Pakku and Iroh had personally escorted Kyojuro to one of the council rooms located within the Northern Water Tribe's palace and the entire walk there was…quite difficult to say the least. From the moment they started walking all the way until they finished, the people here could tell that he was an outsider and one who most likely was from the Fire Nation which would probably cause him trouble down the line.

"So…do you have anything to say for yourself?" Pakku spat.

"Whatever could you mean? I'm still quite confused as to why you brought me here to begin with! Although I'd be lying if I said this place wasn't brilliantly designed! Hahaha!" Kyojuro smiled trying to alleviate the tension, but it fell flat as neither man played along.

"Pakku, maybe you should let me-" Iroh was cut off as Pakku glared Kyojuro down.

"We do not have time for small talk and games, Iroh! You already understand how delicate and fragile the balance of this world has withered under the Fire Nation's antics and now you want me to keep my cool as this coward continues to hide behind his lies!?" He slammed his hands down on the table and snarled, "Need I remind you of how our friends were slaughtered? How Piandao is on death's door?"

Iroh relented as he continued. Pakku had been waiting a long time in order to meet the man who dragged them in this mess to begin with.

"If he wasn't here then none of them would've been dragged into this mess and I know it! You know it!" He pointed directly at Kyojuro, "And he damn sure knows it!"

Iroh placed a hand on Pakku's shoulder trying to calm him, "I understand that emotions are running high here and I'd be lying if I said the sight of this man does not make me upset, but this is not the time for placing blame. We have a problem and that problem's solution more than likely lies within him."

Iroh turned towards Kyojuro and took a deep breath knowing this was not going to be fun, "From the look on your face, I suppose you already know why my friend is reacting to you like this."

"You both know about me…" Kyojuro looked between both men very confused.

"Indeed we do, Kyojuro Rengoku. Suffice to say, your travels and ripple effects you have made upon our world has not gone unnoticed. I can also tell that you have had a positive impact on my nephew, so I must thank you for that small victory."

"However, there are much more pressing matters that need to be addressed and I'm also sure you know what those may be."

"It involves Demons, correct?" Kyojuro hesitantly asked.

"I'm afraid so," Iroh answered. "These creatures have been killing and devouring people left and right. I'm sure that you yourself have seen the devastation that have been able to cause while hiding amongst the shadows."

"Wu…" Iroh closed his eyes, remembering the older woman who gave her life to save her town and buy them time to gain more intel on the Demons and frowned, "She was a fortune teller who foretold someone like you showing up like you have, many years ago. Unfortunately she was also able to accurately predict an untold amount of deaths and even her own at the hands of this Demon uprising."

"What Pakku and I really need right now…is the full scope of your story and journey in order for us to understand just why these events are happening to our world."

Kyojuro didn't even hesitate to indulge them, "If people's lives are at stake then I will gladly tell you gentlemen about my previous journey and how I ended up in this world! I only ask that you refrain from informing the others as I wish to do that on my own when the time is right!"

Iroh looked at Pakku who simply nodded in reluctance. They needed his intel and keeping a few inconsequential people in the dark couldn't cause any harm in the long run.

"We agree to your terms. Please, start from the beginning as I'm sure the tale we are about to hear will be pretty unbelievable to say the least," Iroh smiled.

And with that, Kyojuro began telling the men of his journey in his original world, how he replaced his father as a Pillar and how it eventually led to his demise. Of course this was only the beginning of a tale as wild as his and talking with spirits, waking up in a world unlike his own and dealing with creatures known as Demons once again.

"So…you really are from another world…" Pakku trailed off, still reeling from the entire story.

"Ever since we met back in the South Pole, I could just take one look and feel something was different about you. Even though I had some trouble believing it first hand, the spirit world has grown quite restless since you got here and Wu was always accurate in her predictions. You showing up eventually came to pass along with the Demon infestation," Iroh stated.

"Well, there you have it. Although my world may be different, I assure you, I will deal with this problem and eliminate each and every last Demon from this world! Agni brought me here for a reason and I think it was because of this," Kyojuro said.

"If that foolish spirit brought you here then doesn't that mean, she also brought the rest of these monsters here too?" Pakku argued. "By bringing you here, she unintentionally caused a much bigger problem than the war has already caused us."

Kyojuro frowned thinking about whether or not this could be true. Ever since he realized that he was not alone here and Demons were running amok, the thought had crossed his mind that maybe if he had stayed dead, things wouldn't be as bad as they are for these people.

"I'm not so sure about that," Iroh broke. "There are many theories that can be made upon hearing his full story, but until we have more information from the Spirits themselves, everything else would be just guesses and hypotheses."

"I guess…that does make sense when you put it like that. I still don't like this," Pakku rebutted.

"Neither do I, Pakku, but what choice do we have at the moment other than rely on this man's expertise and wisdom in regards to these monsters," Iroh replied. He walked over to his tea kettle which had finally finished brewing and poured the man a cup.

"I hope you do not mind the taste. I do not have many of my ingredients that I would normally use so it may be a bit crude to someone such as yourself."

Kyojuro took the cup with thanks, "Do not fret over something so minor! I'm sure if Zuko is any indication then your tea will be levels above his! Hahaha!" He took a sip of it and he could already tell Iroh's tea was easily the best he had tasted since his mother passed.

"This is absolutely incredible! Zuko definitely was underselling just how good your tea truly is!" Kyojuro gulped the rest of it down before slamming the cup on the table with a satisfied expression, "More please!"

Iroh chuckled at the man before filling his cup back up with his tea. Pakku continued to stare holes in Kyojuro as he found the entire thing very unamusing. He slammed his hand down on the table which caused the other two men to look at him.

