Chapter Text
“This is where we part ways,” Master Pakku told the group. Appa was standing on the edge of the boat as several waterbenders moved supplies around, preparing to sail again.
Pakku extended an amulet filled with water to Katara. “This contains water from the Spirit Oasis, and thus possesses special properties. Don’t lose it.” Katara thanked and hugged him.
The master then turned to Aang, handing him several scrolls about waterbending techniques. Sokka, much to his dismay, only got a pat on the shoulder.
“As for you heroes,” he turned to the final eight members, all of whom had their unique appearances on full display, sans the still dyed hair. “I can only offer you advice. Don’t hesitate to use your powers for the good of others. You all have potential, even with your unusual abilities.”
“Right!” Tetsutetsu cheered, nodded in agreement.
“We’ll keep it in mind,” Kaminari smiled.
“Thank you for your wisdom,” Shiozaki offered a polite bow.
The group all boarded Appa, with Aang at the reins. “Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base east of here,” Pakku ordered as his vessel set sail. “General Fong will escort you to Omashu. Begin your earthbending training with King Bumi there.”
“Right,” Aang called back. “Yip yip, Appa.” The bison took to the sky, and soon the ship vanished from view.
“So, who’s this Bumi guy?” Kirishima asked, fiddling with his headband.
“He’s an old friend of mine from before the war,” Aang explained. “He’s also the King of Omashu and one of the best earthbenders there is.”
“Sweet,” Tsuburaba commented, leaning back in the saddle. “If this guy’s the real deal, then that’s making awesome progress.”
“Don’t forget our end of the deal,” Bakugo growled. “We’re no closer to getting home then we were when we started traveling together.”
This rang a bell in Aang’s head. “Actually, I think we may be.”
The heroes exchanged looks of confusion. “What do you mean, Aang?” Katara spoke up.
“When I was in the Spirit World and looking for help with the invasion, I saw this weird pool of water. It was almost like a mirror.”
“And?” Todoroki inquired, intrigue peaked.
“I saw people through it,” Aang continued. “And, to put it mildly, they were unusual.”
“You saw people from our world?” Tsuburba leaned over, scrambling closer to the Avatar. “Can you describe them?”
“There was a girl with gray hair, someone with a bird head, and another guy with pitch black skin,” Aang listed them off, trying to remember.
“That girl might be Yanagi,” Shiozaki piped up. “She’s from our class 1-B.”
“And that bird guy is probably Tokoyami from 1-A!” Kirishima exclaimed.
“Shihai,” Honenuki muttered, looking momentarily starstruck.
“He saw our classmates!” Kaminari yelled out, throwing his hands in the air. “So there is a connection!”
“Wait, if you saw them in the Spirit World, do you mean they crossed over, too?” Todoroki asked.
“I’m not sure,” Aang replied. “But I don’t think so. I was really only observing things. They didn’t notice anything about the Spirit World itself, from my guess. They were doing some sort of summoning ritual.”
Honenuki chuckled, looking away with a nostalgic expression of bemusement on his face. “That sure sounds like something they’d do.”
Aang’s smile faded, sensing the true bittersweetness of the realization. “They said they were doing that to try to find you guys,” he mentioned. “So, I’m sure things will work out. If we keep working, and they keep trying on their end, maybe it’ll meet in the middle somewhere.”
He couldn’t tell if they believed him or not.
~~~
The flight to Fong’s base took a few more hours, most of which passed in blissful silence. The news about their classmates seemed to put the heroes in a reminiscent mood, and they weren’t up for conversation.
They touched down in the courtyard of General Fong’s base. The man in question, sporting a long beard, greeted them with open arms. “I am General Fong. Welcome, to all you great heroes. The Avatar himself, Appa, Momo, the brave Sokka, the mighty Katara. And, of course, the Heroes, as well.”
Fireworks went off to celebrate their arrival. “Wow,” Tsuburaba breathed out, admiring the spectacle.
“Not bad, not bad,” Sokka nodded in approval beside him.
“Come with me,” General Fong invited the group into the complex. He led them to a spacious meeting room, where they were offered tea.
“We have all been hearing marvelous stories over the past few weeks,” General Fong commentated, idly stroking his beard. “First off, the Hero rebel group, who leveled a massive section of the Fire Nation forces in mere minutes.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty awesome,” Kaminari shrugged, grinning.
“It was only when we stopped holding back,” Tetsutetsu muttered.
“And then, there’s Avatar Aang,” Fong continued, “who wiped out the entire Fire Nation fleet by himself. I can’t imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power.”
