Raiya flicked her wrist and a bolt of lightning appeared. Holding it like a javelin, she shot it clear through a hole the Fire Nation had burned in the ice, then had been frozen over by Katara. The lightning bolt exploded, and the hole was surrounded by a thin line of gold and a thinner line of black above that. She turned to Ang and smiled.
"Whoa! That's cool, can you teach me?" Ang asked enthusiastically.
Raiya's face dipped slightly into a sad smile. "I wish I could, but by now Lightbending is a long forgotten art, and I believe I am the only one left."
"You believe or you know?" Katara asked.
"I cannot be sure. I woke up here, I have not seen or searched for any of my people." Raiya answered sadly.
"But there must be more of you—your kind." Ang said. "You can't be alone in this world."
"From what I have heard, you are." Raiya turned her gaze steadily but sadly to Ang. "There are no more of your people, I can feel your sadness, your Inner Light radiates off you and speaks the truth."
Raiya walked to the balcony and watched her lightning hole flicker and die. "My power is as strong as if I just received it, but it dies when I put too much thought on my past—bad parts of my past. I cannot dwell, for then I become vulnerable."
"If you teach Ang the art of your people, then your craft will not be forgotten, and the Lightbenders can live on through the Avatar." The Chief said.
"You speak truth, sir." Raiya responded.
"But he would have to learn it all over again in his next life." Sokka pointed out seriously. "And we wouldn't know if Raiya would be around."
"The Avatar has the power to go to the Spirit World, correct?" Raiya inquired. "He could find me through my people there. All Lightbenders are connected, even in death."
"Can you tell us anything about your past?" Katara asked, changing subjects.
"I was in the 29th regiment under the command of General Kereku when I was 15 years old. I was chosen to—" her face screwed into a mask of concentration, "—to be a vessel. Yes, that's it, a Spirit Vessel. I battled with the Shadow Phoenix, Kai, ad there was a bright light. Two orbs, one light, one eternal darkness…"
"Anything else?" the Chief asked earnestly.
"Nothing," Raiya shook her head. "After that I was told to be the Vessel, that the Spirits had plans for me. Then I tried to kill her-Kai-and then we had more battle, and then…nothing."
'I wonder if I should tell them…of the Spirits. They didn't say not to tell.'
"No, Raiya." The Lightning eagele, Cynnau appeared in her mind's eye. "You must not mention us. You have exposed too much of your mission already."
"But what is my mission?" Raiya asked silently. "I cannot do my duty to you without---!"
"You are our mikauni, our Spirit Vessel. You will know your task when it greets you." The Thunder stallion, Taario appeared beside Cynnau.
"But I…how…?" Raiya's mind image put her hands over her ears. "What am I supposed to do? I need to know!"
"You will know when the time comes." The Lightning Warrior Ishuuza whispered in her ear from behind. "But now all you must be is a teacher to the Avatar, and the best Cascade Warrior you can be."
Raiya nodded, standing up straighter and squaring her shoulders. "I will not fail you."
"Just remember to keep your eyes open, and your senses keen and acute. And most importantly, remember who you are and always will be."
The Spirits vanished.
"Raiya?" Ang was kneeling by Raiya's figure on the floor.
Raiya was sitting on the floor, in the defensive position. Kaleo was on her shoulder, preening his feathers, but looking concerned at the same time.
"Raiya, are you all right?" Ang asked again. "You just sat down, and you went into the Spirit World, like I do. What were you--?"
"It doesn't matter." Raiya croaked, her throat dry. Looking over at Kaleo, she cleared her throat and said, "Good bird."
Kaleo gave her a look as if to say "And don't you forget it", then flew to the balcony rail again and watched the spot where Raiya's lightning circle had been moments before. The black circlet still burned on the ice, and tinges of gold were able to be seen making there way in the Language:
Aliu ze Cante, Twe ze La, Ying ze Yang, belaince ze unzrest
Ang noticed it almost at once, and silently looked to it. Raiya got up and walked to stand beside Kaleo.
"It says: 'Light and Dark, Twe and La, Ying and Yang, Balance and Unrest'."
"What does it mean?" Katara asked.
"It means a balance has been met in the World. It means the Equal and Opposite to me has returned as well. It means the Shadow Phoenix, Kai, has returned."