Chapter 19: The Combustion Girl

Long before Sen's journey had even begun, the greatest threat facing the world was the conflict between the Seventh Kingdom revolutionaries and the United Coalition forces. The greatest threat facing the United Coalition was the Seventh Kingdoms de facto leader, Gohrman. The Seventh Kingdom's military structure was based on personal power and bending ability, and Gohrman, as a combustion bender, was by far the mightiest of them all. As such, he stood above all his peers, high atop an iron tower, watching the battle unfold below.

Occasionally Gohrman loosed a bolt of fiery death into the ranks of the United Coalition, laughing as he watched the explosions decimate their forces. The Coalition had marched against him in full force, and yet they made no progress. He had heard so many rumors of their mighty leaders, but the bulk of the Coalition had yet to pierce his walls.

The mighty combustion bender removed himself from his place of observation, ceasing his barrage of explosions on the Coalition forces. It would not do to give his soldiers too easy of a time. Those who were too weak would be culled by the conflict, leaving only the strong behind. That was the way of the Seventh Kingdom.

The sound of conflict from far away drowned out the sound of conflict nearby. The legendary reputation of a certain Coalition leader had not been exaggerated. He simply preferred to take matters into his own hands.

General Rahm drove his sword through another of Gohrman's personal guard. Rahm had been expecting a better fight than this. Hopefully the combustion bender would prove to be a better challenge. The guardsmen weren't even a match for Rahm's followers.

One of Rahm's newest soldiers, a young man named Dahaka, swept yet another guard away with a surging wave of water. Several guards had been frozen to a wall already, and their fellow soon joined them. Rahm disapproved of Dahaka's obnoxious habit of non-lethal fighting, but he was skillful despite his restraint. Rahm would accept it this one time, but they would not fight side by side again if Rahm had anything to say about it. He had no need for mercy.

"This is the top floor, metal man," Dahaka joked. Rahm's habit of wearing full body armor had inspired a few nicknames. Dahaka was one of few people brave enough to use those nicknames to Rahm's face.

"Then Gohrman will be here," Rahm grunted.

"I'd say wait for backup, but-"

Rahm slammed open the heavy doors of Gohrman's chamber. Dahaka shrugged and stood guard outside. Combustion benders were above his pay grade.

"Rahm" Gohrman said, finally satisfied. The mightiest General of the Coalition had come to see him at last. The heavily armored metalbender stepped through the shattered door, his sword still red and dripping. Rahm was as efficient as he was talented. He took no time to pause and look over his next adversary, never paused in fear of Gohrman's third eye. The massive warrior stormed forward towards his foe.

"Come Rahm, are we not men of honor? You have no words to share with me?"

"Hawks have no words for mice," Rahm said, brandishing his infamous sword. Many of Gohrman's fellows had met their end at that blade.

With his prized dignity suitably insulted, Gohrman unleashed his rage on Rahm. Rahm never flinched in the face of the explosive onslaught. Every time Gohrman attacked, Rahm intercepted the lance of energy with a small shard of metal, stopping the blast too short. Gohrman unleashed burst after burst of lethal combustions. Rahm never blinked.

Gohrman was used to seeing people run and hide in fear. Even those who served him had fear in their eyes. Not Rahm. As the legendary warrior came closer and closer, it became clearer and clearer. Gohrman began to understand how the General had acquired his reputation. There was no fear, no uncertainty, and no hesitation in his heart; only murderous anger.

Their battle shattered sky and steel as it tore through the tower. Bursts of flame and steel clashed in a cataclysmic duel high above the battlefield. Rahm's metalbending was more than a match for Gohrman's twisted combustion bending. Every bolt that Gohrman loosed was dodged or intercepted; Rahm never felt the burning fires of Gohrman's blasts.

The ineffectiveness of his attacks drove Gohrman further and further into rage. His anger manifested as a certain kind of carelessness. Rahm saw his opportunity. Rage was a powerful weapon for some, but a glaring weakness in others.

With Gohrman's next attack, Rahm shattered his metal armor into a cloud of fragments and sent them all flying towards Gohrman's third eye. Carelessly, Gohrman unleashed his combustive power anyway. The bolt struck the metal shards just in front of Gohrman's own face and detonated at point-blank range. As ever, combustion benders were destroyed by their own power.

