In the morning Thyra awoke from an uneasy sleep. There seemed to be a strong spiritual energy around this place, peaceful and calm yet Thyra could feel the chaos and unbalance in other parts of the world. Her worries rested with the spirits, they seemed upset about something and were trying to speak to her. She would have to meditate to try and speak to them.
"All right! Dessert for breakfast!" Aang cried as he stuffed some food into his mouth. "These people sure know how to treat an Avatar!" He continued to eat as Thyra sat down. With a displeased frown Thyra whipped her hand forwards and the slim chain flew out from her sleeve, slapping the dumpling Aang was about to eat from his grasp. "Hey!"
"Manners, Aang. You should be polite when in someone else's home and offer food to others too." Thyra reminded him as she flicked the chain back to where it coiled around her wrist. "You want to make a good impression." Sitting up a little straighter Aang wiped his mouth neatly with a napkin then picked up a bowl of sweets to offer to Katara.
"Katara you've got to try these!" He smiled sweetly at her and she chuckled quietly.
"Well, maybe just a bite…" As Aang watched Katara eat he missed Momo snatching the other sweet from his hand. Thyra clucked her tongue and Momo looked at her, eyes widening at her glare.
"Momo. Ask first." She scolded and the lemur made a sad noise before tugging on Aang's hood, making the young boy look at him. When Momo presented the sweet roll to Aang he laughed then listed his hands.
"It's okay Momo, you can have that one. There's plenty to go around." When he noticed that Sokka wasn't at the table also, he turned towards where the boy was standing, glaring down at the floor in the corner of the room. "Sokka, what's your problem? Eat!"
"Not hungry." Sokka grunted.
"But you're always hungry."
"He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday." Katara smirked as she continued to place selections of food on her plate.
"They snuck up on me!" Sokka argued hotly.
"Right." Katara answered with a smug look on her face. "And then they kicked your butt." In answer Sokka leaped up angrily, scowling at his sister.
"Sneak attacks don't count!" Sokka then proceeded to pace around the room, gesturing wildly at the air which made her smile a little in amusement. "Tie me up with ropes! I'll show them a thing or two. I'm not scared of any girls." As he paced around the table he grabbed various forms of food into his arms, still muttering under his breath. "Who do they think they are anyway?" Shoving a sweet into his mouth Sokka stormed away but not before he groaned. "Mmm...this is tasty." Aang blinked in confusion.
"What's he so angry about? It's great here. They're giving us the royal treatment."
"Hey, don't get too comfortable. It's risky for us to stay in one place for very long." Katara replied smartly.
"I'm sure we'll be fine. Besides, did you see how happy I'm making this town?" Aang reasoned simply, getting up to walk over to the window where the statue of Kyoshi could be seen. "They're even cleaning up that statue in my honour!"
"Well, it's nice to see you excited about being the Avatar. I just hope it doesn't all go to your head." Thyra shared the same worry as Katara.
"Come on, you know me better than that. I'm just a simple monk." Thyra chose not to mention that he was also a massive show off at times. When Aang got to the window and looked down, he found a group of young girls screaming and laughing up at him. He grinned widely and began to wave, making them scream and shout even louder than before.
As everyone else went about doing their own thing, Thyra began meditating. After a hundred years, she was a little out of sync with the world so she tried her best to keep her mind empty and her spirit open. Even though she was not an airbender, Thyra had always possessed a very strong spiritual connection with the world. Sometimes she could even connect with spirits in their world although she couldn't actually get there. She could hear their voices in her head.
After several hours of meditating Thyra opened her eyes and got up, sighing in defeat. "I'll try again at sunset." She decided, stretching before heading outside and over to the market. When she heard Aang's voice, she began to follow the sound.
"I promised the girls that I'd give them a ride on Appa. Why don't you come with us? It'll be fun!" She saw him speaking to Katara who was busy picking vegetables and fruit and placing them in her basket.
"Watching you show off for a bunch of girls does not sound like fun." She answered with irritation.
"Well, neither does carrying your basket." Katara shot him a glare.
"It's not my basket. These supplies are for our trip. I told you, we have to leave Kyoshi soon."