"Iroh I don't know if you've forgotten, but we have a looming threat hanging over my home and we don't have time to coddle this man, especially now that we know of his true origins. He needs to go back to wherever he came from and take these creatures with him!"

"Well that would be impossible seeing as I died in my world. Agni was pretty specific about not being able to leave here," Kyojuro replied as he saw the man grow more agitated.

"So…we're just going to let him stay here as the world continues to spiral into an even deeper hell than it already is!?" Pakku snapped. "Screw this."

Kyojuro said nothing as the man stormed out of the room, even more upset than he already was. He was no fool and understood why the man was as upset as he was. For all they know, he really did drag Demons from his original world here and that made him sick to his stomach.

"I apologize for my friend. We've both been under a great deal of stress over these past few months and he is simply attempting to process it all as best he can. Please, do not place the blame for everything squarely on your shoulders," Iroh reasoned.

Kyojuro hesitated before answering, "No, it is fine and he has a right to feel this way. None of us really knows how they got here and I cannot in good consciences say that I did not bring these creatures here. Forgive me for my inability to ease both your fears!" Kyojuro bowed his head.

"Please, raise your head young man. From what the spirits have said, you are a truly kind soul who means no harm. Even though I was cautious of you for kidnapping my nephew from me, I have come to understand just why so many people are fond of you."

He lifted his head as Iroh took a seat in front of him and poured himself a cup of tea. Seeing the opportunity had presented itself, he wanted to get a deeper understanding of Kyojuro and why exactly his nephew seemed so different from a few months ago.

"I take it my nephew has been well in your care?" Iroh asked while taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes! Your nephew has shown tremendous physical and mental growth while he's been traveling with me! I suspect a conversation between the two of you should go much differently now!" Kyojuro beamed. Iroh could tell he really enjoyed bragging about him.

"Oh really? That's great to hear," Iroh took another sip of his tea and smiled back at Kyojuro, "His aura…it felt so different from before that I almost couldn't believe it."

"What do you mean by his aura? I don't sense anything different coming from him?"

That gained a chuckle from Iroh, "No, I suppose you wouldn't. Every living being on this planet has a unique aura of their own and Zuko's…has been a very difficult one to try and mend," He placed his cup down and looked Kyojuro square in the eye, "Do you know what happened to my nephew and how he received his scar?"

"Agni informed me before I met him! His father had absolutely no right to do such a thing and I swore right then and there that I'd help defeat him! The thing that happened to Zuko should never happen to anyone else!" Kyojuro replied with slight anger in his voice.

Iroh nodded his head understanding his feelings, "When his father had marked him and left him for dead upon his ship, Zuko's aura had become dark, tainted in a way that had been seen in many that serve the Fire Nation. I tried my best to keep him on the right path and ease him away from that place, but my efforts were in vain. He was never really fully over that metaphorical line, but he walked it as if he'd fall over the wrong side at a moment's notice."

"Now his aura feels…calmer and if I had to guess, at a crossroads once again. I don't exactly know why, but it feels like he is dealing with something from within and is unsure of what to do."

"Back when we fought with Azula and her friends, Zuko tried Firebending to no avail. He said that he lost his inner spark and then tried to blame it on me! Hahaha! Unbelievable!"

"I'm afraid he may be right. Traveling with you finally caused him to awaken to a few truths about the world and others around him. Because of this, his original source for Bending has been replaced with something else, but until he truly accepts it, he will be unable to Firebend."

"Interesting! I wonder just what this new spark of his could be! I'll be sure to drill him about it when we train later on!"

Seeing the man after wondering about him for so long after their initial encounter, Iroh was definitely sure that Kyojuro was most likely the biggest reason for his spark to dissipate. His smile quickly turned to a frown thinking of what that meant and also how his niece suffered as well.

"You said Azula has become one of these creatures? Is she truly ok?" Iroh asked.

"The girl has a very very strong will which surprised me! I've only known one other person with enough willpower to resist the urge to consume humans so that is a mind blowing thing to someone like me! As long as she continues down the correct path, I'm sure things will end up ok for her!"

That didn't seem to ease Iroh's worries which Kyojuro blatantly saw. "Since we are on this topic of their wellbeing, I think it is time for me to get a few things off my chest. I'm not one to beat around the bush so I'll just come right out and say it. I do not like you nor do I understand your people's culture and embracement of destruction. When that Agni Kai took place, you could have stepped in and intervened or am I wrong?"

"...I wanted nothing more than to intervene, but it would not have worked out like you may think," Iroh stated. "The Fire Nation would not have looked kindly on someone of my stature interfering in a sacred duel of that nature. Do you truly think I wished to see my dear nephew humiliated and burned in such a way?"

"Even so! You should have done far more than you actually did and spared the boy from this wicked path he has been set down upon! You may be telling me the truth, but sitting by and doing nothing at all makes you just as complicit as every other member of the audience that day! That in and of itself is unforgivable in my eyes!" Kyojuro shot back.

Kyojuro immediately saw shame flash upon Iroh's face. He'd struck a chord with that one.

"You…are entirely right in your assumptions. That fateful day will haunt me until the day I die," Iroh admitted.

"My brother is a vile and evil man who managed to corrupt Zuko's mind with lies about unworthiness which I should have put an end to before it grew out of control. For the three years I've traveled with him, it barely made a difference, but for the few months he's been with you, his entire aura has become vastly different from his original self. He's on the cusp of something great and maybe…maybe he would've turned out different had I not been so much a coward in the past."

Iroh somberly chuckled as he took a sip from his drink, "But one cannot turn back the clock now can he?"

