Gakuto-Oki awoke to something cold touching his face. He lazily opened an eye to see a hand poking his nose. His first half-conscious thought was that it belonged to Kohana who, for some reason, had fallen asleep next to him. While it did not bother him, the lifeless hand was causing his nose to itch. He tried to roll over but the hand followed him. Gakuto-Oki opened his eyes again and stared at the problem. When his lazy eyes focused he saw that the hand was wrapped with gauze. 'wrapped with gauze?' he thought.
Gakuto-Oki sat up in distress. He looked at his bandage arm and saw it sway lifelessly. He tried to flex it but the appendage refused. Gakuto-Oki tried focusing what little chi remained in his hand into grabbing moister from the air. His despair increased when his efforts only resulted in moisture on his fingertips. Then he felt a sensation in the palm of his hand. His hand… hurt. As moisture pooled from the air and plants it formed ice crystals on his hand. The crystals grew larger forming a block of ice around his hand. The painful sensation elated him.
Getting to his feet, Gakuto-Oki turned to Mrs. Yoji who was squatting right next to him preparing breakfast. "Mrs. Yoji! My hand's…"
(Smack)
"You are ruining my soup is what you're doing," scolded Mrs. Yoji, "You've sucked it dry. Give me your hand!" Mrs. Yoji grabbed Gakuto-Oki's hand and slammed it on the rim of the steel pot she was cooking with. The ice shattered into chunks; some of which she threw back in to melt leaving Gakuto-Oki to recoil his pulsating hand.
"Good morning Mrs. Yoji," exclaimed Kohana as she sat next to the fire. "Did you sleep like a bed bug bite?"
For the umpteenth time that week Kohana had acted weird as well as civil and polite towards the Mrs. Yoji and Gakuto-Oki. The awkward moments had a repetitiously sour feeling. And even the morning salutations were trumped by the fact that Kohana was sitting with her back to Mrs. Yoji cooking over the fire.
"Kohana why are you sitting backwards," inquired Mrs. Yoji. "It's impolite to talk to someone when you're not looking at them."
The girl whispered something under her breath.
"It's also impolite to whisper!"
Kohana jumped and ran behind Gakuto-Oki who was gritted his teeth. He had seen the wrath of Kohana and would rather face Mrs. Y… eat glass. To diffuse the situation he went with the sympathetic card.
"Kohana what's the matter."
Kohana hugged his back and whispered in his ear.
Ignoring the lump forming in his throat, he listened intently and silently agreed with her.
"She's scared of you. A lot."
Mrs. Yoji rested her ladle in the soup and pondered the turn of events. This girl who had once held enough power to destroy entire cities now cowered before a simple herbalist. There was still hope for the girl. Mrs. Yoji watched the girl as she clung to Gakuto-Oki's back and an evil smile encroached her lips.
"Oh she does, does she? Well she'll find out how much more scared she'll become if she doesn't sit properly and eat!"
At those words Gakuto-Oki felt Kohana squeeze even tighter. He was starting to wonder if she was hugging him for other reasons.
(Gurgle)
In her frustration, Mrs. Yoji stabbed the pot of stew with her wooden spoon crushing all potatoes that dare impede her stirring implement. "Siam… Kohana if you're hungry then come and eat!"
"It wasn't (her) stomach," replied Gakuto-Oki pointing past the fire where a fourth blanket rolled on its side.
Filling a bowl with some soup, Mrs. Yoji held it over the quivering blanket. The bowl was quickly snatched away beneath the covers. From beneath the blanket a flaming haired girl sheepishly appeared sucking the remaining broth dry. The girl lazily waved a hand before collapsing beneath her blanket.
"Gakuto-Oki, Kohana, I want you to meet Misao. She will be traveling with us to Ba-Sing-Se and no further. She seems to know everything about Siam's condition and she has agreed to tell me if I let her 'tag along'."
"Then why did you…," Gakuto-Oki blurted.
"Because I forgot!"
"You forgot…," he muttered shaking his head. "Right."
"Everybody pack up," Mrs. Yoji declared. "We're leaving and not a minute sooner."
Misao enjoyed the breeze that turned her hair into wisps of flames. The boulder Mrs. Yoji plodded through the land traveled smoothly with few bumps. She felt herself being rocked to sleep. Misao felt a yawn come over her.
(Gulp)
"Ffffpt, bleeu. This the third time its happened," Misao complained.
"I'm pretty sure the flies don't like it either dear," retorted Mrs. Yoji.
At that moment Gakuto-Oki felt Kohana tugging on his bandages. Kohana motioned for him come closer.
"The flies are attracted to her bad breath when she opens her mouth," she whispered in his ear with a straight face.
Gakuto-Oki felt a sensation crawl down his spine. Kohana was being humorous. And instead of laughing he noticed her lips quiver in her attempt to stifle it. In return, Gakuto-Oki smirked and nodded his approval. It would be their little secret, their little joke.
