Leaving Again

She wandered the halls that the waterbenders had supported, they were still replenishing the ice supports and reinforcing the glazed walls and ceilings as the airbenders set up support beams and repaired the damaged ceiling, which was probably a floor on another level of the structure.

"Did a little boy come by this way?" she asked, staring at the large frame where the door to the sanctuary would be.

"He's inside." one of the men replied, turning briefly to indicate the large statue housing room.

"Thanks." she had hoped he wouldn't be there, she didn't know why, on one level she wondered if he was here, she must have showed him several paces back, but on another level...these were the great Avatars before her.

Maybe it was just what she was used to, but as they stood their, stoic in their splendor, unaffected by the events of the other day, standing ready, knowing they'd not be overcome even by fire or time, she felt it was strange, as though they'd call her out at once as incapable and incompetent, and even though she tried to remember that these were her previous lives, she couldn't shake the feeling that their words would be true, the words they'd say epitomes of the words she heard before, of the supremacy of Avatars and her own inability to wield it, words she had spoken before; of the wisdom and silent authority practiced even by Fire Nation born Avatars, words that inspired hers.

"Are you still scared too?" the voice caught her attention and after a short pause she saw the boy it belonged to, he was turned away from her and with the lack of lighting his yellow clothes could have been accompanied by brown robes.

"Yes...not just of what happened yesterday, though." she followed his gesture to stand next to him and watched him stare at the Avatar statue in front of him.

"I talked to Jaang, she said you've been through a lot."

"That's still not an excuse, I must fulfill my duties as Avatar, I must overcome every challenge."

"Without hitting things?" Diesh turned to look up at her. She had to give it to him, that was the hard part, "Can't you take a break from being the Avatar? What happens if you just decide not to be the Avatar?"

"I don't know...one of these lives, someone's going to try that, though it sounds like a bad idea," Yangchen stared at the still dark walls of the sanctuary, "after what happened yesterday, every Avatar from here on ought to be eager to help people, after what happened...I'd be very surprised and very disappointed if an Avatar just decided to forget the world until it suited her needs."

"What if there's nothing to do, or if the rest of the world doesn't want them?"

"It's not a matter of if they have anything to do, just showing interest is the first step in letting people know that we still care...but that last question...I hope that never happens, or there would be no way for the Avatar to do her job. Never mind me, what did you need?"

"My mentor...he's been blaming things on me, things I wasn't even aware of, like some lemurs...some of them have vanished...some pies have vanished, he says I keep losing them when I go out, and hog up most of the sweets, but I often in the library or practicing."

"What an odd accusation, and people believe him, how strangely familiar...where is he now?"

"I don't know, he bakes a lot, though, he might be helping restock the kitchens."

"I'll check there, but try to think of other places, in case he's not there."

Yangchen found the old cooking area, but it was still in shambles, Ivek had set some of his people to work on clearing the debris, but with the wide spread destruction, they were yet far from through.

"Well, I checked old library, he's not there either." Diesh said worriedly.

"Did you see him earlier?"

"Yeah, then I went to the library, that's I didn't see him after that, do you think they took him away?"

"I don't know, let's ask around and see if someone met him since then."


"Sir, the royal nursery is up ahead!"

"Good, maybe now we'll find the next Avatar." Kyo'zag smiled to himself, his ambitious plan was about to be realized, his dream soon would be reality.

"Are you sure we'll find the Avatar here, sir?"

"She wasn't among the others, so it must be here, or far south!" he chuckled loudly, "Oh, how the spirits have undone themselves! They debilitate the Avatar, she comes here, we recruit a healer that met the Avatar, and learn that the closest spiritual replica of Yangchen resides here. Now she or he will kill the spirits, leading us into a new age of glory! The chief has many relatives, so we'll have to make sure the newborns aren't too new."

"Or we could burn down the tower and reincarnate the kid again."

"Fool, we must be friendly with Water Tribe people, or they'll never join us! Besides, it matters little if the last Avatar is Water Nation, so long as it's the last."

"How do we make sure this is the last, though?"

"I spoke to a spirit once, 'If he dies in the Avatar State, then the Avatar Cycle will collapse,' I know not his name, now what he appeared as, only his voice was present to my senses, but I failed to kill him in the Avatar State...good thing, too."

"You tried to kill Jafar?"

"Shush, no talk of that here, they'll be suspicious enough as it is!" Kyo'zag smiled as he turned from a woman who had been reading to a group of children, to the only helmeted soldier whose face was hidden by a red steel visor, who nodded as Kyo'zag cleared his throat.

"We're here by request of the Chief of the Water Tribes, to bring report of the children here." the soldier stepped forward and pulled a letter from her satchel, "'I hereby request that Kyo'zag take a sufficient company to-'" at the gesture of an elderly lady who stepped into the room she stopped reading.

"Please excuse us," she said, turning to the younger woman, "go along, the children will sit wherever you'll read. Now, you're here for the report?"

"Yes, ma'am, but he wants to hear from us how they fare."

"Interesting...but you must be mistaken, a firebender come to check on the Chief's own children? Unheard of!"

