Last night, Zuko and Ischi fell asleep cuddling each other, and woke up in the same position, having achieved perfect sleep despite the rough ground they were sleeping on.
Kohi had a less better time of it, occasionally tossing and turning. But it was apparent that Meiya had the absolute worst time of her sleep.
Her eyes were drooping and her hairrow was a mess, not to mention her tattered and dirty clothes and scraped feet.
"What happened, Meiya? Did you dream that you were fighting a battle and lost?" Kohi joked.
"Shut up." Meiya said weakly, unable to even sound remotely intimidating. "I just had a restless night. That's all."
"Did you dream?" Ischi asked. She noticed that Meiya's throat tightened slightly as she said,
"No. I told you, I was just a little restless. Drop it, okay?"
"Alright, then. Let's started heading east, toward the sun."
"We have to find the Sky Bison quickly. New Moon is tonight, and we have no idea what's going to happen with that Shadowbender."
"How do we know she even 'exists' during the day?" Zuko asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Every time Reigo makes a move, it's during the nighttime. When she confronted me in my palace, it was about 9:00 at night. Ischi, when did she capture you?"
"I would have to guess at about 10:00."
"And she mugged me and took the airship at about 11:00."
"She's got a schedule. Is it just coincidence that this pattern points to dead midnight on the same night as New Moon?"
"Probably, but we can't rule anything out. We have to find the Sky Bison and stop Reigo. Even if I'm just a glorified Airbender, I can't learn the elements in a day."
"Then let's stop talking and get moving!" Kohi said. "Ischi, can you use your Earth Jet again?"
"Sure. Everybody on." Ischi said, levitating the same rock they used to jet away from Ba Sing Se. The Gaang climbed onto the rock and they took off.
000
Khole and the Waterbender she met in Omashu were racing across the sea on a furry dolphin with long fangs and speckles on is body.
"Let's go, cheetah dolphin! We have to hurry!"
"We've been at sea for a whole night. I hope it's not too late."
"Too late for what? You never told me what happened." Khole said.
"The Northern Water Tribe was attacked…by a crazed Airbender who was claiming that the end of the world was near and that the age of the Shadowbenders would soon be upon us. Nobody believed him, so the Airbender got very upset and started attacking our people. He didn't attack any of the Nonbenders, just our Waterbending soldiers and teachers."
Khole thought of Meiya when she heard about the Waterbending teachers.
"Age of the what?"
"Shadowbenders, he was claiming. It was basically complete gibberish."
"We'll have to talk to him once we get to-"
Khole stopped and her voice caught in her throat when she saw that they were approaching the Northern Water Tribe. She saw that the front wall was in ruins and heard faint screaming from inside.
"Let's go!" she told her guide as they jumped off of the cheetah dolphin, which clicked its tongue against its fangs before diving back into the water.
The two Waterbenders ran up the steps, toward the city.
000
The Earth Jet continued on east until they reached a small town, where Ischi stopped on the outskirts.
"What's going on, Ischi? Why are we stopping?" Kohi asked.
"We have to be careful around Earth Kingdom cities now. News of my disappearance is sure to have spread, and I'm definite that there's a bounty on you, Meiya, and Zuko. We have to disguise ourselves."
"How?" Zuko asked. "This place is bustling. There's no way we can hide."
"That's what you think." Meiya said, using sharp winds to slice off clumps of her hair until it was about neck-length, as apposed to the back-length hair she sported before this point. She smoothed down her hairrow against her head and repositioned her bangs so that for the most part, the hairrow was hidden.
Meiya noticed a WANTED poster with an artist's representation of her drawn on it. Meiya took the poster and showed it to the rest of the Gaang.
"Recognize me?"
"Actually, no. You look nothing like the poster." Kohi said. "In fact, you actually look cute! Not at all like a wasp."
"Gee, thanks." Meiya said half-heartedly. "Stay here. I'll go buy us some disguises. Can I borrow some money, Zuko?"
Zuko dug a pouch of gold coins out of his pocket and handed it to Meiya.
Meiya turned and walked into the small town and entered a nearby shop. A few minutes later, Meiya came back out with three different outfits.
