Avatar: The Fifth Element

28. How It Ends

Everyone—especially Zuko—was in shock at the sight of Rumi's wrath. As her power grew, a bright white light enveloped her body.

Crystalline ether radiated off of Rumi, growing by the second. As it expanded, the room was torn apart as it seemed to be destroying anything the light touched.

"Rumi, stop!" her father's voice bellowed over the whipping wind. "We love you!"

Rumi grabbed onto her head and shook it violently, "No you don't!"

Kaito, obviously terrified, tried to stable himself as he turned to Rumi with a shaky smile, "Look what you're capable of. Imagine what we could achieve together!"

"Together?" Rumi sounded disgusted. "I can do so much more without you! After all you've put me through I could kill you with the flick of my wrist!"

It wasn't an empty threat. Rumi aggressively whipped her arm towards Kaito, sending a blaze of harsh energy crashing into him. Only, it didn't move him. Rumi had him enveloped in it. She was sending the ether into Kaito's body at an alarming rate, and as it built up inside of him, his body seemed to cave in on itself. His skin tore inwards as blood spurted out.

When he was almost drained, Rumi sent one last whip of energy towards him, sending Kaito crashing into the stone wall. His body was so weak at this point that the contact nearly shattered his bones, and Kaito fell to the ground, his body a limp, lifeless sack of flesh.

Rumi now turned to her parents, "I guess you had every right to be scared of me, but that doesn't mean I forgive you... I hated myself because of you!"

At this, Rumi's parents hung their heads in shame and defeat. They seemed to be accepting their fate at the hands of their daughter. Rumi was taken aback by how easily the two had given up.

What am I doing?! They're my family!

But they treated me horribly, they deserve nothing less than this!

I can't... I don't know how to stop this. I can control my element but not my emotions!

This might kill me before it kills everyone else...

Rumi's thoughts spiralled as she clutched her throbbing head, shooting pain pulsated throughout her body.

The others watched in horror as Rumi collapsed to the ground, digging her nails into the hard floor as if pleading to be free.

Her mother looked at her with sympathy in her eyes, and squirmed her tied up body in attempt to move closer to her suffering daughter.

"Don't come any closer!" Rumi screeched as the white light widened. It reached her mother, who reeled back in pain as if the light were a deadly weapon.

"We need to do something!" Sokka yelled as he ran towards the light, but as she touched it his body went flying back. "Guys... don't touch the light! We gotta get outta here!"

"But we need to help her!" Aang protested.

"We'll be no help if we're dead! Come on, Aang!" Katara sided with her brother.

The group looked to Rumi who forced out a quivering "Go."

Aang held Katara close as their cheeks grew wet with tears, and Sokka urged them up the stairs, though there was no more main floor for them to return to.

Out of the basement, they saw a crowd of people gathered around the wreck, staring at the white light emanating from the basement, which was now basically just a hole in the ground, much like what the meteors bad left behind.