Avatar: The Legacy of Rong Yan

by KingBumisHeir

The Legacy of Rong Yan, tells the tale about Avatar Yangchen's predecessor, Avatar Rong Yan and how he ended a violent insurrection against the Kingdom of Ba Sing Se and the Northern Water Tribe by veteran rebels who are thirsty for bloodshed, sparking the embers of war, sixty-three years after the initial war ended. (Halfway through Book 2 is completed and available for reading.)

29. 2-10: The Forbidden Art

Book 2: Water

Chapter 10: The Forbidden Art

Yantai River, West Jurong, Oma Kingdom

"We survived on that narwhal's meat up until we got here of course," Sake paused, from behind him he pulled out the narwhal's tusk that rest on the sand it was three times the size of the barb Rong Yan carried on him. He grabbed it showing everyone the tusk, "Which reminds me this is the tusk!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Rong Yan chuckled, "Mine's on Shen's saddle over there."

"Go get it!" Sake snickered, Rong Yan padded off a few yards from the campfire to search for the mantashark pup's barb. Climbing Shen's saddle he listens in on the whispers of a woman he examines the area near him but sees nothing in the dead of night.

"Hello?" he called out, no response until again he hears the feminine voice calling to him he drops everything and wanders off down the river further away from the campsite. Another thirty minutes pass by, he finally reaches the tributary of the Yantai River where it splits off into two different rivers. One is the You Gong River and the other the Zhuhai River, although according to the map, crossing the river doesn't lead you into Zhuhai territory. There's still a large patch of forest and a village before a traveler reaches Zhuhai province. In the middle of the tributary were two islands one bigger than the other.

Both were covered by tall grasses and reeds preventing a person from seeing what was in the center of both. The small island was merely a patch of land that barely rose above the water level of the river, while the other was an island best used to see Aok's Moon as what Sakana told his friends. The energy emitted from both islands was spiritual at least during this time of year.

Rong Yan's body was led toward the smaller island he bent water out of the river and created a disc of ice he used to propel himself forward. Although he was unaware of this occurring it wasn't until he reached the middle of that island that he was himself again he shook it off but the feminine whispers told him to meditate. The surrounding ambiance was of nature's critters but beyond that, it stayed quiet.

He sat down nomad style for meditation and began to clear his mind it was getting easier to do this, it might have been from the growth of spirituality. Before he knew it an ethereal blue aura emerged out of his body he was answering the call of whoever was whispering to him. Sitting across Rong Yan sat a shorter figure, a woman of Water Tribe ethnicity her skin was a coffee brown tone, she had light blue eyes, she had long black loose hair, a braid on each side of her head and two small bundles of hair laced with blue beads the hair was held together by a big Southern Water Tribe insignia ornament four fingers length from the base of her forehead.

She wore two robes a light blue one underneath her large light blue parka robe, she wore sea lion skin boots, and a betrothal necklace carved inside were the insignias of the four nations whoever her lover was carved this out for her. She was very attractive and when she spoke her voice echoed, it rung in Rong Yan's ears reflecting the power she had. Maybe someday to the next Avatar his voice would be that powerful. An Avatar's voice in the Spirit World was measured by the amount of accomplishments they obtained in life, he remembered Kwan Chun's voice wasn't as powerful as Xi Tong's voice.

"Who are you? I have come to answer your call," he said.

"I am Avatar Anana, young Avatar, I have called you here because you are in immediate danger. I have seen your near future and we share a common enemy," Anana warned.

"You travel with a practitioner of the Forbidden Art, allow me to take you to the Southern Water Tribe so that I may show you where it all began," Anana disclosed, Rong Yan leaned in meditative position Anana leaned in and placed each hand on his heart and third eye chakra. Before he knew it his spirit stood beside his past life she was so short that she only reached the mid area of his torso, in front of them was a neighborhood a group of huts in a section of Iqaluit about fifteen miles from the harbor.

Children were leaving their homes heading off to Master Keirou's Waterbending institution, he was one of the few waterbending masters in the city, he normally taught only children basic levels of waterbending. While the older young adults went to a school northwest of this institution, here the children learned waterbending, general education and survival skills to survive the arctic wilderness outside the capital city. One child, in particular, was nipping briskly to her destination an older child who lived two blocks from her shoved her to the ground, the little girl was scared she gasped when the boy demanded money.

"Hey, Anana! Give me all your refection money!" he shouted at the little girl raising his hand, the little girl whimpering about to cry a man in the distance caught on to what was happening in front of him that he ran up and stopped the bully from hitting the little girl, "Hey you leave her alone!" he shouted. The man was a guard strolling by making his rounds when the boy saw the guard he scurried off leaving the five-winters-old girl mince safely to school.

"Who was your bully?" Rong Yan inquired.

"My bully's name was Tuuluuwaq, he was a bright boy but he came from a broken home. Eventually, he became a very talented waterbender," Anana divulged revealing the name of her bully. Years flashed by their very eyes, that little girl was now a young adult it was the new year and Water Tribe customary tradition for the New Year was to have a huge festival.

The community danced around a large fire where the elder shaman initiated the dance to the gods, this is a communal dance as a thank you to their pantheon for allowing them to live another winter. The Southern and Northern Water Tribes all shared and celebrated their birthday on the day of the New Year where the winter would arrive again, babies born six months before the winter arriving were not acknowledged by age until the next winter. The bards banged on drums while the women shaman were throat singing.

Chief Nikaitchuk, his wife, his children, and his court sat on a large platform enjoying the annual dance. After the dance was over the chief led his citizens in a group prayer, the prayer lasted five minutes, in the end, he thanked the gods, "Thank Tiandi for continuing to bless us, Mother Akna for the children born this past year, Agloolik for the continued blessings of the hunt allowing us to traverse the arctic wilderness and eat from the flesh of his children, the animals, Anguta for allowing us to live another winter, Kura-Kura for blessing each newborn with the ability to waterbend, Tui for allowing the ocean to not swallow our vessels and La for enlightenment and light during dark times."

The elder shaman and her group of shaman stood up everyone stayed silent, in the crowd stood Anana alongside her parents and her friends next to her was Tuuluuwaq and his family who also danced next to Anana around the bonfire.

"There's your bully, why was he dancing with you around the fire?" Rong Yan wondered Anana smiled, "Over the years, Tuuluuwaq apologized for terrorizing me when I was younger, I forgave him and we became very good friends," she answered.

When the elder shaman stood up it usually meant they have announcements for the entire year Anana felt uneasy when the elder shaman fixated her eyes on the young girl. The shaman smiled at her and she started to speak, "As you might all know it has been sixteen winters since the death of the previous Avatar, Kwan Chun. We will now reveal to you the identity of the next Avatar who is here in the banquet hall with us all. Our tribe has been blessed for the first time in over seven hundred years," announced the elder shaman.

"It is truly an honor to be in your presence Avatar Anana," the elder shaman beamed she slowly lowered to her knees, her inferiors and the citizens kneeled before her the last few being the chief and his court. Anana surprised by the bombshell revelation that she was the Avatar, she didn't know how to feel. What she learned in school was the Avatar traveled across the four nations to learn their cultures, and master the elements. The only bender in the world who could bend water, earth, fire, and air. It was a huge responsibility and her reaction to the announcement showed how much it meant to her. She shed a tear sad that she must leave soon to travel the world and leave her family behind.

She cried not for joy but for fear as the Avatar she was born with a target on her back many evil-doers will challenge her power. After the chief told everyone to rise her father squeezed her tight to calm his daughter down.

"This is a good thing and blessing to your family, kuluk," he said in a calm, loving tone. 'Kuluk' was a common term of endearment in the Water Tribe language. Her father was a traditional man and often spoke in Tribesman slang when speaking to his co-workers, and friends. Tuuluuwaq stood in the crowd bewildered as well at the thought that a girl he once bullied was born the Avatar. Now he wasn't sure if his friend Anana forgave him and would use her ultimate power to strike him down he neared the upset girl hugging her.

"Don't cry, everything will be alright just remember everyone here loves you and is proud of you. You will make a great Avatar I just know it," he smiled giving her words of motivation. She sniffled wiping the tears from her eyes denying, "I don't want to be the Avatar."

"But you were chosen to be, because you will serve a greater purpose," fretted Tuuluuwaq.

The next morning, the chief arrived with a group of royal guards and the elder shaman they were here to escort Anana to the harbor where a ship headed toward the Kingdom of Omashu waited for her arrival. When the escorted carriage halted by the harbor, a squad of guards held a tame arctic dire wolf it was huge and its white fluffy coat kept it warm. A saddle was atop the wolf's back. A royal guard opened the carriage door allowing Chief Nikaitchuk, the elder shaman and lastly Anana out.

The chief personally handed the captain of the large Southern vessel the scroll that gave orders to drop the Avatar off in the town of Gaipan where a squad of Omashu soldiers would escort her to the capital of the Omashu Kingdom. Anana was led to a squad of warriors who supervised the arctic dire wolf that was a gift to her from the chief.

"I wanted to personally give a gift, every Avatar before you had an animal guide. This will make your travels through the Omashu Kingdom lighter, may he serve you well," offered Nikaitchuk. Her eyes gleamed and she was over joyous that the chief gave her the dire wolf as a gift she approached the large white wolf placing her hand on its nose bridge. One of the warriors handed her the reins of the beast and bowed to her. Anana led her new animal guide toward the ship that would transport her and her new friend to Gaipan.

"Chief Nikaitchuk gave me my life long friend, an arctic dire wolf I named Amarok. He protected me when my life was in danger and carried me on his back without making a complaint," Anana stated.

"I arrived in Gaipan, a settlement between Omashu and Tongren built on an island surrounded by a river named, Gaipan River which the settlement was named after. There was a section of Oma Kingdom troops waiting to escort me to their capital where I would meet King Peng Zu, third of his dynasty," Anana addressed to Rong Yan.

Anana arrived in the town of Gaipan a logging settlement in the province of Omashu, working-class loggers lived here and the mayor's family were lumberjacks for three generations. She headed to the mayor's home where she met the mayor.

"You must be Avatar Anana," he spoke bowing to the young woman then he introduced himself, "I am Mayor Mu, I received word from King Zu that a section of soldiers will be escorting you to Omashu city. I will send word of your arrival to the barracks." She was led inside the home of the mayor who poured her a cup of tea, an assistant of the mayor stepped forward bowing to his boss and the Avatar.

"Do you require me Mayor Mu?" he inquired to the mayor, Mu nodded, "I need you to send word to barracks the Avatar has arrived," the assistant slightly bowed his head departing the home with a farewell, "As you wish."

Anana and Mu discussed things especially the civil war and how Yao dismissed the travel act between the Oma Kingdom and Qiangda Kingdom which allowed regular citizens to pass freely between the two kingdoms an act created and passed by Earth King Zhuanxu of the Tong Dynasty.

"Should I fear that Earth King Yao might not allow me to walk freely in Qiangda Kingdom lands if I master earthbending here?" she questioned the mayor.

