Mako woke up the next morning when the sun rose. Sleepy he opened his eyes. He felt a weight on his chest and when he looked down he could see Kya who must have cuddled against him in her sleep und had put her head on his chest. Smiling he ran his hand through her dark hair. He could get used to wake up like this every day. Suddenly Kya started to move. Slowly she opened her eyes. "Good morning", whispered Mako and kept running his hand through Kya's hair. "Good morning", Kya returned sleepy and cuddled closer to Mako, who didn't mind at all. "Did you sleep well?" he asked Kya. "I never had such a comfortable pillow", Kya said grinning. "Oh please can you fight again that's unbearable", the two heard from the other side of the camp fire. Mako rolled his eyes, while Kya pressed her head against his chest, he could feel a light shaking and knew that Kya was laughing. "You're just jealous", Kya said when she finally got up. Mako also sat up and laid his head on Kya's shoulder. "Are you ready?" he asked in a whisper. Kya nodded and stood up. Without an other word she went to Juicy and got her other clothes from the saddle bag. Mako looked after her when she disappeared into the wood to change. He sighed. "Don't worry she knows what she's doing", Korra said beside him. "Are you sure?" he asked and looked at her. "No, but we have to trust her." Mako looked again in the direction Kya had gone, he knew that Korra was right. Annoyed he sat down again and waked Bolin. The minutes until Kya returned passed agonizing slowly for Mako, but finally she stepped out of the wood. Mako stood up immediately and went to her. "You look great", he said and took her hands. Kya wore a long red shirt, with red pants, which both was covered with a black corslet, she also wore black boots. Her hair was falling open over her shoulders. "It reminds me of the first time I saw you?" Mako said and brushed her hair behind her ear. "You mean in the park?" Kya asked irritated. Mako shook his head. "At Wu's coronation." Kya looked at him with wide eyes, she didn't know that he had noticed her back then. Smiling she turned away from him and got her hair decoration. "Aren't you nervous at all?" Mako asked while Kya put her hair up. Kya sighed and said: "Of course." "If you want I will stay near you", Mako offered and stood right in front of Kya. "Please", she murmured. Mako smiled and kissed her forehead.
The five of them went in the direction of the village, while Kya and Mako went further the other three stayed at the edge of the forest. Right in front of the village Mako disappeared in the roads. Kya wondered how he could make himself invisible so fast, but it must have to do with his past as street child. Kya went through the streets. She was surprised opposite to the day before the streets where full of life to day. She went further until she heard the scream of a child. As fast as she could she ran into the direction from which the scream had come. In front of a fountain she saw a boy, not older than eight, huddled laying on the ground in front of him stood the major of the village. "How dare you, you little rat!" he screamed and around his hand a fire whip formed with which he beat the boy. "How dare you to cross a part of the harvest!", the major shouted again and hauled off to beat again. "Leave him alone at once!" Kya heard shouting and she could recognize the young man from the day before, who moved forward the major. "Or what?" he asked snippy. The young man didn't answer but clenched his hands in fist so that the earth started to tremble. "Ha do you want to intimidate me. Forget it now it's your turn!" the major shouted and took another swing. As fast as she could Kya stood in between to two sides. "That's enough!" she called as she deflected the fire whip. "What's going on here?" Kya asked with a firm voice the earthbender behind her. "Princess Kya what an unexpected surprise. This boy crossed something from the harvest and I wanted to punish him", the major said. Kya turned her face towards him. "Go back into your house I'll deal with you later", Kya said coolly. The major swallowed but disappeared without another word. Again Kya turned to the earthbenders and smiled at them. "Are you really the princess of the fire nation?" the little boy asked intimidated. "Yes I'm Kya and you are?" "I'm Taro and that's my big brother Akira." "Taro what are you doing?" Akira snapped at Taro immediately. "Why are you snapping at him? What's going on here anyway?" Kya asked Akira directly. He just laughed bitterly and said: "What's going on here? You should know that best princess." Kya was confused she had no clue what Akira was talking about. "I don't know what you mean." "Oh no isn't your family that raised the part we have to deliver from the harvest", Akira said snippy and stepped closer to Kya. "The earthbenders here are almost starving while your family and our governor are swimming in luxury." "My family didn't raise the amount but I have a feeling who did it." Kya slowly got an idea what was going on here. The major was enriching himself from the earthbenders in this area in the name of the fire lord. "Do you want to tell me that our governor is acting independent?" Akira asked astonished. Kya nodded. "Akira listen I will speak with my mother and make sure that you will get a new, fair governor." Akira laughed again. "That's not going to work sooner or later he will act independent again." "No, I will make sure that the new governor will be checked frequently. Be it through somebody from the royal family it self or one of the highest counselor of my mother." Kya was sure she could embank the problem this way. But Akira didn't seemed convinced. "That's all good and nice princess, but I don't believe that Fire- and earthbenders can ever live together peacefully", he said and looked up to the sky. Kya took a step closer to Akira and laid her hand on his arm. He looked straight into her eyes. "I know that it's possible." "And from where?" asked Akira and Kya realized that he wanted to believe her. "First because I'm a firebender and just protected you and your brother. Secondly I have two very good friends, brothers, one of them is a firbender the other an earthbender", Kya was grinning when she said that and thought about Mako. Akira sighed and looked long at Kya without saying anything. He seemed to look for a lie in her gaze, but couldn't find any, because he finally said: "Well princess we will end our resistance for the moment. You got two months to put everything into action. Shouldn't anything change until then we will take care of it ourselves. Taro let's go." While Akira turned around and went away Taro stayed. "Taro come!" Akira shouted but the little one took a step forwards Kya and held an apple out to her. "Here princess that is for you, for that you helped me." Kya smiled at him and went to her knees so that she was the same height as Taro. "Just keep it." Taro grinned, turned on his heels and followed his brother. Sighing Kya straightened again, she truly hoped that her mother would fulfill the promise she just made.