Rahm examined the carnage in disappointment. The legendary power of combustion benders was spoken of in fearful tales, but Gohrman had disappointed. Rahm had hardly broken a sweat. The General reassembled his armor and moved to his radio.

"Gohrman is dead," He declared. His words travelled between radios all across Whale Tail Island, bolstering the morale of the Coalition forces.

"Once the Kingdom troops hear he's gone, this battle will be a wash," his lieutenant said. Lieutenant Sorikami was currently occupied in a battle several miles away. "We'll have to find a way to spread the word among the enemy."

"I am handling the announcement personally," Rahm said.

The morale of the Seventh Kingdom soldiers below was broken as Gohrman's body was sent plummeting from his tower and crashing into the midst of their ranks.

LINE BREAK HERE

As Sorikami had predicted, the battle had gone swiftly in their favor after Gohrman's defeat. Without their mutated super-soldier at their backs, the courage of the Seventh Kingdom was broken. Gohrman's chief advisor, a firebender named Lokus, was still unaccounted for, but he had yet to take charge of the remaining forces. Rahm casually strolled through Gohrman's former residence. The combustion bender had acquired numerous trophies of war. Rahm admired the skull of a dragon until he was approached by one of his men.

"General, you'll want to see this," he said. His name was Tan Lung; he was a good soldier, obedient and skilled in combat, if not particularly clever. Rahm trusted his judgment enough to follow him into the bowels of Gohrman's tower, accompanied only by Dahaka. Here in the deepest reaches, the castle became a dungeon. There only seemed to be one cell; a labyrinthine construction designed with several layers of security.

"What was he keeping here," Rahm pondered.

"It's some kind of prison," Tan Lung said. He handed a journal that he had located to Dahaka. The waterbender read it aloud.

"Combustion benders are usually reclusive and difficult to study. It is a blessing that Gohrman is willing to co-operate with my examinations. His persistence has taught us how to identify others with latent combustion bender talents."

Rahm's eyes narrowed, and they proceeded into the depths of the labyrinth. Dahaka continued reading the journal.

"The third eye mutation focuses their nervous system towards the forehead; creates a glaring weakness, but makes the rest of the body more resistant to pain. Worthwhile trade. Focusing the mutation through the tattoo increases the effect."

The next few pages of the journal were all a description of combustion benders and their unique physiology. Dahaka skipped a few pages until they got back to actual journal entries.

"Lost two fingers to an accidental blast last week. Pinky and index, thankfully on non-dominant hand. Power manifesting at this stage is a good sign. Might be even stronger than Gohrman once we give it the tattoo."

Rahm began to walk faster, and soon they were at the heart of the prison, faced with a massive door, closed tight with elaborate locks. The construction of the locks was sturdy, but they all gave way to Rahm's metalbending. He, Tan Lung, and Dahaka penetrated several layers of iron walls and traps. Whatever Gohrman was hiding, or keeping imprisoned, was of unbelievable value. Tan Lung admired the workmanship of the elaborate prison.

The center of the convoluted prison was a small prison chamber, with simple iron bars. Rahm could see through them easily enough. Dahaka read the last journal entry.

"The preparations are complete. Miyani will be our greatest weapon."

Dahaka closed the journal and looked into the cage. Huddled in the corner, small, weak, and covered in a mix of scabs and scars, a little girl cowered in the shadows. A small child, barely older than one of Dahaka's own daughters.

"Rahm, get her out of there," Dahaka pleaded. Rahm hesitated.

"Hold a moment," Rahm said. Something felt wrong. "Child. Come."

Hesitantly, the girl stumbled towards the bars and came towards the light. Tan Lung took a few steps back. Amidst the wounds on her forehead, a blood red tattoo was visible, unique in its design, but still a clear mark of a combustion bender.

"Another combustion bender," Rahm muttered. The little girl took a few steps back in fear. Rahm flicked his wrist, and the bars slipped aside. The girl retreated into the depths of the cell. Rahm stepped forward, and drew his sword.

"Rahm," Dahaka called. Rahm did not hesitate. Tan Lung averted his eyes. Rahm's sword swung in a swift arc towards Miyani's neck. The young girl felt a cold chill on her spine.