"No, child Yao has no problems with the Water Tribes and its best if you keep your identity to yourself if you choose to travel to the capital of the Qiangda Kingdom," advised Mu.

"Wait why should I keep my identity from him?" she asked.

"Earth King Yao had an issue with your past life, he outlawed Air Nomads from the kingdom and to this day no Air Nomad is allowed to enter his lands. He threatened to seize the northern and western air temple lands, and even invaded the Gangdise Shan mountain range in Chengdu," responded Mu.

"Yao took issue with this, as history pointed out that the Xia and Shang dynasties gave the land to the ancient Air Nomads to build their temples upon. Yao declared these treaties no longer applied when the Xia and Shang kingdoms were unified under the Zhou banner," Mu continued.

"But the history texts also indicating that Earth King Duryaja reformed the treaties, there had to be another reason why Yao wanted to seize the land," Anana pointed out, her knowledge was based on studies from tutors employed by the chief. He wanted her to learn as much world history as she possibly could.

"Greed is as good as any, child," guessed Mu, Yao was known to be very greedy as many have reported. There was a lot of rebellion in the Qiangda kingdom at this moment, Yao was no longer a king but a tyrant running a regime. The death of her past life caused the governor of Chengdu to secede from the kingdom, Earth King Yao also angered Earth King Peng who commanded his military to take Ru, Pingyao, and Gongzhu from the Qiangda Kingdom. Only successfully conquering half of each province, the Qiangda navies prevented Oma navies from taking prominent territory that would allow them to invade their capital.

Two years before Anana arrived in Gaipan, the Oma Kingdom was victorious in capturing the Chaopin, Kunlun and Taihao provinces. If the regime continued more provinces would secede from the Qiangda kingdom joining the Oma Kingdom or remaining neutral. Yao was indeed losing the war. Many from both kingdoms knew better there were many times where the war almost ended before the enemy regained their states. A lot of states weren't taken by force many of the governors switched politically nicknaming those provinces 'swing states'.

The captain who commanded the section of soldiers escorting Anana to Omashu knocked on the mayor's door. Mu stood from his seat while Anana continued to sip her tea, answering the door there stood the captain in the doorway. She glanced back to see the military captain she quickly chugging her timid tea and minced over to meet him, he and his section of soldiers bowed to the Avatar.

"Avatar Anana we are under your service as directed by King Peng Zu while escorting you to the royal palace in Omashu," declared the captain, she bowed in return thanking, "I am thankful you will be accompanying me to your capital."

She strolled to the stables grabbing hold of Amarok's fur mounting the large dire wolf. The captain arrived on his ostrich horse with the other thirteen soldiers close behind on their mounts mentioning to her, "This won't take long the capital's a day and a half away," he noted. She smiled and nodded following behind the captain. Six ostrich horses surrounded her front side and seven behind her.

A day and a half later, they arrived in front of the chasm they rode through the Koulau mountains, where located in the center was the capital. The city itself was built upon a mountain and surrounded by thick walls. Just like the Qiangda capital this city was hard to conquer it was giant but beaten by Ba Sing Se which was twice as big. If the city was ever to be under attack the earthbenders would crumble the land bridge giving access to the city. There was only one entrance everyone knew about which was the main gates while only a select few knew of the sewer entrance. They rode up to the walls where the section of soldiers were held by the guards while the men had an exchange of words she rose her head to gaze at the height of the walls of Omashu, she was taken aback at the sheer size of the fortifications.

"State your business," one of the guards said.

"We're on direct orders by the Crown to escort the Avatar to his palace," reported the captain handing the guard the scroll attached to his waistband. The guard didn't even open the scroll the wax seal that held it closed was enough evidence of what the captain was saying. The guard nodded then barked, "Open the gates!" Anana continuing to hold gaze at the walls she could see earthbenders using their bending to pull open the gates of the city. She was filled with wonderment when she saw the city within for the first time. There were tons of homes, and buildings strewn about the mountains the capital was built on. Another thing she noticed were chutes everywhere around the city, these chutes transported things around the city.

"What is that?" she asked the captain pointing at the chute system. He responded, "That is Omashu's delivery system, it's a large variety of chutes that deliver mail and shipments across the city. Earthbending and gravity make it work, the delivery office is actually at the top of the mountain below the royal palace."

"Wow," she drawled prolonging the o in the word two soldiers back overheard her response to their captain's explanation one of them leans in to mention to the other, "That's exactly what crosses my mind every time I come back." They rode over to another system in Omashu which allowed faster transportation around the city.

"What's this?" she asked him.

"This is an elevator, if we were to hike up the city it'd take us about ten hours. This only speeds it up to two hours," he replied. The large lift was able to fit Anana and Amarok, along with the fourteen soldiers. A group of master earthbenders lifted them swinging their arms until they reached the next set of stops. Eventually, they reached the royal palace which its structural integrity blew her away, the architecture was beautiful. She dismounted her dire wolf which was led to the royal stables. Inside was the grand throne room of the Earth King of Omashu his throne was at the far side of the throne room, the palace itself had four halls beside the throne room that could be seen each leading toward a different wing of the palace.

In the middle sat a middle-aged man he must've been in his late forties surrounding him were guards and his court of nobles. The King wore lavish dark green robes with golden accents his robes were made of spider-silk a sign of wealth and aristocratic birth as only the richest of either the Qiangda or Oma kingdom wore spider-silk clothing. He wore a dark green cap on his head with two feathers this must have been the crown it was studded with jade gems, and he carried a few rings on each of his hands.

Beside the court sitting down on a bench was another middle-aged man tan-skinned, green eyes, his long black hair was uncut and bound by a thin strip of green cloth that held it into a topknot. He wore a tattered linen knee-length, short-sleeved tunic secured with a dark green sash, the slacks he wore had two or three patches on it, the man wore sandals, he wore a forest green sleeveless jacket over the tunic and carried a goatee and thick mustache on his upper lip. When she saw the man she thought it must have been a criminal waiting judgment.

The captain of soldiers who escorted Anana tapped her on the right shoulder she knew this to be a sign to kneel before the Earth King. She knelt before the King of Omashu he was satisfied with her class and manners, he rose to his feet surrounding the kneeling girl studying her. "You must be the incarnation of Avatar Kwan Chun correct?" he inquired to the girl, she nodded, "Yes King Zu," he padded around her once more, "After the death of Avatar Kwan Chun, when my scouts reported how it all went down. It gave me the motivation to attack the Qiangda Kingdom and take some of its territories. Now as a tribute to an old friend I will win the war," he declared.

"What King Yao committed was wrong on so many levels and I regret not sending troops to aid an old friend," King Peng dropped his head in shame regretting not sending aid to Kwan Chun because then at least he might still be around. He sighed, it was something that bothered him for years but now it was time to make it up to his successor.

"From what I was told by your chief you already mastered waterbending by the time you were fourteen-years-old. The next element in the cycle is earth, which brings me to your earthbending master," recalled Peng. Peng stepped toward the middle-aged man who sat idly on a bench the same man Anana thought to be a criminal awaiting judgment. King Peng only looked for the best earthbenders in the Omashu province having the best candidates duel it out to find the victor.

"I searched all across my kingdom to find you the best candidate, I found four men and one woman. They dueled to prove to me which one of them was the best, and Cuzhuang defeated them and me in a fair duel. You will find no better talent in my kingdom than this man," boasted Peng, he was reciting the recent achievements of Anana's new earthbending master, he even defeated King Peng Zu in a duel which shocked the royal guards because they ignorantly believed he was the best earthbender across the land.

The man rose to his feet he was tall, and sturdy the clothing on his back described his social status in the Oma Kingdom social hierarchy. While he was considered one of the low classes he was still above a merchant. He was the son of a farmer, his farm was in the northern part of the Omashu province. He bowed to his apprentice he felt like he was bringing himself and his family honor for generations to come. He would be written down in history as an Avatar's bending master.

But he didn't do for the glory, his father's farm was falling apart, the soil was lifeless now, and no money was coming in. His livestock was dying out as well, the lack of crops and because the wild dogs in the region sometimes scavenge for food. They've even gone as far bending walls around the crops but that defeats the purpose of allowing sunlight to hit the crops. The Omashu government protects farmers from a variety of things, like property taxes because farms grow food that sustains the citizens of the kingdom. Plus the Zu dynasty supported the agricultural class, the first monarch was the son of a farmer.

"I am at your service, Avatar Anana" stated Cuzhuang, Anana slightly bowed her head in respect, "Thank you, I am willing to learn from the king's best choice," she commented.

"I wouldn't have it any other way plus the Qiangda Kingdom knows not of your existence, young waterbender," King Peng Zu mentions.

"I'm aware of this, the mayor of Gaipan advised me to remain under a different name while visiting the Qiangda kingdom," remembered Anana.

"If that narrow-minded xenophobic learned of your identity it could prove to be a danger to your safety," added Peng.

"I met with Earth King Peng Zu in the city of Omashu, where I mastered earthbending under the tutelage of Cuzhuang and the watchful eye of King Peng Zu. I mastered it in two years, Cuzhuang was the son of a farmer. Cuzhuang was a strict man like many earthbenders he was also stubborn and just like he, so was I," continued Anana summarizing bits of her life to Rong Yan.

"In a time of danger this is the most resourceful technique, if an earthbender is suspended from the ground, but is aware that there is earth somewhere near, the earthbender can focus their energies and bend that earth out of their physical reach out of sheer concentration," shouted Cuzhuang from the structure that Peng Zu had his men create out of wood for a demonstration. While Peng Zu was overseeing the earthbending training of Anana he helped Cuzhuang improvise on different lessons when possible.

Anana climbing the wooden platform it must have been at least ten heads tall she turned her attention to her master to ask him, "I have a question, is remote earthbending similar to magnetization?"

He nodded, "Yes precisely but instead of the rock enveloping your limbs while they rest on the earth, you must pull the earth from a distance to cover your body." He didn't demonstrate because he knew she was a great listener, Anana inhaled a deep breath closing her eyes and maintaining breath control she extended her hand out pieces of the floor enclosed on her hand consuming it with earth when she opened her eyes, her left hand was covered in earth. She smiled brightly at her master, with his arms crossed he stared at her stoically before giving a slight nod.

"I argued with Cuzhuang at one point he was right I was the only solution to ending the regime in the Qiangda Kingdom. I understood the Oma Kingdom was winning the war, but the Qiangda Kingdom citizens did not deserve to be treated terribly by their sovereign. He eventually contacted his cousin, Pang who lives in the capital of the Qiangda Kingdom, Ba Sing Se," she told Rong Yan.

"Pang allowed me to stay in her home while I finished my goals in Ba Sing Se, I put a pause on my training for this. I contacted my past life Kwan Chun his advice was a step toward my goal," Anana stated.

Cuzhuang's family farm was thriving the support given to him by Peng Zu was much needed while Anana stayed in the royal palace of Omashu she visited Cuzhuang for one reason at his family farm, and that was to get his opinion on her idea. They argued like a married couple inside of the two-floored home in his room.

"I'm going to Ba Sing Se," she uttered, he got up from his seat where he rested from his long shift.

