The Rider Redux

Chapter 4: By Fire, Shall He Ride

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or Ghost Rider

The blazing beast, that Zuko was riding, threw its head back and screeched again. A horrid ear-splitting sound, like the sound of someone skinning a person. While the person; was still alive. Azula winced at the sound, although she had to admit she had heard something similar to that before.

Then Zuko, or rather what had been Zuko, took off running away from her! The crown princess of the Fire Nation growled. Digging her heels into the sides of her Mongoose Dragon, Azula tore after the flaming monstrosity.

Ty Lee and Mai followed up the ramp in time to see Azula tear off after Zuko. Ty Lee shook her head at what the princess was doing. 'Azula's not thinking strait,' she thought to herself. 'This monster isn't her weak big brother anymore. He doesn't even HAVE an aura that I can read!'

Mai on the other hand, was calculating, 'Chance of Zuko surrendering…zero. Chance of Azula giving up…zero Chance that both Ty Lee and I are going to end up with serious wounds…quite good. Chances that one or both of us will end up dead…don't want to think about that. Chances of Zuko returning to normal…unknown.' Mai stared with indifference at Azula's back as she took off across the top of the fortifications. This was not exactly how she envisioned spending her night.

Azula, bringing her arm back, thrusted it forward and sent a fair sized bright blue fireball at 'Zuko's' back. The Komodo-Rhino he was on seemed to react more than he did; it leaned to the side, allowing the fireball to shoot past.

The rider, half turning in his seat, held up its' right hand. It splayed its' fingers and thumb apart, forming a claw like formation as a dense ball of fire built up in it. The thing then laughed, as it tossed the fireball over his shoulder, and it landed right in front of Azula's Mongoose Dragon.

The flames roared up high, forming a temporary blockage, as the explosive fanned out. Glaring with two anger filled amber eyes, Azula was forced to half shut them from the heat of the firebomb. Once they started to dissipate Azula forced her steed though the dying flames.

Meanwhile deep under Ba Sing Se, with their numbers increased to three Toph and Katara along with the retired general, Iroh, snuck along the path that Toph had blasted out for them.

"So, how was prison?" Toph asked, trying to get something out to end the silence.

"Horrible," replied Iroh. "They didn't serve any tea!"

The Rider and his beast charged along the top of the fortifications. They turned left when they reached the intersection that met with main wall of the city. Azula, snarling like a Komodo Rhino, chased after what used to be her brother. The flaming rider turned to stare at Azula and then had the audacity to make a very rude sign with its' hand to her, before it jumped over the fortifications and into empty air. Azula pulled on the reigns of her Mongoose Dragon as she watched the monster float for a moment in the open air. Then she reflexively yanked her head back as the burning chain lashed out and wrapped around the top of the nearest outcropping of rock. The chain went taught, and the rider used it to bring his animal directly against the wall itself. The chain then snapped the outcropped it was on, and it fell back towards the Rider, who was now charging down the wall, towards the massive desert that was the land surrounding the great city.

"Curse that-" choking back several very creative words, Azula turned to see Mai and Ty Lee pull up. Ty Lee jumped off her steed and ran to the edge of the wall.

"Wow! How did Zuko pull that off?" Ty Lee asked in excitement as Mai shook her head.

Azula turned her attention back to the site of her 'brother', now having reached the ground and starting to run across the vast desert that was the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Her eyes narrowed, "You will regret this Zuko. I swear it on Father's throne."

The Rider charged over the barren desert that surrounded the city. Never ceasing; in speed, as it approached a small abandoned town overlooking a large bay and moved toward the target. Stopping before a large rundown warehouse, the rider glanced up and then growled softly as it dismounted. Nodding to the animal to stay put, Zuko walked into the building.

The spirit inside was an Oyasumi. A malevolent spirit, that preyed on the weak minds of weary travelers, by cast illusions of humble places to rest and then ate them as they slept. It had the head of a Great-Horn Shark and the body of a giant centipede, measuring around fifteen feet long. This spirit had escaped his prison in the Spirit World and was hiding out in the living, hoping to survive.

