Kushai's Past

An: Sorry, I haven't felt like writing these past days. IN fact, I don't feel very much for it now either. But hey, I'll try! So I guess you're wondering, what in the world is a seireth!

On Appa

"I am a seireth…." She looked up at Katara who was shaking her head vigorously. Prince Zuko didn't look so amazed, the face would rather be described as a simple word, dainbramage! (brain damage)

"It means I can activate the Avatar's spirit, and a couple of other gifts I am unaware of…though I know I can heal, but I haven't figured out how yet," Kushai explained to the puzzled Prince. "I'm from the hidden Hanooki tribe, at least I thought it was hidden. Exactly why I was surprised you found our tribe," Kushai remembered the first time they met. When she had so dumbly fallen flat on her butt.

Prince Zuko seemed to be replaying that moment too, but not for long. He started thinking about this seireth thing. He looked back at her, just realizing the reckless situation.

Katara was still playing the words in her mind when a slow, and almost croaked voice, caused her to shudder. "They'll hunt you down…do you realize the debt of this situation?" Prince Zuko whispered, unsure if his voice was able to reach ones ears. His voice would make one rethink to wonder if their ears had deceived them.

The silence was heavy with ponderous thinking. "It was a bad idea wasn't it….I shouldn't have done it….should I?" Kushai questioned, her hand trembling.

"Kushai, either way what you did your life would be on the line," Katara reassured with a pressed smile. Even if it ended up as a grimace, she knew she couldn't perform much better.

Kushai relaxed her tensed muscles, but tried hopelessly to calm her constant trembling. She sighed, giving up on hers\ shaking hands.

Katara took it to the right time and inquired curiously, "The Hanooki tribe….are all the people there seireths? And how do you become one?" Katara could feel creeping guilt at asking for her private information. It was a HIDDEN tribe after all, and she would understand if Kushai refused to answer.

Kushai tensed again, if Prince Zuko or Katara were to be proven as untrustworthy….which she highly doubted, then she could as well be banished from her tribe. Like Prince Zuko….Hesitation was clear on her face. Kushai remembered clearly when she had first been ordered to keep her mouth shut about the Hanooki tribe. She had only been 6, but yet the directions had been strict.

Kushai sighed, again…."I am really not supposed to tell anything about this and….sigh….but, if you really need to know….." Kushai sat back and heaved yet another sigh. She prepared to tell a long story of her younger presence.

Flashback:

Kushai giggled as her mother chased her playfully. "You can't catch me!" Kushai loudly said as yet another spill of giggles overwhelmed her.

Shalmira laughed, "You might be right, you are quite fast!"

Kushai ran and ran, not tiring of the joyful game. Until right in front of her were a pair of legs. She abruptly stopped and stared up into a serious face. She was only six at the time and had not been told in such a strict way of what her ears would soon have the dismay to hear.

Shalmira stopped too, her face looking suddenly draught and tired.

"The fire nation is close by our shores, they have not spotted us. But we have yet to be discovered if anybody who misunderstands the importance of keeping secret of our tribe." The soldier looked down at the frightful Kushai. "You must understand this. You mustn't tell anybody of our location or presence! If they were to discover us, we would be pulled into the war. Unless we surrendered by will. Unless we don't, they would take our land by force. Killing anybody in their way!"

"Don't talk of death to our daughter! She will not get into wrongs way! Now that she knows I'm sure she will follow these orders," Shalmira tried to calm her loud voice, her usual calm nature deceiving her by all.

"She'll have to understand sooner or later!"Kylo shouted back furiously "War might be upon us, and as much as I love our daughter, she'll need to understand!" Kyro got a grip on his temper, and found to realize Kushai hugging her mother's legs tightly as she sobbed quietly.

"I'm sorry Kushai. Your mother is right….it was wrong of me to speak to you in such a manner! I guess your daddy is just a bit afraid…" He bent down and gently picked her up into his arms.

Shalmira relaxed and smiled. But the reminder of the fire nation caught her in the action.

Kushai was back down on the ground as her parent talked, concern in their voice.

