Chapter 8: Cold Heart
While the South had pledged its support to the Coalition, that support came with far more conditions than any of the current members. Sen had been bogged down in negotiations and contracts and terms of service. He clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly as he sat down for yet another meeting. This was a waste of his and his allies time.
"Our average financial contribution to the Coalition will not exceed fifty percent of the South Water Tribe's total military budget," One representative said. Chief Kesuk tapped his fingers impatiently.
One of the invited bureaucrats on Sen's side of the table shuffled slightly as he received a report. The Southern tribe representatives droned on and on as whispered messages passed between Sen's allies. Chief Atana, sitting at Sen's right, was the last to hear the news, and she jumped slightly in her seat. Sen sat up straight as he saw the reaction to the news travel to the room. Finally there was something interesting.
Atana leaned over and whispered in Sen's ear as the Southern representative droned on and on. Sen stood up and loudly planted his fist on the table, interrupting the diatribe. He had been hoping for an interruption to the monotony, but this was not how he had wanted it.
"Gentlemen, we need to evacuate every representative of the Southern Water Tribe to a safe location," Sen commanded. "My intelligence network has reason to believe you're going to be targeted by Sarin's bloodbenders."
Ko Rin's intelligence reports were inconsistent in timing, but almost always reliable. The full details were no doubt forthcoming, but if Ko Rin said that bloodbenders were coming, there were very likely bloodbenders coming. The full moon being only a few days away added a great deal of credence to the theory.
The meeting came to an abrupt halt as Sen ordered his troops into an escort for the Southern dignitaries. The two chiefs of the Water Tribes walked alongside the Avatar as they headed out of the council chambers.
"Hopefully this will be the kick in the rear the Council needs to take this seriously," Chief Kesuk grumbled.
"They should have been taking it seriously from the beginning," Sen grunted. His disdain for the Council of Elders was barely hidden at this point. Anyone who saw the threat Sarin presented and did nothing was either a coward or a fool.
"We'll take anything that gets them moving, Avatar," Chieftain Atana cautioned. The imminent threat would certainly help them punch through the bureaucracy that was bogging them down.
The members of the Council of Elders maintained a persistent nervous twitch as they were marched to safety. Sen nodded approvingly as he saw the fear in their eyes. That would, hopefully, spur them to swifter action.
The temporary base camp of the Coalition in the South was abuzz with activity. Reports of Bloodbender activity always sparked a frenzy. Some were afraid, some were excited, and others were brimming with righteous determination. As expected, Ariak was quick to Sen's side as he entered the camp.
"What've you heard?" Sen asked. Ariak's connection to Kida had inspired in him an obsession with all of Sarin's bloodbenders. Ariak would know more than anyone.
"They're planning a three-pronged attack," Ariak said. "The first group is going after the Council members of the South."
"We'll have that covered within the hour," Sen said. "The other two?"
"An attack on our new base in Xian is also planned," Ariak said.
"Then it's a good thing we just moved in our armored divisions," Sen said. One of bloodbendings exploitable weaknesses was that the bloodbender had to see the body of the person they were manipulating. Tanks and mech suits rendered them powerless. Xian would be heavily patrolled by both.
"The last attack is aimed at one of our shipping lanes in the Fire Nation," Ariak concluded. Sen grunted slightly. That one actually concerned him. The Fire Nation supplied most of the Coalition's firepower, but due to its distance from the main conflict, the sea routes were not well-guarded.
"I should attend to the shipping lanes personally," Sen concluded.
"What do you mean?" One of the council members protested loudly. "They're after our lives!"
"My men will take care of you," Sen assured them. They didn't believe it.
"Our being dead would make it very difficult for the South to continue as a member of the Coalition," The Councilman argued. Sen's eyes narrowed, and the Councilman shirked slightly. Sen turned back to Ariak and shook his head.
"They have a point," Sen admitted. "I should defend our new allies myself."
"We still need those shipping lanes defended," Ariak said. He was managing to keep his mind on business, but Kida still occupied his thoughts.
