Are you ready Zuko?" Reiko asked.
Kuri put a hand on his arm. "Just like we practiced."
Zuko concentrated, and the portal to the Collective appeared.
Kuri sheathed a sword in her belt. It was decorated in gold, but the blade was made of crystal.
"It's called Kiboken." Kuri said. "The Sword of Desires."
"You wield a sword?" Zuko said.
"You and I can spar later, firebug." Kuri smiled.
Zuko made a face as they all went through the portal.
Aang looked at Appa and Toph as they were, bound but comfortable. Toph was even making demands.
The Collective stood around seriously, appearing as if they were waiting for something.
"Everyone in position?" Mana asked.
"Air." Aang said, air swirling around his body as he levitated off the earth.
"Fire." Zuko said, as fire danced all around him.
"Water." Katara said as the water splashed through her hands, into mist and then danced around her as snow.
"And surprise! I'll stand in for Earth." Reiko said.
Toph, imprisoned below, looked visibly outraged. "Little miss Foxtrot is gonna take my place?"
Suddenly the ground rumbled and Reiko was standing on a levitating bolder, covered in vines.
"Like I said. Earth." Reiko's eyes flashed gold.
Aang watched in awe and blushed.
"Ok ok just this once!" Toph said.
"As a miko I represent Spirit. Avatar Collective you have kidnapped a member of the Guardian Avatar Aang's circle, you have stolen his Spirit Bonded Animal, and, as you have harmed the mujitsu, you will be vanquished!" Kuri said, her blade raised.
"Is she going to kill them?" Aang asked Reiko from his spot.
"Kiboken doesn't do that. Kiboken is a sword of sealing. It does a lot of things, but it can't kill." Reiko said.
"Everyone! The string!" Kuri said.
They all lifted the connected string she had given them and it began to glow white.
"And with this string
I will entwine
Your powers
I'll forever bind
From now until—"
"STOP!" Alpha begged. "Please! It wasn't meant to happen like this! We were just supposed to delay you a little while! I'll tell you everything so please don't take our powers!"
Kuri raised the sword a little. She looked at the others. She knew Aang was angry that they had taken his friends. But no one had gotten hurt.
Kuri lowered her sword.
"You aren't going to fight? But they—" Aang started.
"I know what they are." Kuri said. "They are a necessary evil. They exist to give the world balance. Darkness does not equate to evil. Light does not equate to good."
"But Kuri—"
"Reiko. Take the Avatar and his friends away from here. Take them to Sgiach. They do not need to see what needs to be done." Kuri turned away from them, and the cries of the collective echoed into the long night making Aang wonder if Kuri was the Darkness that did not equate to Evil.