"These are your disguises. Put them on quickly and let's go." Meiya said, handing them the outfits and turning around.
000
Once everyone was changed and disguised, they entered the town.
"What are we doing here?" Kohi asked.
"We can't leave out anyplace where the Sky Bison could be. Although it's unlikely that Reigo would leave it here, or leave it anywhere at all, we have to look everywhere we go." Meiya said.
"Found it." Kohi said, pointing into the air.
Meiya frowned and furled her eyebrows. Over their heads was, in fact, the Sky Bison, but it was painted all sorts of different colors, and children where riding in it.
"What is Reigo getting at? Why would she leave the Sky Bison so close to us?"
Ischi had a sudden epiphany. "Because we changed history!"
"What? What are you talking about? Meiya asked.
"When Reigo captured me, she said something strange."
-flashback-
"I'm going to make sure you die there." Reigo hissed.
"Why not kill me here?" Ischi asked, hoping she wouldn't grab at that bait.
"Because I'm not supposed to do the killing. All I'm supposed to do is make sure that history runs its correct course."
-end flashback-
"Whatever Reigo's source was, it told her that I would die at Fire Fountain City, but I didn't and she doesn't know that I'm still alive. She's continuing on her course as if I were dead! Just think about it! She took the Sky Bison and we were arrested. If she had her way, Meiya would come back to Ba Sing Se, tell my father that I had died, she and the others would be captured, I'd be dead and unable to free you, and you'd still be trapped in Ba Sing Se. Reigo doesn't know this, so she thinks that her mission is over and that she can relax until the mothership comes to find her."
"Makes sense, except for one thing. How would Reigo know all of this?"
"Ooh! Ooh! Because she's from the future!" Kohi said.
"There's no time for your stupid imagination, Kohi. This is serious business." Meiya scolded. "So, Ischi, can you support your theory?"
"I'm sure if I had a little more time, I could figure it out, but I can't right now."
"Okay, we'll keep this theory in mind, but we can't bank on it until we have solid evidence." Meiya said. "But our main priority is getting my airship back from whoever owns it now."
"Alright kids, everybody off! Who's up next? Come one! Come all! Take a ride on the marvelous mechanical Sky Bison!" yelled a cheery female voice.
Meiya looked toward the voice and her eyes widened.
"Guys, that's Reigo!" she whispered. She looked back at the tall woman with fair skin and snow-white hair. She held a sun umbrella over her head, along with the two money handlers that were taking admission for the ride.
Meiya gasped when she heard a familiar chattering behind her.
"Kisi! You're okay!" she said as the lemur jumped onto her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
"Alright, somehow we've got the lemur, but how are we going to get the Bison?" Zuko asked.
"How else? We're going on a little ride." Meiya said as the Bison touched down and the kids climbed out. "Let's go. Follow my lead."
"Excuse me, miss? Can we take a ride?"
"Why, of course you can, little ladies and gentleman! Just pay a couple of gold and hop on!" Reigo said, obviously not recognizing the Gaang.
Zuko paid the fare for everybody, then help the ladies into the Sky Bison before climbing into it himself.
"Alright. This is how you control the Bison."
"We already know how to work it."
"Huh? How do you know? Did someone tell you about it?"
"Nope." Meiya said, shaking her bangs off of her head and revealing her hairrow. Reigo gasped.
"Bye-bye!" Kohi called as Meiya pulled the clutch and lifted the Sky Bison into the air and quickly taking off.
"Huh! That was easier than I thought it would be." Meiya said, and as she said this, a rock flew through the air and smashed into the side of the Bison. Meiya looked on the ground behind her and saw some Earthbenders throwing big rocks at them. Reigo was yelling.
"Thieves! Savages! They stole my Sky Bison!"
"Reigo's an awesome actor." Ischi said as Meiya weaved back and forth, up and down, and in all sorts of directions to dodge the rocks.
"Do a barrel roll!" Kohi yelled, trying and failing to sound serious.
"That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?" Zuko asked.
"Don't know, don't care!" Meiya yelled in frustration as more rocks slammed into the airship.
Eventually, the Gaang fell out of range and the Earthbenders gave up.