"No way, King Zu and I forbid you from going," declined Cuzhuang shaking his head.

"Cuzhuang I need to go, I know the Qiangda Kingdom is losing the war to the Oma Kingdom but I can't allow the citizens to suffer any longer," maintained Anana.

"I already said no, Peng has welcomed you into his home, allowed you to live for two years in his palace without paying rent, he's fed you, he's advised you and this is how you're going repay him by going behind his back to the Qiangda Kingdom?" argued Cuzhuang.

"How long do you think this war will take to end? How many more lives have to suffer and die before the Oma Kingdom wins? Two years and Peng's armies haven't taken new territory," countered Anana.

"It might only be another few months," exclaimed Cuzhuang he paused before adding, "You can wait another few months before you're allowed to openly say who you are out there."

"Months? Let's look at history, the greatest of all Avatars weren't even big enough to end this war, the war continues regardless of what we do. The regime must collapse if we are to allow this civil war to end. The war began with Giralal, he was killed in combat between the two kingdoms, Avani didn't even end the war she only protected the Qiangda Kingdom and allowed them to have more foothold continuing the war, heck even Mun Jin dedicated years on the war before abandoning hope and focusing on the Spirit World. We come so close to ending it and then the enemy kingdom retakes land," she sassed him.

"I can't help you if that's what you came here for," Cuzhuang said.

"I came here to give you my goodbye for now," she finished, Anana turned around about to head out of his room when he stopped her he sighed, "Anana.." he paused.

"I have a cousin who lives in Ba Sing Se her name is Pang, I can send her a letter to allow you to stay with her while you do what you need to do. But if she's willing to help," Cuzhuang mentioned sighing again knowing he's going to regret this because this was known as treason in a sense, he was helping the Avatar to travel to the enemy territory against the decision of the King of Omashu. She planned to overthrow the King of Ba Sing Se, this was treason for Pang as well both of them would be put to death.

"I'm going to regret this, but you're the best hope for the future of a unified Earth Kingdom," he sighed again. She threw her arms around her friend kissing him on the cheek he lightly pushed her back pointing his finger at her he hinted, "And you better not mention this conservation to Peng or we're both screwed."

Months later, Cuzhuang finally received a response from his cousin, he read the letter before sending a messenger bird to notify Anana. Opening the scroll it read, "Dear Cuzhuang,

Are you insane? Do you know how much trouble that would get me in? Treason is punishable by death, but at the same time, my fear of being caught is overridden by the suffering of the Kingdom's citizens. Another province seceded from the Qiangda Kingdom, Bai Da seceded politically and will remain neutral until the surrounding states secede and join the Oma Kingdom. You mentioned your friend wanted to join the resistance? I'm not even sure if we have one of those but Ba Sing Se's the place to find it.

I will allow your friend to roommate with me until they find a job while they complete their quest here. Hopefully, when this is all over maybe you and the family can visit me.

Love,

Pang"

A guard sinks the wall to Anana's chamber within the royal palace she was sitting on her bed reading literature. He slightly bowed his head to the Avatar handing her a scroll tied with a ribbon. King Peng gifted Cuzhuang his very own seal press, for when he needs to send official letters straight to his apprentice or to the king. The wax was white but it was pressed with his seal, the ribbon tied around the scroll was dark green to show that it was sent from the Oma kingdom. When she removed the ribbon and broke open the seal it was the same message that Pang wrote to Cuzhuang, although there was a small torn piece of parchment inside the scroll as well she read, "Anana before you leave I need you to come back to my father's plantation we need to discuss a strategy before you arrive to the Qiangda capital.

Yours,

Sifu Cuzhuang"

She rolled up the scroll with the note looking at the brazier to the far wall near the sinking wall that she used to open so she could leave. She nipped lightly over to it tossing the evidence into the fires before grabbing a few things. She was only going to be there for another two weeks while Earth King Peng waited for Fire Lord Haien's response. She would be safer in the Fire Nation than the Oma Kingdom despite Peng winning the war.

She wasn't aware of the time of the day, she headed out the sun dais in front of the royal palace steps indicated the time to be around morning. In an hour, King Peng would be awake she's been a master earthbender for the past two months all she did was diplomatic things with the other nations and speaking to ambassadors. Learning world politics, economics, and how government works every good Avatar has to know this stuff.

While she found an interest in this Anana had more important things to fix, she jogged over to Amarok's pen within the royal stables. The smell of the surrounding areas always bothered her, it stunk of beast and animal droppings. The white dire wolf was being groomed by one of the royal stablehands, she sighed knowing that the stablehand would rat her out. She was discontent with his presence instead she shook it off and opened the gates catching the attention of her dire wolf.

Amarok's eyes widen and glistened at the sight of its master it hopped on top of Anana knocking her to the ground licking her from mid-chest to head a few times. Amarok was happy to see her it's been a while since she took her animal guide for a ride and now was a good time except she's not coming back. The royal stablehand grabbed his tools and left the girl to her beast. Anana climbed onto the saddle pulling herself up and adjusting her position to a more comfortable one of the large wolf. She snapped the reins of her mount giving a signal to the dire wolf, they strode out of the city, "C'mon boy, we're going to Cuzhuang's family plantation," she said petting the beast's neck.

Two days later, they finally arrive at the plantation just outside of a village about two miles north of the fields owned by Cuzhuang's father. It was five hours past twilight near morning Cuzhuang was getting ready to help his father and a few of his workers who live north from the farm in that village harvest the produce when he hears the heavy footsteps of a creature. The guards ready their weapons only to lower them at the sight of Anana and Amarok. Catching Cuzhuang's attention he fixates his eyes at the thin fog over yonder and smiles when a large white wolf appears from the mist.

The girl swinging herself off the wolf's back the momentum stops her a few steps forward from where she predicted she'd land. Cuzhuang lumbered toward the girl greeting each other with a hug, his father stopped shoveling to scan the area and see who arrived, eyeing the Water Tribe girl he too halted working to stride over and greet her. The young girl hugged her master, his stocky and overweight father pounded over the wrinkles around his face could tell stories about the old man's life.

He wore a straw hat to cover his face from the rays of the hot sun, he wore a dirty dirt brown tunic with a stain near his left chest area, fastened by a leather belt, he wore stitched light brown britches with one or two patches on it, he was barefooted for earthbending. In his old age, his earthbending was weaker for having not trained for a while but he was able to do certain things that didn't cause too much stress on his muscles.

"G' morning Avatar Anana, quite a surprise that you are visitin' us, I wasn't notified that you'd be comin' 'ere," greeted the old man.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Nong Ren. My apologies for visiting unannounced I only came to give my final goodbyes before I depart to the Fire Nation. I just needed to discuss my departure with Cuzhuang," she greeted the old codger, she has gotten used to his white thick mustache shaking side to side as he spoke but when they first met she couldn't contain her laughter.

"You have five minutes to talk to the girl, and if you don't come back I will drop your britches and swat you!" he warned Cuzhuang, the old strict coot still put his middle-aged son over his knee. Or so he says he will Cuzhuang rolled his eyes and sighed, "Yes papa." Anana sniggered at the thought of Cuzhuang being bent over Nong Ren's knee being punished for misbehaving.

Cuzhuang led Anana into the farmhouse and up to his room where they would discuss whatever she was there for, before heading to the capital of the Qiangda kingdom. He rolled up the dusty sleeves of his tunic and leaning against the wall while she sat on his bed. Beds in Zu/Qiangda dynasty Earth Kingdom were less like beds and more like platforms with thin mattresses and sheets. At least the beds in the Omashu royal palace were comfier and were the leading design for beds in modern times.

"What should I do when I arrive at the city?" she inquired for advice, "They're going to document you into the city's census where the government or law enforcement can pull your name. Do you have an alias yet?" answered Cuzhuang.

Anana nodded, "I read about more Avatar history I was thinking of using the name of one of my past lives, she was of Water Tribe descent so it's more believable."

"What is it?" he asked her.

"Tikaani," she uttered.

"I like it, its unique and beautiful," he commented about his thoughts on the name Anana chose to use while in Ba Sing Se.

"That's not very common name anymore, there was a burst in the census soon after her death. But its popularity died down making Manirak and Arrluk the most common names," she disclosed to him. Cuzhuang crossed his arms and nodded, "Hmm" he uttered while thinking of what to say.

"Do I tell them what I'm there for?" she guessed, "...Yes, you mention to them you're only visiting an old friend. You give them Pang's name, mention that she works in a tea house and they'll give you a map to what neighborhood she's in. But please stick to yourself trust no one except Pang, Yao has eyes and ears known as the Baojun Yan," he advised her.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"It took me two months to reach Ba Sing Se, I took the ferry from Dahongpao in Wuyi to reach the other side. The Serpent's Pass is too dangerous and only the dunderheads take it and never make it to the other side," she told Rong Yan, for the first time in Rong Yan's life he witnessed the grand walls of Ba Sing Se through the life of his past life, Anana. The walls' height was higher than the thick clouds nearby like the walls reached into the heavens where Tiandi watched below. Anana's eyes scaled the walls for as high as she could see them a gasp of wonderment and marvel of the gargantuan impenetrable walls of the capital of the Qiangda kingdom.

There was a heavily guarded entryway everyone entered through a checkpoint created by the 24th Earth King. Amarok lightly nipping through the passageway where Anana pulled back the reins of her dire wolf and Amarok came to a halt they waited in line for a chunk of time. It was now noon when it was their turn she bought false documents in Dahongpao before boarding the ferry to the Qiangda Kingdom.

"Documents please, state your business in Ba Sing Se," one of the men at the checkpoint demanded from her, she reached into her satchel handing him her forged documents. He signaled to another to search her bags making sure she brought no war contraband or was there to assassinate Yao.

"By order of Earth King Yao, we're required to search your bags, miss," the guard mentioned to her while having one of his inferiors rummage through her belongings. He found nothing after probing through her things. Just a book she stole from the Omashu library, snacks for her dire wolf, clothing, and other things like she had a vial of pleasantry scents. The inspecting soldier uncorked the vial sniffing it before closing the vial again.

"She's clean, sir," announced the inspector, his superior gave him on a nod and she responded, "I'm here visiting an old friend for a while."

"Name of the citizen," commanded the captain.

"Pang, Lower Ring," she replied, the guard sighed, "There are over twenty-two Pangs in the southern Lower Ring alone, miss. You're going to have to be more descriptive."

"Oh I'm sorry, she works in a tea house in the Lower Ring," added Anana, clearing her throat. One of the scholars at the checkpoint looked through the records for a tea server named Pang in the Lower Ring. He found the name and handed one of the guards a note for the girl with directions to Pang's apartment.

"Western Lower Ring, neighborhood thirty-eight, street twelve, apartment seventy Nong Pang," the guard repeated as he read handing it to the girl. The captain handed her the forged documents welcoming her to the city, "Welcome to Ba Sing Se, Tikaani of the Northern Water Tribe."

