Chapter 29
"So, you want to face Lady Sho?" Ty Jun had said once Kyoshi had explained everything to him. "Well, I have heard of crazier things."
"You don't think I can do it either." Kyoshi had replied, he voice dropping.
"No, I'm sure you could, but remember when I said she was a very fickle trainer. It will take a lot more than just being the Avatar to impress her. I mean, you've advanced rapidly with your combat training, but I still think you need to do something more if you want to catch Lady Sho's attention."
That had been two days ago, when Ty Jun had returned from his journey. Now, Kyoshi found herself stumped.
"What do you think I should do?" Kyoshi asked Adachi as they met for tea, a small ritual they had developed following Adachi's encounter with Fire Lord Mitsuo.
"I don't know," Adachi said with a shrug, taking a sip from his tea. "Gaining honor and respect is one of those things that always a bit incomprehensible to outsiders like you." At this, Kyoshi frowned. "I didn't mean to say that you couldn't do it," Adachi added quickly. "Just that it might be complicated, especially concerning a martial arts master like Lady Sho. Ty Jun got through with his secret combat technique, but unless you find some way to Bend metal I'm not sure if you can come up with anything like that quickly."
"Thank you for your vote of confidence." Kyoshi mumbled, staring down into her tea for a moment before an idea came to mind. "What else can I do? I… don't have to kill anyone, do I?
"Well, you could try to capture some notorious fugitive," Adachi mused. "But that could take time, and the world is a big place; you could be searching for some time before you actually find your mark."
"… Fair point." Kyoshi paused. "Maybe I should talk to Sun; this seems like the sort of thing that he would be interested in."
"Well, why not?" Adachi turned to one of the nearby servants. "Ask the nomad Sun to come and join us, if he's not occupied." The servant bowed and departed as Adachi turned back to Kyoshi. "I'd think you'd want to go to him first."
"Well, I considered it, but then I thought that you or your father would know more about how to impress someone in the Fire Nation." Kyoshi took another sip from her tea. "Speaking of, you never told me how your meeting with your father went."
Kyoshi could see that Adachi was hesitating. Had it really gone that bad, or was Adachi just struggling for the right words.
"It went better than I thought it would." Adachi said finally. "It was just a few issues concerning taxation for next year, nothing really world changing. But… well, it did feel good to finally speak to my father as an equal." Adachi raised his tea to Kyoshi as if to toast her. "Thank you for that extra push."
"You're welcome." Kyoshi replied, raising her cup in response. The two drank their tea in silence before the servant returned.
"The nomad as you requested, my lord." The servant bowed as Sun walked into the room, a small scroll tucked under his arm.
"So this is where you two run off to in the afternoons," Sun mused, looking around the room a few times. "Very nice."
"You're always welcome to join us if you'd like," Kyoshi offered.
"Nah, tea isn't exactly my thing," Sun said, sitting down between the two. "You know it makes me drowsy, right?"
"Right, I forgot." Kyoshi replied with a shake of her head.
"But, enough on sleep. What can I do for you two?"
"Well, it's Kyoshi's problem, mainly," Adachi replied, taking another drink. "She is looking to impress a master on Ember Island-"
"But I can't think of anything to impress her with." Kyoshi continued. "She's turned down the likes of the Fire Lord, so I can't just say 'I'm the Avatar' and expect her to teach me from there… not to say that I would."
"True…" Sun rested his chin in one of his hands before speaking again. "What if you caught a dragon?"
At this, both Adachi and Kyoshi choked on their tea. "I'm sorry, what?" Kyoshi asked.
"In The Avatar and the Dragon Queen, Avatar Katsurou tamed the Dragon Queen's mount to show his worth to her." Sun looked to Adachi. "I know that's only a play, but there's always a little basis of reality in plays, right?"
"Yes." Adachi shuffled in place for a bit before continuing. "The Dragon Kings did not get their names solely because they were powerful Firebenders; to have any right to their thrones they had to tame a dragon and then ride it into battle once the time came… But no one has managed to tame a dragon in a thousand years."
"Really?" Kyoshi asked, one eyebrow raised. "I would have thought that at least one of my past lives or one of your ancestors could have done it."
"And wasn't Avatar Ryuuta tied to dragons?" Sun added. "All the pictures I've seen of him have a dragon in them, even if it's a really small one."