"I don't want to leave Kyoshi yet. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something I really like about this place." Thyra stopped when she heard the giggles of a large group of girls. One of them stomped her foot in annoyance.
"What's taking you so long, Aangy?"
"Aangy?" Katara answered flatly at Aang who turned his head to call back.
"Just a second, Koko!"
"'Simple monk,' huh? I thought you promised me that this Avatar stuff wouldn't go to your head." Katara placed one hand on her hip as she scowled at Aang.
"It didn't. You know what I think? You just don't want to come because you're jealous."
"Jealous? Of what?"
"Jealous that we're having so much fun without you." In answer Katara put the last of the food into the basket then shot a short and snappy reply.
"That's ridiculous."
"It is a little ridiculous, but I understand." Aang looked a little smug so Thyra stepped forwards, her height giving her some leverage over both of the younger kids.
"Katara has a point Aang. You're forgetting that every moment longer we stay here, we put these people in danger." Reaching out for the basket Thyra took it into her stronger arms with a nod to Katara then turned, leading the way back to the room.
"Ugh, he's behaving like a…like a…"
"Jerk?" Thyra offered simply. "Yeah, he can get like that sometimes." Katara offered a weak smile before sighing. When they got back to the room Katara began to focus on the jug of water on the floor. Moving her hand over the water it bubbled and began to move, forming small waves but no matter how hard she tried, Katara couldn't get it to move further.
"When we find a master in the northern water tribe, you'll really find your true power." Thyra said, getting up to sit cross legged in front of her. "But from what I've read about waterbending, you need to use your emotions to control the water." Thyra waved her hand over the water, flexing her fingers. "I think you're focussing too much on the physical, which is not what water is about."
"So you're saying I should feel it rather than think it."
"Exactly. Give it a try." Katara nodded then took in a deep breath. She closed her eyes then began her movements again, concentrating on what she was feeling. The water began to snake its way upwards, twisting and rising until Katara opened her eyes. She gasped then smiled with joy, continuing to move the water before fixating her concentration. Thyra smiled, patted Katara's shoulder then stood to continue preparing the supplies.
"Hey Katara, remember how the unagi almost got me yesterday?" Thyra looked up to see her little brother standing in the doorway.
"Yeah." She answered, never looking away from her water.
"Well, I'm gonna go ride it now. It's gonna be real dangerous."
"Good for you." Giving him no attention Thyra decided she would stay out of this one.
"You're not going to stop me?" Aang asked in surprise.
"Nope. Have fun." Aang looked quite peeved at Katara's blatant ignorance of him so he crossed his arms and shot back.
"I will."
"Great."
"I know it's great."
"I'm glad you know."
"I'm glad you're glad."
"Good."
"Fine!" As he turned and stormed away Thyra noticed her brother pause and looked back briefly with a sad look before finally disappearing. Katara sighed in defeat and stopped her practicing to watch Aang leave.
"You know, my brother is an airhead but you can't blame him completely. He is still young." Thyra murmured softly. "There's a lot of responsibility on his shoulders now. He's going to need all the guidance and support from us as he can get."
"I know. I'm just annoyed that he wouldn't listen to me in the first place." Thyra cracked a little grin.
"Hey, my brother hardly ever listens to me so don't take offence." Turning around Thyra continued to pack up their stuff. Katara helped her to take the supplies over to Appa and load it all up but Katara was beginning to worry about Aang.
"I'm going to go check he's alright."
"Alright. Tell him it's time to leave. I'll go and find Sokka." The two girls nodded to each other then split off to locate the boys. Thyra found Sokka training with Suki, the girl who had attacked them yesterday. Thyra watched in silence for a moment as Sokka practiced his attacks and defensive moves. He looked ridiculous in the makeup and green dress robes but he didn't seem to care, in fact he was pretty focussed on what he was doing. He parried a thrust Suki made at him and they both smiled.
"Not bad." She mused. Behind her Thyra heard the leader of the village, Oyagi, racing towards them breathlessly until he reached the dojo.
"Firebenders have landed on our shores! Girls, come quickly!" Suki was instantly flying out of the dojo but Sokka paused to argue.