Rahm's blade was trapped in ice, frozen in place just barely separated from Miyani's throat. The ice that encased her throat was the only thing keeping her alive. Rahm pulled his blade back, violently shattering the ice, and looked to a defiant Dahaka.

"She's just a girl!"

"And Gohrman was once just a boy," Rahm declared. "You saw the fire he rained down on our brothers today."

"She had nothing to do with that," Dahaka objected. "You can't do this to her!"

"And what would you propose we do, Dahaka," Tan Lung asked. Rahm's sword still stood ready. "Would you be willing to take her as your own? Would you feel safe at night knowing that a monster slept in your own home?"

Dahaka looked away. He could hear the young combustion bender whimpering behind his back.

"I have a daughter her age," He said. "I can't just let you do this."

"I'm waiting on an alternative," Rahm said. "Don't be a fool, Dahaka. You can raise a dragon however you like, it will still grow fangs."

Dahaka clenched his teeth. Dragons.

The circle had been kept very small on this secret. Dahaka, Tan Lung, and Rahm had shared the secret of the combustion bender child with the Fire Nation royal family and no one else. The Fire Lord's son, Goto, had agreed to Dahaka's proposal, and the young prince had escorted the three to Dragon Roost island. The entire operation had been swept off the record. As far as anyone else was concerned, Rahm, Dahaka, and Tan Lung had never even met.

The official spokesman to outsiders in Dragon Roost was a young Sun Warrior named Zorotl. He and his dragon Kalatal waited for the small entourage. Kalatal began to snarl and snap as the four approached. Rahm stared the dragon down. He had long wished to test his strength against a dragon. Unfortunately, they were too rare for him to get away with it. Much to Rahm's satisfaction, the vicious dragon rapidly withered under his piercing gaze. Zorotl noticed how the dragon cowered. Few people alive had such an effect on dragons.

"Zorotl," Prince Goto began. His father was a close friend to the Sun Warriors, but Goto was on less friendly terms. "I have a challenge for your people."

Goto beckoned the combustion bender girl forward. Her wounds had healed remarkably well. The bandages around her injuries were as much to hide her tattoo as they were to hide the scabs. At his command, she removed the wrappings around her forehead, revealing the third eye mark. Zorotl took a few steps back. Kalatal gave a thunderous growl as the mutant bender stepped forward. Dragons were keen to sense aberrant benders, and combustion benders were among the worst. The young girl retreated backwards a few steps as the dragon bared its fearsome fangs.

"Not a chance," Zorotl said. "We don't deal with monsters."

"She's named Miyani, actually," Goto said indignantly.

Miyani clutched at Prince Goto's robes, but he pushed her away. He had little desire to deal with her. He wanted to make sure she wouldn't grow up to be a threat, and that was the end of his interest in the girl. Gohrman and his assistant, Lokus, had been grooming this girl to become a new weapon for the Seventh Kingdom. He would not allow her to become a threat to innocent people.

"You people can tame a dragon, why not one of them," Goto challenged.

"She's not normal," Zorotl protested. Miyani's small, scarred face drooped with sadness. "What are we supposed to do with her?"

"Figure something out," Goto commanded. "Despite what you may think, she's only a small child. I doubt she poses that much of a challenge to dragon tamers."

Zorotl set his jaw stubbornly. He would have to consult with the priests. A combustion bender posed a great challenge, but raising dragons was no small feat either. Perhaps it was possible. He summoned several elders and discussed the situation. They were hesitant about welcoming a combustion bender into their midst, but they agreed that they had an obligation to try.

The girl was handed over. Miyani gave a lingering look to Dahaka as she was escorted away. Dahaka did not look her in the eye.

"Now, I believe we still have a war on," Tan Lung said. He had welcomed the break from fighting. War was beginning to tire him. He was growing impatient with the constant conflicts of men.

"That we do," Rahm said. Rahm was quite the opposite of his subordinate. He had spent too long away from the fight, and was eager to get back to the chaos and violence of war. "I had hoped the combustion bender might attract some worthwhile attention. We should get back while there are still enemies yet to be slain."

"I've heard talk that the Seventh might surrender, actually," Dahaka mumbled. Rahm laughed disdainfully.

"There is victory and there is death," Rahm scolded. "All else is cowardice."