The large, expansive dirt road that led into the outer city's agricultural zone was full of traffic, people on their mounts, carriages and merchant stock carts arriving from outside the capital to deliver goods to the merchant square of one of three rings. To the left and right sides of the large road were the vast agricultural fields ten times the size of the Nong family's plantation, with twenty times the size of the workforce working at each field.

Anana believed that after crossing into the Outer Wall she was finally in the city but that wasn't the case, north of the agricultural zone was the Lower Ring wall. But at this point, all she had to do was show the checkpoint soldiers there the note given to her by the census and they'd let her through. After a few hours of being guided the right direction, she arrived in the western Lower Ring, neighborhood thirty-eight, street twelve, apartment seventy. The doors were numbered as well so she was sure she was in front of the right home. The stables where she kept Amarok were two blocks down from where she was staying at for the time being.

Anana knocked on the door a short, plump young woman answered the door, her hair was tied into a bun and she wore an apron she either was preparing to leave to work or she just arrived. Her tunic was a tan color, the apron she wore was a charcoal gray color, she also wore tan-colored hemp threaded shoes.

"Can I help you?" the young woman asked the girl at her door.

"Are you Nong Pang?" she questioned the woman.

"Yes, what's this about?" she felt a sudden drop in her temperature Pang was nervous now but she tried to keep her cool.

"I'm friends with Nong Cuzhuang, your cousin my name is An-" she replied before being interrupted and pulled by her tunic inside the apartment. She yelped in surprise that Cuzhuang's cousin would pull her in. She let go of Anana and apologized, "Sorry I had to do that, your name isn't Anana its whatever it says on your documents, got it?" she insisted, Anana nodded quickly.

"I'm Pang," she extended her hand to the girl who dusted herself off, "I'm Anana," she whispered shaking Pang's hand.

"What's your relationship with my cousin Cuzhuang?" she questioned the younger girl, Pang was now twenty-five-years-old while she tried guessing Anana's age she thought maybe nineteen-years-old.

"Cuzhuang is my earthbending master," disclosed Anana, at first Pang ignored her words as unimportant chatter, the words went through one of her ears and out the other. Two words caught her attention through all the noise her gums made.

"Earthbending master?!" she exclaimed in shock, she fell to her knees kowtowing to Anana. "Please excuse my ignorance, Avatar do not smite me for my insolence!" she cried. Anana snickered at the girl expressing her regrets, "Calm down I'm not going to do that." Embarrassed Pang stood up dusting herself off tittering nervously she ruined her first impression with the Avatar.

"If you'd like you can get yourself settled, but here are some ground rules. Don't bring boys, unless they're dolls, don't do anything illegal here, I know your intentions here but you're going to have to do that somewhere else," Pang noted she grabbed a few things before heading out the door she turned to look at Anana, "You can come along if you want, I'll try getting you job at the tea house," she offered the girl, Anana smiled and nodded going out the door with her new roommate.

"I arrived in Ba Sing Se making friends with Cuzhuang's cousin Pang, she had a paranoid and tentative personality but we became very good friends. Two weeks into living in Ba Sing Se during my lunch break I was approached by one of the regulars of the tea house a man named Rari," Anana continued.

"It's like my time there he examined and observed the kind of person I am and he knew but he spoke in riddles as to not give away my identity," Anana divulged to Rong Yan. Subprior Shang Xi came to his mind one of the Jongmu's Council of Elders who spoke in riddles. The man's speaking pattern was unique as a means for secrecy.

The man was from the Lower Ring as well he was tan-skinned, tall and fit, his eyes were light green, he had long bushy dark brown hair, and an unkempt fu manchu mustache and goatee. The tunic he wore was a pistachio green color, his slacks and sash were basil green color, and he wore hemp threaded slippers, he was a little dirty with coal smudges on his body. It was likely he worked in one of the coal mines within the Outer Wall of the city.

She was eating alone that day Pang was staying ill, the man approached her, "Is this seat available?" She chewed on her food and nodded her head, "Thank you" he thanked her sitting next to her. She ignored him eating her food he wasn't sure of a way to open his conversation with her. He rummaged through his satchel and handed her a pamphlet then scanned the room to make sure the other workers weren't paying attention or within earshot.

"The eyes of the opposition have been watching you, manifestation of Tiandi, I offer you this, meet us here after your shift. And your vision will be widened to a future without the tyrannical one," he said sliding the paper over to her.

"Dispose of it after you memorize the location," he added grabbing his satchel he slung it over his shoulder and walked out. She read the pamphlet, folding it she tucked it into her pocket for later and continued eating her meal when her co-worker another girl set down her tray after serving the other two customers their tea, she neared toward Anana who was finished her bowl of rice.

"Tikaani what was that all about?" she wondered, Anana now had to lie to Pang's friend she wouldn't understand and likely she would report Anana to the Baojun Yan, Yao's eyes and ears, agents sporadically stationed around the city. Their main goal is to dismantle any opposition to Earth King Yao and the Crowned Prince Shahuang, there have been several assassination attempts on both Yao and Shahuang's life these past ten years that the Baojun Yan were created.

"It was just some guy that found me attractive asked me out," Anana lied, her co-worker reacted in disgust, "Eww that guy is too old for you!" She picked up the tray and nipped back into the kitchen.

Later that night, before closing the tea house she revised the pamphlet given to her by the man who approached her earlier that day. Her co-worker's shift ended two hours before closing and Anana was the last to leave. Studying the map on the map the directions were to head northeast for three blocks where the rally would happen. She stuffed it back into her pocket and locked the tea house.

She saw a group of people in a location but kept to herself first passing by them slowly not trying to draw attention in case it was a plant. In the corner of her eyes, she saw that they were looking at the pamphlets too and was then met by the man from earlier. He signaled her and the group to follow him. They were led to a large abandoned building where the rally was held. There were about forty to fifty attendees, most were Earth Kingdom citizens with a few foreigners here and there the doorman was a firebender who burned their pamphlets at the door for further security. Her recruiter stood on a platform shouting words that motivated the people who suffered from the regime.

"Who here has suffered under Earth King Yao's reign?" he shouted inquiring to the attendants. They all roared raising their hands, "Many of our people have been arrested for being unable to pay property taxes, for not holding their tongue on certain manners, the homeless are executed by the Baojun Yan, many have gone starving! The Baojun Yan and Yao are our oppressors! We're losing the civil war to the Oma Kingdom and states are seceding from Yao's union!" he yelled to the crowd.

"We have to end the suffering now! Yao's crowned prince is unacceptable! He's exactly like his father we must start a new dynasty with an elected Earth King!" he roared. The crowd jumped up at his words clapping the man was a natural speaker.

The rally continued for another hour more motivational speeches and people sharing their sob stories about the horrors they or their family members endured while at the hands of the Baojun Yan, after the rally the doorman didn't allow Anana to leave. The unkempt laborer from before lumbered toward her extending his hand, only his close followers lingered after the citizens left.

"I know you're the physical manifestation of Tiandi himself," Rari added.

"Physical manifestation?" she questioned him, "Yknow the Avatar?" he returned a rhetorical question.

"How di-" she was now worried she was interrupted by the interjection from one of the women, "We know, I work in the census building in the city here in the Lower Ring. We know the Avatar is from one of the Water Tribes and I did further research you came from the Oma Kingdom even though your papers say you're from Yu province."

"I'm sorry I don't know what you're talking about," Anana worried she felt anxious now this might be her end.

"You're not in any immediate danger, Tikaani I can promise you that otherwise, we wouldn't be having a conversation with you. I'm Panni," smiled the woman extending her hand, Anana shook her hand lightly still shaking. "Is Tikaani your real name?" she asked. Anana shook her head, "My name is Anana."

"When Panni researched you I knew it was time to come toward you with recruitment we need your help. You're the best future for our kingdom," Rari added.

"We became the opposition, the resistance to King Yao and Baojun Yan, I am not proud of what we had to do to Shahuang, but his assassination was important to the Qiangda Kingdom's future. Yao was distraught over his heir's death, it was the only way we could strip him of his birthright. We interviewed the governors of the Chengdu and Bai Da provinces while they were good candidates we eventually met Qiangda Wang, second born to Yao. He was a perfect fit," Anana remembered her life flashing before Rong Yan's eyes overlooking at a young royal, a boy in his late teens, Wang was nothing like his father or brother, he was the complete opposite and was disliked by his father for being too polite.

"One-night Rari and I visited the local library in the Middle Ring where we found an interesting book on the Tong dynasty. Inside it was recorded about a document written and enforced by my past life Avatar Xi of the Tong Dynasty. He was both an Earth King and the Avatar after much is mentioned about his life and the regent lord he took his kingdom back from. This document was called, 'Da xianzhang', an old document known to limit the power of an Earth monarch which entailed the protection of temple rights, protection for the court from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown but in early Qiangda kingdom, feudalism declined transitioning into semi-feudalism.

"There were another few things mentioned in there that I double-checked by asking Xi Tong himself, Yao's reign was illegal and immediate strip of his title was made by his heir. So we kidnapped Wang, showed him what he needed to see, and with our help he stripped the crown from his father," recalled Anana.

Everything went as planned Anana, and Rari were escorted to the royal palace by order of Wang they were his guests. Rari carried the book along with him after the palace guards inspected it. They searched Anana and Rari thoroughly the life of Yao was more important apparently to the guards than Wang's. Rari handed the book Wang who opened the book skimming down to the line where the copy of the Da Xianzhang was found. Yao stood from his throne agitated at his son the short-tempered man's reputation was spot on he yelled across the throne room at his heir.

"Wang, what is that? And who are these people? I should have them killed for not bowing to me!" he screamed.

"My apologies, father but this has to be done. The Da Xianzhang written and enforced by the 37th Earth King the last of the Tong dynasty says all future Earth Kings must follow these rules. Its to prevent further tyranny in Duryaja's Kingdom, Qiangda Yao you have stripped of all properties, titles, and monarch rights I hereby am forced to abdicate you of your throne," Wang's voice echoed across the halls.

"Arrest Qiangda Yao, he is no longer your monarch and he no longer commands you!" ordered Wang to the guards. They were confused but several of them remembered learning about the document in school, they slightly bowed their heads to Wang, "All hail Earth King Wang, long may he reign," they spoke in unison. Yao was trapped in a cone of earth, screaming for the Baojun Yan to aid him for he was under attack. Rari and Anana stepped forward kneeling before the new Earth King Wang, a tall, lanky boy. He took the crown off his father's head and gave himself an unofficial coronation, he sat down on the throne.

"You may rise, Avatar and friend," said Wang.

"AVATAR?!" screamed Yao.

"You order my guards to release and I won't kill you!" he barked at his son. Wang sighed, "Ren please, gag my father I don't want his words hurting others anymore. Bind him to braces and escort him to the royal prison," he ordered the captain of the royal guard.

The Baojun Yan arrived to, the aid of Yao as soon as a gag slapped him in the mouth he screamed under the gag but his muffled orders couldn't be heard. The men wore light green robes, with light green conical hats, the insignia on the mid-chest area of the robes was the coin insignia of the Qiangda Kingdom. They all stood in stances Wang commanded them now, he ordered, "I order you to stand down from this day forth the Baojun Yan are hereby dismantled and no longer will be allowed to operate in my city." The group of men bowed to their new Earth King, Yao now sweaty as the cone sunk into the ground and he was cuffed with braces of earth.