"Hey, I'm not a... oh, whatever!" Racing after them Thyra pulled up her novice hood of red then hurried to push villagers into their homes, getting them off the streets. When she heard the prince's voice, she stopped and turned, moving into the shadows as his image came into view.
"Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" The rhinos stomped their way through the village and began to search for Aang, their ugly uniform frightening the younger children. When Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors leaped out from their hiding places, Thyra was aware of some children still out on the streets, clutching one another as fire began to hit the buildings.
One of the soldiers turned as the girl screamed. Without thinking Thyra raced forwards, her feet lightly gliding over the snow before leaping at the children. They were small and tucked into her arms neatly, allowing her to roll out of the way of the fire that had been shot at them. Thyra leaped to her feet, children under her arms as she ran into the next street then passed them into the care of two women who were herding everyone inside. "Keep away from the windows, stay hidden." Thyra commanded then grabbed a stone from the ground, brushing off the snow to find a target.
"Hey!" She bellowed at a soldier who was firing at the statue of Avatar Kyoshi. "That's my brother in a past life you jerk!" She launched the stone at him and the soldier fell from the rhino as it hit him perfectly in the face. Dusting off her hands Thyra smirked to herself.
"So, finally found your voice have you?" Zuko asked calmly and Thyra spun around to face him, his golden eyes setting her soul alight with intense flames of rage. She lifted her head proudly, pausing. "Where is the Avatar?"
"I won't tell you." Thyra answered then moved the same moment Zuko did. She dived out of the way of his fire attack, jumping from side to side as she got closer to him. She ducked then turned, spinning up into the air to knock Zuko's hand out of the way with her foot. "Leave these people alone." She spoke quietly but determinedly, grabbing Zuko's wrist to then fling him around like a rag doll.
Zuko turned onto his back and flicked up into the air, a ball of fire shooting from his feet to hit Thyra directly in the chest and throw her backwards with a cry as she hit a house. Thyra crumbled to her knees but she got up as soon as she had her breath back, she was back up on her feet and throwing a punch at Zuko.
He turned under her swing, getting behind her but Thyra swung around again, trying to catch him with a blow. Zuko shot another fire attack at her but Thyra twisted up into the air, avoiding the hit then managed to catch Zuko's jaw with her feet, flinging him aside. Thyra took a step back, lifting her hands into a defensive stance as Zuko gradually got to his feet.
Suddenly three Kyoshi warriors stood before her, fans at the ready. "We'll hold them off. Get out of here." Suki called, glancing over her shoulder.
"Thank you." Thyra nodded her head then ran towards where Sokka was waving his arms wildly at her. She grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him along, making him yell in surprise as his feet scraped against the snow. Together they ran up Appa's tail then leaped into the saddle, diving for cover.
"Appa, yip yip!" Aang called and Appa replied with a low groan, leaping up into the air. Thyra turned, looking over the edge to make sure that Zuko saw them leaving.
"Back to the ship! Don't lose sight of them!" She could hear his bellow even from up here.
"I know it's hard, but you did the right thing. Zuko would have destroyed the whole place if we had stayed. They're going to be okay, Aang." Katara tried to comfort Aang's guilty feelings for running so Thyra turned around about to speak but Aang suddenly stood.
"Aang no!" Too late. Thyra watched her brother dive off the side despite her running towards him. Grabbing Appa's reins Thyra pulled the bison around to hover above the waves, scanning the spot where Aang had dived into the water. Several seconds later, Aang broke the surface with the unagi.
He held on by the whiskers, swinging through the air as the unagi threw its head back and forth until Aang landed on the top of its head and pulled its mouth upwards. As the unagi shot a jet of water into the air, Aang held its head steady so that the water sprayed over the village, dousing the flames of the firebenders.
Thyra guided Appa back down towards Aang as he let go of the unagi, catching him on Appa's back before steering away. "I know, I know. That was stupid and dangerous." Aang said before Katara could begin her lecture.
"Yes, it was." Katara answered then hugged Aang. Thyra looked over her shoulder, smiling as her brother's face lit up with pure joy. Chuckling to herself Thyra flicked on the reins and softly called for Appa to get along, intending to be as far away from Zuko and his ship as possible as soon as they could.