Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > Great Spirit of the Dark
It was the last Council of Spirits. All of the Great Spirits were seated upon their great thrones, glaring down upon the prone figure who lay at the center of their circle, all save two. The first of these was the Great Spirit of the Dark, and he was one prostrate at the center of the circle of thrones. The other who was not seated was the Great Spirit of Light, who stood over him in judgement.
Over all of them, so tall that even their magnificent thrones were dwarfed by his stature, stood the Creator, the one who had given all of them life and purpose. It glowed with a light so brilliant that even the Great Spirit of light paled beside it. Its entire being radiated golden light, so bright and strong that it hurt to look upon it. Its features were indiscernable behind its radiance, but two things were clear. It was looking down on the Great Spirit of the Dark with an intensity that all the Great Spirits combined could not hope to match, and he it extremely displeased.
As his misdeeds were read and recounted once more by the Great Spirit of Light, the accused looked around to his brothers and sisters for support, for compassion, for mercy. He found none. The Great Spirits of Moon and Sun both looked down on him with equal disapproval, united in opinion-possibly for the first time-by his foul actions. The Great Spirit of Earth had him fixed with a steely glare, while the Great Spirit of Ocean would not meet his eye. The Great Spirit of Air and the Great Spirit of Flame / were both glowering at him equally. The Great Spirit of the Wild was licking her lips and staring him up and down, as if sizing him up for a meal. The only face in the circle that did not express disapproval was that of the Great Spirit of Knowledge, whose face was as impassive as ever as he wrote down in a large tome an account of all that was occurring. But even there, something about his body language that suggested anger. He would find no ally there. No, this time he stood alone./
At last the Great Spirit of Light finished his reading of the charges and took a seat upon his throne. Like all the thrones, reflected in its shape the nature and function of the Spirit who sat it. His seemed to be arved from light, and had reflected in its surface a thousand human faces, male and female, which appeared and vanished and were replaced. Carved above his head was a balancing scale.
The Great Spirit of Darkness looked at the assembled faces, begging for mercy. "Please, I meant nothing by it, just a game, just a game. It was only a few mortals! Please have mercy on me, please!'
It was then that the Creator spoke.
Say nothing, prodigal spirit,/ it said, in a voice that entered through the ears and penetrated to the deepest, most primal part of the brain, /There will be no mercy for you today! You have broken my law, and you have broken my code. You defied the basic instructions I laid upon you in your moment of creation, and sought to make yourself a mighty ruler instead of a humble servant. For this, you shall pay dearly.
However/, it said a sigh, /you still have a part to play in the Balance. And I am loathe to destroy anything that I have created. And so I shall spare your life.
"Oh thank you, kind Creator. Thank you, I shall not forget this, this will never happen again I swear you-"
Do not take this for an act of mercy, prodigal spirit! /the Creator bellowed, its light searing even stronger, until even the Great Spirit of Light was forced to shield his eyes. I shall allow you to live, but I shall not forget your trespasses. Your physical body has been destroyed, and you are forbidden from creating another until the time comes for you to bring about the End of All Days. You are hereby confined to the Spirit World until it is time for you to fulfill your function. Your name shall no longer be spoken among mortals, save perhaps as a whispered story, meant to frighten small children. Your shrines shall crumble, your priests shall wither and die, and you will be forgotten to the world of mortals! /A hand extended, and a bolt of light shot from the palm. It struck the Great Spirit of the Dark about the misection, causing him to writhe and twist. He screamed for help, but the Creator was unrelenting.
When you defied my will, you gave up all right to the titles and names I gave you at the beginning of All Things, and so now I name you once more. I name you Ebesh, the Flesh-Render. I name you Panei, the Betrayer. I name you Koh, the Face-Stealer!
Over all of them, so tall that even their magnificent thrones were dwarfed by his stature, stood the Creator, the one who had given all of them life and purpose. It glowed with a light so brilliant that even the Great Spirit of light paled beside it. Its entire being radiated golden light, so bright and strong that it hurt to look upon it. Its features were indiscernable behind its radiance, but two things were clear. It was looking down on the Great Spirit of the Dark with an intensity that all the Great Spirits combined could not hope to match, and he it extremely displeased.
As his misdeeds were read and recounted once more by the Great Spirit of Light, the accused looked around to his brothers and sisters for support, for compassion, for mercy. He found none. The Great Spirits of Moon and Sun both looked down on him with equal disapproval, united in opinion-possibly for the first time-by his foul actions. The Great Spirit of Earth had him fixed with a steely glare, while the Great Spirit of Ocean would not meet his eye. The Great Spirit of Air and the Great Spirit of Flame / were both glowering at him equally. The Great Spirit of the Wild was licking her lips and staring him up and down, as if sizing him up for a meal. The only face in the circle that did not express disapproval was that of the Great Spirit of Knowledge, whose face was as impassive as ever as he wrote down in a large tome an account of all that was occurring. But even there, something about his body language that suggested anger. He would find no ally there. No, this time he stood alone./
At last the Great Spirit of Light finished his reading of the charges and took a seat upon his throne. Like all the thrones, reflected in its shape the nature and function of the Spirit who sat it. His seemed to be arved from light, and had reflected in its surface a thousand human faces, male and female, which appeared and vanished and were replaced. Carved above his head was a balancing scale.
The Great Spirit of Darkness looked at the assembled faces, begging for mercy. "Please, I meant nothing by it, just a game, just a game. It was only a few mortals! Please have mercy on me, please!'
It was then that the Creator spoke.
Say nothing, prodigal spirit,/ it said, in a voice that entered through the ears and penetrated to the deepest, most primal part of the brain, /There will be no mercy for you today! You have broken my law, and you have broken my code. You defied the basic instructions I laid upon you in your moment of creation, and sought to make yourself a mighty ruler instead of a humble servant. For this, you shall pay dearly.
However/, it said a sigh, /you still have a part to play in the Balance. And I am loathe to destroy anything that I have created. And so I shall spare your life.
"Oh thank you, kind Creator. Thank you, I shall not forget this, this will never happen again I swear you-"
Do not take this for an act of mercy, prodigal spirit! /the Creator bellowed, its light searing even stronger, until even the Great Spirit of Light was forced to shield his eyes. I shall allow you to live, but I shall not forget your trespasses. Your physical body has been destroyed, and you are forbidden from creating another until the time comes for you to bring about the End of All Days. You are hereby confined to the Spirit World until it is time for you to fulfill your function. Your name shall no longer be spoken among mortals, save perhaps as a whispered story, meant to frighten small children. Your shrines shall crumble, your priests shall wither and die, and you will be forgotten to the world of mortals! /A hand extended, and a bolt of light shot from the palm. It struck the Great Spirit of the Dark about the misection, causing him to writhe and twist. He screamed for help, but the Creator was unrelenting.
When you defied my will, you gave up all right to the titles and names I gave you at the beginning of All Things, and so now I name you once more. I name you Ebesh, the Flesh-Render. I name you Panei, the Betrayer. I name you Koh, the Face-Stealer!
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