The walls exploded into a thousand tiny pieces, innumerable shards peppering and digging into Aaron's gliding suit that increased his agility by over 20% and sent him spinning into the railing of a large cage.

The pain chased away the encroaching fatigue, but it did nothing for the massive wound that had torn through most of his stomach.

Behind him, he heard gasps. Blinking away the pain, he cast a tired look to see the prisoners. They were still in their cages.

His eyes darted around the battlefield, and he noticed all of the prisoners were still in their cages.

General Iroh had never set them free. That Bastard!

He'd went back on his word the first chance he got.

Aaron mentally scoffed. It was what he got for trusting a Fire Nation Soldier.

'No,' a small voice from the back of his mind says. 'This is your fault.'

Aaron's tired mind replayed the last moment of his frenzy.

The savage anger that rushed through him.

The men he'd attacked.

Suddenly, his mind froze on the broken visage of the last man he'd crossed he'd fought. He was a firebender with a scar...

Prince Zuko!

So that was why the General stepped up.

Though the agreement for protecting his nephew was never formal, Aaron crossed the line when he tried to kill Zuko.

Aaron groaned at the realization.

In front of him, Mark fought as fiercely as he'd ever seen him. Firing scatterings of compressed earth at breakneck speeds, raising building-high structures in a bid to keep the General back, as he pressed forward, fire burning in his eyes.

Seeing the boy he considered his enemy fight so fiercely for him, he admitted that perhaps he might've judged him too harshly. Aaron decided he would not let him die or any of the other children die.

He made up his mind to astral project and face his Grandfather, even if that meant coming to terms with truths about his nation that terrified him.

But first, he needed shelter and to help the people he promised to.

Struggling to his feet, Aaron stumbled to the lock of the first cell and gathered Chi and Air in his two fingers to perform an Air Stinger.

Air shredded through the lock with a thunderclap, and slowly the cage door shrieked open.

People came tumbling down, rushing past him so quickly they nearly sent him tumbling to the ground.

'Only four more cells to go.'

Aaron's knees buckled when he faced the next one.

On second thought, Aaron decided to trust those he'd freed instead. "Free the others!" he yelled. "No one will help them if you don't."

Only a few paused; the rest ran for their lives, looking at him like he was some monster, but it was enough.

'They must've seen him fight,' he realized.

Aaron turned to the empty cage and crawled underneath the Wagon it'd been mounted on.

He popped one of his potion flasks which had miraculously survived the fight. It knit his chest back together before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Jerking awake, Aaron looked at his collapsed bleeding body half-hidden in the crawl space he'd chosen and clicked his tongue.

All it'd take was for a moderately determined guard to find his body.

'I suppose I'll have to make it back before that happens.'

Shutting his spiritual eyes, Aaron slipped into the plane in between planes, hoping he'd miss Dopi like he'd done the first time he'd astral projected, but he had no such luck.

He felt the edge of her consciousness reach for him, and he instinctively roused his spirit to beat back her prod as he sped into the spirit world. He felt her spirit shiver from the pain, and her emotions bled into his, but he pressed on nonetheless.

Colour and abstract shapes replaced the nebulous darkness, and Aaron found himself underneath his Grandfather's crooked tree, startled but glad.

Four Master phantoms sat in a semi-circle around Grandfather, an illusionary board at the centre. They spoke in heated tones and shuffled imaginary pieces as they planned war.

Aaron coughed, and they all froze when they saw him, save for his Father, who was mid-sentence.

Without comprehensive information about their forces, there's only so much preparation we can do…."

"Aaron!" he turned to his Son, noting the sudden flip of attention. "How did you…when did you learn to astral project."

He'd told his Father he'd been trying for a week now. He'd thought it was beyond Aaron but encouraged him to try.

"We'll have time to congratulate me later," Aaron cut off everybody who was about to speak. "We raided the Fire Nation camp in front of Omashu. And they're winning. We need help now!"

Ren had a look that promised lectures and punishment until Aaron was old and grey, but he shelved them immediately rising up to his feet. Without comment or hesitation, he shut his eyes and vanished.

Aaron followed his Father's lead, eager to join him, but his Grandfather spoke up.

"Wait, young Aaron." Smiling, he dismissed the rest of the group. A chill ran through Aaron's spirit, and he stumbled. Aunt Yara looked to tired to be bothered by his sudden look of panic, and Harlan simply winked and popped away.

"We've not talked since the night of the solstice, have we?"

The conversation Aaron shared with Dopi came back fresher than ever. The seething hatred and weight of what his Grandfather might've done. When he opened his mouth, he almost demanded an explanation, but he had the patience to understand that they might've been more nuance to the story.

"We've not had much to talk about," Aaron said, eyes wandering the fog as the dearth of spirits around his groove stood out even more. Even Hei Bai, a nature spirit, refused to enter his groove.

Why hadn't he noticed such an obvious tell?

"On the contrary," Grandfather Paku said with one of his unnerving smiles as he stepped forward. "I'd argue we have much to discuss." He held Aaron's gaze and pronounced, "I know you're unhappy about your task."

