As the air was constantly giving that tugging of resistance, I felt that it was as if the wind had all of these little fingers and hands that gave a cold brush to me as I kept flying further and further forward. Aiko was melded into my clothing, and her embrace gave me some sort of warmth that wasn't dissimilar from that of a clinging hug. But alas, it felt good when my little Kiri friend was on my person, it made me feel that she was safe; though it confused me as to why I felt so strongly about her safety. As I thought more and more about this, I had realized that I was growing attatched to her. I had met her a little over three weeks ago, in which that time was spent doing all sorts of things. She was there when I had that quarrel with Zuko. She watched as I fought toe to toe with the Last Gorigan, whom was beyond human strength alone. She was also there for my recent escape from Aang and his two friends when I accidentally attacked Sokka due to a surprised reaction. But she was there for all of it. And I was actually beginning to trust her.

In all of my thinking throughout my flight, I almost missed it as I snapped back into my primary objective. I stopped in my flight swiftly and abruptly to find that we were at the mouth of our prime objective. Looking below us, I saw that the star that guided us here was actually leading us to a giant canyon. The pale moon's light shone over the long, big stretch of land as though it were an all seeing eye, trying to find the jewel. Seeing this, I set down to the mouth of the canyon, and decided that I would wait until the next morning to do our searching. "Alright, Aiko. We make camp here, and we'll get searching in the high afternoon." I said to her as I took a small stroll away from the canyon mouth to find more solid and stable space.

She morphed out from my robes and fluttered around to the front of me, floating in the air and reclining on her back while moving in the same direction as to accompany me. "That star was green, right?" she asked me. "Do you think it'll be another jewel?"

I popped my knuckles and my neck before answering her. "Stars have led me to your sapphire and Ulik's topaz. I have no doubt that the jewel is here." I answered as I heard the sound and felt the tremors of a certain friend with stone flesh crashing down to earth a few yards away from me.

Aiko sighed in annoyed disappointment. "I just remembered that we don't have any food." she told me.

I chuckled, smiled and turned around to see Ulik stand and walk towards us with that proud, powerful swagger that he seemed to bask in. "We're gonna have to get some food." I told him. "Do you think that there's any game in the canyon? Or should we—?"

"WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOIN' ON OUT HERE?!" an old man's voice yelled out as we all turned in attention to this interruption.

He was a fairly old codger, with the standard clothing of what would be a law enforcing Earthbender of a generation past, with the sandals, gauntlets and even the hat of a senior officer of his period. He had fairly light skin and a bushy grey moustache. But his appearance wasn't really my main concern. His eyes were wide and his movement halted by the sight of Ulik and Aiko. He made small sounds of fear and that small emotion found in the back of your head that would ring out in case you thought you were losing your mind. I stepped forward and held out a calmly intended hand of interjection. "Listen, listen... we mean no harm." I told him carefully. "We're here to search the canyon, and we need food. But we are not muggers or bandits."

He still kept his focus on my two friends. "T-that's not what scares me, boyo." he responded in fear. "Wha-what happened to your friends, son?"

I gestured to the two of them. "These are not humans, they're other races put in this world by the spirits." I answered. "The big one is Ulik, and the small one is Aiko."

Ulik stepped forward, looking down at the old man. "What we are is none of your concern, old man. I will brook no such expression from anybody." he said to the man. "Didn't yer mother teach you that it's rude ta stare?"

I put a hand on Ulik's arm, in an attempt to calm him down. "Easy, man. We're not to be hostile with some random man at the mouth of a canyon. I'm the only Yojimbo and you're in my—." I began to lecture.

"Oh! A Yojimbo!" the old man cried out.

I turned to him, confusedly, as did Ulik. "...Yes, I'm a Yojimbo. My name is Jushiro."

He seemed content in this, as he wiped sweat from his forehead and cackled merrily. "That makes much more sense." he said. "I was told that you were gonna come here."

"Eh?" the three of us questioned together.

He smiled at us, me especially. "Many people come through this canyon, son. If you need food, you'll find plenty of game in the canyon. If you need anything else, just let me know." he said to us as he made his way back into the little cottage he had.

The three of us looked at one another, absolutely baffled by what just transpired. "...Going into the canyon." I told them.