Zuko watched as the monster turned its' head and looked over its' latest prey, a pair of humans who had sought shelter in the warehouse for the night. Suffice to say there wasn't much left, the Oyasumi had been hungry. It growled and moved towards one of the corpses until it heard a slight crunch coming from behind it.

Oyasumi slowly brought his head around and stared into the burning sockets of Zuko.

"Hello little bug," spoke Zuko in a voice of a smug tone. With one massive uppercut, Zuko sent the massive insect flying into the roof of the Warehouse. With a dull crack, its' head smashed into the hard iron beam of the roof and fell down back towards the ground where it landed with a sickening thud.

The monster skittered up, screaming, "Y-youu…are…going…to…pay…for-"

Zuko didn't bother letting the thing finish as it he stepped up, and as if he was a practiced professional of handling large carnivorous insects, kicked the thing right in the nose and sent it flying through several wooden crates in the warehouse.

"You broke the rules, bug. Now you pay for them." Walking up to the dazed spirit, Zuko grabbed the thing by the head and smashed it hard into the stone floor. Ironically, right where it killed and ate its' victims. Holding it by the nose, the Rider growled, "Give my regards to your brethren…little bug." Zuko then smashed his burning fist into the skull of the Oyasumi. This didn't kill it however as it was merely going to force the massive and ugly beast back to the Spirit World. The thing started to smoke and suddenly it burst into flames, leaving only a trace of ash behind.

With a dark chuckle, Zuko turned and stalked out of the Warehouse. He glanced at the sky, as it was just now starting to grow light. Then he felt a pit-pat of rain. It caused steam to rise wherever it landed on him. Shaking himself, Zuko turned and started to lead his beast towards the path running alongside the area overlooking the bay. Coming across a small pool of water Zuko stopped for a moment and then he took one hesitant step forward. It was like he was growing too tired too quickly. The flames that had surrounded him started to fade, as he slowly recessed back to ordinary Zuko and not flaming Rider. With his skin and hair reappearing as if from ash, Zuko took one last look around before he collapsed on the ground in sweet unconsciousness.

"Told you we could get him out with no one being the wiser Sugar Queen," Toph bellowed to her companions as they neared the camp with their prize.

Katara rolled her eyes, "Alright, I'll admit it, your plan worked. Now stop rubbing it in!"

Iroh shook his head sadly. If only his nephew had had a sister like them, instead of Azula.

Suddenly, Toph, who had been leading the small group, came to a complete stop. Katara, who had been walking behind her, walked into her.

Katara blinked, "Toph?" she asked the younger girl.

The blind girl slowly turned her head. "Something's going on, over there," She replied as she pointed to the left

Katara blinked, "Going on?"

Toph nodded and replied, "There are two heartbeats, one human and one animal."

Katara shrugged and walked to where Toph was pointing, they were on a ridge that was overlooking a small pond. She glanced around and then she saw it.

"What the? A Komodo Rhino?" Katara had seen the animals before, mostly with Fire Nation Soldiers riding them. But she had never seen one without a soldier on or near it. Let alone one so black. It seemed to be standing guard. Then she saw a figure, obviously passed out by the edge of the pond.

Iroh blinked, "Oh dear, he seems to be in trouble."

Toph narrowed her eyes, even though she had no reason to as she couldn't see with her eyes. "He's breathing, but slowly. I can feel it all the way up here."

As the light started to crest the horizon, Katara looked towards it and then back at the figured. "Let's go help him," she finally declared after a moment of silence.

The path led them around so they passed the animal first, which seemed to be glaring at them. Katara felt a tad freaked at this and gave the animal a wide berth. Toph of course charged right past it, given her bull headedness. Getting a better look at the victim, Katara saw that he was face down and wearing a black hooded coat that seemed like it came out of a warzone, given how many holes it had and the burnt edges . She reached up to turn him over, but gave a yelp and pulled her hands back from his shoulder.

"Jeez, he's hot and I mean literally." Getting a better grip, Katara turned him over right when Iroh and Toph walked up.

At that moment all sound seemed to die in an instant.

Iroh then spoke, "Zuko…"

Next chapter: Awaken

That's it for this chapter. Please leave a review.