Aaron watched in awe as his grandfather worked. With a simple tug, he ripped out a quarter of Aang's spirit, rendering it three-fourths of what it used to be. The Light spirit wailed as it struggled to tear out of Grandfather’s embrace, but he did not release it.
Instead, he ripped a chunk of spirit out of his seemingly endless self and merged it into Aang spirit with a technique so complicated, that Aaron wasn’t even sure it was a spirit technique. It must’ve felt like a balm because the Avatar settled down, but Grandfather was not done.
He took the piece he’d taken from the Avatar and melded it with his spirit with the same technique. Once he’d fully assimilated it, the light faded and both Grandfather and the Avatar climbed to their feet.
“All that is left is to visit what remains of the Ocean Spirit. Lead me to him,” Grandfather said, offering Aang’s spirit a hand. Aang met eyes with his Grandfather briefly, his eyes dull and glassy, before they vanished from the spirit world.
Uncle Wang followed after a moment later.
“Well, that’s surprising,” Harlan raised his voice, calling attention to himself. “Our father and your leader was actually being honest when he said he was trying to save the world as we know it”
“Didn't you see the look in Aang's eyes, something is clearly wrong with the Avatar,” Aaron said. He'd seen his Grandfather's musings through the memories he'd inherited. He knew of his intentions. "Nothing has happened yet, but that doesn't mean something won't."
Harlan scoffed and rolled his eyes, and Yara gave him a peculiar look. “What is he going on about?”
“Why don’t you tell her, Ren?”
Ren winced before he spoke. “Aaron thinks Father plans to possess the avatar and return to the physical world.”
Yara raised a brow. “That is not actually completely asinine. We’re at a tipping point with the war, having the Falcon with us would all but guarantee victory. Besides, he’s probably the only Phantom who can take on Samir without any risk whatsoever. If he wants to stomp the toad, I say let him borrow the Avatar’s body.”
It was hard to miss the venom in her voice.
"Finally, some reason!” Harlan said, turning to Aaron and Dopi. “Both of you stay right where you are. You’re staying here until further notice. You wanted us to give you a chance? Well, we did and you were both wrong.” Harlan clapped his hand against his fist with a dark grin. “Don’t struggle, or better yet do.”
'I'm sorry uncle, but that couldn't happen.'
“Dopi?” Aaron started as he gathered spiritual energy and chi
“On it,” she said, releasing a wave of green light that flowed through everyone and sent them stumbling back. Harlan recovered the fastest though.
“Bring it on, you overgrown furball,” he yelled charging Dopi, but Aaron flashed in front of him before he was even remotely close to her and slammed into him with a glowing palm. It sent Harlan flying.
Ren and everyone else looked at Aaron, surprised. Not one to waste an opening, Dopi pulled them back to the physical world before Harlan could recover.
They arrived just in time to watch the ocean spirit spring back to life, swimming merrily in the small pool they’d made for it, but something was noticeably different about it. Its skin bore a rich red tint. Grandfather smiled at the sight. Aang watched the spirit dance with a childlike glee, while General Iroh and the rest of the white lotus had approached the disembodied spirit of Paku.
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“It’s a wonderful sight, no?” Paku asked White Lotus.
“Paku,” General Iroh said with some reluctance, “it has been some time.”
“Too long,” Paku smiled. “Thank you for bringing the ocean spirit to me. None of this would’ve been possible without your support.”
General Iroh frowned with some confusion but nodded in acknowledgment. Grandfather Paku looked past Aaron, Dopi, and turned to Wang.
“Return the spirit to the water and put an end to this madness.”
Wang nodded and pulled the ocean spirit out of a basin of water, transporting it into one of the bags they’d set aside. He spared Aaron and Dopi a curious look and hesitated briefly before he sped off with a gust of air.
“Now, I have time for you,” Paku practically hissed as his eyes settled on Dopi. “You dare try to sink your claws into my Grandson?”
“It’s no deeper than yours,” Dopi said, her voice venom. “Infecting him with a spirit parasite of all things. Can you sink any lower, Paku?”
Grandfather’s face twisted. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance. And to think I allowed you the mercy of a slow death. This time, I won’t stop until you’re dead.”
“Grandpa!” Aaron yelled, his head and heart heavy with a dozen disparate thoughts. “Why are you doing this?’
Grandpa looked at him with confusion clear on his face. “You know why. You’ve seen it. If I don’t set things right, the travelers and Fire Nation will destroy us. The world will never know peace, and I have worked too long and hard to fail after all this time,” he said with a tired sigh. “I deserve peace, the world deserves peace.”
Faster than Aaron or anyone else could react, Grandfather jabbed his spirit hand into Aang’s chest. The boy screamed.
“Aang!” Aaron yelled.
“Stay back!” Grandfather roared, releasing a wave of pure spiritual energy that sent everyone spinning.
He plunged his hand deeper, roaring, and slowly his spirit merged with the Avatar’s body. Aang screamed the entire time, and everyone had no choice but to watch.
Grandfather let out a long victorious laugh through Aang’s mouth as their bodies and voices became one.
“It’s good to be back,” he said, breathing deeply.
“No…” General Iroh said. “You cannot do this. What you’ve done is unnatural. The world will not stand for it.”
“It will stand for what I allow it to,” Paku snapped, and as if to prove his point, the sky gained back its natural color, signaling Wang had succeeded with its assignment.
Paku smirked at the sight. “I’ve ruled you all from the shadows for generations. I thought it was high time I oversaw my kingdom personally. And my first order of business,” he said, his voice dangerously low as he turned to the white lotus, “is to eliminate all threats to my reign.”
“I know you will all try to stop me,” he said, “so, give it your best shot here and now. You won’t get another chance,” he smiled. “As for you, Dopi, I’m saving you for last. Cherish what’s left of your pathetic life, because when I come for you, there won’t be any hole you can hide in the human or spirit world.”
Slowly, the members of the White Lotus assumed fighting stances, preparing themselves for what would be the fight of their lives, and Aaron stood with Dopi. Her ears were fallen, her face hard. She could barely keep her body from shaking, but she stepped up.
“I will not run from you, Paku,” Dopi declared. “I’ve done that for over 30 years, and I refuse to spend one more day running from a spineless coward. This ends today!”
Paku scoffed, then turned to Aaron. “You need to leave, now. I won’t be able to guarantee your safety.”
Aaron assumed the feather fist style with no hesitation. His heart drummed against his chest and his palm was slick was sweat, but he was not backing down.
“What are you doing?” Grandpa asked, genuinely confused.
“I’ve seen inside your mind, Grandpa,” he said with a shaky voice. Every decision he’d made since waking up had led him to this moment. With his next words, he’d be betraying the Phantom order, but he’d be standing for something far more important—the people of the world.
“This is not about setting things right,” Aaron said. “You want power, even after having so much of it. With Mark captured and the moon spirit revived, the war is practically over. We’ve won. You don’t need Aang’s body, and yet you took it."
Grandpa’s face widened ever so slightly, but then he let out a long laugh as he shook his head. “So, that’s what happened with the minder I placed on you. You absorbed it. You never cease to surprise me, Aaron.”
Slowly, Grandfather brought his hands forth and squared his knees as he lowered his center of gravity.
“Come on then. Show me how far you’ve truly come.”
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