"I have a plan," Sen said. He then grabbed a radio and sent a few messages planning for the coming full moon, including a summons for one of his other allies. Once all that work had been done, Ariak and the Council Members followed Sen to the Avatar-General's private quarters.
One of Sen's only permanent possessions in his nomadic military lifestyle was a very large desk, usually coated in papers and maps detailing the entirety of his war effort. Ariak didn't bother trying to decipher the elaborate plans of the Avatar. Sen took a seat behind the large desk as the Council Members found their way inside.
"Ariak, if you don't object, I'm going to send you to the Fire Nation," Sen said. "My hope is that Kida's obsession with you will lead her astray from her mission."
"I'm all for it," Ariak said firmly. Sen nodded. He had never doubted that Ariak would accept. He had no qualms about being used as bait, if Kida was what they meant to catch.
"These bloodbenders need to be dealt with," Sen said. "I won't be sending you in alone."
The door of the tent parted in a massive sweep as a very large figure stepped through. Miyani straightened her back and stepped into the center of the gathering, up to Ariak's side. Many members of the council flinched visibly at the sight of her.
"Miyani will help you deal with Kida and the bloodbenders," Sen said. Surprising them both, Ariak shook his head.
"I can handle Kida," He said. "I've been consulting with an expert."
"I thought that was going to be your last resort," Sen said curiously. Miyani looked around. She was being left out of a loop.
"Not him," Ariak said bitterly. "We haven't crossed that line yet. I have an expert."
"Miyani's an expert," Sen stated. Ariak took Kida too personally. "The kind you need. Kida and the Bloodbenders she's trained are a threat to everyone."
In the past, bloodbending had been used exclusively by groups that were primarily self-interested. Yakone, Amon, and the Red Moon bloodbenders had kept the powers of bloodbending a very closely guarded secret. Kida, on the other hand, was liberal in sharing her powers with Sarin's followers. Given that many of the Energybender's footsoldiers were abandoning their duties, it was likely that bloodbenders were disseminating into the general population. They could not afford to allow such dangerous abilities to propagate.
"We agree with the Avatar," A councilman said. "These bloodbenders need to be eradicated, for all our safety. The combustion bender should do the job."
"Oh, now you agree to use her," Kesuk said sarcastically. The Council of Elders had given him a great deal of trouble over Kesuk hiring Miyani as a free agent.
"Bloodbending is quite different from combustion bending," The councilman protested. "Any waterbender can learn to bloodbend. Only a special few can combustion bend."
Sen covered his mouth and looked to the paperwork on his desk. Miyani grinned slightly, but it dropped off her face quickly.
"It's true," She said somewhat nervously. "Combustion benders are born with a red mark on their heads. A bloodbender could be anyone, anywhere."
"Precisely why you need to get moving," Sen said. "You only have three days to reach the Fire Nation. And remember to move obviously, not just quickly. We need Kida to know that Ariak is in the Fire Nation."
Ariak saluted sharply and moved out rapidly to meet his nemesis. Miyani didn't leave quite yet. A small outcropping of rock was pressed against her foot, a subtle signal from Sen that he wanted her to stay a moment longer. At Sen's word the two chieftains and the Council of Elders filed out, leaving Sen and Miyani alone.
"You don't trust Ariak," Miyani said. It wasn't hard to guess the context of this particular conversation."
"That's not necessarily true. I trust Ariak with my life," Sen said. He stood up and placed his hands in the pockets of his coat. "I do not, however, trust him with Kida."
The Avatar stepped around his desk, but did not take his eyes off of it. The layout of maps and documents dealt with many topics, not the least of which were the monthly attacks of Kida and her Bloodbenders. They were one of the most significant threats the Coalition faced, second only to Sarin himself. With every month and every full moon that passed, they grew more dangerous.
"Ariak sees Kida as a problem to be fixed, not a threat to be eliminated," Sen said quietly. "He will try to save her, not stop her."
"Is it wrong to want to help someone?" Miyani asked. Kida was a madwoman, but she was not entirely without a reason for her actions. She had lost her entire family to the senseless violence of the Shorewatchers. Sen considered this briefly and sighed loudly.