"He's associated with dragons due to calming a dragon spirit that threatened to collapse half the Fire Nation due to some kind of slight against it." Adachi replied. "But he never took a live one as a mount. Avatar Ryuuta's spirit animal was a Komodo Rhino, not a dragon."
"Oh…" Sun's face fell, and his eyes drifted towards the table. "Although it would give Kyoshi plenty of prestige if she did manage to tame a dragon, wouldn't it?"
"If she survives the encounter, then yes it would." Adachi took a sip from his tea. "Many have died trying to tame dragons. My father said his uncle tried to tame one once, and no one ever saw him again after that." Kyoshi's jaw tightened slightly, her mind going over other possibilities.
"What if I tamed something else besides a dragon?" she asked. "Surely there are other exotic and dangerous creatures in the Fire Nation besides dragons."
"The closest thing would be a Boarcupine, but there's a small population of them that live on Ember Island, so I expect that Lady Sho has seen one at some point or another." Kyoshi's spirits dropped again. She idly pushed her tea mug around with her finger, her mind continuing to draw blanks on what to do.
"Maybe you just need to beat her in combat?" Sun offered. "Wouldn't that be impressive?"
"Yes, but everyone has said that I have a very small chance of actually seeing her, much less beating her." Kyoshi sighed. "This is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be…"
"Not everything in life is easy." Adachi said, reaching to refill Kyoshi's teacup. "But you're the Avatar; I'm sure you'll be able to impress Lady Sho one way or another."
"And if you don't you can always train with something else," Sun pointed out. "It doesn't have to end just because you got one major setback. If things worked that way, I'd probably just be another wandering storyteller instead of a musician." Kyoshi looked to Sun, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Thanks for the encouragement, Sun." she replied, taking another sip of her tea. "Who knows, maybe we could find someone to train you in case you get attacked while I'm not around."
"Yeah, I'd like that." Sun said, smiling. "Then I could actually advertise myself as 'Sun, Sellsword and Wandering Minstrel'… unless people are still intimidated by the name 'sellsword'." Sun looked to Adachi. "What do you think? Is sellsword a bit too intimidating?"
"For some, I suppose it would be." Adachi replied. "But then again, as nobility the name is more acquainted with lowlifes or would-be mercenaries." The two continued their conversation while Kyoshi focused on her tea, her mind drifting briefly to the mysterious Lady Sho of Ember Island. Something to impress her would be hard to find, but Kyoshi was an Earthbender; when had she backed down because something was hard?
A small shift in her energy would have hinted at otherwise, but Kyoshi paid no mind and instead turned her focus back to her friends.
…
Miyaki liked to be informed, and she had heard of the conversation that her brother had had with Kyoshi. Was Kyoshi really considering taming a dragon? Miyaki shivered with excitement at the possibility; not only was she friends with the Avatar, but the Avatar would have a dragon to command… Or at the very least, some other powerful beast to call her own.
And as princess of the Fire Nation, it is my duty to see to it that she gets that chance!
So as she headed to meet with Kyoshi for the day, a plan had formulated in her mind. There were few wild animals around the capital, but her brother had told her of a place near the edge of town, where creatures from all over the Four Nations were kept. Perhaps one of those would be to the Avatar's liking.
"You seem happy today," Kyoshi nodded as Miyaki met up with her. "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing," Miyaki said in a singsong tone. "I was just thinking that I want to choose where to go for the afternoon."
"Isn't that what you usually do?" Kyoshi asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Well… no, there was that one time when we went down to the docks." Miyaki pointed out. "That was your idea, remember?"
"True." Kyoshi paused before chuckling. "Alright. Lead the way." Miyaki nodded before starting off, Kyoshi following right behind her. They made their way to the gates, and the young princess had to wave off some of her servants in case they were considering bringing a palanquin by.
It had not been long, but Miyaki had come to enjoy walking more than riding in a palanquin.
"So, your Firebending training is still going well?" Kyoshi asked as they passed through the palace gates. "You haven't exactly told me a lot about it."
"Master Gorou likes it when I'm a bit secretive about things." Miyaki said, leading Kyoshi along the edge of the plaza. "Although… I've been practicing in secret because I want to shoot lighting."
"Really?"
"Uh huh. I asked my father about it, but he didn't have a lot to say. I asked my brother about it, and he thought I was joking. I asked Minister Honsou about it, and he said I should 'focus on less frivolous issues'." Miyaki frowned. "I would have thought he would support me in this."