"He's sick, ma'am, and we fear the Earth Nation has poisoned him, so his men are guarding the palace."

"You want a drink?" she asked, watching him carefully.

"Water, please." he sat down and she poured him a drink, then sat down with him.

"It's about time the winter ended."

"But now comes the storm." he replied looking up to the right, and she broke into a toothy grin.

"Ah, you won't believe how many pretenders we've had, but finally you've returned to us! The children are all here, and I suspect I know why you've come."

"Yes...we believe the Avatar is here."

"If your brother found out-"

"My brother is as foolish as he is weak, he may have been first born, but I'm strongest...and I'll take the throne from under him if it comes to that!"

"Where is the chief, again?"

"I don't know...but if he hadn't been absent, we'd have one less ally."

"Oh, you mean Master Uizumi, he's awaiting your word."

"Tell him he can attack when ready."

"I'm afraid our resident Air Nomad was recently given a pupil, he won't be able to join us for another week."

"Then I'll take the children and go, I'll wait another week and then return to find blue and green entangled."

"And I'll stay here and watch, but we need protection in case the chief returns."

"If the chief returns he will find assassins in his staff, I've seen to that."

"You move quite fast, I'm impressed."

"We can't afford to be under prepared."


"You're leaving so soon?" Jaang asked, watching catching the attention of an unmasking Ivek, who quickly refastened the mask.

"Air Nun Jaang," he bowed quickly, still uneasy about the unexpected visit, "yes, I regret that staying won't speed along repairs, my men are already at their limits, and I must...see to other things, my people back home...I hate leaving them unguarded for so long."

"You take your station seriously, are you sure you're not worried about a split? No one wants to take your place?"

"Were that would true, I'd give it gladly, but only after they best me in single combat—not to the death, just so I know they're capable."

"So you feel less of a master and more of a charge?"

"More like a mother—uh, shirshu?"

"Bison?"

"Do they protect their young so fiercely?"

"Yes, I've never seen anything quite like it, I couldn't believe my eyes."

"Hey, did anyone see an Air Nomad with a very bored look on his face?"

Ivek turned to the boy behind the Air Nun, "No, I'm afraid not...is someone missing?"

"His name is Air Master Jokl, he talks, Diesh dropped his tone low and dreary, "like this...now remember, it's very very important—like that."

"Huh, good impression, come to think of it, he hasn't shown his face in a while now." Jaang said, then showed some surprise as Yangchen rounded the corner, "Are you helping him?"

"Yes, but Jokl is no where to be seen...it's time for the alarm, I'll notify the five."

"He was an Elder, though." Diesh said, alarming the water master and older Air Nun.

"He was kidnapped, then, certainly." Ivek stomped his foot, "I'm overwhelmed, there's too much to do, I can't return just yet, Yangchen, I need to return immediately, but since you have Daisy, I was hoping you could hurry there, then meet me in Ba Sing Se, there's several slave traders and black markets there where we may find who we're looking for."

"Slave traders?"

"There's much about the world you've yet to see, but know that you can't go say that freely when you get there," Ivek said, hands on her shoulder as he looked at her eyes, "they mean to hide that unsavory blemish of their city, but I feel like...there's much more."

"Umm, it's just a little awkward...since I can't see your eyes.." Yangchen remarked and Ivek stepped back.

"Sorry, I just...this is a dangerous mission, and I...while I realize I wasn't the person I am now, I recognize that I was slightly more prepared for what I might face, but this is a seasoned explorer cautioning you about something great enough that it can shake me...if you captured, they could send you anywhere in the world, a Fire Noble could set you in their family villa, you'd be mostly isolated, or taken to work on a boat in the middle of a half year of intense light or utter darkness, surrounded by fish all the time, we're just scratching the surface—just avoid the outer ring for as long as you can, we'll met in the inner ring. Also, I apologize for my reaction, you're unaware, not stupid."

"Eh, don't worry about it, I got the idea, if it's enough to get to you, I'll be sure to stay safe...I have some experience avoiding unwanted attention...years of practicing."

"I wish you never needed such practice, but now that you're here it may come in handy."

"Well, I'll go find Daisy, I should arrive in Ba Sing Se by tomorrow evening if I hurry, but I won't land earlier, I'll drop by here first and ask Jaang where you went."

"There's a place in the inner ring down the road from the palace that serves...unique dishes, you'll smell I blend of cabbage and tea and many other things, come to think of it, it's got a lot of Air Nomad approved foods."

"What about the message I should give your people?"

Ivek nodded, "Tell them that I'll be gone for longer than I expected, and that I hope to be back in a week or so, make sure everything is in one piece, and please check up on my stand in for me, I fear a lack of training and this unexpected burden will cause much stress for my temporary replacement; in the meantime I must set out and prepare a plan, I'll be listening to what the people say and should have some idea where we should go when you arrive."

"Alright, I'm going now, nothing else?"

"No...thank you, I really hate sending you out like this."

"It's fine, you're helping us out, it will probably take me days to find him alone, this will split the time in half, I'm sure!"

Author's Notes: I've not posted since...2015...that's disconcerting.

Hope you liked this update! Also, Happy New Year!