“I try not to think about it too much,” Aang replied in a casual tone.
“Avatar, you are ready to face the Fire Lord now.”
Aang, Sokka, and Katara immediately began to protest. “Aang still needs to master all four elements,” Katara said.
“Yeah, and Aang can only do those massive attacks when he’s in the Avatar State,” Sokka pointed out.
“I know that,” Fong barked, unexpectedly. He pulled out a map of the four nations. The group leaned in to observe. “Without you, we would be wiped out before we even reached the shore. But, if we have you as the central weapon, we can cut a path straight to the heart of the Fire Nation.”
“It’s pretty bold of you to assume that the Fire Nation won’t be trying to counter that,” Bakugo said pointedly. “Given that they received the first hand ass kicking at the North Pole, I doubt they’d be eager to get another.”
“And that’s where you Heroes come in,” Fong interjected. “While it doesn’t measure up to the Avatar State, your strength is also devastating. You can help carve the path.”
“I don’t know,” Honenuki sighed, looking away. “What you’re describing sounds like you’re asking us to kill people. In large numbers, to boot.”
Fong stared them down. “Heroes, Avatar. Come with me.”
The group exchanged unsure glances. “What does he want?” Sokka asked, defensive. Kirishima shrugged.
They followed Fong down the hallway. “Honenuki, is it?” Fong asked. “You asked if I am asking you to kill people. This is a war. People are already dying.”
He stopped by an open window, waving for them to glance outside. The sight made them feel sick to their stomachs. Wounded soldiers, bandaged everywhere, hobbling around.
“That’s the infirmary, and those soldiers are the lucky ones,” Fong explained. “Everyday, the Fire Nation takes lives. We have to end the war now.”
“It is against our hero code to kill people,” Shiozaki protested.
“Yeah!” Tetsutetsu joined her. “Like hell we’re killing anyone. Even bad guys.”
“There is no moral high ground in a war,” Fong snapped. “The rebel life you’ve been leading is over. And it’s not like you don’t already have blood on your hands.”
“What are you talking about?” Todoroki implored. “Unless I’m otherwise unaware, our attacks have never been lethal.”
“But what about the Fire Nation soldiers you captured and let authorities deal with?” Fong reflected. “If they chose to execute them, you were the ones who signed their death warrants. The countless deceased Earth Kingdom soldiers could have also been prevented. You’ve already killed people, even if it was indirectly.”
“Stop,” Aang spoke up suddenly. “We’ll think about it, okay?”
Fong smiled, grateful. “Thank you for considering. Tell me when you make up your mind.” He left. Aang glanced towards the heroes, all of whom had horrified looks on their faces.
~~~
“We were so naive,” Honenuki whimpered, curled up into a ball on his bed. “Why didn’t it ever occur to us that we’ve been responsible for human lives?”
“Because you weren’t,” Katara tried to protest. “That general is just trying to guilt trip you into helping him with his stupid plan.”
“But he’s right,” Kirishima shot back. “Even those first two soldiers in Caishi. Who knows what happened to them.”
“These sins can never be cleared,” Shiozaki looked close to weeping. “We’ve transgressed too far. The flames of hell await us.”
Sokka tried to intervene. “I know you mentioned that ‘hero code’ before, but wouldn’t stop applying during war?”
“Hell if we would know,” Tetsutetsu shot back. “Our world hasn’t been to war in a very long time. With how dangerous Quirks can be, a war would likely destroy the world.”
“Heroes are technically part of their country’s military,” Todoroki continued. “So, if one was to happen, we would have to step into the line of combat. But, as Tetsutetsu said, there haven’t been any wars for at least the past four generations.”
The door opened slightly, causing the ten people in the room to look up. Aang entered, looking crestfallen. “I told the general I’d help him by going into the Avatar State.”
“Aang, no!” Katara protested. “That’s not the right way.”
“Well, remember when he took out the Fire Navy. He was incredible!” Sokka shot back.
“No,” Katara shook her head. “There is a right way to do this. Practice, study, and discipline.”
“Or, we could just stop the Fire Lord,” Sokka shot back snarkily.
This drove Katara to her wits end. “Fine! If you two meatheads just want to throw away everything we’ve worked for, then go ahead.” She stomped past Aang to the door, before sharply swiveling her head to glare at the heroes.
“And what about you? Are you joining them?”
“Like hell we’re killing people.” That was Bakugo, who also had his face buried in his knees. His voice sounded a lot more fragile than usual. “Like hell.”
~~~
The next day was hectic. The heroes blatantly told the general they weren’t going to participate in his schemes. While clearly disappointed, Fong took the news in expected stride, imploring them to inform him if they changed their minds. They spent the next few hours avoiding him like the plague.