"Well, I can't exactly say I have a high opinion regarding Minister Honsou." Kyoshi muttered, at which Miyaki raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" Miyaki asked. "Did he do something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that." Kyoshi replied with a quick shake of her head. "There's just something about the way he speaks to me that doesn't feel right… I'm not sure if he even likes me."
"But you're the Avatar!" Miyaki cried. "Who wouldn't like you?"
"If I recall, you didn't like me for the first few weeks I was here." Kyoshi said with a smirk. Miyaki was silent for a long while before turning her attention back to the road ahead.
"Well… that was before you started spending time with me."
"Fair enough." The two walked in silence, their path taking them further and further away from the center of the capital. Miyaki was relying heavily on memory of her conversation with her brother, so she had to stop frequently to refresh those memories. Why does my brother have to be so dumb and not explain these things better?
"Are you lost, Miyaki?" Kyoshi asked.
"No. I'm just…" Miyaki looked around. "Just trying to remember where we are, that's all."
"… Isn't that relatively close to being lost?"
"No, it's not." Finally, Miyaki remembered her bearings, and the two started off again.
"So where exactly are we going?" Kyoshi asked.
"You'll see. It's a surprise." Miyaki answered with a smile.
"I don't know; there aren't many things that can surprise an Earthbender," Kyoshi countered. Oh, just you wait, Miyaki thought. The air seemed to shift as they continued walking; it grew thick with the scent of fresh hay, and Miyaki thought she could hear the braying of several animals. Another minute of walking, and Miyaki spotted a row of barns up against the wall of the city. Deciding that now was a good time to let the Avatar in on the surprise, she stopped and turned to Kyoshi.
"So, we're going to be there," she pointed down the street towards the barns. "I'm gonna help you tame a dragon!"
"Wh-what?" Kyoshi asked, taking a step back. "I thought your brother said that there were no tamed dragons… and how did you hear about that?"
"Um… you talk really loud?" Miyaki offered before changing the subject. "There aren't any dragons, but I thought maybe you could practice on some other animals for when you do go out and tame a dragon. Wouldn't that be fun?"
"I don't know…" Kyoshi had begun massaging her hands. "I wasn't exactly sure about the whole 'tame a dragon' plan to begin with, so this might not be the best idea…"
"Come on, you can do it!" Miyaki hurried back to Kyoshi and started tugging on her sleeve. "Maybe you'll really like it, and then you can save some poor town from an angry dragon."
"But I've already done something like that." Kyoshi protested as Miyaki dragged her towards the barns. Why isn't she enjoying this? Aren't Avatars supposed to have spirit animals? The two continued to the barns, and Miyaki could see a variety of animals stored away or being tended to. A lanky man in light armor spotted them and moved to intercept.
"Hey, you're not supposed to be here," he began before Miyaki interrupted.
"I'm Miyaki, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, and this is the Avatar," Miyaki cocked her head towards Kyoshi. "I'm gonna help her tame a dragon." The man was silent for a moment, eyes darting from Miyaki to Kyoshi. "Do I need to get out the royal seal? You know the punishment for waylaying a princess."
"N-no, there's no need for that." The man said quickly. "It's just… we weren't expecting an inspection so soon… and we have no dragons."
"Well, you have to have some kind of wild beasts around, right?" Miyaki raised an eyebrow. "The Avatar will tame them."
"I never agreed to this…" Kyoshi mumbled, but Miyaki ignored her.
"So, will you help the Avatar and let her tame a beast?" the man fidgeted for a moment before speaking.
"Well… there is one thing… Follow me." The man continued into the complex, Miyaki and Kyoshi following behind. "A few weeks ago, a couple of men returned from a documentation trip to the Southern Earth Kingdom. They said they were looking for animals to put on display, like some kind of zoo, but they were having problems with one…"
"What is it?" Kyoshi asked, suddenly interested. "I'm from the Southern Earth Kingdom, so I know many of the animals there. I know Gopher Bears are rather hard to tame…"
"No, it's not a Gopher Bear." The man stopped by a particularly large stable, the grate to view the animal having been barred shut. "This is mostly a security precaution. The thing is very… precise when attacking." As if on cue, the door to the stable shook with an impact, the creature behind it roaring in frustration. Miyaki took a step back in surprise, her hands quivering for a moment.
