The Red Moon

'That's why there were no Northern Water Tribe Warriors to restrain us,' I thought. A thick, black smog engulfed the sky as far as I could see. Fire Navy Ships, at least a hundred of them, all in formation, just a black line on the horizon.

"Elliot, what do you mean ash?"

"The Fire Nation," I replied. "I'm going to go, you guys circle around the Northern Water Tribe," I commanded the captain who nodded.

"Toph will keep you guys safe, in case any flaming rocks are sent your way." Some of the crew members paled at my words, but I didn't bother consoling them, they knew what they were getting into the moment they stepped on board. I ran up to the bow of the ship, and jumped off...

But I didn't fall, no, instead, I flew. 'At my current Airbending level, it costs forty Chi per minute to stay up in the air. Four extra chi for each meter per second I fly for,' my mind raced.

How many meters per second was I currently going? Twenty-five. 'So it costs one hundred and forty per minute. Taking into account my Chi Regeneration that is six minutes and twenty-three seconds, for my total flight,' I calculated internally.

'Twenty-five times sixty is one thousand five hundred, one thousand five hundred times six and a half... is nine thousand seven hundred fifty, or just over... Six miles? Six miles,' I estimated. I wasn't entirely confident in that equation, but it would have to do.

'Six miles? That barely looks over three,' I thought confidently.

I glanced at my status panel out of the corner of my eye. 'It's already been a minute,' I noticed.

'I need to practice math more, I'm getting rusty.' I could've done that in half the time during my prime, or, back when I was a college student.

'Since the sun is just beginning to set, and the Fire Nation has already docked, I guess it is around the second day, the second night is just beginning, where Zhao kills The Moon Spirit,' I couldn't let that happen.

'I have around an hour before the sun fully sets, in under twenty minutes my Chi will completely fill up if I meditate increasing Chi Regeneration, okay. I can do this, no rush,' I told myself.

'After that, repel the Fire Nation Ships, to do that I'll...' My brain whirled, and soon, I came up with a pretty good way to destroy moral.

'I just need to see if I can actually go through with it,' I gulped.

This was it. My first REAL battle was dawning.

...

Before I knew, I had already arrived at the ice land where the Northern Water Tribe it their home. I was atop one of it's icy peaks that engulfed the east and west of the tribe.

Not bothering with the cold, I calmed my mind and thundering heart with deep breaths. I sat down, my hands resting on my knees, my eyes closed, meditating.

[New Quest!]

A quest popped up, but I didn't so much as bat an eye at it. I focused my mind. Any stray thoughts and feelings I pushed away, any worries, any fears, any anger, anything at all. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed, until my head was clear.

I opened my eyes, and they narrowed like a sharpened blade. This felt familiar. Not from me, no, but my body.

...

Zhao POV

This was it. Standing in front of the pond, where the Moon and Ocean Spirits resided, I could already read my name in the history books. I would go down a legend.

I scooped up the white fish in the bag, and the Moon went red. The bag moved and writhed like a worm as it struggled to free itself. But unfortunately for it, it wouldn't be getting free anytime soon.

'Not until it's death,' I told myself excitedly. The bloody coating from the red moon furthered my anticipation of it going out. Like a flickering flame.

'For such a great spirit, it's easily killed,' I thought joyously. I was just about to raise it, and give a speech to rile up the four Fire Soldiers I brought with me...

But then, something strange happened. My hand unwittingly ended up letting go of the bag, it falling into the pond. The fish swam out of the bag, free. I didn't even get to realize what happened, before everything went dark, and I saw for the last time.

...

Elliot POV

My sword flashed like lightning, wind enhancing the reach and sharpness of it. Five heads fell to the ground, five bodies collapsed with them. I killed five people.

[You have killed for the first time! The achievement, First Blood, has multiplied the experience you gained from your first kill by 10!]

[You have killed five people at the same time for your first kill, you fulfilled the requirements to get the title, Slaughterer!]

+100,000

+50,000

+50,000

+50,000

+50,000

Blood spilled from Zhao's neck into the pond. Once again, the Moon was red.

It was rather ironic. I glanced at the reddened pond one last time, saying, "The others will clean it up for you."

And then...

Just as swiftly as I appeared, I left, taking a prize with me. After a bit of flying and running, I made it to the wall of the Northern Water Tribe, where multiple Fire Nation Ships stationed. I left their Admirals head there.

'Hopefully it deters some of them,' I thought to myself. Because I was in no fighting mood.

I rested in some... I don't know what to call it. Some round hole of ice?

I felt a bit sick, a bit lightheaded, a bit guilty, but... not too bad?

'I thought it would feel worse.' I had built it up so much in my head, that when I actually did it...

'It felt easy, anticlimactic,' I told myself. Or maybe I was just in shock.