"Under different circumstances, I'd be helping Ariak," Sen admitted. "But we have to face reality. Kida is a risk we can't afford to take. She needs to be stopped, and we both know Ariak won't be the one to do it."
"So you want it to be me," Miyani said flatly.
"This is me asking, not telling," Sen said, holding a hand to his chest. "You know I wouldn't-"
"I do know," Miyani interrupted. "I'll take care of it. Her."
Sen nodded slightly, and Miyani nodded back. She turned sharply and set out to follow Ariak.
It was difficult to set up any kind of infrastructure in the rocky islands of the Fire Nation, but thanks to a bit of Goto's absolute power, the Coalition soon found itself well-accommodated. A small village port was rapidly refurbished to serve as a base for the Coalition's strike team. The locals of the village were surprisingly welcoming.
Ariak found himself being welcomed somewhat more warmly than Miyani. Combustion Benders still bore a heavy stigma in the Fire Nation, despite Miyani's heroic actions. Most of the Fire nation villagers cut her a wide berth, so Ariak dealt with the locals.
"There's going to be great risks in the coming hours," Ariak warned them. Even their fastest vessels had only gotten them here with a few hours to spare. "Those of you with the means to evacuate should do so. If you can't, barricade your homes and stay inside, no matter what."
"We'll be alright," The village mayor said. "Your reinforcements just got here."
They mayor pointed past Ariak's shoulder. He hadn't been expecting any reinforcements. Ariak quickly turned to look to the harbor. There were ships arriving, but they flew Coalition flags and the soldiers at the dock seemed to be welcoming them. At least it was a pleasant surprise. Ariak had been momentarily worried that it had been some kind of surprise attack.
A surprise reserve of Coalition troops stepped off board the arriving ships. Ariak would have been happy to see any additional troops, but he was especially happy to see these ones.
"Surma," Ariak said happily. "I'm surprised you've come all this way."
The former Huntswoman led the band of former Shorewatchers into the village. Though they fought under the Coalition banner now, the Shorewatchers had stuck together as a unit.
"We wouldn't miss it," Surma said. She was happy to see Ariak, but it wasn't obvious in her voice. She took this outing very seriously. Surma stepped to Ariak's side and they patrolled the outskirts of the village together.
"We came as soon as we heard the Avatar's plan to draw Kida here," Surma said. "We've been hunting her without much success up to now."
"I wasn't aware you were pursuing her," Ariak said. "I've had very little success, but perhaps if you'd shared with me-"
"And you'd shared with us," Surma said. There was just a slight hint of accusation to her voice. "You take Kida too personally, Ariak."
"It's hard not to take her personally, considering she's specifically hunting me," Ariak said. "Kida is my problem to solve, Surma."
There was a slight sigh of resignation from Ariak's left. He heard a quiet shifting sound as Surma lifted her arms to pull a spear off of her back. He soon found that same spear held in front of his face. Ariak recognized the carvings of the spear well, but not as Surma's. This was Letho's spear.
"Tell me again that she is your problem," Surma said. She drew the spear back, not wanting to hold her accusation over Ariak for too long.
Ariak looked at the ground. He knew that many had already been lost to Kida's madness. Every day she continued to live free risked many more lives. He had a responsibility to protect the innocent, but he also felt responsible for Kida. It was a difficult situation to handle.
"I can solve this," Ariak said confidently. "I've been talking to someone-"
"Maybe you are right," Surma said. "But I know for a fact that I can solve this."
Surma clutched her spear tightly. Her meaning was obvious. Surma and Ariak stared at each other for a moment in tense silence. They were taking two very different approaches to this hunt. It was a divergence bound to create conflict even among close friends.
"We should split up," Surma suggested. "Whoever finds her first-"
"Agreed," Ariak said, interrupting her. They shared a terse nod and parted ways. Ariak shook his head. This was only going to make things more complicated.
The evacuation of the village was well underway by now, but it was not without its hiccups. Ariak stepped in to take his mind off Kida for a minute by helping to untangle some of the knots in the evacuation. As a friend of the Avatar, it was easy for him to defuse situations. His proximity to Sen gave him an authority that few civilians would question. It wasn't hard for him to find a problem that needed solving.