"Aye." Ulik agreed vigorously.

"Uh huh." Aiko agreed as well as she morphed into my clothing.

Drawing power from the Ruby, I lowered myself for a moment before leaping a great distance into the great canyon, Ulik following behind me. Upon my leap into the great mouth of earth that we were embarking upon, I noticed immediately that this canyon was known to be "great" for a reason; and that reason was because it was so unbelievably huge. We fell so far so fast that I actually yelped out fearfuly and widened my eyes at the last few seconds of air until Ulik and I landed roughly on our feet, cracking the ground underneath us. Standing up from the slight crouch of my landing, I shuddered and shivered a bit, looking to Ulik. "That one kinda caught me off guard." I told him uncomfortably.

He laughed out and slapped my back, patting it with his grand strngth. "Ah, relax Yojimbo." he told me. "Now if yer done wettin' your smallclothes, we have some food to get."

I sneered at him, smirking. "When they were handing out looks, you thought they said books, and you told them to give you something funny." I gave as a comeback.

He scoffed at me. "I could eat a tablet of old text and crap out something that makes more sense."

I chuckled and actually began to laugh. "Okay, enough." I told him. "Let's just get our food, I think arguing with you actually makes me hungrier."

Thus I held out my hands and Aiko's magic gave me my twin crossbows.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I felt my feet dig into the ground with every step I took, as I walked further and further through the grassfields and the hills. The rain poured down relentlessly upon me and the clouds that continued to drench me dimmed the sky to the point where almost no light pierced their veil. My hat and my coat shielded my body from any of it, but even then I was drenched. I was alone this time, nobody kept me any company as I walked on alone. In my one hand was my moonstone uchigatana, whilst my body glowed with a demonic and bloodthirsty aura. Behind me lay two hundred Earth kingdom soldiers, all slashed and stabbed, bleeding into the grass underneath them mixing in with rainwater. As I stood atop the biggest hill, I shook my uchigatana of the blood. "Two hundred earthbenders will not stop me, general." I said aloud.

In front of me was a well dressed man in fashinable and tough looking armor, with a beard and twin war hammers in his hands. He was shadowed much, I only could see his silhouette until lightning flashed and gave me a breif view as he drew his weapons. "Scary glowing and a big sword will not stop me either, whelp."

I grunted as I slashed forward a red kinetic wave, and he responded in kind with throwing forth a link wave of earth at me.

Lightning strikes and the flash diverts the scene diverts to something else:

That same lightning strikes, only this time, it's in front of an underground ancient city, with transluscent green crystals lighting everything up on the walls. Only this time it strikes upon the body of Aang, leaving him falling and smoldering to the ground. And in place of Aang flashes a smoking and zapped Zuko on thr grounds of a royal arena.

My eyes shot open as I sat upright in a quick bolt motion, my body feeling like I had just tried to arm-wrestle Ulik—my body covered in sweat. Breathing heavily and frantically, I got up to my feet and decided to take a stroll in order to try and calm my mind. "I'm okay... I'm okay..." I whispered to myself as I saw a small plateau rising above me.

I used my Ruby to give me some more strength to jump to the top of the rock, where I proceeded to sit and take out my guitar. Playing my favorite song, I felt the notes harmonize with my mind and soul, allowing me to feel at a sense of ease and peace as I closed my eyes and pictured it in my mind. I saw my home once more, the bench underneath me in its crisp wooden state, the still and yet constantly moving water that was the home of our turtle-ducks and fish, the cherry tree that was beyond any ignorance or excuse to not notice, and the little shaded patio next to the pond, with a bridge running over a small rushing river. I smiled as I continued to play.

Until I heard the singular worst sound I've ever heard in my life. I played one of the strings once more, and it made the wrong sound, as I opened my eyes to find—in all of its horror—that the string had snapped. I saw this, and my heart began to rush as my mind swirled in all kinds of emotions, mainly fear and anger. "No!" I shouted. "No! No! Noo!" I screamed before I felt tears well up into my eyes. "No...!" I whimpered.

But I knew that my crying would not fix my problem, for I saw that the string was still broken. As I stared at my now dead instrument, I sobbed and bawled bitter tears and sniffles. "I'm so sorry." I simpered before sniffling. "You were such a faithful instrument and I broke you." sniffs. "If only we were in a town or something, I could pay to give you a new string."