Kirishima and Tetsutetsu took up their favorite pastime, sparing. They situated themselves in one of the spacious courtyards and began to duel. It was their tenth match of the day, and both were winding down as midday approached. Tetsutetsu gained the upper hand, punching Kirishima square in the jaw. The stone boy stepped back, shocked as his hardening began to crack. Tetsutetsu moved in quickly to pin his opponent.
“We’re done,” he growled, letting go after a few moments. He stood back and offered a hand to Kirishima. The teen gladly accepted.
“Thanks. I think we should take a break. It’s right around lunch time.”
“I wonder how Aang’s doing,” Tetsutetsu sighed, kicking at the rocky floor.
“I don’t know,” Kirishima sighed. He looked downcast, sitting down on the ground. “Hey, Tetsutetsu.”
“Yeah?” Tetsutetsu took a seat next to his friend.
“Can- can we even still be called heroes?” Kirishima muttered, staring at his hands. “If we’re responsible for people dying, I mean.”
Tetsutetsu scoffed lightly. “I hope so,” he replied, a bit of his boisterous demeanor quelled. “Because if not, I don’t know if I’ll be able to look everyone in the eye anymore.”
Kirishima nodded. “I know that heroes have killed before, but-” An explanation was not needed. Tetsutetsu nodded in understanding.
“There you are.” The boys turned around, seeing Bakugo, Todoroki, and Honenuki walking towards them. All were dressed in their hero attire, evidently just back from their own sparring match.
“Hey,” Kirishima waved. “How’d your fight go?”
“Skull Face won by just biding his time underground and waiting for us to slip up and touch the ground,” Bakugo growled, shooting Honenuki a glare. “Cheap bastard.”
“It is a viable technique,” Honenuki retorted with a sly smile.
“We were thinking about going to get some lunch,” Todoroki offered, gesturing for them to accompany them.
“Sounds good,” Tetsutetsu agreed, getting to his feet.
They walked back to the main base, passing by a balcony overlooking the courtyards. Katara was poised by a window, looking past the stones forlornly.
“Hey, Katara,” Kirishima offered a friendly wave. The girl turned around, offering a weak wave back.
“Are things not going well for him?” Todoroki asked.
“No,” Katara shook her head. “And, I’m still not on board with this whole idea.”
“Because it’s unethical?” Honenuki inquired.
“A bit, I guess,” Katara shrugged. “Mostly, it’s just because it’s painful to see Aang in so much rage.”
“What do you mean?” Tetsutetsu asked.
“You haven’t been there before when the Avatar State activated,” Katara began to explain. “I’ve only talked about it a bit with Shiozaki, who was there at the Spirit Oasis. And, well, the only times we’ve seen Aang go into that state was when he was either in great danger or in extreme pain. In those moments, it’s almost hard to recognize him.”
Todoroki nodded in vague understanding. “Try telling him about this,” he offered. “Maybe he’ll understand if you are more open.”
“I already have,” Katara sighed, leaning on her arms over the edge of the balcony. “He says he still needs to do it.”
“Then that’s that,” Bakugo scoffed, leaning backwards against the wall. “Not much we can do to change that.”
“Do you know anyone like that?” Katara asked. “I just don’t see why he’s willing to put himself through all that.”
“Midoriya comes to mind,” Kirishima sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “He’s from class 1-A, so with me, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Kaminari.”
Honenuki hummed thoughtfully. “He used to break all his bones everytime he used his Quirk, didn’t he?”
Todoroki nodded. “Then, there was the incident during our Joint Training, when that new power erupted. The talk about putting yourself through pain for the sake of others rings truest with him. I know that much personally.” He fell silent for a moment, thinking. “Honestly, his power set probably makes him our version of the Avatar.”
Bakugo shot Todoroki a suspicious glance. “Why are we talking about Deku, anyways? He’s not even here, so it doesn’t matter,” he barked in a curt and irritated tone, obviously trying to change the topic.
It didn’t matter much in the end, though. Aang and Sokka passed by, headed to another trial with Fong. Aang and Katara made brief eye contact, before each looked away in sorrow.
~~~
Honenuki stirred from his meditative pose when the sound of soft footsteps broke his concentration. He opened one eye, seeing Aang.
“What are you doing up?” The teen asked. Aang, jumping a little as he took notice of him, offered a weary smile.
“Just couldn’t sleep.” He sat down beside Honenuki on the balcony. “How’s the meditation going?”