A woman and a young man stood in front of a Coalition soldier, trying to argue their way onto one of the evacuation vessels. The Soldier was blocking their progress temporarily.
"Lady, we have plenty of ships available and plenty of time," The soldier said. "You don't need to try and fake your way forward."
"I am not," The mother protested. "You said families with young children first."
"That is not a young child," The soldier said, indicating towards the woman's son. Ariak found it hard to believe anyone would even bother trying to pass him off as young. The man was almost taller than his mother, much too large to believably be a small child. He was standing silently by his mother's side, looking quite embarrassed, and a bit like he had a headache.
"He's twelve," the mother protested. "He's very tall for his age."
The obstruction was causing a commotion that stretched further down the queue. Miyani stopped helping with the town's fortification and came to investigate the ruckus. She seemed more and more disturbed the closer she got to the scene. Ariak stepped up and tried to defuse the situation as best he could.
"Ma'am, everyone will be out by nightfall, no matter what order you go in," Ariak said. "Perhaps it would be best for you to come back later-"
"He's a child!" She protested again.
Miyani stepped forward, and the commotion halted, as it usually did when she appeared. Her towering figure was imposing enough to silence everyone nearby. She took a long look at the mother, and then at her child. The young man stared right back, and Miyani leaned backwards slightly. She grabbed Ariak by the shoulder and gripped unnervingly tight.
"Let them through," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Are you sure, this isn't-"
"Let them through," She repeated again, more firmly this time. "Get him out of here."
The soldier didn't need to be told twice, especially not by a Combustion Bender. The mother and her child were funneled through the queue quickly, and order resumed. Miyani released Ariak's shoulder and wandered off quickly. Ariak followed behind by only a few steps. That entire exchange had been uncharacteristic of Miyani.
Ariak caught up to her as she slammed open the door of one of the Coalition's temporary bases and went inside the hollow structure. There were very sparse accommodations in the abandoned buildings they had taken over, so it took some time for Miyani to find a chair and slump into it heavily. She looked more stressed and fearful than Ariak had ever seen her. She rested her face in her hands and gingerly traced the red tattoo on her forehead with her fingertips.
The empty building was silent for a moment. Miyani clearly knew Ariak was present, but did not acknowledge him. Ariak allowed her a moment of silence. Though he did not understand it in the slightest, whatever had just happened had deeply affected her.
Eventually she sighed and removed her fingertips from her forehead. Though she still seemed stressed, Ariak figured that was as close to a chance to speak as he would get.
"What happened, Miyani?"
She froze in place briefly before biting her lip. Miyani plucked at her wrists nervously, recalling bandages she had shed long ago.
"That kid…trying to evacuate," She began hesitantly. "The mother wasn't lying. He really was young."
"I don't understand," Ariak said after a short pause. "He was tall? Why does that-"
Miyani interrupted Ariak by standing up and stepping towards him until they were nearly face to face, or as close as they could be. At Miyani's extreme height she could never stand face to face with anyone, and the sudden display of her height made Ariak understand.
"No," He said, stepping back. "You can't be sure."
"I know," Miyani said. She stepped back and once again slumped into her seat. "I could just…tell. He was like me."
It was difficult to explain how, but Miyani had no doubt about her intuition. It was an instinct, almost.
"Another combustion bender," Ariak said, his voice trailing off.
"No," Miyani objected sharply. "No, never. He's just a kid who's different. Too tall, he'll get a lot of headaches. That's all."
"But what you said earlier," Ariak protested. "What about the red mark? Won't someone-"
"I lied," Miyani said. She had been deliberately spreading misinformation about combustion benders for months. For every news interview, every curious questioner, she had established a careful network of lies. "I don't want anyone else to know how to find us. There should never be another combustion bender."
Ariak wandered across the room for a moment. He found his way to Miyani's side and sat down sullenly.
"Who else knows?"
"Sen. He's the only one I've told," Miyani said. "There might be other people who already knew. Fire Lord Goto, and I think Hayao, maybe."