A hand reached over my shoulder and took my guitar, slipping out of my grasp as I cried more unwittingly, lamenting further and further for the next few minutes or so before that same hand tapped on my shoulder and handed me my guitar. As I cradled it, still crying, I noticed that it was actually repaired. "Thank you." I said unwittingly until it came to my mind, and I jumped up, amazed and bouncy with such mortal relief. "Holy crap, it lives!" I cried out as I turned around.

Behind me was a light skinned man with long ebony straights of hair that reached to his back past his shoulders; he wore a regular's white robes underneath a cover of a thin grey overcoat with purple fine velvet overshoulders. He looked to be a monk of some sort to me, but his face looked like he was both calm and yet underneath it all he seemed to be very...sad. But he smiled at me, looking at my face with those grey-green eyes of his. "That's a nice guitar that you have, child. It's good to see that I was able to give it a change of string before... nh?" he tapired off as I started weeping again, not even bothering to cover up my face, which was broken in both expression and damage done by tears.

"I love you so much~!" I whimpered as I gave him a big hug.

He hooted merrily as he hugged me back. "Sssh, hush now child, I'm glad to have helped." he husked to me, holding me and caressing my hair in a friendly way.

I sniffled one last breath as I finally got myself together and used one of my water skins to wash my face of tears. Minutes later, I spoke to him again. "Hey, thanks a lot for saving my guitar, sir. I... I really love this thing, I've had it since I was a small boy." I thanked him.

He smiled warmheartedly and softly to me. "Don't mention it, young one. It just delights me to see someone so young still into the finer arts in this war weary world." he responded. "Do you play anything else?"

"Mm?" I sounded out. "I'm good with a lute and a harp, as well as a tsungi horn and a flute, pan flute and ocarina."

He scoffed in amazement. "That's quite a selection." he commented.

I chuckled bashfully and rubbed my head. "Well, you know, I get around."

"If you'd like, you can have all of those." he said as he handed me all of these things.

In his hands was an open box, the material some sort of dark glazed fine yew with pantings of dragons, fish and phoenixes of gold, as well as golden fire and clouds. In the chest was a holden harp that was once foot by one foot with eleven strings of the spectrum of tones, a white ocarina that reflected the sunlight like finely polished marble with seven note holes, a polished red straight flute and a finely polished light brown pan-flute. I gazed at these things as if they were hills of gold in the royal treasury. "W-wuh-wuhh?!" I cried out.

"Unfortunately I couldn't have a lute and horn with me, but I had been carrying these as payment from a nice tribe a few days back. I hope you could take this off of my hands, it is a bit heavy—." he said.

"Pff! Hells yeah!" I cried out as I eagerly took the box, while also being a bit respectful about accepting it. I smiled at him as I closed the box and said, "Hey, can I have your name? And would you like breakfast or something? We have spare food rations from last night's dinner."

He blinked in surprise as he smiled and giggled a bit. "Well the, I'd love to eat with you. And my name is Suzu."

I did well to remember his name as he and I walked silently down along a few pathways off of the plateau, and around a few rocks, boulders and trees until we came up to the camp. Aiko and Ulik were still asleep until I called out loudly. "Wake up, it's already daylight!"

As a reaction to my noises, the two of them woke up and began to stir and move. "Aye, we're awake, we're awake." Ulik groaned out.

Seconds later, they noticed Suzu standing next to me. I gestured to him, after I saw that Aiko and Ulik saw him first. "This is Suzu." I introduced while holding the chest of instruments in one other arm. "He just fixed my guitar, and I'm giving him breakfast with us."

"Ah! Jushiro!" Aiko complained. "At leash have the decency to warn us before you invite strangers over to the camp! He saw us!"

Suzu looked at Aiko, unfazed by any of what he just saw. "Oh, a Kiri. It's good to see that your people still exist." he said to her in kindess, although rather bluntly.

"You know what a Kiri is?" I asked him.

He looked to Ulik now, his face completely glazed in understanding and thought. "And a Gorigan. That explains everything. You would need an Earthbender to make it into or out of the canyon." he kept saying before he looked to me, as I gaped in surprise. Before I could say anything, he simply smiled at me. "You're surprised that I know what they are without calling them unnatural?"