"I suppose not," Kyojuro answered as he finished off his tea and stood up from the table, "I'm sure our conversation is far from over Iroh, but I need to get back to my pupils and make sure they aren't getting into any trouble here. I've got a feeling that trouble will find them before long and I'd like to remain on top of any situation that arises!"

"That is quite alright with me, young man. If you can, please pass on a message to Zuko that I would love to catch up with him when both of our schedules are more cleared up. We've been preparing for your arrival for quite some time now and trying to calm the people at the top has not been an easy task."

Kyojuro gave the man a thumbs up in response, "Got it! I'll be sure to pass on the message! I only ask that you be honest with him regarding the true nature of his nation, his father and everything else that it entails. As much as I may not like it, I can tell that he respects you far more than he does me even if he tries to hide it!"

Iroh nodded in agreement with him and Kyojuro left the room, headed to rejoin his pupils. Unfortunately, trouble always did seem to follow the man wherever he went.

"This place is quite large!" Kyojuro thought as he made his way down a frozen street with civilians almost glaring at him. Maybe he should've asked for directions before heading out, but he was decently sure he could arrive at his destination without stopping to ask for help.

Plus he could tell these people definitely did not want him near them.

He stopped in the middle of the road to try and gauge whether or not he was even headed in the right direction when a man walked up to him with fury and disgust in his expression.

"Dunno what an ashmaker is doing here, but beat it! We don't welcome your kind here."

It took Kyojuro a moment to realize what was happening, "Ah! I didn't realize I was in their way!" He turned to notice that the area he stopped at was a food station and because of him standing there, people were afraid to approach it.

Kyojuro bowed his head, apologizing quickly for his mistake, "I am so sorry for blocking your customers! I had gotten lost and didn't realize where I was-"

The man grabbed hold of Kyojuro's parka and met him eye to eye, "I don't give a damn about your excuses, ashmaker! Just hurry up and get lost!" The stand owner shoved Kyojuro away as the civilians continued to watch him in fear. He frowned as that was much more confrontational than he was expecting. In hindsight he probably should have expected this. It took his family in the Southern Water Tribe quite some time to warm up to him so he'd endure their scorn and look for the time being.

Minds were created to be changed and his character would speak for itself when it came down to it.

Continuing to ignore the hateful looks he was getting he eventually made his way back to where everyone was setting up their things and he caught a glimpse of someone he hadn't seen since leaving the North Pole, "Kishna?"

The woman turned around, face slowly turning to joy as she all but dove into his arms. He happily picked the woman up and spun her around cheerfully, "Hahaha! It's been a while, Kishna! I hope all has been well with you!"

The woman looked at him with such warmth that it made Kyojuro blush, "I'll admit it has been pretty boring since you all left a while back, but I've managed."

"That's good to hear!" Kyojuro beamed as he finally put the woman down, "So what are you doing in the North Pole and how did you get here so quickly?"

"It's honestly a pretty strange tale to say the least. A few days after you all departed with the Avatar, a captive of the fire nation made her way back to us after decades away in captivity. She told us that it wasn't safe to be where we were any longer as another attack would be imminent, so she and a few other allies she picked up along the way helped us set sail for the Northern Water Tribe."

"That's…very unsettling! Had I known about this supposed attack I would've never left you all so unguarded! Forgive me for my stupidity!" He bowed his head as the older woman chuckled at him.

"Now, now, there is no need for that," Kishna raised his head and gazed into his eyes, "You couldn't have known about the upcoming attack as she said he managed to sneak a peek at some of their plans before escaping."

"But still-"

"But nothing, Kyo. I have to look after the young ones, but please do make yourself known to everyone else. Also, I believe one of your pupils may have gotten into a shouting match with one of the master's not long after you left with those men. I think she said his name was Pakku?"

She? It didn't take him long to figure out that she was referring to Katara and her otherworldly temper when provoked, but what on earth could have happened to tick her off so quickly? They'd only been here a few hours!

"Not only that, it seems you picked up some…unique characters on your journey."

"You must be referring to Zuko, Mai and Ty-Lee! Those kids, while misguided, can still be molded into diamonds that'll shine brighter than the sun itself! They just need some help here and there and that's where I come in!"

Her face turned serious for a bit, "Look, I understand your caring nature, but please be very very careful here. Tensions are already high thanks to the war and these kids will be in danger if they are allowed to walk around here unguarded. If you value their safety, don't let them out of your sight, ok, Kyo?"

"Got it! I'll watch my pupils like a hawk overseeing its nest!" Kyojuro boomed as the older woman giggled at his bad joke.

"I have to go, but I'm sure we'll catch up soon," Kishna turned to leave as Kyojuro simply stood there and watched her go.

*Thump

He put a hand to his chest, very confused as to what that was, "Well that was weird." That had never happened before and it only seemed to continue the more his thoughts drifted to Kishna. Whatever it was that was plaguing him, he would come back to it later, but for now, he had a rowdy pre teen to deal with and a bunch of other potential troublemakers to look after.

"How rude can that old bricked headed man be!? He makes me wanna-"

Kyojuro found his way to where Katara and the others were being stationed by simply following the sounds of her ranting. He didn't know what Pakku had said to upset the girl so much, but he could tell it had to be bad if it managed to get under her skin like so.

"I'm too weak to train? Because I'm a girl? What a load of bull-"

"Katara! I get you're upset at Pakku, but maybe you should calm down so we can think things through," Aang reasoned. It only made things worse.

"There's no need for any of that since Mr. Waterbending master already said he won't train me! The nerve of some people!"

Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee were standing to the side watching the event unfold as if it was amusing to them. Aang tried to calm her down while Sokka was…nowhere to be found. Odd, but Kyojuro was pretty sure he hadn't gotten into trouble.

Hopefully anyway.

"Hello everyone! What seems to be the problem?" Katara shot the man a death stare which caused him to hesitate as Mai snickered at him being scared.

"Relax, big guy, she won't bite you. She's just mad that old man insulted her then brushed her off so casually. It was really impressive with how rude he was. I didn't know old people could be so harsh."

"We ran into that man on the way over here and let's just say he wasn't all that nice to us. Zuko and Katara probably got it the worst though," Ty Lee added while balancing on an ice rail.

Zuko simply shrugged his shoulders in response, "Nothing I haven't heard already. He didn't need to insult you guys though."

"Insults? What did he say to each of you? Kyojuro frowned.

Ty Lee raised her hand in glee, "Ooh! Ooh! Let me tell it!"

"We were making our way to one of the ice houses they apparently set up for us when that old man bumped into us. At first we apologized thinking it was our fault, but he made it pretty clear that he did it on purpose. He told us that he didn't trust us and definitely didn't trust you. He called you a liar, hypocrite and some other strong words that I really do not wanna repeat."

"He said he had no problems training the Avatar, but the rest of us should stay away from him and his school. Naturally, Katara took offense to literally all of that and called him out saying he had no right to talk to us like that and she had every right to train with Aang, but that only made him even more upset. He went to us three first," She motioned to herself, Mai and Zuko, "Calling us fire nation scum and the fact that we weren't locked up in chains should be considered a blessing. Zuko got the worst of it though."

"Like I said, I have no problem with him talking to me like that, but…none of you deserved that."

"You're damn right we didn't!" Katara continued to rant as she paced back and forth.

"After he tore into us, he told Katara that if she ever came near him or his school he would personally embarrass her in a one on one fight in front of the entire Tribe. You can imagine that did not go over too well."

Kyojuro eyed Katara, "What did you do?"

She held her tongue already knowing he wasn't going to like it, "I…maybe sorta waterbended at him and Aang had to break it up before it got any worse, but it was all his fault! A grown man talking like that to kids, Unbelievable!"

"I understand he might have said some extremely uncomfortable things to you all, but you have to show restraint with people like that. We are guests here for the time being and it would be in everyone's best interests that things remain civil! Am I clear?" Kyojuro wanted to make sure they were all on the same page.

Each of them nodded except for Katara who more or less agreed after Aang nudged her into it.

Kyojuro's eyes trailed over to Zuko, "How's your sister holding up? I know you four probably do not enjoy being in such freezing weather."

Zuko gripped the straps of the wooden backpack that contained his sister, "She hasn't really moved that much since we got here. I think the cold air is affecting her to the point where she's…sort of hibernating? I'm not complaining. The less she moves around, the better." He did swat Ty Lee's hand away as the girl tried to poke the box that held Azula much to her annoyance.

"Good! At least she is still calm and secure! Let's do our best to keep it that way!" Kyojuro noticed his very first pupil was missing, "Now, where has Sokka gotten off too?"

Mai snickered, "Lover boy was off chasing some white haired girl last time I saw him."

"White haired…" Kyojuro immediately kicked himself. "Don't tell me-"

"I don't think he has a shot in hell trying to talk to her, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see that trainwreck unfold."

"Doesn't she have a fiance?" Ty Lee asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure he'd appreciate another man trying to swoop in and steal her away from him," Mai smirked at Kyojuro knowing he probably wanted to stop this, "Last I remember, he was headed in that direction."

Oh great. Of course Sokka ended up heading towards Pakku's Waterbending school. Kishna just told him to keep everyone out of trouble and now he might've already been too late to stop it from happening. He trusted his pupil, he really did, but getting wrapped up in more potential drama was not something any of them needed right now.

"Ok! First things first, I am going to retrieve Sokka before he gets himself into trouble and the rest of you are to stay here until I return! Do not leave this spot under any circumstances, got it!"

Without even checking to see if any of them agreed, Kyojuro took off into the direction that Mai pointed him in.

Both girls looked at each other, "Wanna go see this trainwreck?" Mai deadpanned.

"Duh! This oughta be interesting!," Ty Lee giggled as they took off.

Zuko simply shook his head and started off for another location. It'd been so long since he had seen his Uncle and he had so much to tell him.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Aang looked at Katara. She was still muttering to herself about Pakku and all the traditions here that were completely assbackwards to her.

"Maybe, but…maybe not," She took hold of Aang's hand and took off into the direction they left in.

Deep down, Katara completely understood that letting all these combustible elements head for the same location probably wouldn't end well, but if Kyojuro had taught her anything over these past few years, it's that sometimes you've gotta break a few eggs to get things done.

The quote was pretty weird when she heard it, but she smiled to herself completely understanding just how chaotic things could get when someone like Kyojuro interfered in affairs that weren't his own. It happened back home and she was one hundred percent sure it would happen again here. All she needed to do was witness it in action.

Fortunately for her, it would be her own brother that would get the ball rolling this time around.

Three Hours Earlier

Sokka stood eye to eye with this jerk who claimed that he was Princess Yue's fiance. All he wanted to do was talk to her and here this douche comes, shoving him and yelling in his face. Taking a glance at Yue's face, he could tell she was very uncomfortable with the current situation. Maybe this was one of those arranged marriages he had heard about back home because she didn't look all too thrilled to have him defend her "honor".

"Back off! Yue has no need for creeps like you sticking around her," Hahn threatened as he and his crew had already surrounded Sokka. He stuck his finger in the Sokka's chest which did nothing but annoy him even more than he already was.