Aaron's eyes widened, but he replied almost automatically. "Happiness has nothing to do with duty." He hadn't realized Grandfather cared. "Duty came first, then feelings. That's what my Father thought me," he continued.

"I taught him that, and I'm not always right, you know," Paku smiled.

"It's worked for me so far," Aaron said, his mind wandering to his vulnerable body lying underneath a cart. "And I think I'd be best not to keep Father waiting. I didn't arrive here under the safest circumstances."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Of course."

Aaron turned around and closed his eyes, hoping to meditate back quickly. Dopi had said their entire conversation was privileged, but he couldn't help but feel like Grandfather was unto him. His Grandfather's reputation didn't help his nerves.

"One last thing," Paku said, confirming Aaron's worse fears. "I haven't been able to sense you since I assumed it was your first attempt at Astral projection."

Aaron's head whipped around. "What!"

"I see, so you didn't notice my absence?"

"Not really…" Dopi must've hidden his signature after their meeting, even without him needing to ask. It was a generous gesture on her part. For the second time that day, Aaron found himself reassessing his opinion of the people he'd chosen to surround himself with.

"You might've come across a spirit powerful enough to shift between plains or learned to manipulate spiritual energy," the man waved, "but that's unlikely. Take my hand, and we'll be whole again."

Though he was the vision of calm and rationality on the outside, Aaron panicked. Now that he was free, he wasn't sure he wanted to go back.

"I'd rather not, Grandpa."

"Oh, this is sudden. What changed?"

"I'm a teenager. I'd hope you'd understand that I'd want my privacy eventually."

"Naturally, but the middle of a war is hardly the time for a young phantom to start his rebellious streak. You're doubly important now that you've mastered Astral projection. Having you disconnected from our network would be a complete waste."

"Master Astral projection? This is the third time I've done it."

"Yet you managed to meditate into my domain on your first try. That's hardly normal."

Aaron nearly protested until he realized Grandfather was, in fact, correct.

"I suppose not."

"You needn't lie to me. What's changed?"

Aaron took a step back as Grandfather approached him with a strange look. Aaron's hand was locked in a vice grip before he could blink, and Grandfather pulled him closer, forcing him to stare into his cerulean eyes.

"What did you learn?"

Aaron pulled back, but his Grandfather's grip was like a vice.

"Let go of me!"

"Why do you pull away?

"My body is dying in the real world," Aaron yelled, his thoughts frantic. "Isn't that a good enough reason?"

Grandfather's grip softened, but he still didn't let go. "I suppose so. But you may not leave until you've answered my question," he said. "Don't you see we're on the precipice? The rest of the phantom thinks this war will last 100 years more, but I think we're in the final act here. I will not tolerate one soldier out of place. Your uncle has already disappeared, and now I sense disloyalty in your heart? This is not the time to falter, Aaron."

Aaron's spirit shivered like a leaf in the wind, staring up at his Grandfather until the older man exhaled and released his hand.

"Forgive me," he muttered. "I lose myself to the storm sometimes."

There was a moment of silence as Grandfather gathered himself.

"Our techniques are not miracles, Aaron. They draw on the latent spiritual power we all possess and leverage it to grow our Chi reserves when we practice Chi accumulation. Our techniques are advanced bending moves simplified for brevity and potency. All of the advantages we boast of do not come without limitations."

"Everything is heightened when you burn Chi. Your senses, muscles, and your techniques, and even emotions. The longer you practice, the stronger you become, but you also risk walking off the edge. Chi reinforcement accelerates this process, forcing your body to grow stronger, faster and quicker to accommodate the torrential outpour of power."

"That's why Father doesn't want me using Chi reinforcement," Aaron said slowly, and Paku nodded.

"No phantom in history has awoken as young as you have. We were all concerned by what empowering you so soon would do to you, but we had to give you the strength you needed to protect yourself." He grabbed and held Aaron's shoulders. "And thank the spirits that we did. You wouldn't have survived looking after that troublesome boy otherwise. Meditation and strengthening your foundation. Those are the only paths that can safeguard your mind until your spirit grows strong enough to ward off the influence of external Chi."

Paku shook his head. "Even then, it's only a matter of time."

"Is that why you killed the ancients?" Aaron asked in a voice so small it surprised him. He hadn't even expected the words to come out.

Grandfather's grip on his shoulder increased, and he stared down at him, eyes burning crimson.

"Who told you that?"

"A spirit I came across when I was trying to astral project," Aaron scrambled. "It was near the fog of lost soul and said it recognized my spirit. He said it looked a lot like yours."

"What else did it say?"

Aaron swallowed. "It also said you killed the ancients because you wanted their secretes and power."

Grandfather's eyes panned over Aaron's features, drinking in every feature before he asked. "And you believed him?"

"I… didn't know what to think. No one else in the human or spirit world can do the things we can do. I realized it was a bit unnatural."

