, it was natural and easy to understand, it wasn't easy the position the dragons had to fight against each other.

- Hana, being a candidate to become the Goddess of Fire like you, naturally had a tolerance for the corruption of darkness, but when she discovered how to reverse the process of corruption in souls, it was too late, especially for herself. - Aki was overcome with nostalgia and felt a pang of guilt in her heart. - Hana had struggled for a thousand years under extreme stress, fighting the corruption in her soul, only postponing the inevitable. When... when we had managed to eliminate most of the corrupted spirits, we took the final step to trap all the Eternal Dragons in one place.

Aki and I gazed at the barrier, which glowed impressively in gold, a power that obscured the darkness of the world.

- She used all the light left in her soul to be the bait and lure the Eternal Dragons into one place, ending the war. - Aki ended the story of Hana's end succinctly.

- She died a hero. - I said, supporting Aki from her torment. I took a few steps towards her and put my hand on one of her paws. - You don't have to blame yourself, it was completely out of your control.

- I wish I could have done more. - Aki sighed.

- You did more than enough, you gave her the chance to be a mother again, she'd be proud of you. - After my words, Aki looked at me with surprise and gratitude.

- Thank you. - Aki said and turned his attention to the little Tizo. - I understand why you're here, but your eyes still reflect doubt.

- I've been thinking for the last few hours, I'm learning a lot, but there's only one thing that doesn't make sense in the whole story of the Eclipse War. - I blurted out seriously.

- What would that be? - Aki noticed Kai's seriousness. - What's bothering you so much?

- One ability that dragons like me and Hana have is the ability to see into the future. Hana is so much older and more powerful than me, how come she never predicted the Eclipse War? - I asked and waited for an answer from Aki. - All I know about her is that she was a powerful and wise queen, how come she never foresaw such a disaster?

My words made Aki look surprised, for the first time in millennia, she asked that question, something that didn't really fit Hana's profile.

- I never thought of that... - Aki looked at the barrier, plunged into doubt. - I know that if she could avoid a war, she would do anything, even if it was against her own morals. She told me so herself.

- Hana was one of the most powerful beings that ever existed, second only to La and Tui. I can't think of a scenario it can't solve. - I couldn't help but be frustrated with myself, thinking that the answer might be in my mind, among the thousands of pieces of information stored since the beginning of time. - There's something very wrong with that story.

- Are you saying that something else was connected to her death? - Aki tensed, her eyes glittering menacingly.

- Take Tizo to the realm of the dawn, I need some time alone to think. - I said calmly, but inside, it sounded more like an order.

Aki stood silently and looked at her grandson, she knew that Kai was going through a new phase and that it would take time to slowly take over the power of the King of Dragons. Even though she was older, she instinctively felt that this was an order from a hierarchically superior dragon and she couldn't refuse.

- Tizo, let's go home. - Aki caught Tizo's attention and made the little dragon run towards him, running up his tail to his back. - I don't know what you're up to, but don't do anything crazy. - She spread her wings and took off into the sky, leaving Kai alone.

I couldn't help but sigh, I knew what I was about to do was questionable considering everything that had happened, but there was only one being in this world that could help me. I released a small portion of my Ember of Light into my soul, making me feel a gigantic power, even greater than in my battle with Hana, perhaps because of the large amount of spiritual energy around me. When I opened my eyes, I was a dragon over 20 meters tall, my power flowing freely, a feeling of power and freedom overwhelmed me for a moment.

With a single flap of my wings, I flew at top speed to the only place where I could get my answers, the center of the spirit world, where a primordial being who represents the pure concept of chaos resides.

In an isolated place in the spirit world, there was a giant tree with no leaves on its branches, located in the center of rock formations that resembled the image of Yin and Yang. The tree was titanic in size, its roots so deep that they crossed from the spiritual to the mortal plane, connecting the two dimensions equally, with an evil glow in the center of its trunk.

A giant creature made of shadows and chaos, imprisoned for almost ten millennia, just stood there, static, accompanied only by its bitter thoughts, trapped in a prison that was impossible to escape. A golden bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and crashed violently to the ground, causing a wave of flames to spread in several directions, revealing the image of Kai in his human form, his eyes shining brightly.