"All I did was ask the beautiful lady where a guy could get some good grub around here. There's no need for you to be so rude about it," Sokka shot back. "How was I supposed to know that I wasn't allowed to get that close to her?"

"Of course you wouldn't know that since you're from the South. My fiance is off limits to scum like you. Turn back and leave us alone or things will get messy…for you that is."

Sokka did his best not to scoff at the thinly veiled threat this prick tried to leverage against him and in all honesty he was about to turn back when Yue, herself, stepped in between them hoping to mediate things between the two.

"Please, there is no need to resort to violence. What my fiance is trying to say is that he only wishes that I am kept from the general public due to my status as Princess. He did not mean his harsh words about your p-"

"Yue, I don't need you to defend me. I meant one hundred percent of what I just said. Last warning, leave or be forced away from us," Hahn glared at him and to his dismay, Sokka only smirked at him in return.

"Man, I didn't know that Northern Water Tribe boys were so cowardly," Sokka started to tease.

"What'd you say?" He heard one yell.

"Say that again, I dare you!" Another roared.

Hahn got eye to eye with him and grabbed his collar, "You must be really, really stupid to try and piss all of us off."

Sokka shrugged his shoulders, "Hey! Don't get mad at me for just stating the obvious truth. You must be a real weak man if you need to hide behind your fiance and entourage. Just so you know, if we were to fight one on one, right here, right now…"

For a brief second, Hahn could've sworn that his entire body grew cold.

"I'd only need a single punch in order to take you out."

Silence filled the atmosphere as they didn't know whether they heard him correctly. One punch? From this scrawny looking brat? Laughter soon replaced the silence as Hahn released him and grinned.

"So you think you can take on a warrior of my caliber? Ha! If that's how you wanna play it then fine. I'll happily leave you groveling at my feet when I'm done with you."

Yue had a feeling that this would not end well for him, "Hahn, I don't think this is wise-"

"Yue! Do not interfere in a man's fight! Just sit back and I will prove to everyone including you why I am worthy of your hand in marriage and the future of this Kingdom."

She reluctantly backed away as Hahn went over to grab his gear and the other strange boy just stood there, nonchalantly as his eyes met hers. He gave her a warm smile and wave as he turned his attention back to her fiance.

"You aren't grabbing a weapon?" Yue asked him.

"Nah, don't need it," Sokka rotated his arm forward and backwards as if he was ready to pitch a swing, "Although, I'll do my best to not severely injure your fiance. No promises though."

The joking expression he gave her caused Yue to blush.

"O-oh, that's no problem. Hahn is a very capable warrior. I'm sure he'll be fine." Yue could see the boy's expression change into one she couldn't read. It was almost serene in a way. Like he was entirely focused on something else.

"Well…I guess we'll just see about that. Now won't we?"

"Yue…explain to me why your fiance is about to engage in combat with the boy from the Southern Tribe?" Arnook and other members from the tribe had gathered around for the duel that was about to begin.

She could only shake her head at thinking about Hahn's macho act, "It was nothing more than a huge misunderstanding. I tried to stop it, but it had already gotten out of hand."

"Hahn is one of the best warriors we have. This may not end well…" Arnook trailed off.

"Father, I believe that the other boy is well aware of what he's getting into. I couldn't quite place it, but he seemed at ease with the duel. As if his mind was on something else." Yue clasped her hands together and said a silent prayer for them both.

"If he's facing a warrior of Hahn's caliber his head better be away from the clouds or it'll be knocked off his shoulders." Arnook replied.

Before he could continue talking to his daughter, a yellow blur shot past the crowd and made its way over to Sokka who was then gripped by the shoulders forcefully.

"Sokka! What is going on here? Why does it look like you are about to engage in combat with the young man across from us?"

"That's because I am. He started it and I'm gonna finish it." Sokka stated, still warming up.

"You can't just get into fights and you know I told each of you to try and keep a low profile while we are here! I forbid you to duel him!"

"Kyojuro, I-" Sokka steadied his breathing and continued to focus on his opponent in front of him.

"It's not just him. Ever since we ran into those Upper Rank Demons, something inside of me has…changed? Maybe that's not the right word for it, but it's kinda just swirling around. Sort of like water."

"Maybe that's not the right words either…but whatever it is I'm feeling, I need to release it and this prick in front of me is the perfect person to try it on. Please, don't stop me. I need this Kyo." Sokka gave the man a look as if to say that this was something he absolutely needed to do.

While not favorable, Kyojuro didn't think it was fair of the boy to take something like this away from him. As the adult in the situation, he would take the blame for whatever the consequences of this may be.

"Ok! I may not understand the things that are within your mind, but I cannot in good faith turn down someone's request when it clearly comes from the deepest parts of one's own heart! Whatever you need to accomplish here, you have my full permission to figure things out!" Kyojuro gave the boy a smile before heading over to the rest of the crowd as they watched him with worried gazes.

"Do not be alarmed! I am only here to witness my pupil in action! I mean none of you harm!" Kyojuro bowed to the crowd before turning back to the duel that was about to start.

"There you are!" Ty Lee had broken through the crowd and Mai followed along beside her.

"There you girls are! You are right on time as you were just about to miss something special! Sokka is on the cusp of something great and I think the fruits of our hard work these past two years will finally manifest themselves!" Kyojuro said.

"Dunno what all that means, but this should be fun to watch! Get him, Sokka!" Ty Lee shouted much to Mai's annoyance.

"Hope he doesn't get his ass kicked," Mai deadpanned. "Because that would mean, the guy who trained him and captured us can't teach to save his life."