"Two weeks after his unofficial coronation his real coronation happened, with the help of Wang we rebuilt the Qiangda Kingdom. When word got out to Bai Da and Chengdu they rejoined the kingdom, the changes were flourishing throughout the king's land. My job was done I exchanged goodbyes with Rari and Pang and left to the Fire Nation," she recalled.

In Wang's throne room she knelt before Earth King Wang while he lounged in his throne constantly being pestered by his father's adviser. The adviser was freely allowed to speak his mind now that Wang was the leader, he properly advised the boy and taught him all he needed to know. He gestured his adviser shooing him away, "I finally received word from Fire Lord Haien he awaits your audience in Palace City, I hope you will return someday. Guards are waiting for you outside to escort you to Shuicheng in Hailiu province when you're ready," mentioned Wang.

Anana bowed to Wang, "Thank you, but I need to make two stops before leaving." He nodded, "As you wish just let them know, and Anana.." he paused she gazed up at Wang asked him, "Yes?"

"Thank you, you lengthened the future of my kingdom," thanked Wang. The guards arrived to escort Anana to Hailiu they bowed to the Earth King and then the leader faced Anana, "Your carriage is ready for departure, Avatar Anana."

She smiled, "Thank you, can we make stops in the Lower Ring I need to say my farewells to Rari and Pang."

"As you wish, Avatar," he bowed to the girl. After leaving the palace several hours later they arrived in the Lower Ring first to Rari's home. Anana knocked on the door Rari and Panni answered the door together she hugged both of them tightly, "Without your help, this wouldn't be possible," Rari told Anana. "Thank you for not ratting Rari and I out we only wanted what was best for our people," smiled Panni bowed her head to Anana. They weren't married yet but they lived together soon they would marry.

She then reached Pang's apartment the men waited outside while met one final time with the twenty-seven-year-old woman. Pang's room doubled in the number of dolls and Anana was worried about her friend.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay here even if it was a risk to you," Anana thanked Pang, they hugged each other. Pang slimmed down a bit in two years with the help of Anana if only now she would commit to it and not be much of shut-in.

"Oh!" Pang uttered remembering something she paused bolting into her room, as a gift Pang gave Anana something to remember her for it was a doll of a gopher bear made of linen and stuffed with ostrich horsehair it was about a foot tall and weighed almost nothing. She finished her sentence presenting her friend with the gift, "...I got you something to remember me for."

Anana was confused about the creature it was, she questioned Pang, "What is it?"

"Its a stuffed gopher bear, silly!" she beamed excitedly.

"What do I use this for?" she asked, Pang, embarrassed tittered nervously, "By the gods, you hate it don't you?"

Shaking her head taking the damn thing from Pang's hands holding it in between both of hers the stuffed version of a gopher bear had buttons for eyes and an embroidered smile. "I knew it'd be a stupid idea, what was I thinking!" she chattered, Anana put her hand on Pang's shoulder while holding the stuffed animal in the other hand, "Pang stop. I like it, thank you," she embraced her chubby friend.

"I'm going to miss you," Pang whispered to Anana.

"You give it a name, decide whether it's a boy or girl, use it for when you're sad, as emotional therapy talk to it, tell all your secrets to it. At least that's what I do," Pang mentioned chattering about unimportant details.

She hugged the doll on her way out and was lifted onto the carriage by the royal guards she cuddled with the doll as she fell asleep during the evenings on the way to Hailiu province. Amarok was used as one of the animals of burden pulling the cart alongside a gemsbok bull.

"After boarding a ship in Shuicheng I was dropped off in Yin La within the Fire Nation where they allowed me to report to the palace of Haien when I was ready. I stopped at a restaurant where I took a break and ate some food. Fire Nation cuisine was something different for a change," Anana retold Rong Yan.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I visited the local circus where I met the ringmaster of the circus he caught my eye for two reasons he was very handsome and his firebending skills were the best I've seen so far. There was something within me that gave me the notion to believe he was my firebending master," Anana said.

"You said you felt something that gave you the notion he was your next teacher?" inquired Rong Yan.

"Yes, Rong Yan. We can feel the strongest auras in someone, an Avatar's bending master is usually chosen by the Avatar themself they feel magnetized to this person," answered Anana.

"That's how I felt when I first met Tanaraq," related Rong Yan.

It was after the show that a young woman approached the man in his mid-twenties, he was pale-skinned, had amber-colored irises, his hair was styled into a brown ponytail, his outfit was unique it was a long red tunic folded in the front underneath the sash, he wore an orange shawl over the tunic, his trousers were made of red silk, he wore crimson red leather clogs, the hat on his head was purple with red accents and a golden ornate attached to it, this was the hat of a circus master.

He rolled his eyes thinking another fangirl wanted his autograph he sighed then trying to keep a smile on his face. "Wow your firebending skills were amazing out there!" she marveled, he slightly bowed his head, "Thank you," he thanked her.

"I'm guessing you're here for an autograph?" he guessed, she shook her head, "No actually I was wondering if you could teach me firebending," she disclosed to the circus master. He sized her up perplexed because she wore Southern Water Tribe clothing he assumed she was from the South Pole.

"Hmm so you're not from Water Tribe?" he wondered.

"I am, but I'm looking for a firebending teacher," she repeated.

"And now I'm confused..." he said pausing piecing everything together he realized she was the Avatar, "...and you're the Avatar of course!"

"His name was Huan Zhu, he was the son of a noble from Palace City traveling around the Fire Nation as a circus master. He accompanied me when I sought an audience with Fire Lord Haien, while Haien had masters for me I told him I wanted to learn from Huan Zhu. So to test Huan Zhu he ordered him to duel one of the two masters an older lady named Jihi. He won the duel and Haien allowed him to be my master," Anana told Rong Yan.

The older woman lost to Huan Zhu in an Agni kai ordered by Fire Lord Haien to test his skills and see if he was fit to be Anana's firebending master. He bowed to the older woman out of respect he didn't scar her as the duel was nothing more than a test of his skills. She was dismissed with the other master rising from his throne in the Agni Kai chamber Haien clapped at the performance shown by Huan Zhu.

"Splendid display of skill, Zhu Huan. You have earned my permission to be the Avatar's firebending master," Haien commented, Huan Zhu bowed to the Fire Lord thanking him, "It is truly an honor to me and my family that you approve of me, Lord Haien."

"You will drop your main career for the time being and you will be compensated for helping the Avatar master firebending. I will also make sure my guards notify your family of the honor you have shown them here. You will begin your lessons with the Avatar tomorrow," declared Haien.

"I mastered firebending in three years in those three years I never thought I would fall in love with my teacher Huan Zhu. He was my first love, and my first kiss, I would tell him stories about my time in the Qiangda Kingdom and the abnormal behavior of my friend Pang," Anana snickered.

Huan Zhu and Anana stood outside the Palace City where he would teach her something he learned over the years but never used during his performances. "This requires peace of mind and a complete absence of emotion, the ability to generate lightning. The movements for this are similar to a waterbender's fluid movements physically, it requires separating the energies of yin and yang, also interpreted as positive and negative electric potential respectively. When the yin and yang collide together to become whole again, lightning is created," explained Huan Zhu.

"If one attempts to conjure lightning without the required emotional discipline, it can instead result in a huge explosion of fire," warned Huan Zhu. He stood in a stance similar to a waterbender's called, bow stance. Huan Zhu focused on having an absence and peace of mind he contained proper breath control and felt like he was splitting the energy now with two fingers on each hand charged the lightning in his fingertips before shooting it into the skies. It shot with great force and echoed outside the city's natural walls.

"Huan Zhu that was amazing! Where? How?" marveled Anana in amazement that her boyfriend generated lightning from his fingertips. "Only those of aristocratic birth are taught to lightningbend, I am sharing this knowledge with you," Huan Zhu replied. She copied the fluid movements of Huan Zhu keeping a clear mind she generated lightning and shot it to the skies where it dispersed safely. She kissed Huan Zhu, her fingertips felt ticklish from the lightning she was curious, "Are fingertips supposed to feel ticklish?" she questioned him.

"For novices yes, you eventually get used to it," chuckled Huan Zhu.

Another day, they sat beside each other on a beach watching the sunset while holding each other. Huan Zhu carried a pouch in his pocket inside the pouch was an engagement band made of solid gold and the gemstone was an opal. He pulled out the pouch and clenched it in his hand suddenly Anana felt a different vibe from Huan Zhu concerned she questioned him, "What's going on, my love?"

He ignored her she repeated, "Zhu Huan I asked you a question, what's wrong?" Many thoughts filled his head he couldn't distract her from her journey he knew she must master the four elements before he could ask for her hand in marriage.

"Nothing," he uttered but there was indeed something wrong she forced his fist open where he clenched tight to the ring. She stared at the ring in astonishment Anana blushed at the sight of the ring he was going to ask her to marry him but it was like he had second thoughts.

"Huan Zhu..." she paused still processing the entire thing in her head, he knelt before her with the ring in hand. He held her ring hand gently and promised to her, "Anana my love, you know I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you but as I planned today to ask for your hand in marriage I realized that this is a distraction from your journey. I promise you that when you become a fully-realized Avatar I will do what I planned to do today." She stared into his eyes and kissed him ever so gently, they both shared a hearty chuckle and hugged each other. He pocketed the ring back into the pouch before placing it back into his pocket.

"He wanted to wait until I mastered the four elements to wed me so that our wedding wasn't a distraction to my journey. But it was a mistake when I left to the Sum Pa Air Temple I was barred from seeing Huan Zhu, eventually, my feelings began to fade for him and I eventually broke up with Huan Zhu," Anana recalled a feeling of deep regret was expressed on her face from what Rong Yan saw before him.

-o-o-o-o-o-

She now sat in the middle of a terrace in front of five women, the Council of Elders of the Sum Pa Air Temple. The elderly woman in the middle spoke to Anana about life here in the Eastern Air Temple. She mentioned to the Mother Superior, "I have a boyfriend in the Fire Nation while I stay here will I be able to see him?"

"No child, love is a distraction if you do not look past this obstacle it will poison your destiny and affect your enlightenment. Do not allow the sins of the physical form to corrupt your soul," declined the Mother Superior giving Anana advice on love and an Air Nomad's take on the subject. She was crushed and frowned she was sad she couldn't see Huan Zhu she had to wait until she mastered airbending only then will she be free.

"My past life believed in love, he was in love with a Fire Nation woman named Aki," mentioned Anana.

"Yes and we are aware, but you know how that story ends. Kwan Chun allowed the sin of love to corrupt him, and in the end, he abandoned his duties for decades, permitting enemies to walk freely," one of the prioresses stated.

"Enough of that subject, child. We would like for you to meet your airbending master, a recently anointed master by the name of Hwa," introduced the Mother Superior.