Ariak nodded. The secret was safe, then. Goto was reckless, but even he wasn't bold enough to try and create combustion benders.
"Why keep it a secret at all?"
"I told you," Miyani scolded. "I don't want people to know what to look for. If I can lead them away, make sure no one ever creates another combustion bender…That's what I want. To be the last one. Ever."
"Why? I know they've all been dangerous in the past, but you're proof-"
"It's not about that," Miyani shouted. Being a combustion bender didn't make anyone inherently evil or dangerous. She had learned that lesson firsthand. She looked at her own hands, at the faint scars that crisscrossed her skin. She flexed her fingers nervously, briefly clenching them into a fist.
"Being a combustion bender- becoming one, that is," She said, leaning back in her chair. She pressed two fingers against her red tattoo. "It's not just this. There's more than the tattoo. It's…pain. More than you could possibly imagine."
The trauma of becoming a full-fledged combustion bender was so great she could barely remember her life before the Seventh Kingdom dungeon. Her earliest memory was looking at the thick red scabs on her arms, feeling the lingering sting of torture. Everything earlier than that was a haze, with occasional glimpses of people she did not remember, toy blocks, then fire and pain.
"The mark is the focus," she said, pointing at her own forehead. "But the pain is where the power comes from. So much pain it destroys you, so you can destroy others."
Combustion Benders had technically always existed; firebenders with twisted chi had been around long before the Hundred-Year war. It was not until the mercenary known as the Combustion Man had been grievously wounded in the war that the full potential of the mutation had been discovered. The full, terrible potential.
"But don't you think that boy deserves to know what he is? What he's capable of?"
"It doesn't matter," Miyani said. "Like I said, he'll just be taller, get a lot of headaches. His hands will be a little numb. Living like that is better than being like this."
Miyani's tense hands finally relaxed, and she let out a heavy sigh. Ariak clenched his fists and sat in silence as Miyani finally let the stress wash over her. The initial shock of seeing the strange boy had worn off, and she was ready to refocus herself.
"Nobody's born a monster, Ariak" Miyani said firmly. "But we can be made into them. Some more easily than others."
Miyani stood up and stretched her limbs. She felt like she had been carrying a heavy burden these past few minutes.
"Just pretend this never happened," Miyani said with a sigh. "Just focus on the bloodbenders."
"We have to do something," Ariak said. He wouldn't feel comfortable leaving something so earth-shattering completely unattended. "We have to tell Sen, at least."
"No," Miyani said. "Nobody should ever know what he is. Not even him. If I could make us both forget I would."
"Doing nothing can't be the best option," Ariak said. "I can't believe that."
"You don't need to believe it," Miyani said harshly. "I'm telling you, as your friend and as a combustion bender, the best thing to do is leave him alone."
Miyani looked at her open palm. She had hidden her hands under bandages for so long that her skin was a noticeably different shade where the cloth wraps had once been. So much suffering, physically and emotionally, so many years of fear, so much power. All because she'd been born a certain way. It was the kind of burden, and opportunity, that few could understand.
"We'll talk later," Miyani said quietly. "It's getting dark out."
The fiery sun was setting. Soon the moon would rise, and bring blood with it. Miyani stood up and left the dark room, and thoughts of the combustion bender child, behind.
As the sun set, three distinct teams formed. The former Shorewatchers led by Surma gathered together, and the Coalition forces split into two groups, one led by Miyani and the other led by Ariak.
"There are four major islands that can strike at the shipping lane," Surma said. She held out a map. "The island with the village has already been taken care of. That leaves three uninhabited ones."
"With no kinds of buildings, they'll be difficult to fortify," Ariak said. "But they make a good place for Bloodbenders to lurk."
"Precisely. We need to consider each of them a potential combat zone. There might be bloodbenders on one of them, or spread out across all of them."
"So we split up and take them out individually," Miyani said. "Seems straightforward."
"We can't underestimate bloodbenders," Surma cautioned. "But then, we can't underestimate you either."