Honenuki smiled in return. “Definitely better than before. I think hearing about that mirror pool has given me another ounce of motivation.”
Aang nodded, understanding, before breaking eye contact and gazing across the horizon.
“Sokka and I talked about it,” he said after a minute. “Katara was right. I don’t think we should be trying to trigger the Avatar State this way.”
“It’s your choice,” Honenuki shrugged nonchalantly. “Though, I am more inclined to believe in that one. I’ll stand by you.”
Aang grinned in appreciation. A comfortable silence fell over them, Honenuki still seated cross legged.
“You know,” Aang began talking again, “I still think you’re heroes, even if you have indirectly killed people.”
Honenuki shot him an inquisitive look, signaling for Aang to continue. “I mean- killing anything is horrible. I agree with that. But, as you guys have said before, this is a war, so you don’t have the same circumstances as you do back home. But, even so, you’re trying your best not to kill anyone. Shiozaki even has a complete non violence oath. So, your hearts are in the right place. And it’s not like you can control the people carrying out the sentences.”
“I suppose so,” Honenuki sighed, pulling his knees to his chest. “Heroes don’t kill because that brings us down to the level of villains. What makes it even scarier is the knowledge of how easily some of us can kill.”
Aang raised an eyebrow. “Take Bakugo’s explosions, for example,” Honenuki offered. “With those, lethal attacks wouldn’t be all that hard to pull off. Same with Todoroki, or Kaminari. Even my Quirk can be dangerous in the hands of a villain. I could trap someone underneath the ground and suffocate them.” He shuddered at his own thoughts.
Aang sighed, suppressing a yawn. “You should get some sleep,” Honenuki told him, stifling a yawn of his own.
“You, too,” Aang remarked, stretching. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll tell General Fong that the plan’s been called off.”
“Sounds good to me.”
~~~
The next morning, Aang went to the discussion room to meet with General Fong, Sokka and Honenuki accompanying him. They saw the general sitting behind a stone desk with two guards. He looked up when he noticed the group entering.
“Avatar Aang!” Fong exclaimed. “How may I help you? Are you ready to try to trigger the Avatar State again?”
“About that,” Aang sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think I’ll be able to trigger on purpose.”
A shadow passed over Fong’s features. “Is that so?”
Aang nodded. “I think I can only reach the Avatar state when I’m in genuine danger.”
“I was afraid you would say that.” With that, Fong launched his desk directly at Aang, sending his crashing into the opposite wall and out of the building.
“Aang!” Sokka and Honenuki yelled in unison, bursting forth. The two guards were quick to grab them. Fong made his way to the hole.
“Men! Attack the Avatar!”
Honenuki reacted quickly, softening the ground underneath him. The guard restraining him began to sink in, the effect spreading to the one restraining Sokka. Both boys broke free from their grasps. Before the guards could retaliate, Sokka gave each of them a swift kick.
“Go find the others and get back up,” Honenuki ordered. “I’ll go help Aang.” Sokka nodded in agreement. Sokka bolted for the door, while Honenuki rushed out of the hole, softening the earth to form a makeshift slide.
Outside, a dozen Earth Kingdom soldiers had surrounded Aang, sending coin shaped boulders at him. With his heightened mobility, Aang was able to avoid each attack, but he looked terrified.
“I was wondering if you were going to join,” Fong remarked, diverting his attention to Honenuki. He kicked a slab of earth up from the ground, sending it flying in Honenuki’s direction in an attempt to keep him from interfering. The boy stood his ground, hand outstretched. The second the boulder made contact, it softened to mud.
Honenuki made the next strike, slamming his firsts into the ground. The softening began to spread out, the force of the impact generating waves. However, Fong easily reversed his attack with earthbending of his own. He was multitasking, simultaneously sending more attacks at Aang.
“You can’t dodge forever!” Fong yelled at the boy.
“You can’t fight forever,” Aang countered, jumping out of the ring he was trapped in.
“Aang, we have to get out of here,” Honenuki yelled from across the courtyard. “We can escape them if we’re in the air.”
“Which is why I have no intention of letting you leave.”
Several soldiers riding ostrich horses raced towards Honenuki, spears outstretched. Honenuki worked around the issue, slipping into the ground and allowing the softening to spread to his adversaries. Once they were trapped, he resurfaced, shaking his head to clear his vision. The first thing he saw was a chunk of earth flying right towards his face. He yelped, moving to dive back under.
“Watch out!” A wave of air moved over Honenuki’s head, solidifying into a barrier that stopped the rock. Tsuburaba stood behind him, looking worried.