The three soldiers boarded the ship that would carry them back to the last battles of the Seventh Kingdom Uprising. Rahm's eyes flitted judgmentally between the island and Dahaka.

"Whatever that girl becomes is on your head, boy," Rahm said.

"I'm not worried," Dahaka said, though to tell the truth he was uncertain. "The dragon tamers can handle her."

Goto examined the shattered wall of the building. Miyani had, indeed, blown a hole right through the wall of her home. Zorotl was trying to use that as an excuse to get rid of her. Goto knew there was a missing piece.

"So, she just blew up the wall one day," he said suspiciously.

"Yeah, blew it right up," Zorotl said. Goto didn't need to be a truth-seer to tell he was lying. There was an audible shake to his voice.

Miyani was cowering in a corner of the courtyard, being watched over by Sun Warriors wielding heavy blades. Every time she moved, they twitched nervously. She had noticed that, and had tried to stop moving entirely. They had given her a thick cloak to wear, and she wrapped it tighter around herself, trying to hide from the Sun Warriors and their blades.

Goto glanced quickly between Zorotl and Miyani. Zorotl's nervousness became more and more apparent. Goto walked through the wall of Sun Warriors and examined Miyani. As he got closer, she tried to withdraw more and more into her cloak.

"Miyani? Why did you blow up the house?"

Miyani reached her absolute limit of how tight she could draw the cloak around her, and she just began to shudder nervously. Goto rolled his eyes, and pulled the cloak away from her. She let out a sharp scream of fear and wrapped her hands tightly around her neck. Goto raised an eyebrow. Why her neck, of all places?

"Miyani, let go of your neck."

The young combustion bender did not cooperate. Goto raised his voice.

"Miyani!"

Miyani's hands quickly snapped away. Her neck was bruised a deep purple. That kind of bruising could not happen on accident.

"You people," Goto said disdainfully. He turned to the Sun Warriors. "Which one of you did this?"

Not one of them spoke up. Goto repeated himself, once again to no answer. He snorted derisively. He doubted he would get an answer. The Sun Warriors would not sell out one of their own.

"I'm disappointed in all of you," He said.

"What are we supposed to do," Zorotl protested.

"You were supposed to take care of her," Goto shouted. "And you've done the exact opposite!"

"She's a monster, Goto," Zorotl said.

"And you think strangling her will fix that? It'll only make her hate you, you idiot!"

"I didn't-"

"You didn't do a lot of things," Goto said. "Thinking being first among them."

Goto smiled wickedly. Even in tense moments like this, there was time for some witty insults. Zorotl actually looked guilty now. He seemed to be thinking of something.

"Hayao," He said.

"What?"

"Hayao. He's a wise man, a master. He lives off the coast of Gai Zhu. He can help her."

Goto's father had told him of the master under the mountain, but Goto had never thought much of the story. Old men sitting on rocks did not appeal to him. He preferred men of action. But if Hayao could keep this combustion bender out of trouble, to Hayao he would go.

Goto was done here. He grabbed Miyani by the wrist and forcibly pulled her to her feet, leading her away from the Sun Warriors. Being away from them did nothing to improve her mood, and as Goto took her to the boat, she remained just as withdrawn and quiet. Goto eventually took some measure of pity on her.

"I know you didn't mean to do that, Miyani."

She actually looked up for a moment, though she remained deathly silent. Goto continued.

"You were scared, and you did something on accident. But you have to be careful. You're dangerous, and doing things like that will only make people more afraid of you."

Miyani rested her head in her hands, and Goto got the feeling that he'd only made things worse.

Goto was thoroughly unimpressed with Hayao's mountain. It was caged in a thick, unpleasant fog that made navigating the island a chore. Despite the handicap, Goto eventually found his way into the cavern, through the quiet chambers and past the curtain. Hayao sat ever vigilant and ever motionless in the midst of the chamber, surrounded by dim candles.

"Master Hayao," Goto said, with feigned respect.

"I am no master," Hayao said. "How may I be of service to you, Prince Goto?"

Goto ignored the fact that Hayao already knew who he was dealing with. Mysterious old farts like him knew everything; that was a given. Goto pushed Miyani forward, forcing her to stand before the robed master. The white mask of the ancient Fire Nation soldiers observed her with lifeless eyes. She shrank away in fear of the skeletal visage.