I nodded and gulped down a lump in my throat. "I thought that most people didn't know the other peoples of the world." I told him.

He chuckled at me and gestured to them. "Just because most of the other peoples of this world are mostly in hiding doesn't make them unknowable." he instructed me. "If you look hard enough, you'll find out sooner or later. Now, you said breakfast is due." he reminded me.

I jumped up where I stood, almost actually flying up and down. "Yes, of course." I told him as I gestured to Aiko to give us lefotver meat and fruit from last night's dinner.

We sat down upon earthbent seating that Ulik provided for the four of us as we ate for the first few minutes wordlessly. It was me who decided to ask him the first question. "Suzu, do you know how to play instruments?" I asked him.

He swallowed a mouthful of meat and breathed out before answering me. "I can play the harp."

"I don't really know any songs." I admitted to him. "Can you teach me a few?" I requested.

He smiled at me in the same way he has for the past hour or less. "We must finish eating before I can do anything." he said as he ate a few violet colored berries.

I nodded frivolously. "Sorry, I'll just be quiet now."

He laughed quietly again. "I never knew a samurai could interact with people in such a lively way. It's quite hilarious." he commented.

I cleared my throat after swallowing another bite. "Actually, Suzu, I'm a Yojimbo."

He looked at me with a raised brow, flavored by surprise. "Oh, you're the Yojimbo I've been hearing about. The one who defended that town from the forest spirit Habai's anger?" he asked me.

I widened my eyes and leaned forward a bit, vigorously. "Okay, that's three things in a row that you know about without me having to tell you. You have to have some sort of all-seeing eyes."

"No, I simply listen to people speak of you. Your name is Jushiro, correct?"

I nodded. "Yes."

We finished eating and he stood up to his feet. "I have no intent to peer into your objective, but might I accompany you for awhile? It will take me some time to teach you the songs you wish to learn from me. And I can provide you with many things, if you're interested." he offered.

I practically gazed upon the glorious stroke of luck that he was, almost going to cry joyous tears. "I think I love you." I told him.

He cackled merrily as he pat my shoulder and looked at me with those greened eyes of his. "You're very funny, Jushiro. I really needed all of this laughter lately, I've had a terrible journey and you brought me up from all of that negativity." he told me as Aiko and Ulik rose up from their seating.

"Oy, Jushiro. We be losin' time while you two stand and talk. We should get movin' lad." Ulik chided.

I reeled back, remembering the reason we're here. "That's right! We need to get going, thanks Ulik." I replied as I looked back to Suzu. "And you're more than welcome to travel with us, Suzu. After all that you've done for me in mere minutes, I'd think of nothing else." I answered.

Then it seemed like my eyes were feeling very sinister, for they started to play a trick on me, and not a very lightminded trick. Suzu and the dirt, desert dry environment vanished. And in his place stood my mother, smiling to me in that heartfelt loving way that she always did; behind her was a servant at the ready and our favorite yard in all of its finest details. I even heard the ginger of her giggling at me with her eyes closed accomodating that smile of hers. By the gods, she was so beautiful, and she hasn't aged a day. I had such a desire to simply reach out and hug her, and give her a big kiss. Until sunlight flashed into my eyes and lifted the veil to reveal Suzu and the desert around us once more. Suzu continued to smile as he put his right arm across his chest, closed his eyes and bowed in respect. "I'm priveledged to travel with you, Master Yojimbo."

I chuckled bashfully and rubbed the back of my head. "Not 'master'. I'm not a master Yojimbo just yet, I'm still in training." I disclaimed.

He smiled at me, showing teeth this time. "You're very humble for a boy." he complimented. "But enough chatter. I believe you said that me must be moving?" he asked.

I began to walk northwest a few steps. "You're right, both of you are right." I agreed. "Enough talking, we move." I announced. "Aiko, my uchigatana please." I called out as Aiko used her magic to summon my sword to my hand as I grabbed it out of the air.

Now armed, I had to wait mere seconds before Aiko had out dishes and our sleeping sacks packed away with her Kiri magic, once again being incredibly useful. "Alright, lad." Ulik said one last time. "Let's move."