Miyani smiled weakly. She was not feeling especially proud to be a combustion bender today. The three groups debated over which island to patrol. Eventually the matter was settled, and the three groups got ready to split up. Miyani had one last note.
"Remember, our top priority is their leader. If you see Kida," She began, glaring at Ariak. "Take her down."
Ariak nodded. Miyani didn't believe for a second that he understood. He led his troops away, towards the ship. Together they set out for their assigned island.
It only took about five minutes for Ariak to go AWOL. He had his own map, his own plan, and his own radio.
"I'm already on course," He said to his consultant. "All you have to do is follow my lead."
He silenced the radio and sailed his speedboat across the black waves. He was already being followed. One tail he was expecting, the other he was not.
Ariak sat with his legs crossed and his spear in his hands. He'd been taught this position by his father. It let you relax while still being able to jump to your feet at a moment's notice. A useful pose for anyone expecting to ambush -or be ambushed.
The halls of the old fortress laid bare beneath him. This place had been a fortress once, during the Hundred Year War. It was centuries abandoned now, and picked bared by looters. A few scraps of metal from ancient Fire Nation armor and weapons sat rusting in cobweb-filled halls. All else had been looted long ago. Ariak sat in an open courtyard, with the silver moon above him.
It was a fitting place for Ariaks purposes. Far off the beaten path, away from innocent bystanders. A good place for a conflict that had consumed too many already. As Kida often said, this was a battle between the two of them alone.
The dull halls of the ruined fortress had sat silent for a long time. Even Ariak's footsteps had not disturbed the silence. That serene quiet came to an abrupt end, its death knell the subtle scrape of wood against stone, and the sound of footsteps.
Kida examined the gates of the ruined fortress. The behemoth at her side nodded in confirmation. Ariak was here.
"Stay here, Shark," She commanded. The brutish Shark complied. "I don't want anyone interfering this time."
Kida proceeded into the darkened halls of the fortress while her massive enforcer stood by the gates. Her revenge had been interrupted once by Suda: Kida would not tolerate a second delay. She walked swiftly through the halls, hunting her prey with lethal intent.
"Have to say, Ariak," A harsh voice droned. "Could've picked a better place to die."
Kida rounded a corner, the shaft of her stolen spear dragging against the weathered grey stone. The full moon illuminated white fangs bared in a vicious smile. Ariak stood calmly.
"Not today," Ariak said firmly. Kida looked at Ariak's spear and tilted her head.
With a swift forward thrust of her palm, Ariak went flying back. Kida's grip on Ariak's blood tightened as she slammed him against a wall. The hunter let out a loud cry of pain as Kida's bloodbending took hold. The pain of bloodbending had been described to him before, but nothing had prepared him for this. Kida was going out of her way to make it as painful as possible.
"I should have learned not to waste my time back at the North Pole," Kida said. She held her spear in one hand while the other held Ariak in place. "But I never was a good student."
Kida's fist clenched as she walked forward, and Ariak's body contorted violently. Kida smiled more broadly as she watched her nemesis suffer.
"There's someone," Ariak began. He was interrupted by a spike of pain. Kida didn't want him to talk. She wanted him to suffer. Ariak powered through the pain regardless. "Someone you need to talk to."
"I'm not here to talk," Kida said, clenching her fist again. Ariak's face turned deep red as his blood travelled on unnatural paths, searing him with pain. Kida was walking forward slowly, and she was nearly upon Ariak now.
"I told you, Ariak," She said venomously. "I told you it was you or me. Looks like it's you."
She raised her stolen spear, the same spear that had claimed the life of one of Kida's sisters, and prepared to strike. The spear glistened for a moment in the silver light of the moon –and then shook as the ground trembled. A white flash if light and fire turned day into night for a split second, and then the flash faded. Kida swore under her breath.
With a loud thump and crash, the halls of the fortress rang with the sound of violence. Kida sped her steps, moving swiftly towards Ariak, but she was not fast enough.
The bloodbender known as Shark was a massive man, but even he was easily sent flying through the air by Miyani's strength. The severely scorched bloodbender arced through the air, above the high walls, and landed in a heap on the ground. Kida jumped back as the massive man landed, unconscious, just beside her.