"Ha! Just sit back and watch! Sokka will leave the crowd absolutely speechless with what he's about to do here!"

Katara and Aang had settled into the far end of the crowd and decided to observe as well. Although she did get a kick out of both of them managing to stir up trouble, not even a full day of being here.

Hahn was decked out in the traditional protective armor that they wear during combat. He wielded a spear that Yue hoped wouldn't ever penetrate Sokka.

Remaining calm, cool and collected, Sokka stopped moving and gave the person overseeing the fight that he was good to go as is. Signaling for the fight to start, Hanh made the first move and rushed over to Sokka, making numerous swipes with his spear.

Sokka dodged it effortlessly and with as much elegance as flowing water itself while bidding his time. He could feel the pressure within himself coming to a head. He didn't know how or why, but he just knew that this was the right path for him to take.

"Bide your time and match his tempo, but don't lose sight of your true self."

For a brief second, Sokka could've sworn he heard a very soft voice, like a girl's in his ear. Brushing it off, he continued to dodge as the pressure building within him was almost at the surface. All he needed to do was focus and let it go.

"Flow like a running river and when the time is right, release it!"

Sokka touched his ear and looked around, this time hearing a boy's voice. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him, but he was absolutely sure he just heard two different voices.

"No time to worry about that now. I've gotta focus if I want to take this to the next step!"

Hahn hadn't landed a single blow on Sokka as he grew frustrated with the constant dodging and defense tactics.

"Stop running away and fight me!" He roared as he made another dash straight up the middle.

"Perfect," Sokka stopped dodging and stood his ground as Hahn drew closer and closer. His breathing was perfect, his thoughts were clear, but focused and above all else…

"Go!" The voices said in unison.

He could feel something cool coming from his mouth. It started off as mist and slowly transformed into ripples of water as it drew itself toward his right arm as he cocked it back.

Instinct.

He didn't have time to dwell on whatever this phenomenon was nor why he had literal water coming out of his mouth, dancing around his arm, but knew it had to be expelled.

Bringing his fist forward, a large concentrated shot of water burst forth, crashing into Hahn and sending him flying into some nearby ice.

From the onlookers, what Sokka had done most likely resembled Waterbending, but Kyojuro was smart and knew exactly what he'd just done. The energy that had been building and building within Sokka for months had finally found a way out. He had finally taken the first steps towards learning Water Breathing.

Before Kyojuro had time to rush over to him and congratulate him, Sokka started coughing. That soon turned violent as he soon began hurling large amounts of water which brought him to his knees. His entire body felt like it was incredibly heavy and he continued to cough up even more water from his throat.

Sokka could faintly hear Kyojuro and the others rush over to him, but alas it didn't make much of a difference as he could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. Although maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he swore he could faintly see two individuals that looked like kids standing beside them. The girl had black hair, cyan colored eyes and a fox colored mask sitting neatly on the side of her hair. The angry looking boy, who was almost glaring at him, possessed grayish-lavender eyes that bore into him as he still struggled to breathe with all the water he had expelled, a large scar on the right side of his mouth, and spiky peach colored hair with a similar fox face mask that the girl had with her.

"Who the heck are they?…" Sokka watched as Kyojuro and the others tended to him, but failed to notice the two figures standing close to him. It was as if they were nothing more than ghosts as no one in the crowd noticed them either.

"Why can't anyone else see them standing here…" Failing to come up with a satisfying answer, Sokka passed out in Kyojuro's arms and the two children looked at the boy with varying emotions.

"So…he can finally start to see us, huh. It's about time he unlocked his potential. I was getting worried he would never figure it out," The boy stated with annoyance in his voice.

The girl giggled at his grumpiness, "I knew he would. He's a step behind everyone else, but he never gives up nor loses sight of what's important. He's kinda like another version of you, don't you think…Sabito?"

"Besides stubbornness, he and I are absolutely nothing alike!" Sabito shot back.

"He did the technique wrong anyway which is why he passed out. Before he wakes up, we need to have a chat with him. We've wasted enough time as is, Makomo."

Of course, things would never end up being as smooth as they wished, but the boy who they had been stuck with, finally made it over the initial hurdle to open himself up to Water Breathing.

Now, it was up to them to help mold him into someone capable and worthy of wielding it. After all…

There had to be some special reason why both of them became stuck with the boy to begin with.

"Remind me again why we don't just start the invasion now?" Jet groaned to Hama as the woman gazed up at the stars above.

Jet had asked Zhao to drop him off a few days ago as the boy had long since completed the task Ozai assigned to him. If it was up to him, he'd storm over to that damned tribe and slaughter them himself, but unless he wanted to deal with his superiors, he had no choice but to bide his time and wait.

Hama chuckled at the young man's impatience, "What's the rush? The Master is tearing his way through Omashu as we speak and it is pivotal to the plan that they are out of the way. You may not understand it, but I assure you, this is the way it has to be."

That definitely annoyed Jet. She got to the island a little after he did, but there was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way.

"Listen, granny. I get you're at the top of the food chain, but all this waiting around is making me hungry for a challenge. I've heard the stories about how powerful you are, but I think I need a first hand demonstration. C'mon it's not like we got anything else to do while we wait," Jet egged the woman on to no avail. Hama simply continued to gaze at the moon completely unbothered by the challenge.

"Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to ya!" Jet barked at her. "Just go a couple rounds with me if you're not a coward. If you aren't careful, I might even usurp your rank."