“Thanks, Tsuburaba,” Honenuki crawled out of the ground. “You saved me.”
“Sokka told us what’s happening,” Tsuburba informed him. To back up his claim, Sokka, Katara, and the other heroes in training had joined the fight, trying to keep the soldiers off of Aang.
“What’s wrong, heroes?” Fong mocked. “Why are you struggling against a small platoon when you are capable of wiping out whole sections of Fire Nation soldiers?”
“We’re obviously not going all out,” Kaminari whined, stunning an ostrich horse and its rider. “But please lay off of us.”
“I will when we see the Avatar State!”
Katara tried to attack the general with a water whip, but Fong quickly countered with a wall of earth. The mixing of the two elements reduced the ground to mud.
“Honenuki!” Fong yelled. “Your earthbending is impressive indeed, but have you ever thought about how much more powerful you would be if you used it to its fullest extent?” As if to demonstrate, he clenched his fist, and Katara sunk down to her knees into the ground.
Honenuki felt his throat go dry, his words to Aang from the night before echoing dully in his mind.
“Stop!” Aang yelled, racing towards the general. The others tried to back him up, but a new surge of soldiers arrived, occupying them.
“You could save her if you were in the Avatar State,” Fong told the boy sternly, forcing Katara to sink to her waist.
Sokka charged into the fray, determined to save his sister. Fong saw the attack coming, and flung him into one of the earth coins.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Honenuki called out, furious. He spread out his softening towards Fong in an attempt to stop him, but he simply countered the movement with his own earthbending once more. “Now you’re going way too far. You’re going to suffocate her!”
Katara was desperately trying to wiggle free, but it was a fruitless effort.
“Please, let her go,” Aang begged, tears streaming from his eyes.
“I don’t see glowing,” Fong reprimanded, sinking Katara even further.
“I’m trying, I’m trying. Please, you don’t have to do this.”
Fong scowled down at him, no sign of sympathy or remorse. “Apparently, I do.” He closed his fist completely. Aang and Honenuki moved in fluid unison, reaching for Katara, but she slipped through their fingers as she vanished beneath the stone.
Honenuki gritted his teeth, softening the ground once more and diving beneath the surface. “I won’t be able to see like this, but the rescue comes first.” He stretched his arm out, eyes screwed shut. He brushed against fingertips to his left. He grasped at them and pushed up.
He and Katara emerged from the ground, sputtering for air. They were greeted by a scene of destruction. Aang was in the air, supported by a cyclone of wind and dust. He had an expression of rage in his glowing eyes.
“What is that?” Honenuki gasped, eyes wide.
“The Avatar State,” Katara replied, miserable.
General Fong was manically overjoyed. “Avatar Aang! Can you hear me? Don’t worry; Honenuki saved your friend. But now you’re successfully in the Avatar State! It worked!”
If at all possible, this only seemed to make Aang angrier. He slammed into the stone floor, sending shockwaves in a circle around him. With his quick reflexes, Honenuki softened the section coming towards him and Katara, minimizing the impact.
The dust cleared, revealing Aang surrounded by a pocket of air, still in the Avatar State. His attacks had stopped, so Honenuki pulled himself out of the ground and helped Katara do the same. He took in the area quickly. The courtyard was devastated, but no one seemed to be seriously injured. Having noticed what was happening, his classmates likely worked to protect everyone.
The air around Aang dispersed and the glowing ceased. He fell to his knees, faint. Katara rushed to his side, wrapping him in a hug.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I hope you never have to see me like that again.”
“Are you kidding me?” Fong walked over, beaming in pride. “That was almost perfect. We just have to find a way to control you while you’re like that.”
“You’re a madman,” Todoroki scowled, joining them. “Toying with people in an attempt to create an unstoppable weapon is not the ethical sort of thing a hero would do.”
“Your earthbending makes me sick,” Honenuki growled, crossing his arms. “Like hell I’m sinking to your level.”
Fong didn’t seem to hear his or Todoroki’s grievances at all, still addressing a miffed Aang. “We’ll figure all that out on the way to the Fire Nation.”
Sokka promptly came up behind him and knocked him out with his club. “We’re leaving,” he announced. No one protested.
Within the next half hour, they had packed their belongings and were once more soaring through the sky on Appa.
“After seeing the way he used my abilities,” Honenuki sighed, “I feel a lot more comfortable calling myself a hero, even after everything we’ve been through.” The other trainees nodded in agreement.
“In that case, we’re heading to Omashu by ourselves,” Aang suggested. “Let’s all train together. We’re doing this the proper way.”
The others offered up signs of agreement, satisfied with the idea.