The ground between Kida and Ariak detonated, sending Kida and the Shark flying back in a wave of fire. The explosion rang through the halls deafeningly as Ariak slumped to the ground, briefly paralyzed by pain. He came to his senses only as Miyani shook him conscious.
"How did you find me?" He stammered.
"I'm no idiot, Ariak," Miyani said. It was obvious to anyone that Kida would follow Ariak. Miyani had never stopped keeping an eye on Ariak, even as they separated. A soldier had radioed her the minute he had gone off course.
Kida's robes were scorched, and her face was burnt, but she was not yet ready to fall. The lunatic bloodbender rose unsteadily, her hands trembling slightly as she grabbed at Ariak's former spear.
The same spear was torn violently from her hands. Miyani wielded the blunt end like a club to strike Kida across the face before tossing the weapon aside. Kida reeled backwards from the blow and tumbled into a wall, leaning on it for support. Miyani stepped forward, her massive body towering high, blocking out the light of the moon as she loomed over Kida.
"This is over," Miyani said. Her voice held as much fire and force as any of her explosions.
"No," Kida groaned. "Not with you!"
Kida held out her hand, and her fingers twitched briefly. There was a slight pause in Miyani's step, but not enough. Miyani swatted her hand aside and slammed a fist into her gut, forcing Kida to her knees. Kida's rage allowed her to overcome the pain, and she raised her hand again. Miyani grabbed on to the bloodbender's forearm.
"Don't bother," Miyani said. Her grip tightened around Kida's arm, and then Miyani twisted her hand sharply. There was a loud crack, and a cry of pain from Kida, as her bone snapped in two.
"You're nothing but a lunatic," Miyani snapped. She released Kida's arm and wrapped a scarred hand around her throat. Miyani's red eye glared downwards at Kida.
"And I'm a monster."
Miyani picked Kida up, dragging her into the air by her throat, and slammed her against the wall. The aged stone cracked under the impact. Kida barely had time to scream in pain before Miyani drew her back and threw her across the room, tossing her bodily into the opposite wall. There was a bony crack on impact, and Kida fell to the ground, groaning and motionless. Miyani stepped firmly over to Kida. She was not going to leave anything to chance.
"Miyani, don't," Ariak begged. He struggled to get back to his feet, still reeling against the pain of bloodbending.
"You'll get your chance to talk, Ariak," Miyani said. She grabbed Kida by the collar and dragged her to her feet. Ariak caught only a brief glimpse of the pain written on her face before Miyani's fist slammed into it.
"She'll be spending plenty of time in the hospital," Miyani said harshly. She grabbed the shoulder of the arm she hadn't already broken, held it with two hands, and gripped it tight before pulling it apart. Kida cried out again as her shoulder dislocated.
"You are never going to hurt anyone again," Miyani roared. With both her arms disabled, Kida's bloodbending was no longer an option. Miyani drew her fist back and struck Kida in the face again, knocking her against the wall. Decades of dust flew off the wall as Kida's impact shook the foundations of the fortress. Despite that, Kida stayed on her feet.
Miyani struck again. Kida did not fall. Miyani struck her one more time, and Kida still stood. Miyani grit her teeth. She was not enjoying this, but she could not allow herself to take risks. Kida had to be unconscious. The full moon made her too dangerous.
Miyani swung her arm in a sweeping blow, knocking Kida to the side. She fell to the ground near her spear and then struggled to her feet, desperate to stay standing. Kida struggled and stumbled, clawing her way through rusted scraps of armor, finally finding purchase on an old wooden shelf. Her hands displaced some dusty old helmets as she pulled herself to her feet.
Miyani did not allow her time to rest. She grabbed Kida and forced the bloodbender to face her. Miyani drew her fist back one more time. She locked eyes with Kida for a moment. Between the bruises and scrapes, only one of Kida's eyes remained open, and it stared back at Miyani. Behind Kida, behind layers of dust, an ancient helmet stood, and a white skull mask stared out with empty eyes. For a moment, Miyani saw the same black emptiness in the eyes of the helmet and the eye of Kida, and she hesitated.