Kushai understood she wasn't meant to listen to it and shed her shoes to sit down and pull a cover of sand over them. She played in it, enjoying the warmth spreading through her body. But stopped as her mother yelled in panick at her to get up and out of the sand. But it was too late….

Kushai yelped as she saw a great wave form over her! She strained to get up, but could not free herself of the frozen stiff, traumatized body. She panicked and frantically tried to get up again, but again, her body failed to react.

Kushai closed her eyes, knowing that death was near. But then she felt someone grab her, firmly picking her off the ground and run away from the gigantic wave. Kushai knew now that it was her mother, and wanted desperately to hug her and never let go.

The wave pulled Shalmira's legs under her, causing them to buckle. She crashed to the ground, and with the last of her strength pushed Kusha out of death's fiery grasp. Kushai froze, "MOM!"

"Run…..run little one!" Shalmira urged her as she was pulled out into the ocean by the strong pull of the wave which had not yet crashed to the ground. But soon would! The impact of the wave was sure to kill her…

Kushai shouted, tears stung her eyes, she wanted to run back to her. She wanted to help…NOOOO….MOM! She couldn't let her die!

She pushed herself harder than she thought possible as she tried to waterbend the wave away from her mother. The wave slowed,and to all the watchers' surprise, ( who had run there to find the source of the yells and shouts of panic) the wave froze in mid air. Although shaking tremendously, Kushai strained to hold it up…it struck everyone that the effort to hold the deadly trap up would drain the little girl of her energy….and kill her….

Shalmira spoke, "I grant you with my power as the seireth…I ntgra uoy ym erpow sa het thseire!"

SPLASH! The vawe collapsed on the body. "NO!" shouted the little girl as the wave dropped. How could she have let it fall! And why hadn't her mother tried to get out of the waves grasp? And what words w…ere…s…he…….

End of flashback

Kushai had broken into tears when she finished… She sobbed loudly as she sought for her mother's comfort…as she willed her mother to come alive again….

"Kushai….I'm sorry…I shouldn't have asked…" Katara winced as the sobs repeatedly came.

"No….it's not your fault Katara…it's mine… I had a choice whether to speak my past…and I did…," Kushai sniffed loudly and brushed tears from her face.

"I blacked out after I held that wave…which wasn't a surprise, except for the fact that I woke again…my father who had been standing through the whole thing and shouting for my mother and I…had died too when I awoke…from the pain of loosing all his family…yet he had let go too early…I was alive! I only wish I could've woken earlier to tell him that! It was when I realized how much love he owned for me and my mother…" Kushai started sobbing again. Tears trailing down her hot cheeks.

Prince Zuko had been listening in awe…he had never heard of such love for a family…he had never heard of such a powerful bender at 6 years old…he had never heard of such…such a dramatic, and yet so amazing, a story…

"Kushai….your story is more depressing than any story I have ever heard….but you should know…I'll be here when your family isn't…but all this time you've been shielding your powers…." Katara looked at Kushai, scooted over to her and gently patted her on the back.

"I was afraid…if I told you about my powers….you'd be expecting so much of me…but I'm really not that much more powerful than you or Prince Zuko…you see, I have no control over my powers! I don't know even what they can do! But most of all….I didn't want to use my power…because it reminds me of my painful experience….you should know that many times I've had to face death…too many for my liking…And how I activated Aang's spirit, amazed even myself! I don't know what came over me! Just how the power strikes him as confusing, it does me just the same!" Kushai exclaimed. She turned to Aang automatically just as everybody else had at the mention of his name.

"Kushai…all I can say is…you're amazing…but are you more powerful than the Avatar himself?" Katara questioned a bit warily.

"I know this much, I'm only as powerful as him when he is in my presence," She gestured at Aang. "But enough of this…he still isn't awake…it's making me a bit concerned," Kushai reached a hand out to touch his forehead. He seemed ok….maybe the energy was just pulled out of him tooo unexpectedly…Kushai hoped…

"We'll have to make sure he's warm and keep alert to his movements," Kushai ordered as she bent down to cover him in the blanket she had pulled out of her bag. This was going to be a tiring night….

AN: Ok, this chapter stinks so bad, I can still smell it downstairs! Oh wait, that was just me…hehe…PLEASE REVIEW! (Even if it stinks)