"Hey what are you two whispering about?" complained Misao.
"Huh, oh. Kohana was just letting me know how much she enjoyed the view."
"Well I'm cold," Misao complained again. "Could you grab me a blanket?"
"I think we have some blankets back here somewhere." Gakuto-Oki grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. But when he turn his back she pulled him backwards into the blanket.
"I need your warmth not just some cold blanket."
"I-I see."
Beneath the blanket Gakuto-Oki could feel Misao scooting closer to him. She finally stopped moving when she rested her head on his arm. He could feel his body temperature rising along with Misao's. 'She wasn't cold but why did she feel the need to be this way now,' he thought.
Gakuto-Oki looked at Mrs. Yoji who seemed to be silently laughing. She looked to her right then shook her head. He followed her gaze to Kohana who was sitting on the side of the boulder. She was hugging her knees to her chest and her face looked red with jealousy. "I know how to fix this," he whispered
"What did you say Oki," asked Misao hugging him tighter.
"I was just thinking how cold Kohana looks."
Kohana turned her head away in anger.
"No I mean it. If you are cold there is plenty of space for three bodies. Don't you agree Misao?"
"I… you, yes? I mean..."
"See no objections here. If you don't have adequate body temperature your immune systems have a harder time fighting off infections… you can catch a cold."
Kohana nodded her head and crept underneath the blanket with the other two.
Both girls rested upon opposite shoulders. One sighed then the other sighed. Then one sighed louder then the other repeated. With his suspicions confirmed, Gakuto-Oki decided to clear his throat. Both of the girls stopped sighing with their attention turned toward him. Unwrapping the blanket, Gakuto-Oki stood up leaving the two girls alone.
"Mrs. Yoji, I have a pertinent question I just remembered," he said walking to the fore-section of the boulder.
"What do you want?," she turned her head between strides.
"Do you need some water, are we there yet, you know the common questions. But of those two? Think they will become best friends."
"More like bitter rivals. But you, you surprised me. I'll have to stop trying to figure you out. I am impressed Oki," she said teasingly.
"A complement from you," he replied sarcastically. "I don't know what to say"
"You could start by telling those two to stop trying to kill one another because we're almost there."
Gakuto-Oki could see numerous lights across the horizon. He excitedly turned around only to find the girls at each other's throats. "Hey, we finally reached Ba-Sing-Se."
"You can only save one of them or both of them but it's up to her."
"What do you mean by 'her'?"
"I mean Kohana. She is basically the subconscious brought to life. People may discipline themselves but their subconscious will stay the same. And Kohana may not have power now but she still can. If Siam and her subconscious were in unity them there would be no problem but that rarely ever happens. She cannot be trusted."
From just the fire light from their campfire in the distance, Mrs. Yoji could tell that Misao was being serious. The situation contained a precipice on either side and she could already feel the crumbling. Mrs. Yoji knew that she might regret it but she needed someone who understood what was happening… what could happen. "I accept your request but only to Ba-Sing-Se and no further. We'll be breaking camp after breakfast."
"But why can't I go into the city tonight? Gakuto-Oki will go with me," Kohana pleaded. She looked at Gakuto-Oki for assistance but received none.
Mrs. Yoji sighed and inhaled the fragrance the room contained. For the past week and a half they had to do without beds, washing, and four walls around them. She for one was sick of it and needed an inn to stay for the night. Misao said she knew of one and got them in for half the cost. Normally this would throw up a red flag for Mrs. Yoji but tonight she couldn't complain. But then again Kohana would…
"For the last time no! I prohibit you from entering the city tonight. There will be-there will be plenty of time tomorrow for that."
"But why?"
'Avatar give her strength,' she thought as her anger grew. "Because I don't trust… Because I worry about you. Now I'm going to bed!" Kohana may have not understood what Mrs. Yoji was about to say but she, herself did. As she walked to her own room Mrs. Yoji thought about what Misao had told her. Misao had pinpointed the fact that she didn't trust Kohana as well. For some reason the thought hurt her. Mrs. Yoji had been telling herself that she was doing the right thing but she hated herself for doing so. She hated the entire situation. 'Everything was for Siam's sake,' she thought. As she fell asleep she thought of Kempa licking Siam's face.
"It's not fair," cried out Kohana.
Gakuto-Oki watched helplessly as a fifth pillow erupted in feathers from Kohana's wrath. He had been unsuccessful at trying to defuse the situation Mrs. Yoji had left. When he had earlier thought Kohana's conduct to be that of a child he didn't know how correct he was. She was exactly like a child and a spoiled one at that. She wasn't bad or evil but just plain spoiled. He almost thought if humorous how she rolled in the pile of feathers. He could not even begin to understand how Misao could sleep on the opposite side of the bed with this ruckus.