"Who's the jinxer now?" Kohi joked.
"Shut up." Meiya said, wiping sweat off of her forehead. "Next stop, Northern Water Tribe."
"Hm? You're not taking me back to New Zuko?" the Fire Prince asked.
"I have use for you two. If Ischi can Metalbend, that means she's a master Earthbender like Toph was and can teach me, right?"
"I guess." Ischi said.
"And Zuko can teach me some of the basics of Firebending. I can pick up on mastery skills later."
"I still miss Khole." Kohi said.
"We had no use for Khole." Meiya said bluntly. "Now, if we're done reminiscing, we have to hurry to the Northern Water Tribe. New Moon is tonight, and during that time, Waterbending is useless."
Meiya pulled the clutch and rose the Sky Bison higher into the air, then pushed the clutch into its lever, causing large jets of air to fly out of the back and make the airship pick up speed.
000
After only minutes within the walls of the Northern Water Tribe, Khole and the other Waterbender were hiding in a small hospital.
"Kwan, was it?" Khole asked with a scared tone. She was hiding under a cold hospital bed.
"Yes?" asked Kwan, who hid behind one of the large frosted pots.
"What's wrong with that Airbender? He's not like any Airbender I've met. He's nuts."
"I don't know what's wrong with him. Nobody does. All we know is that he's far past help-"
"Who's in here?" asked a crazed voice. Khole held her breath, and Kwan stepped out into the open.
"I am. I'm the only one here." Kwan lied.
"Why are you hiding? Are you scared of me?" the voice asked. Khole couldn't see the man's face, and she didn't dare poke her head from under the bed.
"Y-Yes. I am scared of you. Everybody in this Tribe is or was afraid of you."
"Are you a Waterbender?"
"Err.."
"Answer me!"
"Yes! Yes, I am a Waterbender."
"Do you believe me?"
"Believe what?"
"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW! ANSWER ME OR YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!"
"Tell me what I'm supposed to believe first!"
"The Shadowbenders! They're coming tonight! Tonight at the New Moon! Tell me you believe!"
"Why? I'm not trying to offend your 'beliefs', but it's not a very smart claim. Who are these Shadowbenders?"
"If you don't know now, you'll never know." the man said icily.
"No. No, no, please!" Kwan pleaded.
There was a sharp gust of air, the sound of skin being pierced and blood hitting the floor. Khole whimpered silently as Kwan fell to the ground beside the bed, with a huge Airbent gash in his chest, coughing and gagging.
'Kwan…' Khole thought.
Her heart skipped two beats as a strong hand grabbed her ankle, which she only now realized was sticking from the base of the bed, and was dragged out, screaming.
"Are you a Waterbender? Answer me now!" said the man, who's blue tattoos confirmed that he was an Air Nomad. His eyes were red and puffy and blood oozed from a cut on his lip.
Out of the corner of her eye, Khole saw Kwan shaking his head slowly, as if to tell her 'Say no.'
"N-N-No! No, I'm not a Waterbender!" Khole chattered, whimpering like a child before the tall Airbender. " My name is Khole! I'm sixteen! I'm a Beast Pacifier! An Energybender! I was raised in the Southern Water Tribe, but came here to complete my training! I made friends with a cheetah dolphin and a great white whale shark to get here and I don't appreciate that you hurt Kwan and I'm really scared and please don't kill me!" Khole stammered in fear.
The Airbender looked at Khole, and his expression just changed.
"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. Good day." he said before turning and walking out of the hospital. Khole crawled up to Kwan in tears.
"Kwan, I'm so sorry! Can I help you?"
"I don't think…that there's anything that anyone can do. This gash goes straight through my heart. I'm lucky to still be alive now."
"I'm sorry, Kwan." Khole blubbered.
"Don't worry, Khole. It's al…"
And at that moment, Kwan unceremoniously and disturbingly died before finishing his sentence.
The sheer grief and stress now shoved into Khole's chest caused her to faint so hard that anyone who just looked at her would think that she was dead, too.
000
"Come on, guys! It's almost noon and I still don't know the first thing about Waterbending!" Meiya said, leaping out of the Sky Bison as quickly as she could after landing. Kohi, Zuko, and Ischi followed behind as quickly as they could.