"Hwa!" she called out, the girl sprinted through the curtains entering the terrace of the Council of Elders. The girl was short, and petite, she had pale-skin, gray eyes, her frontal lobe was shaved revealing the Air Nomad tattoos, the back portion of her head was fully grown thick black hair. She wore a yellow tunic and an orange skirt underneath, she covered herself with an orange cloak, her boots were knee-high and made of cloth, she wore prayer beads around her neck with a pendant the size of an Earth Kingdom coin the insignia of the Air Nomads carved into it. She was kind, gentle and understanding just like the others she taught Anana something value.

"It crushed me when they told me I couldn't see Huan Zhu, I'll admit he never wrote me any letters. I felt like that was part of the distraction we talked about, after two years of reaching a level of spirituality further than I had, I completely forgot about my relationship with him. But Hwa taught me something important that would be useful to me in later years," Anana recounted.

"She said that only the most spiritual can tap into this ability she said Avatars could do this as well but only to those they are spiritually close with," Anana mentioned.

Anana and Hwa sat across each other in nomad position inside a large empty room that contained three cots inside, each with hemp threaded pillows and one was Anana's because she kept the gopher bear toy given to her by her strange friend Pang. While they kept a clear state of mind their spirits felt like they were out of their bodies because while they both could look down at themselves meditating they could stare into each other's eyes spiritually. Their spiritual projections shared a laugh before they both opened their physical eyes.

"We will always be spiritually connected," Hwa smiled putting her left hand on Anana's left shoulder.

"Will I be connected with Cuzhuang, and Huan Zhu?" she wondered curiously, Hwa twinkled showing her teeth and then giggled.

"Always," Hwa concluded, they hugged each other now they were great friends. Anana was in the Sum Pa Air Temple for another six months making her journey about two and a half years since she left the Fire Nation. During this time, Hwa helped Anana master the Avatar State now she was fully-realized Avatar. Another thing while she was in the Sum Pa isles she wasn't allowed to bring her animal guide Amarok. Two years ago, Amarok was shipped off from the Fire Nation by Huan Zhu to the Southern Water Tribe. Her arctic dire wolf would await her back home.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"I became a fully-realized Avatar in six months after mastering the Avatar State. I returned home for the first time in nine years, I was greeted by only three people. My mother and father have grown old and one man that stood out I didn't recognize him but he grew up handsomely," she said, her life flashing before Rong Yan's eyes she returned home and embraced her father and mother. Approaching in the distance was a tall, muscular handsome man holding Amarok's reins. The dire wolf laid down allowing his master and to reunite with an old friend.

He opened his arms to ready to catch her, "Hey Anana, old friend...don't you remember me?" he wondered. Her eyes lit up an expression of shock and wonder she didn't think he'd be waiting for her all these years. She ran into his arms finally reuniting with a good friend, "Tuuluuwaq!" she beamed.

She held him tightly before releasing the grip of her hug looking up and staring into his eyes she inquired, "What happened to everyone else? Yakone? Miki? Hakoda? Senna?"

"Everyone else got married and had children together, Miki married the prince. She's now the chieftess," answered Tuuluuwaq.

"Some of them have great occupations, Yakone became a healer, Hakoda's the big game hunter for Miki and Shesh, Senna became a mother. Me? I'm unwed and childless but I became a waterbending instructor," added Tuuluuwaq.

Her mother and father held hands, Anana's father winked to Tuuluuwaq and mentioned their departure, "We'll leave you two to catch up."

"You must regale me of your tales, oh great Avatar!" Tuuluuwaq teased Anana poking fun at her. Instead, she grabbed him by the collar of his parka and kissed him she greatly missed Tuuluuwaq and while they grew up over the years she sprouted a crush on him.

Bemused because she kissed him he questioned her, "I'm confused what was that for?"

"Not sure what to think right now, maybe I should faint as you did on your sixteenth birthday," he teased she punched on the shoulder, "Shut up," she rolled her eyes.

"It was quite obvious since before I left we were both in love with each other but I couldn't take him with me. Within a year, I heard nothing of Huan Zhu, I gave up on him and Tuuluuwaq crafted me a betrothal necklace and asked me to marry him," Anana bubbled about the time she and her husband fell in love.

"He was dedicated to his class that he researched and masted sub-bending techniques of waterbending, I was the master of four elements, we were a power couple second to Shesh and Miki. There came a time where Tuuluuwaq left with Hakoda and a few others to hunt game, I was pregnant at the time so you could imagine I was super stressed because I worried for his safety in the arctic wilderness. He returned home with a large tome that he found in a cave in the Nunavik wilds," she recalled chuckling at the memory.

Tuuluuwaq lumbered exhaustingly into his home Anana was cooking in the fire pit, the log stood vertically while she cooked sea prune stew. He held onto a large thick grimoire tightly, Anana was curious about the large tome she inquired to him, "What's that?"

"You wouldn't believe what the boys and I found, this tome contains a new bending skill that has been lost to the ages. The writer of this tome mentions they put together these records, stories, scrolls, and whatnot inside here back in the sixteenth century," marveled Tuuluuwaq excited to have discovered a new bending technique for waterbending. He was already a master waterbender, snowbender, plantbender, and he knew how to heal. This was a great time for the tribe because the waterbenders of the South were more diversely-skilled than those from the North.

"Who was the Avatar in the sixteenth century again?" he questioned Anana, "There were two Manirak and Bhudev who lived through half of his life in the sixteenth and fifteenth centuries," she replied.

"I already read ahead tried out some moves, its called bloodbending!" he exclaimed.

"Bloodbending?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah you're bending the blood within any living thing, do you know what this could mean for us?" he asked her.

"No," she said.

"We can further develop this sub-technique and use it to heal people of illnesses not normally healed through alchemical solutions!"

"There was a time where Huan Zhu visited Iqaluit to see me it was after my son Nanuq was born. He appeared at Shesh's palace, I was requested by Shesh to meet someone. I had Nanuq cozied up in my parka when I saw him," she frowned still remembering the feelings she had for him at the time.

The Fire Nation man once her firebending master waited for his former love's arrival to the palace he waited for her so that he could profess his love to her. When she arrived he noticed the woman he loves carried the infant of another man, he frowned at the sight of the boy. He knew it was over and she moved on now he needed to create a lie.

"Huan Zhu is that you?" Anana smiled trying to recognize the man he was now in his mid-thirties she hugged her firebending master. He nodded attempting to hide his real feelings for her he gave a fake smile although inside he screamed on top of a mountain breathing fire from his mouth.

"I came to visit on a vacation my girlfriend is performing out here," he lied to her.

"I have to meet her!" Anana beamed with an excited tone.

"Er...well my Asa doesn't like to be disturbed before a competition, you'd have to come around after," he tittered nervously coming up with a web of lies.

"I'd like that I hope she's treating you well, you mentioned competition what does she do?" she inquired.

"She's...uh a professional bending fighter, she fights other master benders around the world for money," he continued his lies.

"Wow look at you, you sure love tough women don't you?" she chuckled, he ignored her and shared a laugh as well.

"Well hey, I have to get going I have to meet my husband soon," she mentioned.

"You married too?" he asked her, she pointed at the infant in her parka as way of saying 'Duh'. He smiled, "I'm happy for you."

"I wasn't aware of his true feelings until after the beginning of the end, he lied to me but I forgave him. He did end up marrying a professional bending fighter," giggled Anana.

"Can you further explain bloodbending?" inquired Rong Yan, Anana nodded, "Bloodbending is ancient art created by waterbenders thousands of years ago. A bloodbender was usually a master waterbender, many of the non-masters would not be able to manipulate blood like they can to water. Blood contains water, everything that lived in this world has blood, a bloodbender can bend the blood inside of you and make you do things," she explained.

"That sounds terrifying I'll be honest with you," Rong Yan commented.

"You're right bloodbending is a horrifying thing but at the time we didn't know the dangers of the art. I trusted Tuuluuwaq and was open-minded of the subskill," agreed Anana.

"The adult classes full of masters waiting to learn from Tuuluuwaq learned of bloodbending only during the full moon. He convinced me to learn from him and I did except mine was more powerful than his. I was able to bloodbend without a full moon making me the most powerful bloodbender in the world or so I thought," she remembered she shuddered at the thought of it. As if Rong Yan will soon learn why she shuddered.

"The full moon of the new year always landed on the Glacier Spirits Festival, during this time Tuuluuwaq and his students would write a play and use bloodbending to maneuver each other's bodies as if they were puppets for entertainment purposes. Shesh made the mistake of asking Tuuluuwaq to teach his guards to wield this ability. On full moons, the guards would go on hunting sprees bloodbending criminals and arresting them. These were known as Blood Nights," recalled Anana.

The moon was full and huge tonight a thief was running out of a home a sack of goods slung on his back. He bolted then suddenly dropped the sack he froze in place and fell to his knees he struggled to free himself from whatever force held him down. A guard made stiff movements while levitating the criminal. The partner of the guard use ice to bind his hands and feet, they tossed the thief into a carriage. Both men high fived each other, "Wow this bloodbending stuff works!" he beamed to his partner.

"Thank Master Tuuluuwaq and Avatar Anana," his partner smiled.

"Eventually even the Northern Water Tribe adopted Tuuluuwaq's teachings, although bloodbending was different from any other skill of bending. Its users were affected by its long term effects, each bender growing just a little insane every day. My husband held Chief Shesh and Chieftess Miki hostage. I was ordered by Shesh to kill Tuuluuwaq," Anana sighed.

Shesh and Miki fell to their knees they were both horrified, Miki even shrieked their guards ran into the palace to save them each one stopped in their tracks. Tuuluuwaq's power was limitless at this point he grew so powerful in bloodbending that he no longer needed to use the full moon. His grip was so strong that he could hold multiple victims in this grip.

Anana heard banging on her door she awoke to find royal guards at her door, "Master Tuuluuwaq is holding Shesh and Miki hostage," one of the men said.

"WHAT?!" screamed Anana, she grabbed toddler Nanuq and water ran through the canals to drop her son off with her parents. After doing so she bolted on foot to the palace where she saw Tuuluuwaq gripping several people. Anana peered to the skies but the moon was a waning crescent, she was dumbfounded how was it possible that Tuuluuwaq could bloodbend like her.

Shesh barked to Anana, "ANANA! KILL TUULUUWAQ!" Tuuluuwaq raised his left-hand bloodbending Anana raising her into the air. She bloodbended herself to contend with Tuuluuwaq's grip, she felt betrayed that her husband bloodbent her. In anger, she entered the Avatar State blowing Tuuluuwaq away from Shesh and Miki. He lost focus on the grip that they all fell and panted, Tuuluuwaq ran out of the palace. Anana followed him but when she got down to it when she had him and was about to execute her husband she couldn't do it. Tuuluuwaq cowered as the four elements intertwined came down on him.

The fire and air dispersed, the water splashed him and rocks struck his body instead, Tuuluuwaq and his followers escaped Iqaluit leaving through the wilderness. Anana fell to her knees and started sobbing.