"Can you take care of her?"

Hayao looked over the girl in silence for a moment. He could feel an intense fear in her heart, but it was not a fear of Goto, or even Hayao. She was afraid of herself.

"No," He said finally. "The lesson she must learn is not one I can teach."

"Ah, let me rephrase that," Goto said. "I could care less about how she feels. Can you keep her from hurting innocent people?"

Hayao was silent for a moment. He could see the way Goto's words stung Miyani's heart. Hayao sighed loudly.

"Yes."

"Then she's your problem now."

Without so much as a goodbye, Goto turned on his heel and left the cave. Hayao and Miyani looked at one another for a moment. The more Miyani looked into the black eyeholes of Hayao's mask, the more fear rose in her heart. Hayao decided it was time to show a little compassion.

"What's your name?"

Miyani hesitated a moment. Her fingers tapped nervously against her skin. Her scars and scabs no longer hurt as much, but they were still present, a reminder that it had not been so long ago that she'd been in the cage of the Seventh Kingdom. She supposed that anything was an improvement.

"My name is Miyani," She said quietly.

"Miyani," Hayao repeated. "I'm Hayao. I'll be taking care of you now."

Miyani flinched. The last people who'd tried to take care of her had ended up trying to choke her. Hayao saw her fear and moved to reassure her.

"I will teach you as much as I can," Hayao said. "I hope that I can bring you safety…and peace."

Hayao doubted his own ability. The red mark on Miyani's forehead marked her as a different breed, a being of great power. That kind of life was not one that Hayao had ever lived. Hayao hoped that he could overcome the distance between their lives and bring Miyani peace.

In the back of his mind, he knew it was a fool's hope.

Miyani spent most of her days fishing.

She'd been with Hayao a few years now. Life was boring, but she had a bit of freedom, and nobody tried to kill her, which made it better than any other home she'd ever known. The boredom could be cured with pastimes like fishing, at least.

She was on a sandbar not far from the island; it would probably be anyone's first choice if looking for a place to fish. It was just far enough away that it was possible to walk rather than swimming, which worked well for Miyani. She hadn't yet learned to swim, so the waters were still dangerous for her.

Miyani saw a ship sail by, and she pulled her hat as far down on her forehead as she could. It was the middle of the commercial fishing season, so large fishing ships came by often. None of them came this close to the island, as it was surrounded by rocky shoals and sandbars, but the sight of them always frightened Miyani. She dreaded the day one of them got too close.

Her fears would become real today. Though the larger vessels avoided the shallow waters around the island, a few smaller ships came closer to the island. Miyani clenched her fishing rod tighter and tried to stare at the ground. It was only a matter of time before one of them got too close.

"Hey, girl, what are you doing out here," Someone shouted. Their ship sailed dangerously close to her sandbar and watched her from the shore. Miyani let go of her fishing rod completely and clutched her hat tightly to her head.

"Are you alright?"

The fishermen were worried about her, naturally. They were hours away from any kind of civilization, and as far as they knew, she was just a little girl. They actually wanted to help.

"Where are your parents?"

Their ship pulled up the sandbar and went aground. A few of the fishermen stepped onto the land and looked at her. She wanted them to go away. She could only hide herself from them for so long.

"I live on the island," Miyani said quickly. "Please leave me alone."

"Nobody lives on that island," One of the fishermen said. Few people knew of Hayao's secluded refuge. They thought the volcanic island was completely uninhabitable.

"Did you run away from home?"

Miyani shook her head. One of the fishermen popped up with another theory.

"Look at how she's hiding. Did somebody hurt you, girl?"

"Just leave me alone," Miyani begged.

"We're trying to help you, so why don't you just tell us what's happening," One fisherman said. As he spoke, he reached down, placed one hand on Miyani's shoulder, and used the other to pull her hat off.

Miyani tried to cover her forehead with her hands, but she wasn't quick enough. The fishermen saw the red mark on her forehead, and their mood changed completely. Where there had once been compassion and concern there was now only terror. Some ran backwards, some screamed. One remained oddly calm. Miyani shuddered as they all recoiled in fear.