"Of course it is, Aaron. It was cobbled together over decades of my life journeying the human and spirit world in search of a weapon powerful enough to protect the world and safeguard my children and their future," Grandfather said, his eyes losing their glow. "Did I cross lines I wished I didn't, yes, but would I murder an entire race of beings powerful enough to reshape the physical world? It's flattering that you think I have that much power," he chuckled a bit. "The war would be over if I could wave my hand and make it so."

Aaron wanted to believe his Grandfather, but doubts lingered. His words were pregnant with half-truths. He hadn't lied about his power and desire to end the war, but he hadn't told the truth about the ancients either.

Something happened between Dopi and his Grandfather. Aaron could've pressed, but he knew that would only get him more half-truths so he gambled and hatched a simple plan.

"I have a confession," Aaron said. "The spirit I met, it wasn't just any spirit. I think it was an Ancient."

"Describe it to me?" Grandfather demanded in a raspy voice.

"It was larger, larger than any creature I've ever seen, with skin as black as a starless night. It had a soft voice, and it's spirit seemed to weigh on the very fabric of the spirit world."

"Where? Where did you find her?" Grandfather's eyes turned crimson again.

Aaron widened as he caught his Grandfather's slip. He knew Dopi was a she. He'd met her.

"In the valley surrounding the tree of time. It hid behind one of the many rock formations. I don't think it's a coincidence that my meditation brought me there."

"It's not," Grandfather said with a grave voice. "I have business with the ancients in the past. They blame me for their fall, but they never conceded that they were all fading, as all things must. Any ancient reaching out to you probably means to harm you. I will find this ancient myself and deal with it."

"You mean kill it."

"If I must. The rest of its people are gone. It's only right it should join them."

"No," Aaron whispered as he drew the parallels. His Grandfather had become like the very enemy they fought against, wiping out a people because he was greedy and afraid.

Since he was their ancient leader, did that make all phantoms as bad as he was?

Aaron was under no delusion that they were moral, but he'd liked to believe they worked towards a greater good.

Aaron didn't think a lifetime of good could equal wiping out an entire race of ancient spirits.

"Aaron?" Grandfather's voice brought him back to the moment. "I understand you're afraid, boy, but you cannot let it rule you. You have a mission to complete, and you needn't worry, that Ancient will never bother you again. Now give me your hand."

Aaron weakly offered up his hand with no word or protest, his mind still reeling.

"The Victors write history," Aaron muttered as he realized the war they waged might've never been about rebuilding the Air Nation and overthrowing the tyrant Fire Nation.

At least not entirely.

Looking up at his Grandfather, he scrutinized his motivation, his philosophy, ruthlessness, and how he'd chosen to spread his forces throughout the known world, making them his gardeners.

They guided the growth of the Fire Nation, making sure it grew in the direction he wanted.

Infrastructure and machine projects were never stopped or eliminated. Powerful benders and strategists were.

It was like Grandfather was preparing the Fire Nation for their takeover.

Aaron saw spiritual energy surge up in his Grandfather's hand and manifested into a tentacled creature of light that wrapped around Aaron's sensory organs.

On instinct, Aaron spiked his spiritual energy to combat it, but the thing easily squashed his will and settled onto his spirit, wrapping itself around his sensory organs.

Disgusted, he asked. "What is that?"

"I can see you awoke your spiritual energy then?"Grandfather said, a hint of pride in his voice as Aaron took several steps back. "Impressive indeed. Congratulations on being the youngest ever to awaken their spiritual energy, except the Avatar. Your Uncles and Aunt will be envious when I tell them. They didn't awaken until their twenties."

"What about Misha?"

"Ah, her. She awoke it at sixteen. That's when her bending started to really shine," he said somewhat wistfully. "Your best days are ahead of you. I think you'll go farther than any of us, even Misha, even Me."

Aaron bowed, a current of dread suddenly pulsing through him. "You honour me, Grandfather."

He waved. "I only speak the truth."

Aaron slowly rose and asked, "After we storm the Fire Nation capital, and you kill the Fire lord, what will happen to the Fire Nation Peninsulas?"

Grandfather raised a brow. "What brought on this line of questioning?"

Aaron pondered his answer for a moment. "We have the Avatar on our side, and Mark is progressing at a record pace. I think we have more of a chance than Samir thinks. I'm thinking of what comes after."

"Foresight is becoming of someone so young," Grandfather mused, "but we all need motivations to keep us fighting. I've dreamt of the day I raze down Sozin's palace and purge his bloodline from the world for decades now. That day might not come for years, but thinking about it puts a smile on my face. Instead of that rotten bloodline, I plan to appoint a ghost from the Fire Nation with vision, someone who cares for our interest and the worlds'."

Watching the burgeoning smirk on his Grandfather's face, Aaron understood that revenge drove him as much as power did.

Strangely, Aaron did not blame him, nor did he rage against the hypocrisy. He'd seen the signs and furthered their goals all of his life. They'd always been bad. All he had to do was accept what he always knew to be true.

Oddly that proved harder than admitting to himself they could be an evil that rivalled the Fire Nation.

"I must be going now," Aaron said, bowing to him.

As he crossed into the physical world, Grandfather spoke. "Remember why we fight."