(whoosh)
A sudden gust of wind blew the windows open blowing feathers everywhere. Gakuto-Oki jolted at what he saw and even Kohana noticed his face and stopped thrashing.
"What?" Her question was simple and direct.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. I was just thinking that while Mrs. Yoji said she did not want you entering the city, she mentioned nothing about partaking of this little down on the outskirts of the wall. Want to go? I know a good place to eat that we passed on our way in."
"Yes," she replied without a second thought and began changing out of her night clothes.
Gakuto-Oki spun around to give her privacy as she changed. She walked in from of him completely changed. He noticed that she was wearing the clothes that were given to her by the one she referred to as 'brother'. She a little out of place but still beautiful.
"Ready to go?"
She nodded.
As they left the room Gakuto-Oki took one last look at the feathers lying in a pile shaped like wings on either side of where Kohana had been lying on the floor. As he closed the door he felt a little nauseous.
As the door clicked closed, the blanket covering Misao shot off and her along with it. 'Time to follow them,' she thought.
The tavern they were partaking of was a small candle lit room with a bar next to the exit. It only contained a couple round wooden tables each with four chairs surrounding them. And even though there was nothing grand about the place, if one took the time they would notice the fine craftsmanship and design etched into every wooden member. The beauty and simplicity had never been lost on Gakuto-Oki; hence why he kept coming back.
"And so the pig says to the horse 'Hey fella, why the long face'?"
Kohana, plagued with boredom, was resting her read on her elbows. The pun hardly put a dent in her face. Gakuto-Oki, meanwhile, was kicking himself for picking a joke that bad. The manner at the table continued for five long seconds.
"Sir, you food is ready," the hostess announced.
The steaming food was gently spread out before them along with their drinks refilled. They had been the only patrons that evening and the owner was feeling especially generous and brought out napkins and the fine silverware.
Gakuto-Oki motioned to Kohana to spread her napkin across her knees. He then picked up his knife and fork and began cutting up the tender steak. Purposefully exaggerating his movements he looked over to Kohana to find her mastering her plate. She gracefully tore through her meal with a finesse that surpassed even Gakuto-Oki.
After thoroughly chewing a bit of meat, Kohana took a sip from her glass and sighed. "This reminds me of my mother's cooking." She then continued to eat.
Gakuto-Oki shrugged the comment. He wished his mother had had the time to prepare meals like Kohana's. 'Like Kohana's,' he thought, 'Kohana never had a mother. Siam did!'
"Siam?"
Gakuto-Oki left the question hanging stale in the air. For reasons unknown to himself, he even held his breath and waited. Kohana continued staring at her plate as she finished her last bite and downed her drink. She reached for her napkin and pressed them to the corners of her mouth. The napkin fell onto her polished plate with hardly a sound. Her eyes seemed to flash directly into his gaze.
"Yes, what is it?"
Gakuto-Oki eyes widened and his mouth became as sawdust. "I-I… you are. You're bleeding." He grabbed his unused napkin and dabbed a droplet of blood that come from her nose.
Kohana clutched her head and screamed. She almost fell out of her chair with the agonizing pain she felt.
"My head… it hurts."
Gakuto-Oki rushed over to her and laid her on the wooden floor. The panicked hostess ran up beside him.
"What happened?" she asked. "Did she not like the food?"
"No, no, the food was fine. This is something else I fear."
Kohana stopped screaming and her hand went limp to her sides but her body continued to thrash. Gakuto-Oki stared into both Kohana's eyes and found them unequal. He knew she was in serious danger.
"Ma'am I need you to retrieve some water for me. Any will do."
A quick moment later a pail of water was brought. Wasting no time, Gakuto-Oki proceeded to bend the water out of the pail and over Kohana's head. The liquid gave off a blue luminescent light.
"You're a waterbender," the hostess exclaimed.
"As well as a doctor and, avatar Roku willing, this girl's savior."
A moment later Kohana ceased thrashing and her breathing returned to normal. The hostess took this as a bad sign and became distraught but Gakuto-Oki reassured her.
"She's fine now. She's just resting." Gakuto propped Kohana's head onto his lap and brushed her hair out of her face. "I am greatly relieved," he sighed.
"I didn't think my cook was that bad," the hostess chuckled. "She looks just like an angel lying there. Do you need a stone taxi? I know a friend…"
Gakuto-Oki nodded silently. "Just like an angel?" he whispered. "You have not the slightest clue."
What felt like moments later, he was already putting Kohana to bed next to Misao who was sound asleep. As he pulled the covers over her, Gakuto-Oki bent over and kissed her forehead.
As he walked out of the room he paused for a moment. "Goodnight Misao," he said plainly and walked out.
If he had turned around he would have seen the girl sticking her tongue out at him. Half dreary from the night's events he unknowingly crossed the door to Mrs. Yoji's vacant room as he trudged to his own.