The Rift Part Three

The Rift Part 3 is the third installment of The Rift trilogy. It was released in comic book stores on November 5, 2014, and is scheduled to be released in regular stores on November 18, 2014.

Overview
''The members of Team Avatar are in peril as a dangerously powerful ancient spirit awakens with vengeance and destruction on its mind. Bonds will be tested and new truths revealed as Aang must answer whether humans and spirits can co-exist.''

Synopsis
At the Beifong Metalbending Academy, the classes are being run by The Dark One, Penga, and Ho Tun. The class is interrupted by Sokka, who requests that the metalbenders follow him. The three waste time at first speculating the reasons for Sokka's arrival, however when he drops Toph's name, they do not waste any more time.

Back at the Earthen Fire Refinery, Avatar Aang is keeping an eye out for Sokka while talking to Katara through the earth. Beneath the earth, Katara tells Satoru to give the last of the water to Toph; if she fails, there would be no point in giving it to anyone else. After drinking the water, Toph asks Satoru to stay with her to talk. He correctly surmises that she ran away from home, and tries to connect to her by telling her his past. After his parents joined the New Ozai Society, Satoru ran away to Ba Sing Se. He spent months on the streets before his uncle found him and took him in. Satoru realizes that Toph was right in calling him a "snivelling flunky", and he ignores her claim otherwise, instead praising her.

The two are interrupted by Lao, who approaches Toph. Afraid of dying without telling Toph how he feels, he begins to explain what happened after she left. Xin Fu and Master Yu gave up their search and the relationship between him and Poppy disintegrated; she did not want anything to do with Lao, and so he left Gaoling to begin anew. Tearing up, he expresses his love for Toph and apologizes, not knowing if he would get another chance. Toph tells him that they will not die – she is the greatest earthbender of all time – and shortly after, her students arrive.

Aang explains to the three metalbenders that they need to dig out their friends by metalbending the ore in the earth. Toph offers some advice to her students through Katara, though it only brings back painful memories of metalbending exercises. When they begin to dig, they uncover a massive mask buried beneath the ground. The sight shakes Ho Tun, and he begins to doubt himself; however, a word of encouragement from Aang convinces him to try again. The three students, with the help of the Avatar, manage to remove all the dirt trapping the group. Toph manages to give her students a thumbs up before collapsing against Lao. Katara and Aang share a kiss as Jingbo offers assistance to those who may be injured. The Dark One and Penga approach Toph, worried, and Ho Tun notes that she looks almost fragile. Lao introduces himself to the three students while Katara and Sokka reunite. Nutha offers Katara a thank you, and while everyone is distracted, Loban orders Kahchi and Vachir to round up the Rough Rhinos to haul the uprooted ore to the beach. He states that he will ship it to another refinery in the Fire Nation to ensure that Lao cannot earn any profits.

Series continuity

 * Xin Fu and Master Yu survived being trapped in Toph's metal cell in "The Guru" and subsequently gave up on their search for the earthbender.
 * Noticing Satoru driving his forklift, the cabbage merchant became inspired, which would eventually result in him founding Cabbage Corp.
 * Aang restored the connection to Avatar Roku which was destroyed by the airbender in The Promise Part 3, and reconiledd with his mentor.

Character revelations

 * After his parents joined the New Ozai Society, Satoru ran away to Ba Sing Se, where he lived on the streets until he was taken in by his uncle, Loban.
 * Lady Tienhai never truly died, but actually took on the form of several cranefish after taking on a human form, which eventually died physically.