Thanks to my reviewers!

The First Avatar: Legend of the Star

Book 2: Sun

Chapter 12: Starry Skies Festival

OXOXOXO

19th Day of summer 191ACS

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Because of Kyora's predicament before she became a part of Team Avatar, she missed out on a lot of things that happened for other kids her age. Learning to swim, playing on the beach and the barbecue for that evening were all new things to her and so she did them all with great enthusiasm.

Trying to swim as the barbecue was being set up proved to be tricky for her, but after a while, she gradually learnt. All of her and Team Baizon played in the water, with only their leader staying on the beach, as according to Haiumi, "He didn't like to swim." Building sandcastles with earthbending was also great fun and eventually evolved into a contest between the earthbenders to see who could make the best sculpture. And lastly, the barbecue was set up and the food got cooking! The smoky smell that filled the air was surprisingly pleasant as Mako and Iroh cooked up a whole platter of meat and another of all sorts of veggies. As Kyora was vegetarian, she and her new family avoided the meat, but with the way the veggies had been cooked, it tasted just as good, with Jinora praising the "Barbeque flavour" which supposedly stuck to all foods cooked on them.

The evening and dinner wound down and Team Avatar and their allies relaxed on the beach to await the beginning of the festival. Kyora was full and content when she suddenly felt an odd pang of guilt in her chest. She had no idea why this was until an excited Lyrae pointed up towards the sky. "It's starting!" she yelled, pointing at the stars. Kyora and the others all looked up and sure enough, a star darted across the sky.

"Shooting stars?" Joewe said questioningly. This festival was a sort of tradition for Team Avatar, but its nature had been kept secret from the newbies to make it a surprise. Everyone looked up as one by one; tiny lights flew across the sky.

"Every year, there is a shower of shooting stars that can only be seen on Ember Island. We call this the Starry Skies festival. It is customary to make a wish." Korra said with a smile. Kyora looked up to the sky sadly.

"I wish the stars can get home again." The little one said. The others looked at her but without warning, Silver and Korra transformed into the Spirit Form, so Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi could speak to Kyora.

"It's okay, Stars always go back home. They jump out of the sky so that they can hear the wishes of mortals, and then they fly back up to take those wishes to Izanagi. They used to bring those wishes to you, before we all left our old home." Amaterasu said, kneeling on one side of her.

"Yep! All those tiny little lights in the sky are Star Spirits that live in the Star Country, beyond both the Mortal world and Spirit World. Our father named his realm the Star Country because of you and your little spirits." Tsukiyomi added, kneeling on her other side. This made Kyora feel better about the stars, but made her feel worse about something else…

"I'm so sorry, but I still don't remember you. I'm not Susanoo anymore…I'm still not sure if I ever was…" Kyora muttered.

Amaterasu laughed, "You may not be sure, but I am. You definitely have my little sister's soul and spirit. It isn't like a Kami where the person is just a container."

"That's right. Your memories will return, but even with Kona it took several years, even after he learnt his true identity. Plus, we are very old, so there is a lot to remember!"

Jinora chose that moment to step forward. "So, it's really true that every star in the sky is really a spirit?"

"Yes. They are Star Spirits. They are actually very small, big enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but they shine so brightly that they can be seen even from hundreds of miles above us." Tsukiyomi said wistfully, gently observing both Jinora and Virgo. Virgo noticed that Amaterasu was doing it as well, as if she was deciding if they were worthy of mothering their little sister.

"You two seem nice. Do you like your new Mama and Mommy?" Amaterasu asked. Kyora smiled and nodded vigorously before flashing her mothers, her biggest grin.

Tsukiyomi giggled, "Well you were used to being raised by two girls. Father was always so busy dealing with Cain…and Terra followed his brother like a lost puppy. It was me and Ama that raised you back then."

The new generation of Team Avatar went to stand beside Kyora, Maruka putting an arm around her. "Well we're gonna make sure she has a good new life!"

Maruka, Kirok, Lyrae and Regulus were all observed with scrutinising eyes. The two elder divines would not allow any but the best to be with their sister! They spoke telepathically between each other, making both Silver and Korra uncomfortable as they unwillingly eavesdropped.

'The Waterbender is too much of a tough guy. He's gonna need to be more gentle if he pursues Snow.' Ama said.

'Lyrae is a very sweet girl and very gentle, but the two don't know each other that well yet…' Yomi added.

'What about that Regulus boy? He's a bit of a hot-head. He's not really "tough" but he still a little too rough around the edges.'

'I like Maruka! The two are close by the look of it and I think Kyora likes her best…' Yomi said, secretly hoping Kyora would hook up with her Kami's daughter. Then she'd get to see her a lot!

'I wish Haiumi was still little! When she was ten she would have been perfect for Kyo.' Ama said, a little bit envious of Tsukiyomi.

Kyora watched the two divines curiously as the two had their mental conversation, leaving Team Avatar to ignore them and keep watching the stars. Seeing the stars fall from the sky no longer made Kyora feel bad, in fact now she felt a small sense of pride that spirits that served her were so kind to the people of the Mortal World. It made her want to sing, though she knew no appropriate songs…though she did know a melody.