"A shirshu…" Kyoshi breathed. "You caught a shirshu and locked it up in a box?"
"It kept attacking the handlers!" the man protested. "What were we supposed to do? Let it run amok paralyzing people?"
"You should have let it go." Kyoshi muttered. "Shirshus are hunters, and more importantly they can track their prey over thousands of miles. It can still smell its home, and is trying to get back to it." The man was silent, shuffling away from Kyoshi.
"W-we didn't know…" he stammered. "It's not like they live around here."
"I don't blame you for that, but next time you should do some research before you go about kidnapping dangerous creatures." The shirshu once again slammed against the door of the enclosure, Kyoshi not flinching for an instant. Miyaki's eyes darted from her to the door, waiting for some kind of response.
"I'll need meat." Kyoshi said finally, looking to the man. "Fresh meat." the man nodded and hurried off, leaving Kyoshi and Miyaki alone.
"So, you're going to tame it?" Miyaki asked.
"I'm going to calm it down so it will trust these men enough for them to transport it back to the Earth Kingdom where it belongs." Kyoshi replied, walking towards the door.
"But what about taming dragons?" Miyaki asked, staying back in case the beast attacked again. "Wouldn't you want some experience taming something first?"
"I never said I was going to tame a dragon. I will find some other way to earn honor and respect." Kyoshi walked to the door and placed a hand upon it. The shirshu stopped growling and sniffed a few times.
"It's okay," Kyoshi said, her voice soft. "I'm not here to hurt you; I'm going to help you get free." The beast growled again. "Don't worry, these men trust me. I'll make sure they take you back to your home."
"You… you can understand it?" Miyaki asked, eyes wide with surprise.
"Not exactly. I don't understand its growls, but I can get the meaning behind them." By now the man had returned with several cuts of meat, a few other handlers armed with ropes and spears following behind him. Kyoshi crossed and took the juiciest of the cuts before turning her attention to the other men.
"If all goes well, those won't be necessary." She said before turning back. "Now, unlock the stable."
"That thing will attack you as soon as it sees you." The man said, nodding to his compatriots who began to undo the latches on the door.
"Trust me, it's already seen me." Miyaki raised an eyebrow. How could the thing see her behind a closed door? The last latch was undone, the men quickly pushing the door open before scrambling for cover.
Miyaki was about ready to join them once she saw the shirshu. It was massive, almost as large as a fully grown Komodo Rhino, and coated in thick brown and black fur. Its body was like that of a wolf, powerful legs and paws sporting razor sharp claws. It had no visible eyes, but its nose had several thick feelers that made it look like a pair of hands. The shirshu growled again, showing off jaws filled with teeth.
Against all logic, Kyoshi took a step towards the beast.
"It's okay," Kyoshi said, one hand held out towards the shirshu. The thing snarled before lashing out, its whip like tongue streaking towards Kyoshi. Kyoshi quickly closed her hand, a stone wall forming before her and blocking the strike. "Stop that, I'm trying to help." Kyoshi lowered the wall, and Miyaki breathed a sigh of relief as the shirshu did not attack again. Slowly Kyoshi inched forward, keeping her hand up to both calm the beast and prepare in case it tried to strike again.
"It's okay," Kyoshi repeated again as the shirshu continued to growl at her. "Here, eat this." She held out the slab of meat, the shirshu leaning forward to sniff the offering. Miyaki's hands tightened before the shirshu snatched the meat from Kyoshi's hand, ripping off chunks before swallowing them whole. "There, see? I'm not going to hurt you." Kyoshi inched forward again, her hand still at the ready. The shirshu paused from its feeding to sniff Kyoshi's hand, its nose brushing up against her. Finally, the shirshu resumed eating, allowing Kyoshi to close the distance between the two.
"There, it's all better now," she whispered, running a hand down the shirshu's back. "You can trust these men. I'll make sure they get you home, okay?" the shirshu's only reply was a small grunt, and with that Kyoshi walked out of the stable and back to Miyaki.
"Wow, that was amazing!" the girl cried. "You can probably tame a dragon really easy if you do that!"
"I think I've had enough taming for now." Kyoshi replied with a chuckle before turning back to the various attendants. "Now, it would be best if you don't cage the shirshu when you transport it back to the Earth Kingdom. Just speak to it calmly and offer it meat and you should be-"
"Kyoshi, behind you!" Miyaki took a few more steps back as the shirshu moved to the entrance of the stable, prodding Kyoshi in the back with its snout. Startled, Kyoshi spun around as the shirshu gave a small whine.