After the frightened fishermen had all panicked sufficiently, there was a hasty debate on what should be done now. They seemed to realize that Miyani was not trying to hurt them -for now, one said- and that something had to be done about this.

The fisherman who'd remained calm earlier was the first to step forward. He held his hand out to Miyani.

"Don't worry, I understand," He said. He was calm, but oddly cold. "I'll just take you back where you belong."

Miyani did not take his hand, but she did follow him forward, towards the boat. The two of them departed alone, heading out into the waters. Miyani just wanted this horrible experience to be over. The sooner they got back to the island, the better. Miyani rested her head in her hands and waited.

"Do you know how to swim," The calm fisherman asked. Miyani shook her head.

"You should learn," He advised. "It's not safe to be out on the ocean when you can't swim."

Miyani looked up, to see if they were any closer to home. They actually seemed to be farther away. They were getting far from everything, actually, even the other fishing boats. Miyani felt the cold chill of fear, and then a hand around her neck, in a grip just tight enough to keep her from screaming. The fisherman grabbed her by the neck and pulled her upwards from her seat. Dragging her painfully, he forced her to the side of the ship, giving her just a moment to look at the black waters below, and then pushed her over.

Miyani panicked and flailed as she began to sink into the dark depths. Eventually, through the fear and confusion, she managed to right herself and claw her way upwards to the surface, just barely in time to avoid drowning. She tried to tread water and keep herself afloat, but panic and a lack of experience made it difficult to keep her head above the water. Between desperate breaths of air, she begged for help. The only person around to hear her pleas didn't care.

"You monsters killed my brother in the war," The fisherman shouted back at her. "This is what you deserve!"

As Miyani struggled to stay above the black water, that thought weighed her down. That she somehow deserved this. It filled her mind like the water filled her throat whenever she sank beneath the waves.

After a long, desperate, painful struggle, Miyani clawed her way to a small outcropping of stone above the waters. Every muscle in her body burned with the pain of exhaustion. She coughed up the saltwater that was stinging like acid in her lungs, and remained there, clinging to the stone, wondering why this had happened to her.

She found her way back the island eventually. She didn't go back to Hayao right away, though.

The island had a room for supplies; food, clothing and medicine, things like that. Some wealthy student of Hayao's donated it all. Miyani dug through the myriad supplies to find what she was looking for.

Hayao had been expecting to see her sooner. From the moment she had stepped into his cavern, he could feel that something terrible had happened to her. When she reappeared, though, it was in a far different state than Hayao had expected.

Around her hands, shoulder, and her tattooed forehead, she wore white bandages, as if she were covering some extensive wounds. Hayao could see that she was not injured, at least not in that way. What was she trying to accomplish, then?

"What are you doing, Miyani?"

"I just want people to stop hurting me," She said. There was a profound hollowness in her voice. She had been hurt one too many times; she didn't feel safe, even here.

"And what do the bandages have to do with that?"

"I can…hide. When people see the tattoo, they try to hurt me. But when they think I'm just weak, and hurt, they don't- They leave me alone."

"But you're not weak," Hayao told her. "You're stronger than any of them."

"I don't want to be," Miyani said. She seemed on the verge of tears now. "I don't want to be a monster."

Behind his skull mask, hidden from view, Hayao closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He had been afraid of this.

"I am sorry, Miyani," He said apologetically. "No words of mine can make you understand."

Hayao stopped speaking then, and it would be years before he spoke to her again. Hayao was a monk, a man of quiet meditation. Miyani walked a very different path, one he could not guide her on. It would take someone else, someone who knew her pain, to guide her. Hayao watched Miyani for many years after that day, in silence, but every day he prayed that the guide she needed would find her.

Many years later, a young man walked through the door of his cavern. A boy who had only just lost his best friend. Behind his mask, Hayao smiled. Sometimes prayers were answered in the best possible way.

"And that's my story," Miyani concluded. "At least until you showed up, that is."

It had been a long story, and not a particularly happy one, but it was her story. The next time she told it, it would have a much happier ending.

"Any questions?" She asked.

"Just one," Sen said. "When did you learn to swim?"

Miyani looked at him quietly for a while.

"That's what you want to know?"

"Well, you didn't know in that last bit, but when we went fishing, you did know. When did you learn?"

"I taught myself," Miyani said. "I didn't want to drown again."