And move we did. For the next four days we were walking onward, transversing the canyon for the emerald with Suzu in our group. And for those four days we were always busy; busy with walking, hunting, searching—although Suzu knew not what we were looking for, and when we weren't doing that in that last hours of the day and in the night, we were talking, he was teaching me his songs of the harp. He was a mystery, and I hardly knew anything about the man in all plain honesty. But he was very generous to me and he knew very well how to play the harp. When he played the instrument, he was so graceful in his finger movements and in the very finest amount of kinetic movement he employed when he strummed, his hand looked like he was brushing and caressing it like a babe. He and I were constantly playing in duet whenever we could, and when we did I felt like he and I had some sort of kindred spirits together.

During the day, we were always working, eating, and moving. In the night, we were always relaxing. Suzu brought us all together, and we were actually very happy about it. He looked like he was training to be a priest. He spoke and sounded like a father figure, and he had a kind hearted exterior to me, which reminded me of my mother's own radiance. He would always call me "master Yojimbo" even thought it made me feel more bashful and embarrassed. He tought me a grand total of nine different songs on the harp at the end of four days, we ended up finding no emerald at the end of such time, and I had been on the ground without traveling by air for said time. For some strange reason, we also found no predators that were hunting us in the canyon—most likely because they saw that we had more than humans in our company. Ulik was imposing enough, even when he wasn't angry or in battle so people or animals would see that he was not to be trifled with. I had my Uchigatana out most of the time in order to protect Aiko and Suzu in case there were predators that were hungry enough for us.

On the morning of the fifth day, I woke up from a sleep with no dreams, thankful for that fact alone. I was not alone though, Suzu had awoken before me it seems. He was playing his harp gently and quietly, as if trying to not wake us up. Without speaking, I stood on the other side of the fire pit from Suzu and I began to play in a duet with him, using my flute. {A/N: The song that Suzu and Jushiro play in a duet is the song from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn—the song being "Divine Healing."} He and I continued to play together for awhile, and I doubt that he didn't notice me even if his eyes were closed; he smiled as we continued the duet. Very rarely did I meet anybody who could play on par with me, and almost never did I find anybody who could play better than I could. But Suzu was that one man, that one person who was better than I was at it; unlike most of my teachers as a child, he wasn't snnobbish or mean or belittling about the fact but he was kind and warm. He was one of few people that I could truly relate to, and I decided that I wanted to have us know one another. I stopped playing and asked him, "Suzu... what are you doing out here, in the canyon?"

He stopped and his smile vanished into that normal expression of his. He was always seeming to mourn something when he wasn't smiling or laughing, and I almost felt bad for it. Opening his stormy green eyes, he looked at me and spoke. "I'm traveling to the Earth Kingdom capitol." answered the monk. "I could ask the same for you. You could have simply leapt out of the canyon, or even taken to the skies days ago."

I reacted in alarm. "How did—?"

"I did not." he answered. "I guessed."

I was awestruck now. "... This is a stupid question, Suzu. Have you seen a glowing green jewel? It should look a bit abnormal in form, like a celestial emerald." I told him as I jangled my necklace.

He was silent for a few moments, then I got worried. "I know, I know, you've been nothing but generous and I can't repay you. But I've been searching for days for it, and I honestly—." I kept saying until he held something out to me in open palm.

It was a brilliant shining emerald that was formed like a shooting star inside of a ring, the crystal fractyls adding to the illusion. It was glowing upon me seeing it as Suzu simply held it out to me, smiling in that same way. "You could have told me that this little gem is what you were looking for." he told me.

I simply looked at it, open mouth gaping as my heart pumped and thrashed in my chest. "Suzu... if you were a girl I'd kiss you right now." I responded in thanks as he closed his palm.

His face assumed normality as he began to list his price. "There are two tribes that were following me to this canyon. I expect you to lead them through the canyon to safety from the Fire Nation. By now, they're exactly one day away from the cottage of the canyon guide. That is my price for what I have done for you. Agreed?"

I nodded humbly, and put my right arm over my chest and bowed. "It's not even a price, it should be a piece of custard for us."