"Meiya? Meiya, what's wrong?" Kohi asked, seeing her friends standing at the city's gate frozen solid. Her eyes were wide and had pure shock strewn all over her face.
Kohi followed her eyes and covered her mouth in horror.
All around the city, bodies were laid out on the ground. Dead bodies. Meiya noticed the waterskins on their sides and immediately knew that they were Waterbenders. All of them.
"My goodness! What in the world happened?" Ischi gasped.
"They were all killed. Who could've killed them?" Zuko asked.
Meiya looked from one body to the next with the same look of horror and shock frozen on her face. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and saw a man running down one of the side rods of the city.
"Hey! Stop! What happened here?" Meiya yelled, chasing the man. As she trailed whoever it was that was running, Meiya had to evade several more bodies that were all around the city.
The chase passed a hospital and Kohi gasped when she saw who was inside.
"They got Khole…" she said sadly, not knowing that the Waterbender was only unconscious.
The chase led Meiya to the sparring circle near the center fountain of the city, where Meiya saw an even more disturbing sight, the bodies of children. Children that were training to be Waterbenders.
"What could've done this?" Meiya whispered.
"Those fools didn't believe me!" yelled a voice nearby. Meiya looked up and saw the man she was chasing, surprised to see that it was a fellow Airbenders
"B-But you're one of me. You can't be like the others. Y-You have to believe me, right? Answer me!"
"You…killed these people?" Meiya asked.
"DO YOU BELIEVE ME!" the insane man screamed, the words barely coming out as a question.
Meiya shot her hands forward and launched a powerful gust of air at the man, sending him flying backwards.
"Meiya, calm down! This man needs help and he's totally unstable! We don't know what he could do." Kohi warned as she, Ischi, and Zuko ran up to her side.
"I know what I'M going to do!" Meiya growled as the man stood.
"They are coming soon! All who don't believe will perish!" the crazed Airbender yelled wildly, swinging his arms through the air and sending wind blades in Meiya's direction.
The enraged Avatar compressed the air around her to form a bubble shield, which absorbed the impact of the wind blades.
The two rival Airbenders clashed winds for several minutes. The Airbender seemed to be getting tired, and if Meiya was getting tired as well, she wasn't showing it.
"You may be a nonbeliever that lives…" the Airbender said to Meiya, glancing at the three behind her. "…But at least one of you other nonbelievers will perish!"
The Airbender swung another swift wind blade and Meiya made another compressed air bubble to defend herself, but the blade flew right past her.
"No!" Meiya screamed, turning back to her friends. Kohi froze like a deer squirrel in a bright light as the wind blade careened right toward her. It struck her on the left side of her chest, right below her shoulder and neck, and Kohi went down.
She gurgled and wheezed as blood spattered and poured from the wound. Ischi screamed as loud as she could and Zuko pulled Ischi into his arms, horror-stricken.
Meiya's hairrow began to glow bright and she turned back to the Airbender, growling. Ethereal tears flowed freely from her eyes. She screamed at the Airbender, sending a blast of air right at him.
Within Meiya's mind, she was in deep pain. She stood in a space-like world, clutching her head in agony. Her hairrow and eyes still glowed. She stood before a larger version of herself, shadowed by an eternal silhouette. This second Meiya's eyes and hairrow were bright red instead of glowing white.
"Do not hold anything back…" the second Meiya said, raising her hands toward the smaller Meiya. "Holding back is for the weak and purposeless. Let your emotions run free…then give them all to me…"
The second Meiya grabbed the smaller Meiya in both hands, putting out the white light and leaving only the ominous bright red light. Outside of Meiya's mind, her glowing white eyes and hairrow slowly shifted from white to an evil red.
Meiya's entire demeanor changed. Her grief and horror-stricken face had changed to that of a crazed sadist. Her appearance now was even more insane than the Airbender she was fighting.
Meiya's lips cracked and slowly rose to form an inhuman smile.
She leaned forward, then reared her head back and half-roared, half-screamed as loud as she could, causing the ground around her to literally tremble in fear at Meiya's newly-found evil power.