"What? No, I don't have any more food." Kyoshi opened her hands to allow the shirshu to sniff them. "See? No more. You should just calm down and let these men take care of you." The shirshu whined again and prodded Kyoshi once more. "Stop that! I don't have anything for you."
"I think it likes you." One of the men said from the side. "You sure you don't want to take it home with you?"
"What? I can't take care of a shirshu!" Kyoshi cried, to which the shirshu whined and took a step back. "I-I mean, I'm the Avatar, but I've got other duties I should focus on." Miyaki's eyes darted from Kyoshi to the shirshu, her mind working to try and put together what she was seeing. Is this the Avatar's animal companion?
"But it's been acting more docile than ever." The man pointed out. "You've got some kind of way with animals, and who knows what kind of trouble it might cause if you're not around."
"You don't know that. I calmed the shirshu, it should be fine." The shirshu prodded Kyoshi with its snout once more. "Will you please stop that?"
"I'm not sure it will." Kyoshi was about to speak again when Miyaki stepped forward.
"Kyoshi, you have to at least try," she said. "The Avatar has an animal companion to guide them, and maybe this… thing is yours. And wouldn't it look good if you managed to tame something that no one else has ever tamed."
"My father told me of people taming shirshus," Kyoshi replied. "It's hardly an unknown occurrence."
"I've never head of one." Miyaki cocked an eyebrow. "If I've never heard of one, why should someone else in the Fire Nation."
"That's not incredibly sound logic." The shirshu whined and was now sitting down, sniffing at Kyoshi and waiting.
"I think that settles it," the man said. "It really does want to stay with you." Kyoshi opened her mouth to protest, her eyes running from the shirshu to the men to Miyaki. Miyaki started chewing her lip, waiting to see just how Kyoshi would react. It's a spirit animal, right? She has to like it.
"… Fine." Kyoshi said with a sigh. "I'll try and see what I can do. But if the shirshu really wants to leave, and I'm sure it does, then I'll bring it back so you can release it."
"That's a pretty big if." The man said with a chuckle before he and the other turned to leave. "We'll be here if you need any help, Avatar." Once they were out of sight, Miyaki turned her attention back to Kyoshi.
"So…?" the girl asked.
"Let's just hope that this won't get me into any further trouble with your father." Kyoshi mumbled before looking to the shirshu. "And you, I don't know what you are thinking, but I hope that soon you'll be able to see reason and will return to your home." The shirshu just gave a small growl before resting its head on Kyoshi's shoulder.
"It really does like you." Miyaki said, walking over to Kyoshi's side. "What are you going to name it?"
"Hopefully, nothing," Kyoshi replied, breaking away from the shirshu and heading off down the street. Miyaki and the beast followed behind, the young girl trotting up to the Avatar's side. "Hopefully, it will come to its senses and allow itself to be released back to the Earth Kingdom."
"But maybe it's your spirit animal." Miyaki offered. "Would you want to release your spirit animal to the wild?" Kyoshi did not answer, and the three continued to walk in silence. "Kyoshi?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think that, if you do decide to tame more animals, you can tame a Flying Koala-Monkey for me?" At this, Kyoshi looked to Miyaki in confusion.
"A what?"
"A Flying Koala Monkey. Those live in the Earth Kingdom, right?"
"… I'm still certain that I'm done 'taming' wild animals for some time now."
…
Either the nomad is truly dense, or he does not have any feelings for the Avatar, Honsou mused as he made his rounds once more. Let's hope for the former. He had hoped that the nomad would have done something to turn the Avatar away from her continued intrusion into Honsou's sphere of influence, but that had not been the case. To make matters worse, now there were rumors circulating that the Avatar really did hold affections for the Prince.
We can't have that. If the Avatar and the Prince remain together, imagine the chaos. Honsou shook his head. It was just becoming more difficult with each passing day.
As he crossed near one of the courtyards, he heard voices. At first he paid them no mind, but as the voices grew louder and began mixing with some other sound, Honsou's curiosity became piqued. He adjusted his course and headed for the source of the sound, preparing himself for whatever lay ahead.
"I think it's hungry again," the voice of the young princess said.