"Well, that makes sense."

Sen stood up and stretched his legs. They had been sitting around in Hayao's cavern for about an hour now. After his fight with the Harrier, Sen had been eager to rest, but now his legs were getting a little stiff. He stretched out and looked around.

Sen had already shared his side of the story. It had been refreshing to tell Miyani the whole truth about himself; everything about Hanjo, his story, and his journey as the Avatar. Retelling it now felt climactic, in a way. He felt he had taken a great step forwards in his journey to become a full Avatar. Not just because he had learned firebending, but because he had learned how to embrace his identity.

The sound of muffled voices interrupted his thoughts, and he turned towards the entrance. He thought he'd gotten all the Energybender forces imprisoned, but somebody outside was shouting loudly. Sen's worry turned to happiness as the voices got closer, and he recognized them.

"Suda, Ada, I'm in here," He shouted. The cavern walls magnified his voice, carrying it out to the island coast. "Everything's fine."

Quickly, he turned and whispered something to Miyani. She smiled and nodded eagerly. Miyani walked away from the caves entrance as the sounds of Suda and Ada rapidly running down the cavern chambers got louder.

Suda burst through the curtain at full tilt, his eyes locking in on Sen immediately. With an overjoyed shout, Suda rushed towards the Avatar and grabbed him in a massive bear hug.

"You're alright!"

Suda was practically dancing. As amusing as it was to be lifted into the air by his gargantuan friend, Sen was actually in no small amount of pain right now. Suda's massive arms were pressing against nearly every injury he'd received during his fight. Sen voiced his concerns, and Suda gingerly placed him back on the ground.

Ada stepped towards Sen, her eyes filled with more disbelief than concern. Ada examined the injuries that covered Sen's body; a few burns, a bruise here and there, and a few cuts. Far less than she had expected. A part of her had doubted Sen's ability to fight more than sixty soldiers. She could hardly believe it.

"How? How did you beat them all?'

That was Miyani's cue. She stepped forward, sneaking up behind Suda and Ada.

"He didn't," She said. They began to turn around. "I did."

Suda took one look at the mark on her forehead and froze completely. Ada was a little more dramatic. She let out a short yelp of fear and jumped backwards, her hair standing on end like a frightened cat. Miyani smiled wickedly. Ada's fear was intense, but it passed quickly. Just yesterday she had seen Miyani reduced to tears by a piece of spicy pork. With that memory in her head, it was hard to be afraid of her, even with a blood-red mark of explosive destruction on her forehead.

"You- Well, that is….something, certainly-"

Suda unfroze and pointed at Miyani's forehead.

"Sparky-sparky-boom!" He shouted. Miyani looked confused. Suda began to hop up and down like an overly excited child.

"Do the thing," He demanded.

"No, don't," Ada said quickly. "Not here, please, not in a very small cave."

"I wasn't going to," Miyani assured her. Ada looked visibly relieved. Suda, visibly disappointed.

"You'll have plenty of time to watch her," Sen said reassuringly. He stepped up to Miyani's side. "We're going to do a lot together. I think it's time we took the fight to the enemy."

"I'm with you all the way," Miyani said, clenching her fists. She'd been playing the victim most of her life; playing hero would be a nice change of pace.

"Oh man, count me in," Suda said eagerly. Ada found herself getting into the idea as well. A combustion bender was a massive shift in the balance of power. Even one was worth an entire army. With Miyani on their side, they might have enough strength to rally the world against the Energybender.

"It pains me to have to play devil's advocate," Hayao interrupted. "But were you not hiding for a reason, Sen?"

"Well yeah, I had to," Sen said. "But with Miyani-"

"Think clearly, Sen. Temper your courage with caution."

Hayao's words of caution put a slow end to the eager energy in the room. Miyani was quick to come to her conclusions.

"I'm powerful," She said. "But I don't know if I'm stronger than the Energybender."

"We don't know enough about him," Ada said. "There's still risks, even with Miyani on our side."

"Yeah, now that I think about it, we shouldn't move until Sen's as strong as he can be."

Suda kicked the dirt. He'd really been looking forward to seeing some explosions. Miyani stared sadly at the ground.

"But I can't hide," She said. "I mean, not the way you guys can. The only useful thing I can do is cause massive explosions."