- Welcome, Your Majesty. - Vaatu said, a little taken aback. - I don't have good timing, but I believe you have anticipated the moment of the Harmonic Convergence Ritual.

- I'm not here for the harmonic convergence, Vaatu, I'm here to talk. - I answered the dark spirit sternly.

- I can't deny that I'm flattered, none of the Celestial Dragons have interacted with me since the Eclipse War. - Vaatu stood up imposingly, a reflex instinct, but when he saw Kai's eyes, he quickly retreated. - It is truly frightening how much power you have, even though you've only just awakened as a candidate for the supreme power of this universe.

- Enough talk Vaatu, I came here because I need answers. - I raised my voice because I did not want to waste my time on this secret visit.

- You have a source of hundreds of information and memories, I don't know how to help you.- Vaatu was sincere, an unconventional move for him, but this time he was willing to cooperate. - Or your memories are so jumbled that the information you need is incomplete.

- Exactly, even if I have that problem, my question can't be answered in the short or long term. - I sighed tiredly. - You're one of the oldest beings in the universe, so I think you understand how the rules work better than anyone.

Vaatu's body approached the barrier that prevented him from escaping, his mind like a machine from the speed at which he processed the information in his mind, remembering every dark secret that this universe held in order to answer his guest's questions.

- I exist through the darkness of the first dragon and my sister in the spark of light of the second dragon king. We are equal in understanding, but in many ways I understand my place in the universe far better than my sister. - Vaatu said. - What do you want to know?

- When you thought of stealing the light from Hana's son, how did you know your plan would work? - I asked expectantly, since Vaatu had somehow managed to bypass Hana's vision of the future.

- An interesting question, and you're the first to notice this detail of our shared history. You Celestial Dragons, especially your kind, the ones chosen to become gods, have a very subtle and imperceptible weakness. - Vaatu blurted out, his tone sounding as if he enjoyed seeing Kai's surprised expression. - For billions of years, I've wanted to get rid of my crazy twin sister. While she psychopathically tried to imprison and control me, I had always studied each Dragon King, slowly understanding their role in the universe.

I was surprised, Vaatu told his story with a certain tone of superiority but at the same time anguish, a feeling hidden in his voice, perhaps because he was used to being treated as a chaotic being, incapable of understanding the simplest things in life. I couldn't believe it, but I could see that the spirit of chaos was tired and sorry.

- When I finally understood the importance of the dragons, I could see a way to free myself from my sister, and you know what I did. - Vaatu recalled his plan to corrupt hundreds of thousands of spirits to distract the dragons while he attacked Hana's son. - The ability that you and Hana have to see the future, especially the future itself, can only be visualized in the perception of your eyes, a future that you personally experience. I planned my attack so that Hana's vision of the future would only see the battle itself.

- Thus, Hana and I can only see the future that we ourselves will experience, but not that of other people. - I finished the dark spirit's speech because I understood the weakness of the future vision of dragons like me. - But there are people who can see the future of other people.

- Indeed, but these people can only visualize hints or inaccurate images of the future of their chosen ones, there may be exceptions, but they must be very rare. - Vaatu quickly answered Kai's question. - What I never really understood was why Hana couldn't stop the Eclipse War. After that battle, she should have seen the future and its consequences.

I was surprised, I could even understand how Vaatu had fooled Hana's ability to predict the future, but even he was confused as to why she hadn't prevented the Eclipse War. It was clear to me that even he had no idea of the solution to this mystery.

- I know that what I'm about to say is of no use to you or your family, but I beg your forgiveness. - Vaatu bowed his head, surprising Kai, for he had never imagined that the Spirit of Chaos would do such a thing. - I just wanted to be free of my sister forever, to play my part in the cosmic balance of our world, it was never my intention to provoke the start of the war. Even though I am a being of chaos and darkness, my only wish is for life to begin again and again, growing stronger with each generation. In billions of years, I have been responsible for the destruction and subjugation of hundreds of species, not just out of spite, but to restore balance and give new life forms a chance. - For the first time in years, Vaatu was being completely honest.