"I'm pretty sure it's a 'she'." The Avatar countered. "And… well, maybe you're right. I suppose we should have picked up some fish or other meat at the market."
"But that would cost money." As Honsou rounded the corner, he froze as he saw the princess and the Avatar standing before a large beast, the creature's tail swishing from side to side.
"Wh-what is that thing doing here?!" he cried, all composure and poise replaced by fear. The Avatar and the princess turned to face him.
"Oh, Honsou, you're here." The princess said. "Have one of the empty stables cleared out for the Avatar's spirit animal. And have a few servants bring it some meat, quickly."
"Y-you can't seriously think you can keep some beast-"
"She's a shirshu." The Avatar quickly corrected.
"Regardless," Honsou said with a huff. "Get rid of it, at once!"
"I've tried, believe me." The Avatar replied. "But she seems intent on following me around wherever I go. Just give it some time, and maybe she'll lose interest and want to go back to the Earth Kingdom." Why can't you just go back and forget about the Fire Nation, Honsou thought.
"You can't keep it here," Honsou repeated, his eyes narrowing. "I won't allow it."
"Well I will!" Miyaki took a step forward. "As Princess of the Fire Nation, I command you to provide food and housing for the Avatar's spirit animal until she leaves to master the other Elements."
"Know your place, child." Honsou barked. "You are not in a position to command me."
"Do you want me to tell my father that you refused a request from the Avatar, from me?" Honsou's jaw tightened.
"He wouldn't listen to you."
"But he will listen to me," Kyoshi said, her own eyes shifting into a glare. "I am going to care for this shirshu for at least a week or two, and it is for the betterment of the Fire Nation and my training that I do so. I'm sure the Fire Lord would be willing to listen to reason on such matters."
"We'll have to see about that." Honsou turned and stormed off into the palace, his hands clenched tight. The Avatar was a guest of the royal family, not a member; she had no right to command him like that, and she definitely had no right to bring in strange beasts. Taking the most direct route, Honsou was able to reach the Fire Lord's throne room with surprising speed.
"Honsou," Fire Lord Mitsuo said as Honsou entered. "You seem… angry."
"Forgive me, my lord." Honsou bowed, doing his best to regain his composure. "But I believe that the Avatar has overstepped her boundaries as a guest of your house."
"How so?"
"She has brought in some monster with intentions of 'caring for it'. Worse, she has turned Princess Miyaki to her side in this, and they are commanding me to see that it is housed and fed."
"And you haven't?" the Fire Lord asked. Honsou blinked a few times before continuing.
"Of course not, my lord. The Avatar is not my master; her words should not hold any weight in commanding me." Honsou took a step towards the Fire Lord. "And think of it; her actions are in defiance of your own ability to command. She twists and manipulates others to get what she wants. Surely you must see this, my lord." There was a long pause as Mitsuo thought it over. Honsou's palms started sweating as he waited for the Fire Lord to speak.
"I don't see any harm in the Avatar having a pet." The Fire Lord said. At this, Honsou's face dropped.
"But have you seen this creature?!"
"No, I haven't but remember that the Avatar has always had a spirit animal to accompany them on their journey. If this is that animal, who am I to oppose the will of the cosmos?"
"But my lord-"
"No, Honsou, I don't want to have any more trouble about this," Mitsuo leaned back before continuing. "If it becomes a problem, I shall deal with it in my own time. Until then, see to it that the Avatar has everything she needs to complete her task." Honsou's jaw twitched a few times. Had the Avatar's grasp already tightened around the Fire Lord? Was she using her "affections" to sway the Royal Family?
That must have been the case. But Honsou knew he could not say anything about it directly.
"… As you wish, my lord." With that Honsou bowed, turning to leave so as to hide his scowl.
You have not won this yet, Avatar, he thought. The Fire Nation needs to be reminded that it does not need you.
I had many ideas about what Kyoshi's spirit animal would be. First it actually was a gopher bear, then it was a Badgermole, before something clicked and I thought "Shirshu".
Now, your homework is to come up with a name for the shirshu. I have a few ideas of my own, but I would like to hear if you have any.
And one more thing, I have been working on a one shot concerning Aang and Kyoshi discussing children. I consider it semi-canonical to this story, so if you're interested check it out once I finish it... whenever that is.
I don't own Avatar or its related characters. reviews, favorites, an follows are appreciated, and if I screwed something up please let me know.