Once again, the woman refused to look at him and that really pissed him off. "Screw this! If you don't wanna make the first move then maybe I'll go first-"

Before he could get his sentence out, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, startling him. Of course it was none other than his imaginary friend, Hakuji. The pain in his ass that continued to hound him about the path he was headed down. Jet snarled in response as the man watched him grow even more agitated.

Although it hadn't been long, Hakuji had come to realize just how steep this child had buried himself within hatred and misery. No matter how much he tried to talk some sense into him, Jet continued to do as he pleased without even an ounce of mercy. Of course, Hakuji was no better during his time as Akaza, so maybe that's why he continued to try so hard to reach out to him. He didn't want him to end up full of leftover regrets like he had after his memories returned to him.

"You can tell your friend to calm himself. I will not indulge your whims nor give chase to your insults."

Jet and Hakuji's eyes went wide hearing Hama speak, She could see him?

"You can see him?" Jet asked, cautiously.

"I can't see your friend, but I can feel his presence. You weren't the only one who has been given their very own spirit guide," Hama answered. "Zhao recently spoke with The Master about being able to speak with his own guide. He claimed his guide was extremely annoying, arrogant, lackadaisical, yet he felt a connection with him that he hadn't yet felt before."

Hakuji ran cold knowing exactly who she could be referring to. "There is no way that man is here too. It can't be…"

"So I'm not the only one dealing with this shit? How did he make it stop?" Jet growled as Hakuji racked his brain wondering just how bad things could get with someone like that attached to another sociopathic monster like Zhao.

"I'm afraid nobody knows how to get rid of them. Upper Ranks have also reported their own spirit guides popping up as well. It seems like the balance of this world is shifting one again. Fate's always been unpredictable like that."

Jet didn't miss how she wavered a bit with that last part about fate, "Granny! Why'd you do that just now? Your voice sounded…I dunno? Sad? Conflicted? It was definitely something like that and don't try and hide it. My Blood Demon Art enhanced my senses even above most Upper Ranks, so I can hear subtle details like when a person lies and their heartbeat speeds up or when a person is scared. Stuff like that is never hidden to me and I gotta say, you absolutely reek of emotions right now."

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" Hama stood up from her perch and turned to look at the boy. Her face was one that he had a hard time reading as she walked over to him with something clearly on her mind.

"Stay back, granny! I don't trust anyone getting that close to me-" For the second time today, Jet was startled and completely caught off guard as the woman who was supposed to be the most ruthless demon in Ozai's army and the absolute strongest of them all did something that not even he could predict.

She placed a hand to his cheek as a tear slid down her face. Her sorrowful expression bore into him, leaving him speechless. He wanted to tell her off, shove her hand away, fight her, something! Anything that'd cause her to retreat from whatever…this was, but something deep down stopped him from moving away.

"My…my heart aches for you. No matter what the circumstances foretold, you should have never had to become a Demon like us." Hama removed the hand from his cheek as she made her way back to her spot that gave her the perfect view of the crescent shaped moon.

"You'll have to forgive me, even though I've been a Demon longer than most, it seems my emotions tend to make themselves known from time to time. Seeing someone so young become one of us is…not something I approve of."

"What kinda nonsense are you saying? Demons are strong and I wanted to become strong so I traded my worthless humanity away for something else. I don't think it was a bad trade all in all," Jet responded with a sickening grin.

Hama only frowned in response, "Strength without the right person wielding it is nigh useless. The power you possess isn't one you were ready for and in all honesty will surely come to regret. Children like you should be living a carefree life with your friends and family, not…" He could smell her emotions stagger, "Not whatever we're supposed to be doing."

"Is this some sort of lecture? I never had any of that sentimental garbage so I could honestly care less about that," Jet shot back.

She shook her head, "I'm not so sure about that. Whatever it is you are seeking, I promise you that it will end up becoming nothing more than a curse to you in the end."

Jet could see some sort of humor in what she was saying, "Funny you should mention that. That old man I killed said the same damn thing. Of course I didn't put much stock into his words, but hearing it again has my interest piqued! I've gotta know what you mean by that! A curse? Ha! I won't let anything stand in my way and I will become stronger! Count on that!"

"And just like the rush of adrenaline and bloodlust you feel now, I'm sure the regret you will feel down the line will be world shattering for you. Of course this is your life to live. I can only offer my thoughts and wisdom should you decide to heed them."

Silence filled the space between the two as Jet pondered what exactly this woman was saying and Hama crept back into her thoughts.

Jet could only glare at the back of her head while they continued to wait for others to arrive. As much as he wished they weren't lingering in his mind, Hama's words and actions remained.

Why did she say all that? Why did she cry for him? It just didn't make sense to him. However, Jet had the feeling that whatever it was that just transpired, this woman would become someone very important to him down the line.

If only he knew just how important her words to him really were. Even Hakuji understood that her words weren't just gibberish.

They were a warning of what was to come for Jet.

The commotion earlier that day had ended up a massive disaster for all parties involved. Sokka knocking out her fiance did not go over well with many of the higher ups and the fallout of it definitely was not over by a long shot.

"Why must things be so difficult?" Yue grumbled as she lay in her bed, ready to sleep. She had begun feeling unwell and tired during the arguments that ensued afterward so she requested to her father that she be allowed to turn in early in order to replenish her strength.

Closing her eyes and slowly feeling herself slip off to sleep, Yue almost immediately awoke to find herself laying on a sandy beach sitting under a starry night sky. The full moon illuminated the beach as the waves slowly crashed into her.. She sat up quickly and gauged her surroundings, clearly confused as to why she was here and not in her own home and bed asleep.

"You're still asleep, don't worry, Princess."