No mortal, spirit, or being of relevant rank could make Vaatu as honest as he was now. He would only be honest with one being, the one who created him, even if it was involuntary. Even if Vaatu or Haava don't carry dragon characteristics in their bodies, they are children of the Dragon Kings, each inheriting the will of fire in a different way.

- Your Majesty, you have every right to hate me, but I beg you to understand that I never planned such perversity. I just wanted to be free, never in my infinite existence did I imagine that Hana wouldn't be able to save her own son. In fact, I was confident that she would appear in time for the Harmonic Convergence to become Queen of the Dragons and restore the light in the soul of her own son. - Vaatu lamented, steeped in remorse and armored with millennia of self-blame. - I never imagined that my sister would dare to do what she did.

I was completely surprised, I had no words in my vocabulary to express what I was feeling. I felt a mixture of emotions, anger, disappointment and rage, these feelings were not only mine, but those of all the dragon kings inside me. I closed my eyes to regain control of my body, for a moment I almost went into my dragon form as the dragons argued in my head.

- Enough... - I whispered to myself, feeling a headache coming on from the excitement of so many individual desires screaming in my head. - I COMMAND YOU TO STOP! - I shouted into the sky, causing the stars of the spiritual and mortal worlds to suddenly shine until they returned to normal in a single second.

***

Kingdom of Dawn

Haruki was at a meeting with the Elder Dragons, who were gaining political status to have a say in the government of the spirit world. But his concentration was disturbed when he sensed the disturbance of the stars and a gigantic power emerging in the center of the spirit world where the Tree of Time is located.

- This power... Kai. - Haruki said in a daze, quickly becoming serious and spreading his wings to fly towards the peak of the power he felt. - The meeting ends now!

Haruki raised his wings and flew off at top speed, giving a loud roar to the fighting dragons, alerting them to any battle that might ensue.

- What is going on? Kai's power surpassed mine for a moment. He's talking to Vaatu, why would he do that? - Haruki was followed by other dragons, all ready to fight if necessary.

Haruki and the dragons left the borders guarded by the Kingdom of Dawn at high speed, but everyone suddenly slowed down when they saw Aki flying in the opposite direction with a small dragon on his back.

- What's going on? Am I missing a party? - Aki asked curiously and stabilized her flight to be at Haruki's height.

- You felt Kai's power, we have to go and support him. - The seriousness could be seen on Haruki's dull face.

- Have a little faith in him, he and the dragon kings have a plan to fix our world, we should just let him work and not bother him. - Aki said naturally, although in her mind she was worried about Kai's safety. - Our priority now is to take care of Azula while he is gone.

- My duty is to take care of this family! - Said Haruki seriously.

- You're as stubborn as Hana, there's no need to worry. Have faith in the future king. - Aki went back on her way, passing Haruki's side. - Have faith in Kai as you did in Hana.

Haruki continued to flap his wings in the sky, maintaining his flight while the other dragons waited for his orders. He let out an irritated sigh and promptly landed on the ground, crushing it under his weight.

- Let's be ready, just in case. - Haruki dug his claws into the ground, his body tense, deciding to give Kai a vote of confidence.

***

Time tree.

- You must train your body and mind for harmonic convergence, Your Majesty. - Vaatu said, observing how tired Kai seemed to be holding the Dragon Kings' willpower in check.

- I still have 70 years to prepare for this day. - I blurted out, regaining my composure. - The dragons in me hate you, and you know it.

- I'm in no position to argue with that. - Vaatu admitted.

- Even if I could destroy every particle of your soul, you are practically immortal and will exist as long as there is a concept of chaos in this universe. - I said thoughtfully, but with an idea in mind. - You have been trapped in that tree for almost 10,000 years, and I cannot allow you to stay there any longer. So I can forgive your crime if you do me a favor.

- I would be grateful for the rest of my life. - Vaatu bowed in respect to the future king, for there was nothing more rewarding than to be free and not be an enemy of the future king of dragons. - What can I do for you?

- It's something we can both benefit from in the near future. - I answered seriously.

Next chapter: The Burden of the Avatar