With a few movements, Kyora turned some sand into a small metal instrument, with a spout and several holes. "What is that?" Maruka asked.

"It's an Ocarina. I kind of flute, well it's similar at least. It's an instrument I can play." Kyora said, lightly wetting her lips and placing the spout of the ocarina to them. The light, flute-like music began to float through the air and the small audience watched the falling stars as they heard it. The music seemed oddly fitting; it was both a happy and sad melody that could fill even the hardest of men with emotion. Kyora's small fingers moved dextrously over the instrument as the girl closed her eyes, losing herself in the song. The still silent Tsukiyomi snapped away from her telepathic conversation to listen to the song, it was like it was willing her to move. The waves of the ocean remained gentle, but it was like they were all trying to reach Kyora before they were pulled back by the tides.

When Kyora finally finished her song, she stood still and breathed deeply for a few minutes, catching her breath. "That song…that was the Song of Orion." Amaterasu said, smiling. She was wearing a smile of nostalgia, one that matched both Kona's and Tsukiyomi's.

"Isn't Orion one of the names for Izanagi?" Lyrae asked.

"Yes it is. Orion was the name given to him by a pre-crystalmancer era civilisation. Back then, we Divines still resided together in our home, the Star Country. We often joked that Susanoo was father's favourite child. We all knew it was just a joke…except Cain. That one looked for excuses to turn on us. Anyway, that song was written by a minstrel from that time as a tribute to our father." Tsukiyomi said, speaking bitterly of her brother.

Kyora looked up at the stars that continued to rain down and then to Amaterasu. "If the wish I made was something that was already going to happen, does it still count?" she asked.

"I doubt the stars will refuse a second wish to their master. But I suppose for normal people they'd get a second chance." The sun goddess smiled. Kyora smiled widely and then closed her eyes, her hands clamped together as if she were praying as she said her wish in her mind. When she was done, she clapped her hands twice and then returned to watching the stars with the others, refusing to tell anyone what she had wished for. Tenzin had said that the festival lasted until midnight, so people returned to playing in the moonlight while Mako and Leo competed to see who could make the biggest bonfire. Kyora took the opportunity to speak to Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi as much as possible. It was mostly small talk with the two goddesses telling Kyora old stories of her old life. Neither asked about her new one as they knew what their Kami knew, and so it wasn't something they wanted to speak of again. After a while, the conversation returned to the point the two goddesses were trying to avoid.

"Can you tell me about our brothers? Cain and Terra?" Kyora asked. The looks on the goddesses' faces made her sad but she was desperate to know.

"Terra was a good brother. He adored you and Yomi and always looked out for you. Whenever one of you did something wrong or got in trouble, he'd be the first to stick up for you. Unfortunately, he worshipped Cain." Amaterasu's face became stern. "Cain was so used to being an only child that when I was born, he became resentful. He hated me, and he hated all of us after a while…he even hated Terra and talked him into all sorts of things. When we were young, he'd try to get us in trouble and get caught and so whenever we got in trouble after that, our father blamed him."

Tsukiyomi frowned. "We cared for him and always tried to convince father that we were the ones who did it but by that point, Cain would have gotten angry and the two would fight like cats and dogs! He never really hated you that much, he just ignored you, but then again, by that point he must have found it easier. After a while, Cain's hatred grew and he convince Terra to try and help him overthrow our father. Terra was so desperate to get his brother's love and approval; he went along with it and helped create Ragnarok by binding the power of Earth with Cain's power of Heaven and then they were both locked away forever. Terra's prison is in the centre of the earth but Cain's prison is somewhere beyond any normal reach. Not in either world or the Boundary." The moon goddess said.

Kyora sighed, "I wonder if we can try and get them free, try to reconcile everyone."

Tensa, who had been carefully eavesdropping, chose that moment to intrude. "Sorry Kyora, but they are too dangerous. As it is, they have virtually ruined our chances of created a true and perfect balance."

Amaterasu growled. "You realise Tensa, that even Yamato is not allowed to speak so disrespectfully to us!"

Tensa narrowed his eyes. "I give respect based on what I've seen of a person. I've seen nothing of you."

The goddess looked taken aback. "Calm down sister. You are too uptight." Yomi said with a chuckle, but still shot a dark glare at Tensa. The dark Avatar ignored it and turned back to Kyora.

"Be very careful little one. Don't try too hard for those who don't want help." And with that, the man wandered off again, attracting the irritated glare of Kye, who had watched the mini-exchange.

'I need to find a way to get that scroll back from Korra! Before he can finish his plan…' the immortal woman thought.

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Avatar Trivia:

Book 2 Chapter 12

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And today, we get to see a little bonding between Kyora and her "sisters"

In the original draft, Tensa challenges Amaterasu to fight to prove she is worth respecting, but it didn't fit Tensa's character to fight unnecessary battles.

Also in the original, Kyora got to speak to a star spirit. Unlike the last bit, I actually fully wrote it and then cut it out for a later chapter, as it's still too early.

Kyora will get an Anima Aes, an Anima Manus AND an Animal Guide, in Book 3.

Since the extras have been closed for now, you won't know anything about the last Paragon until he is revealed.

I hope you enjoyed!

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