Yue turned behind her and gasped at the person standing before her. He looked rather tall and muscular and sported long, spiky jet black hair with red tips. His kimono was checkered purple and black and his sword was attached to his hip. Although the strangest thing about him had to be his face.

He had six eyes with three on each side of his face and red colored flame tattoos on the top left of his forehead and the bottom right of his chin.

All in all, Yue thought he looked almost ghostly if she had to put it into words.

"Who are you?" She looked around her surroundings once more, now starting to freak out, "And where is this place?"

"Do not fret. You are within the comforts of your own mind in a sense. I needed to speak with you and it seems like the time that I have had to wait for your power to cultivate is at its end. I have waited quite a long time in order to speak with you, but time is of the essence and you need to be prepared for what future perils you will have to face."

"I don't understand," Yue replied.

"I'm sure you have heard the rumors of certain people existing in this world. I'm here to inform you that these creatures are very real and will bring devastation to everything they touch if they are not stopped at the source."

"I would know firsthand about the damage they can cause given…that I technically still am one."

Yue's expression turned fearful, but she stood her ground as best she could. This was all incredibly strange to her, but she had the sense that this man would not harm her.

"So you're one of those creatures that my dad and the elders have been worried about. They aren't just a myth?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess. The fact that I am even able to stand here before you is troubling in and of itself. I should not exist here."

Yue looked at him confused, "Allow me to explain. I am not from this world, but instead another that in a way parallel's this one. Instead of being able to control the elements through our bodies, it manifested itself into something we call Breathing Techniques. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning etc. all can be channeled into different forms to combat Demons."

"At first I was confused as in my world, I died fighting Demon Hunters and because of my past misdeeds, surely my soul should have been bound for hell. It seems fate had other plans in mind. I woke up within your world in some sort of state in between and not only that, I am bound to your soul and yet I exist independently from it."

"So…you're a part of me? And you are from another world? This is all so confusing."

"Indeed it is, but I have made peace with it. I'm stuck in this form, but I no longer hunger for flesh and my old bloodlust has subsided. For the first time in centuries, I have become at peace with myself…"

"However, I have been informed by the spirits known as Tui and La, that you need my help. Because we are bonded like we are and you are so in tune with the moon itself, you are the only one in this world who can learn my Breathing Technique. The technique I developed is called Moon Breathing and is originally branched from the originator of all breathing styles, Sun Breathing. It is extremely difficult to master, but because of the link we now share, I am confident that you can become my successor."

"So I'm in danger? Are my people also in danger?" Yue asked while standing up. "If so then I need to inform my father of this and make plans to fortify the Tribe." The man saw the determination covering her face and knew fate made the correct choice placing him with her.

"That will be a futile endeavor. The threat that is coming to this place is one that cannot be prevented. It can be minimized with you learning and mastering my technique as the demons in this world now have an inherent immunity to Sun Breathing given that they are linked with the sun itself now. In my world it was the opposite as sunlight was our natural weakness, but here it is the moon."

"What I am trying to say, Princess, is that only you can hope to protect your people. If you cannot master my technique, then the Demons that will inevitably come here will demolish this peaceful nation out of existence. If you do not wish for this to happen, then stand with me and fight. We may be in the spirit world, but the training we can accomplish here would transfer to your physical body that is still sound asleep in your bed. Time also works differently here so in theory we could train for days on end without even an hour passing outside this place."

"I must warn you though, the training will be grueling and I will bring you as close to death as physically possible without actually killing you. Fighting against Demons is nothing this world has ever seen and you need to be prepared to sacrifice your own humanity in order to fight them."

"To fight monsters, one must become one as well, especially if it is in the defense of those who you care about."

Yue looked at the moon for a time, leaving the man pondering what she could be thinking about. Truthfully, she had plenty of questions to ask him and she would make sure to get the answers she was looking for out of him, but that wasn't the thing bothering her.

He never told her his name.

"You said we're linked and everything you have told me so far seems genuine. I can feel when you're telling the truth and vice versa, so I can tell when you are hiding something. I never was an outgoing person growing up so I did plenty of watching and observing my father navigate through politics. I can tell when someone tries to skate around pivotal information."

"You never told me your name."

Out of all the things she could have asked him, this was the one that he really did not want to answer and Yue could feel the regret, anger, sadness and self loathing among others all roll off of him in waves.

"I…cannot answer your question in truth. Our bond is linked in such a way that if you were to learn my true name now, your body would not be able to handle the rush of power that will be forced into you and you would die. Until we strengthen the bond between us, I can only tell you the name I was given upon becoming a Demon."

"My name is Kokushibo and you have my word, that this is the truth. I only wish to prevent more casualties due to my own self reflection upon seeing your world and the beauty within it." He held out a hand as if to signify an open invitation out to Yue.

Yue feeling nothing but sincerity coming from the man, grabbed it with her own, "It doesn't seem you're leaving me with much of a choice," She tried to joke with a small smile.

Kokushibo attempted to return her smile in kind with one of his own. It looked about as good as one could give, seeing as he already looked like a demonic monster.

And so yet another partnership that transcended worlds had been formed. Many members from Kyojuro's world had filtered through and no one, not even Kokushibo himself could even begin to comprehend the butterfly effect that it will cause for both worlds down the line

Hello again! It's been a while and I wrote the majority of this during Spring Break now that I had time on my hands. I initially started it back in Jan, but finished it last week lol. Sorry for the wait, but chapters should be able to come out much faster now.

Kishna: Keep everyone out of trouble and keep a low profile.
Kyojuro: Got it!

Also Kyojuro: Does the opposite of that and lets Sokka train his Waterbreathing out in the open against Yue's fiancé.