"Not really very good for sneaking around," Ada admitted. Sen looked around at them all. He couldn't believe the turn this conversation had taken.

"Come on," He begged. "We can't just go back to running and hiding! The Energybender's only going to get more violent the more I run away from him. I can't keep sneaking around in the shadows while people are getting hurt."

Miyani took a deep breath, nodded to herself, and smiled.

"I know what to do."

She turned Sen to face her and placed her hands on his shoulders. Sen felt very small compared to her. The dim candlelight cast a very gentle glow on her face, even on the brutal-looking tattoo resting above her eyes.

"You can't fight, and I can't hide," She said. "So I'll go out in the world and fight for you. I'll be your sword, fighting the battles you can't."

Miyani removed her hands from his shoulders and crossed them defiantly across her chest. Sen looked at her for a while, his head swirling with too many thoughts to count. He didn't want to leave Miyani, not after all of this. But sometimes the right decision wasn't always the easy one.

Sen took a single step forward and wrapped his arms around Miyani. She felt a brief moment of surprise; this was a first for her. It quickly passed, and she returned the embrace. That was all that needed to be said. Goodbyes were useless at this point; few words could articulate what they both wanted to say. Their time together, however short, had been life-changing.

"One day I'm going to be done hiding," Sen said as he released her. "When that happens, I want you there."

"Believe me, there's nowhere I'd rather be," Miyani replied. "But in the meantime, who knows? While I'm out there fighting, I might even find Hanjo."

"Hanjo's alive?" Two voices shouted at once.

"Oh yeah. Maybe we should have led with that."

Once Sen had explained the situation with Hanjo's survival, Suda and Ada were even more eager to set out. They found the ship that the Energybender troops had brought to the island and hijacked it quickly, heading back for the mainland. They had a few loose ends to wrap up anyway. After saying their goodbyes to Miyani, they set out. Their first task would be to gather Gun; the badgermole would be rather upset about having been left alone all this time. After that, they would have to get the authorities to collect the soldiers trapped on Hayao's island.

Ada was taking charge of steering the ship, leaving Suda to sit around on the ship's deck and think about what had happened. He'd had a busy couple of days. Yesterday he had turned twenty-one, and today he his ex-girlfriend had nearly gotten them killed, he'd gotten in a fight with terrorists, and he'd met a girl who could blow things up with her mind.

As far as birthdays went, it was one to remember.

Suda wandered to the rear of the ship. Sen was looking back at the island sadly, toying with something in his hands.

"You getting along all right?" He asked.

"I'm okay," Sen said. He could be better, but he wasn't that bad. Suda sat down next to him. They watched the fog-shrouded island fade in to the distance for a while.

"Did I show you her parting gift?"

Sen turned around and held out his hand. It was one of the two rectangular bricks he'd made for Miyani just this morning. Miyani had the other. She had given it to him just before they left. Suda, of course, knew nothing about Miyani's bricks or Sen's confession to her, so all he saw was an oddly shaped rock. He figured it was important to Sen, though, and he had an idea.

Flicking his fingers quickly, Suda pulled a piece of metal from the ships walls and wrapped it into a thin metal band. With another quick gesture, the metal band gripped onto the small brick, and then coiled itself around Sen's wrist, covering the pink scar.

"I got no idea what to say or do about all this," Suda said. "But I know how to wrap up your wrist."

Sen stared blankly at Suda for a while. He remembered those words. Suda had said them long ago, on a much different boat ride, after Hanjo's presumed death.

"Why would you say that?"

"It's called bookending," Suda said defensively. "It's when you- oh nevermind."

Suda crossed his arms stubbornly. Sen smiled. He supposed it was much different this time around. This time the wrap on his wrist was a gift, not a bandage to cover a wound.

"Hey, you should turn around," Sen advised Suda. "I'm not the only one who gets a parting gift."

Suda turned to look over his shoulder at the island. Sen set a small flare of fire streaming up in the air.

In response, a white pillar of light rose from the coast of Hayao's island, soaring high into the air, before bursting into a mighty conflagration of fire and explosive force. Suda jumped to his feet and shouted with excitement as the explosion unfolded. Sen chuckled to himself, and looked forward.

END OF BOOK 2