"I was ordered to kill my husband by Shesh, but when I had the chance I couldn't. There was something in me that prevented me from ending Tuuluuwaq once and for all. I wasn't sure if it was because he was the father of my son, or if I loved him more than I loved the world," Anana regretted, a flash of memories went backward Anana showed Rong Yan again the part where the Mother Superior of the Sum Pa Air Temple told her words that stuck with her.

"No child, love is a distraction if you do not look past this obstacle it will poison your destiny and affect your enlightenment. Do not allow the sins of the physical form to corrupt your soul," the Mother Superior advised young Anana, the girl dropped her head in sadness unable to see her lover.

"Why did Tuuluuwaq hold Shesh and Miki hostage?" Rong Yan questioned his past life.

"Tuuluuwaq's brother Ynook was arrested for theft and in anger, Tuuluuwaq stormed the palace and attacked Shesh," answered Anana.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Several months pass by and I heard rumors of the whereabouts of a madman and his followers, a cult I might add were seen bending animals and villagers alike according to witnesses. Their leader was later injured and they fled. Others say a large floating ice fortress can be seen out at sea, never in one place," Anana claimed.

"I conversed with my past lives Avatar Xi told me he watched from within my body the horrors I've witnessed. He shared with me powerful knowledge that only an Avatar can wield," she mentioned, Rong Yan saw Avatar Xi once again since they last spoke almost a year and a half ago.

Anana sat in nomad position she meditated and from her, an ethereal aura separated from her physical form sitting across from her was the great thirty-seventh Earth King himself, Avatar Xi Tong. The middle-aged man wore a golden attire, the tunic and slacks he wore were made of spider-silk and dyed gold, he carried a sangtuwan that held his black topknot, he also had a bushy goatee, he stared back at her his voice echoed to her inside her kashim.

"I require your assistance Avatar Xi," she requested humbly, the old Avatar spoke, "I am aware of your conflict, Anana and I will do my best to advise you."

"In my life, I dealt with corruption after my father died he placed a regent lord on the throne. Eventually, he became corrupt I wouldn't allow this to stain my reputation so I didn't kill him. I was visited by a lion turtle, creatures of old when I spoke to him he gave me a power only wielded by Avatars, I can take bending away or give it to a non-bender. If used wrong it would have destroyed me, I took Baojun's earthbending from him and cast him into the prisons to rot for life. You can do this too, without taking a life," addressed Avatar Xi.

"If you value the life of your husband then I ask you to rise so that I share my knowledge with you," hinted Xi Tong. Anana stood to her feet feeling her past life's fingers on her forehead and chest, his eyes glowed while he towered over her as well as her own.

"Use this power wisely, Anana," Xi Tong advised, she nodded, "Thank you," Anana bowed to her past life and he dissipated into thin air. She sat back down and meditated again only this time it wasn't to communicate to a past life.

-o-o-o-o-o-

At the same time, Cuzhuang tucked his son to bed he was now in his mid-forties and finally found someone to deal with his stubbornness and strict attitude. Anana felt sorry for her she appeared to Cuzhuang in the halls of the Nong family farmhouse. He took a step back when she appeared to him. He thought she was a ghost and stood in Ma Bo ready to tear the house down to get rid of the ghost.

She chuckled floating in the air, "Calm down I'm not dead!"

He pointed at her spiritual projection and rubbing his eyes maybe he was seeing things he shook his head, "How..." he paused. "How am I able to see you?" he questioned the spirit.

"When I mastered airbending my teacher taught me to able to project my spirit to those I am spiritually connected to, as one of my teachers we have a strong bond," she explained hoping to convince him.

"I had to lie to Peng and told him I hadn't seen you twelve years ago when you disappeared," disclosed Cuzhuang.

"Thanks for not ratting me out," Anana smiled.

"What do you want?" inquired Cuzhuang.

"I need your help after I returned home I married my best friend, we had a son, he went hunting one day and cam-" she was interrupted by Cuzhuang rudely, "Spare me the details just tell me the point," interjected Cuzhuang.

"My husband's a bloodbender, one who bends blood I shouldn't need to explain that. But he went crazy and ran away with his followers and now resides in a large floating ice fortress that drifts across the oceans of our world," summarized Anana.

"Where do we meet?" Cuzhuang inquired.

"Well if Peng's mad, in Omashu," Anana responded.

"You're not allowed in Omashu," commented Cuzhuang.

"Oh. Well then I'll come to you," she said.

"No I mean you're not allowed in the province, you can go anywhere in the Kingdom but you broke Peng's heart and trust," repeated Cuzhuang, Anana rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine meet me in Ba Sing Se where your cousin Pang lives," Anana smiled. Anana continued to contact her bending masters saving one for last. Hwa was up next it was morning time in the Sum Pa Air Temple, Hwa just finished praying to her nomadic pantheon when Anana appeared before her, "Anana what is it?"

"I need your help Hwa, my husband has gone rogue he's leading a cult of bloodbenders who attack coastal villages in the Earth Kingdom, he's dangerous and I'll need your help," Anana said.

"Meet me in Ba Sing Se, when you reach the census say you're looking Nong Pang, Western Lower Ring, neighborhood thirty-eight, street twelve, apartment seventy. They will give you a map that will lead you to our meeting spot," Anana added.

"Why can't we meet here?" Hwa asked concerned.

"I requested my earthbending master to meet me in Ba Sing Se, I hope you do the same," Anana replied, Hwa nodded to the call to arms and nipped out of the prayer chamber. It was an afternoon in the Fire Nation, Huan Zhu was getting ready for a show when Anana appeared to him, he was startled by her sudden appearance.

"Anana is that you?" he wondered curiously yet frightened, she nodded, "Yes Huan it is me I need your help."

"What do you need?" he questioned his firebending apprentice.

"It's my husband he went rogue and he's attacking victims who underestimate his power along with his power-hungry cultists. I need you to meet me in Ba Sing Se. When you reach the census ask to be led to Nong Pang, western Lower Ring, neighborhood thirty-eight, street twelve, apartment seventy. They will give you a map that will lead you to our meeting spot," she explained to him.

"Why did you do this to me?" he questioned her, confused she asked, "What do you mean?"

"You stopped writing letters to me," Huan brought up.

"Huan it's not that I didn't, I wasn't allowed to contact you, the Mother Superior of the Sum Pa Air Temple told me that love was a distraction, its a sin of the physical form and as much as I hate to say it she was right, love caused this to happen. If I had chosen to stay with you in the Fire Nation this wouldn't have happened," she divulged what prevented her from seeing him.

"Why didn't you come back?" he inquired.

"I thought after two years you moved on, Huan. I'm sorry but I need you now more than ever," she apologized pleading with him to help her.

"When I visited the South Pole all those years ago, I lied to you. I went to see you and take you back with me to the Fire Nation, but you were with an infant. While I'm happy for you that you have a child of your own, I was crushed I wept on the way home and knew it was over. Forever," Huan Zhu revealed his inner-feelings to Anana but he knew that now wasn't the time he sighed, "I'll venture to Ba Sing Se when my show is over, you have my word."

"After traveling by sea for a month I finally reached Ba Sing Se where I visited Pang, she remained unwed and childless. I wasn't surprised I was met by Hwa and Cuzhuang where we waited for Huan Zhu," Anana continued.

Anana knocked on the door of the seventieth apartment on the twelfth street in the thirty-eighth neighborhood within the western Lower Ring. Pang was still chubby but slimmed down quite a lot she probably maintained the shape she had. She much older now in her mid-thirties Cuzhuang slept on the couch in her living room while Hwa hung out inside of Pang's room. Pang squeezed Anana, "I'm so glad you came back!" she screamed excitedly that her former roommate has returned leading her to her bedroom.

When Anana returned to Pang's room for the first time in eight years she noticed that bunch of dolls Pang collected over the years since Anana left has quadrupled in quantity at this point her room was just a pile and she wondered why no man would wed her because she would scare them off.

Pang noticed there was something off about Anana she wondered where the doll was, "There's something off about you..." Pang said pausing.

"...Where's Di Xiong?" she inquired, "Who?" Anana looked at her perplexed as to whom Pang was talking about.

"Di Xiong, y' know the gopher bear I gave you," Pang reminded her of the ugly gift she received from her roommate almost a decade ago while invading Anana's personal space.

Anana grinned, "Ohhh you mean Atiqtalaaq? He was torn apart by Amarok about two years ago." Pang shrieked and began to sob, "How could you give Di Xiong away to that foul wolf?!" she cried. Cuzhuang burst through the door, "I heard Pang scream bloody murder is everything alright?" he questioned the two women and the crying older woman.

"Anana's just messing with her," Hwa laughed.

"Cuzhuang!" Anana shouted she hugged her earthbending master.

"Its good to see you too, who are we waiting on?" he inquired.

"Huan Zhu my firebending master," she answered, he nodded, "I'll be on the lookout." They continued to ignore Pang's tears, Anana attempted to calm her down Pang slapped her hand away, "Get away from me you murderer!" she exclaimed.

"Pang you're a grown woman you can't be this attached to all these dolls," scolded Anana.

"These are my children, you WITCH!" Pang corrected Anana.

"I didn't give Amarok, Atiqtalaaq, I cherish that doll so much I gave it to my son, Nanuq," she added hoping to calm her down.

"I told him it was a gift from his aunt Pang in Ba Sing Se, Atiqtalaaq defends Nanuq from all the monsters in his nightmares and he has you to thank," Anana stated smiling to her friend. Pang sniffled wiping her tears away whimpering, "He does?" Anana nodded Hwa rolled her eyes. There was a knock on the door Cuzhuang opened it and there stood Huan Zhu in the doorway, "Zhu Huan?" Cuzhuang guessed.

"Yes that's me where's Anana?" he asked, the short woman he loved as a young man appeared from the other room she was about to ask Cuzhuang who was at the door when her eyes locked on Huan Zhu, she extended out her arms embracing her ex-boyfriend Cuzhuang felt something about these two that he guessed, "I'm sensing a vibe between you two."

"Its nothing, Cuzhuang," dismissed Anana.

"By Tiandi's gray beard you two were lovers weren't you?" he assumed.

"Yes Cuzhuang, yes we were!" Huan Zhu confirmed, "No we weren't don't enable him to crack jokes on the way," declined Anana.

"Cuzhuang as strict as he was he also liked teasing me he was a huge jerk, we spent days tracking the fortress. Eventually, we heard rumors that it crashed on the Chaopin Isles off the coast of Chaopin province," Anana described.

"My team and I landed on the Chaopin isles with Hwa's sky bison, we fought through all of his cultists I reached him toward the end. I fought tooth and nail with a man that was no longer my husband, he was insane and extremely dangerous, when I thought he was in a weakened state is when he trapped me and tried killing me," Anana remembered.