He opened his palm and I took the jewel from it, putting the Healer's Emerald on my necklace. "And as an incentive to further your efforts, one last gift until we depart." he said as he pointed east. "Rumors and tales say that living earth awaits a challenge at the rising of the sun. Those who prevail its challenge receive a reward unlike any other." he challenged me as I looked east to find that the sun was halfway on the rise—a fact that apalls me, for I didn't even notice the sky all the time I've been awake. "I expect great things from you, Master Yojimbo."

"I don't mean to snap, but I already told you, it's..." I began as I turned around.

But Suzu wasn't there, and he almost left no traces. "Suzu?" I called out.

No response. "Suzu?!" I called out once more, louder.

Nothing still. "Suzu!" I called out for the last time, still being answered with nothing but echoes.

Aiko and Ulik began to stir as they woke up. "Ugh, why're you makin' all that noise lad?!" Ulik groaned as he got to his feet slowly.

I was silent for many moments, clenching my hands into fists. "We go east...then back to the mouth of the canyon...I've just been given a job." I answered him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Flashback:

I sat in the patio of the yard, with my legs crossed and I helt myself up by no more than my two fingers. My body was once again strained beyong all belief, because I had been exerting my body for a grand time of two months solid. My body had already been stretched to the very limits and my mind was mortally deprived of any relaxation because of a lack of sleep. Sweat was glistening all over my body and overall I felt like I was going to die, but alas I kept going because I was performing the ultimate challenge that I had seen within my teaching scrolls. The key was to stretch one's mind and body to the very limits and then after such a strenuous period of time, meditate whilst straining yourself even further. Thus attaining something beyond humanity, beyond imperfection.

I concentrated my fingers and my brain's focus even more, in desperation for what I was hoping for. Groaning silently in intense pain, I was unmoving. My mind slowly feeling like it was going to leak out of my ears, I concentrated on my efforts with even more potency. Once I continued to do this, I saw something whilst my eyes were closed.

The borders of my vision were lined with a dark blue aura, like the tip of a tongue of flame and everything was tinted like a grey glass lense, but I still saw. Zuko and my step father Ozai were on the royal arena. Zuko was younger once more and Ozai was shaded by the firelight of his own anger and his eagerness to challenge his middle son—whom his mother loved but he was displeased with constantly. Zuko was on the ground, actualy bowing before his father. "Please, father! I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart!" he beseeched his father.

In my own heart, I whispered to myself, "Get up and earn his respect, brother."

"Stand and fight!" step-father shouted at him.

And he refused. "I won't fight you!"

I growled to myself. "Get up, brother! Now!"

And yet I knew that nobody could hear me. "You will learn respect." Ozai tolf him. "And sufferin shall be your teacher!"

The firelord, his own father, struck down upon the bewildered and sorrowful prince of the fire nation as the boy screamed in agony under a blinding firelight.

I opened my eyes quickly, shooting out visionary awareness as my body muscles began to surge with energy and I felt all of my weariness blast away from my mind. "No!" I shouted as the ground cracked underneath me and I jumped to my feet.

My senses were so strained that it took me a long time just to understand that it was a vision. No more, no less. A vision. But now my body felt...new. I was no longer tired or hurting, in fact I felt much stronger, much faster and much lighter. I gazed upon my own hands, which looked as they normally did. But now they were not the same hands, they were renewed, they were stronger. "Is everything alright?" Azula's voice asked me.

I took my glance up from my hands to find Azula, wearing her red lipstick and her makeup to accomodate those brilliant amber eyes of hers, while her hair was finely done and tressed as per the usual and she wore her black and red clothing. I looked upon her for a few seconds before smiling at her. "I... I'm fine, sister."

She frowned at me. "You can't lie to me, Jushiro." she told me.

I slowly remembered my own plans myself, as my heart sank. But alas, I still smiled. "I'm fine." I lied.

That would be the last time I were to lie to my sister in order to cover up a painful truth.

Author's Note: Ugh, this chapter was so compelling to write! Be sure to catch up with every chapter, and my other fic, Destinations has its second season coming up really soon. Be sure to check it out. And I HIGHLY recommend reading TequilaTheHun's story: Fire and Earth. It's not very far, but nevertheless it's very good. Hellfire and Obsidian out.