"Haaa..." I let out a big, shaky sigh. The back of my head slapping against the cool, smooth surface of ice.

My skin was pink, and my nose red like a certain reindeers. I stepped out of the hole I was in, and realized that it was already day again. I had spent an entire night, just not thinking about anything.

'It felt like only minutes passed, did I fall asleep?' I couldn't help but ask myself.

As I walked around, I had noticed the fighting stopped. The Navy Ships weren't breaching into the wall of The Northern Tribe anymore either. I slowly climbed up there, and noticed Zhao's head was gone too.

The bloodstain where I had placed it though, remained. With a heave, I sat down on the wall, my legs dangling off of it. I was quite a bit further away from the blood. No way I was sitting next to that.

I just... enjoyed the view of the ship's retreating off into the distance. It was one of the few solaces I had in my mind at the moment.

'I did that,' I thought proudly. Well, I did a PART of it, but the details didn't matter. Zhao was dead, and a burden was off my shoulders.

The burden of what?

The Key to convincing that damn Owl, Wan Shi Tong, Zhao. If telling Wan Shi Tong I killed him could actually help me negotiate with the bird, I didn't know. But I would certainly try, and shove some ACTUAL wisdom in that damn bird brain of his too!

I didn't want the events of Wan Shi Tong's Library to go out like in canon. Wan Shi Tong could close his library off to the world, fine, sure, whatever. I didn't care.

What he COULDN'T close off from his library, was me. And I would do whatever it took to have access to it. Maybe it would have the key to completing my impossible task. I already had one working theory, but I would have to wait until all the immediate problems, like the war, were over before I tried testing it.

'I'm getting more and more obsessed with this quest despite initially dismissing it,' I thought mirthfully to myself.

'I guess it's really... the only thing I'm working towards in this life. Aside from Ozai, and Slaying The Unagi, I haven't given much thought about the future, huh?' I asked myself. These were depressing thoughts, I only wished another one of my "solaces," a fancy word for distraction, would appear.

"Hustler?" I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Toph?" I asked and received somehow. 'Where did she come from?' I wondered, as I turned to face the blind girl.

"I can't believe you left me to experience all the fun yourself!" Toph said, rightfully annoyed. She took a seat next to me.

"I wouldn't call it fun, but... it certainly was an experience," I murmured the last part bitterly.

"Seeing how you're acting, I guess so," she shrugged, taking my word for.

"Hey-" I felt a push on my back, and then I noticed, I was falling. Toph had pushed me.

"THAT'S FOR LEAVING ME ON THE BOAT!" I heard a distant shout before I plunged into the cold artic water.

My body stiffened, but I snapped out of it, quickly swimming my way up. I breached the surface and stared up at her.

"That was totally uncalled for Blindspot!" I shouted up to her.

"No it wasn't!" She responded, and with that, I began to laugh.

...

Sokka's POV

The red moon. As soon as I saw it, an ominous foreboding welled up in the pit of my stomach.

'If the Moon Spirit dies, what will happen to Yue?' I thought worriedly. The girl was rubbing her temples, both her and Aang could sense it was in danger. I could only hope we weren't too late, so that I didn't have to find out the answer to my worries.

When we landed back at the pond where the Moon and Ocean Spirits were, the blood moon had already receded. The ominous feeling gone as well, as if it never existed in the first place.

But... there was a different sight, a sight more ghastly than we expected. Five beheaded corpses, one head was missing. Katara covered Aang's eyes, not allowing him to see. The pond was dyed red in blood.

'Whoever did this saved the Moon and Ocean Spirits, and potentially Yue as well,' I told myself. Despite that, I still felt that I didn't want the meet the one whoever did this.

They certainly wouldn't be normal.

...

'There's another Airbender?' The old man mused to himself, stroking his chin. He didn't know what to do with this information, but he certainly wouldn't be telling his nephew this, that was for sure.

Zuko needed to rest, not worry.

...

Elliot POV

I had gotten out of the ocean, flying upwards. I talked a bit with Toph, before we searched for the group. The Southern Water Tribesmen on the ship vouched for us, and some Northern Tribesmen guided us to where Aang and the rest were staying.

I had deliberating whether or not we should join Aang, but I decided we would. That's what we came here for, no more stalling. I wouldn't tell them I killed Zhao though, not yet.

I didn't want to think about how it might affect Aang. I WAS the only Airbender aside from him, I'm older than him too. I didn't want to make his will bendable because of my actions.

'After we head to Omashu, we should head to Gaoling and then... Azula should follow us,' I thought. I knew that over the next few weeks, I would need to make another big decision.

'I killed five people... and I'm already thinking of killing another one. What is wrong with me?' I asked myself.

I didn't know if there even was anything wrong with me. Was it weird that I wished there was something off about me?

'At least it would give me an excuse.'