"My body began to grow cold and my vision was dimming, the power of all my past lives protected me I coned Tuuluuwaq and severed his chi paths forever. It was over he could no longer use his bending because I took it all away," Anana recalled.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The large ice fortress that collided with the main island of the chain of Chaopin isles, Anana's Avatar State flashed to enhance her waterbending she formed a bridge and froze it. She stood in between Cuzhuang, Huan Zhu and Hwa to the far right. They could see guards guarding the entrance of the ice fortress, Cuzhuang and Anana pulled large chunks of the seafloor from the bottom of the sea. The ice fortress wasn't too far above the water, Anana overwhelmed one of the guards while he used waterbending to block the chunks of seafloor being tossed at him. Cuzhuang split a large chunk into smaller pieces that pierced through one of the guards. Hwa and Huan ran inside securing the lobby area of the fortress.

The coast was clear Anana and Cuzhuang joined them Cuzhuang carried a large piece of rock with him splitting it into smaller spikes of earth small enough to remain unseen but large enough to cause damage. They waited for guards to pass by, from a distance he would shoot the small spikes at guards killing them while Hwa would suction them somewhere to hide their bodies as to not give away their positions. There was no full moon today or so they thought but the cultists couldn't bend without the use of a full moon so they were just going to use waterbending anyway. Tuuluuwaq was the only one besides Anana in the world who could bloodbend without the full moon.

They reached what they thought was the final chamber Anana with the help of Cuzhuang busted the tall doors of the final chamber open. Tuuluuwaq sat inside patiently waiting for them to arrive as if he was expecting them to show up.

"The great Avatar Anana finally arrives in my fortress," mocked Tuuluuwaq.

"I need you to surrender Tuuluuwaq please, for our son," Anana begged, he ignored her continuing, "I have no son, but thank you for bringing me playthings. When you're dead I'll use your corpses to reenact my favorite play before tossing your remains to the carnivorous fish in the ocean," cackled Tuuluuwaq, he did not move a muscle all he did was breath and suddenly Cuzhuang, Hwa and Huan Zhu struggled to move they cried out in pain before Tuuluuwaq jerked his head to the side knocking them out unconscious.

"This fight would have been unfair don't you think my dear?" he questioned her.

"Don't worry I didn't kill your precious friends they'll soon wake but you'll be dead," he grinned wickedly swiftly extending his arm, she felt a tight squeeze around her neck that she was lifted into the air. She used her bloodbending to release her husband's grip of her shifting into a gen gua stance she pivoted in a full circle releasing strong winds from her palms blasting Tuuluuwaq against the wall. Her eyes flashed using snowbending she split the fortress in half her friends safe on one half while she fought her husband on the other half.

"Tuuluuwaq end this now and I'll have mercy on you," pleaded Anana, Tuuluuwaq collapsed the walls of the half part of the final chamber they stood in it was now a platform. He pulled two rings of water out of the ocean they spun around him because he held concentration on them. The water gimbal spun around him faster she attempted to overwhelm her husband with rings of fire and fire blasts from her feet, the gimbal lashed out at each blast of fire extinguishing it. He shot out spikes of ice at her Anana quickly defended herself raising and freezing a wall of water into ice.

His hands trembled in a lu bu stance he swung his arms swiftly into the air a large iceberg formed surprised her she fell into the water. Tuuluuwaq hopped off the ice platform he created a disc of ice to ride manipulating the current of the ocean underneath him into a whirlpool. Anana spun around struggling to swim her eyes flashed again a large slab of earth from the seafloor flew out of the whirlpool colliding with Tuuluuwaq knocking him out of the water. Infuriated he spun to the top in a water spout.

Anana created a water spout as well more cultists arrived on a stolen boat from a nearby village coming to Tuuluuwaq's aid. They commenced with attacking the Avatar, a shield of water taken from the water spout surrounded her freezing her protecting her from most of the shards. The cultists quickly devised a plan they channeled water into Anana's water spout so that she'd lose control she would eventually be tossed by the uncontrollable spout resulting in an injury. At the same time, she dodged the blades of water being forwarded toward her from Tuuluuwaq.

Another ice shard skin's her cheek at the same time losing balance from the water spout she activates the Avatar State. The water from the ocean extending out to catch her she submerges below before rising again in a water spout to reach a specific height she conjured a pressurized sphere of air around her, impenetrable to all attacks before the water spout lowers she takes a good portion of it formed a ring around her in the side of the sphere. She conjures a dragon with fire that forms into an outer ring, and large chunks from the seafloor explode out of the water forming another ring around the sphere.

"PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER!" yelled a thousand voices at Tuuluuwaq he remained fearless against the Avatar, his mind not fully his own no longer cares about death or fear, or love. Tuuluuwaq and his followers were mindless like they were controlled by another entity. The sea split in front of Tuuluuwaq a tall wall of earth rose out of the seafloor, his waterbending followers joined as group together they attempted to rise a gargantuan iceberg that could impale his wife. The iceberg failed to take a solid form the winds picked up Huan Zhu was the first to awaken in the sky he saw an infuriated Avatar, her eyes glowed. He groaned in pain while vision was blurry he tried to contain his state of mind because what he was about to do might be the result of his death or not.

Spikes of ice flew out Tuuluuwaq's disciples impaling each of the five that remained killing them instantly. Now they were evenly matched Huan Zhu was still knelt trying to stand up, the wall grew into a new island where exposed earth was now visible from where Anana floated. In her fit of rage, she separated the waters from the section of the ocean they surfed around, a suction of air grabbing Tuuluuwaq slamming him on the exposed earth. He rose to his feet pulling water out of thin air striking the pressurized air sphere. His attempts to attack Anana were negated by the sphere protecting her, a drill of the four elements drove toward Tuuluuwaq he flinched.

Anana dropped to the ground exiting the Avatar State shaking her head, "You're my distraction, I can't do it..." she paused hesitantly. "...I can't kill you even though you deserve it!" she declared. In a quick ditch effort he used his mind to bloodbend his wife again she screamed when all of a sudden a surge of lightning struck Tuuluuwaq, he was forced to release his grip on her. Anana recovered trapping him in a cone, at the same time, Hwa and Cuzhuang woke up from their unconscious state.

Tuuluuwaq squirmed and scuffled trying to break free from his earthbending trap, Anana's Avatar State flashed again and she placed her thumbs on her husband's mind eye chakra and heart chakra where she removed his bending. Her eyes' glow halted she sighed it was over. She released her husband from the cone and he collapsed weakened. He attempted to bloodbend her with his mind but nothing happen he even spared no effort into making stiffening movement but failed.

He coughed and crawled over to her, "What...what did you do to me?" he cried out.

"I did what I should've done a long time ago, I took your bending away so you couldn't use it to hurt others anymore," Anana stated. Tuuluuwaq began to cry, she allowed the waters to return to where they were once located at, she created a land bridge to the other half of the ice fortress where Cuzhuang restrained Tuuluuwaq's wrists with cuffs of earth preventing him for strangling anyone in their sleep. Cuzhuang watched over his prisoner while Anana slept, Hwa flew straight to the South Pole, where they would bring Tuuluuwaq to Chief Shesh and Chieftess Miki.

"What happened next?" Rong Yan asked looking at the short woman, "He stood trial Shesh wanted to execute Tuuluuwaq but I begged him and Miki to allow him to live under my watchful eye," she replied.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Shesh and I discussed many things we made bloodbending illegal in the South Pole, anyone who dared speak that compound word was arrested and imprisoned for a year. Anyone caught bloodbending was executed. There was a small period in my life that we dubbed the Blood Cultist trials. The people were frightened and sometimes ousted their neighbors accusing them of using the forbidden art. This was heavily abused in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes, that eventually we needed proof before executing a bloodbender," she mentioned.

"Two weeks later, at a time where I was busy I was notified by the guards near my home that my husband drowned himself in the canal, I wept for him and later found a note he left for me. I was devastated," Anana shed a tear it was clear that even after death, even after all that her husband caused while they lived she still loved him.

Two guards arrive bowing to Avatar Anana, "We regret to inform you, miss Avatar but your husband was found dead inside the canal near your home," one of the men revealed the terrible news to her she screamed and darted toward the canal to find more two waterbenders bending Tuuluuwaq's drowned corpse out of the canals. Anana wept she desperately removed the water out of Tuuluuwaq's lungs and put her ear to his chest maybe then his heart would beat again. She soaked his already wet tunic with her tears, she was glad her son was nowhere near and was visiting his grandparents.

They took his body to the hall of the dead where the elder shaman would prepare his body for a cairn. She entered her home soon after his death rummaging through their belongings to find the note he might have left her. Finding it she opened his final note to her, "You know throughout all these years of being on this planet I was always happy when I met you I knew that at a young age we would be together, we became great friends and eventually, after your return we were lovers. Like Tiandi and Akna blessed us to be together they knew since birth you were going to be my wife. You bore me a beautiful baby boy and its sad to know that I will not be able to witness him grow to be a man.

Anana I know what I did was selfish but I wasn't myself and couldn't control my mind, it's like this bending technique makes you hear voices like it opens your ears to frequencies you couldn't possibly hear without it. We were known as the cult of Atshen, an ancient bloodbending god that makes every bloodbender slowly lose their sanity.

I preferred that you ended up defeating me instead of the Chief or one of the Earth Kings' armies. You are the beginning and my end, I will love you until the end of time itself. I'm going to put myself to sleep now, longer than usual. Call it eternity, I will see you when you're ready to join me.

Tuuluuwaq"

Anana wept out loud for the loss of her husband even after the suicide note she found there was another one written in their language to his son Nanuq. The note on it mentions that he shouldn't open it until he's sixteen-winters-old, the boy was only five-winters-old. He wouldn't be able to read or understand the note.

Anana's memories flashed before Rong Yan's eyes he saw an old woman nipping through the streets she fell into the canal. He assumed she was a centenarian later that evening she laid in bed within her home shivering being covered by fur pelts while Rong Yan watched this he wanted to be comforting to his past life.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your husband," he said, Anana responded, "That's okay, young firebender. My life is over, yours is happening right now after the death of my husband we moved on. Nanuq grew up and married, my friend Pang's gift was passed down from my son to my granddaughter to my great-granddaughters, the same canal my Tuuluuwaq killed himself in I accidentally slipped and fell inside. At the age of 125, that night I passed away of hypothermia," concluded Anana, Rong Yan turned to his left to look for Anana but she was gone, she passed on her cot at a very old age. Her son Nanuq, was an old man and her granddaughter was middle-aged they cried for Anana, she no longer suffered and finally, she would be with Tuuluuwaq again. The little girl clutched Atiqtaalaq, then everything faded.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Rong Yan exhaled breath awakening from his deep meditation he rose to his feet slowly he stood on the small island and returned to camp. Kuma searched everywhere for Sakana and Aloi peered over yonder to eye Rong Yan returning she threw herself around him hugging him tightly. Kuma shouted to the group, "I can't find Sakana anywhere!"

Aloi worried she whispered, "Please don't leave unannounced, where'd you go?" she questioned Rong Yan. He responded, "I was on a spiritual journey with my past life Anana, she warned me about my near future."

"One of us is lying about our true nature, a wielder of the Forbidden Art is amongst us," Rong Yan announced, all the Tribesmen looked at Rong Yan fixating their eyes on him gasping..