Kaio strolled through the courtyard, her ebony hair pulled into a twisting bun, the tips fanning out in a circle around her head. Her long, lithe body curved graciously, her fair, soft skin rippling with thin, lean, unused muscles. She wore a red, side-less skirt (much like a long butt-flap) with a black sash around her hips. The top was a complicated gold wrap with long ends trailing to mid-back. It exposed her legs and arms and stomach. Around her throat was a plain black ribbon. She wore strappy sandals that wrapped up her calves and red arm bands just above her biceps. On the small of her back, the symbol/word 'fire' was burned into the flesh. Black kohl liked her gray-gold eyes and curled at the corners. She walked alone, without company.

Turning a corner, Kaio stopped dead still.

A large group of benders were stalking towards her, faces and expressions hidden behind the traditional skull-like masks. But their eyes showed through like fireflies on the darkest of nights. Some were blazing angry. Some sympathetic. And others, quite bored with the mission. They stopped in front of her, shifting into a circle, blocking all exists off from her.

The only parting was made for a large, burly man to step forward. He looked familiar…

"Dad…?" Kaio's eyes widened in shock and she stumbled back as though she were hit hard in the face. She gaped silently at him.

He told! Kaio thought desperately. They know I'm an illegal bender! They're going to – wait… that guy's too young to be…

The man laughed at Kaio's reaction. It was a laugh she hadn't heard for SO long… a soft, tinkling lay, very unlike his voice.

"NEO!" Kaio lurched forward and practically tackled her… dead? brother. "Neo! You're alive!"

Pushing his sister off, he stood straight as he could (though still oddly cock-eyed) in his maroon commander's uniform. His face was shaven and washed; his fair was short and spiked. Stern brown eyes were laid under straight eyebrows, above high cheek bones and hollow cheeks. Wide, thin lips were pulled to a taught grin. They only thing different was a pale scar running from the left corner of his mouth to mid-cheek and the way he held all his weight on his left foot and his right shoulder hunched with arm over stomach, as though wounded.

"How long have you been alive? Where've you been? When'd you become a commander? Does mom know? Dad? How -?"

"- All in good time, Kaio," Neo said patiently, but his face turned grim. "That is not why I'm here. Mom and Dad have known for years…"

It was at that instant Kaio felt betrayed and seriously ticked off. Oh yeah, there were the times a kid would tell on her and she'd be hurt and betrayed, but never like this. Never.

Neo had always been the one to protect her before he 'died' during his training. She could tell him everything – anything. He was the one to sing her to sleep when all they could hear was their parents screaming at one another all night long.

He IS here for me…

"Why are you here?" Kaio backed away rapidly and was suddenly held tightly by a large bender, his hands gripping her upper arms. She screamed and wriggled, trying to get free.

"KAIO! CALM DOWN!" Neo yelled. "I'm not here to drag you to training! I'm trying to get you away!"

She shook her head.

"I don't want to leave!" Kaio snapped and spit at Neo.

WHACK!

Jerking to the side, Kaio went dead silent and limp, taking deep breaths. A large red hand-shaped burn rose on her face. The bender released her to let her fall after the 'o.k.' from Neo and she crumpled to the ground, reduced to tears.

Taking a step forward, Neo crouched beside her. His brown eyes had grown cold with the easy temper of a fire bender. Grabbing her under the arm with a pincer grip, he dragged her up.

"Stop crying," he said, wiping her tears away harshly.

Kaio snarled and brought a hand around to slap him, but he'd caught her wrist in mid-flight.

"Fuck you!"

"I guess you want to be taken into training, then!" Neo hissed, twisting her wrist. She cried out in pain.

"What happened to my brother?" Kaio sobbed, trying to move, only succeeding in increasing the pain even more. "My brother would never hurt me. Not ever…"

"Your brother died when he couldn't talk – couldn't eat for six months. When his shoulder was shattered by a club. When he lost feeling in his right leg after lying with it stuck under a two-ton boulder for a day and a half. When he was taken from his family and the only person he believed in when he was twelve to fain all that plus more for the ward." Neo's grip tightened and tears stung his own eyes. "While the only person he believed in was sheltered by her mother because of a letter he'd written – and never sent to train because he loved her too much for her to be taken away like him."

Kaio stared at him, scared witless.

"You were my life, Kaio!" he whispered, shaking her slightly. "And you stopped believing in me."

Neo nodded slightly, his eyes fixed over Kaio's shoulder and, with firm finders holding her neck; she passed out into her brother's arms.

He picked Kaio up and the bender who'd squeezed her pressure point tied her hands together before slinging her over his shoulder. Neo sighed and started away, rubbing his wrecked shoulder with a grimace.

Removing his mask, another bender went to Neo.

He wasn't Fire Nation.

He was from the Northern Water Tribe; you could tell by his dark skin. Blue-gray eyes flashing, he glanced at Kaio's limp form.

"What will she think when she finds you abandoned –"

Neo's hand swiped the helmet from the man's head. A mane of brown hair fell into his face briefly before Neo's fingers gripped it tightly.

"Shut. Up." He hissed dangerously. "You'll give us away."

"Why do you want her so badly, Neo? She will do us no good if she is faithful to her Nation…" the man asked after Neo released his hair.

"Her loss will come shockingly strong to my parents. They'll try and find her at all costs." Neo replied easily, snatching up the helmet and handing it back to the man. "As for you, Jin, keep your mouth shut and I won't throw you off my ship…"