"Stop it!"
Miyani broke out of the brief trance, and her arm relaxed. That was not Ariak's voice.
"Stop hurting her," The voice demanded again. It was a woman's voice, one Miyani didn't recognize. She heard rapid footsteps, and in a moment, a young woman had grabbed on to her arm and was trying to pull it away from Kida.
"Let go!" The stranger demanded. Against her better judgment, Miyani complied. She released her grip on Kida's throat and let the bloodbender collapse to the ground. The stranger fell to her knees by Kida's side and grabbed her by the shoulders.
She was young, dark in hair and skin. One of the Water Tribe, by all appearances. Miyani took a step back as the new arrival grabbed at Kida, trying to examine her wounds.
With uneven, pained steps, Ariak stepped forward. Miyani offered her arm for her to steady himself on, and Ariak grabbed it. He kept his eyes on the two Water Tribe women all the while.
"I told you," Ariak said. "I had a plan."
No one was an island. Everyone, even Kida, was someone's family. Someone's friend. Kida shook off the pain of Miyani's beating and looked up. She knew that voice.
"Ori?" Her voice was weak and feeble, but she managed a single question.
"Yeah," The girl said. Her voice was trembling, and tears choked her eyes. "It's okay. I'm here."
Ori helped Kida get upright, took another look at her injuries, and started to cry outright. Ori pressed her head against Kida's chest and mumbled a few words through her tears, mostly apologies and regret. Kida stared blankly forward while Ori clung to her in a tight hug.
Ori stopped sobbing and straightened up to look Kida in the eyes. Kida worked through the pain of her dislocated shoulder to raise a hand and rest it on Ori's shoulder. She almost didn't believe Ori was there. Her old friend was a relic of a life she thought she had completely abandoned.
"I miss you," Ori sobbed. "We all miss you, everyone. Me, and Ila, and Kallik. And Nasak, he finally admitted he always had a crush on you and –and we all…"
She trailed off and drooped her head, unable to look Kida in the eye. Kida's sisters had been her only family, the ones who had practically raised her. Her friends had tried to support her though their loss, but they had failed. Ori blamed herself for everything, but most of all for failing her best friend.
"I'm sorry," She whined. "I'm sorry about your sisters. But you have to stop this. We want you to come home. I want my best friend back."
Kida did not respond. Her face was blank, almost expressionless. That alone was a good sign. Every time Ariak had seen her, her face had been twisted in homicidal rage. In this moment, though, she finally seemed calm. Ariak turned slowly to Miyani. She had a slight frown on her face. Her lip quivered slightly as she saw Ori cling to Kida.
The silver light of the moon still glared down, reflecting off of Kida's fallen spear. The bladed weapon was still lying on the ground, though Kida made no attempt to reach for it. Kida's fingers tightened around Ori's shoulder. Ori grabbed Kida with both hands and held on to her.
"Come on," Ori begged. "Look where we are. You always wanted to come to the Fire Nation."
Kida thought for a moment, and then nodded slightly. Ori smiled as she finally got some acknowledgement from Kida.
"I remember, when we all went out to dinner together after finals," Ori said. "You just stopped eating halfway through the meal."
"And Kalik offered to finish it for me," Kida said. Her lips twitched upwards, but never formed a smile. Ori smiled and nodded. Miyani's frown deepened.
"You said you were just so sick of whale and seal meat," Ori continued. "You couldn't handle any more blubber. You wanted to come all the way to the Fire Nation just for the food. You wanted to try something with spice."
"I remember," Kida said, nodding limply.
"So come on, Kiki," Ori said. Kida's eye twitched as she heard her old nickname. "Come with me. Let's go get some food."
Ori rested her hand on Kida's, gripping it tightly to her. Kida's eyes darted around the room for a moment. She looked over Ori, the grey stone walls, her fallen spear, before they darted upwards, to Miyani, and then to Ariak.
Her eyes stopped darting, and focused.
"You know, Ori, I already tried the food here," Kida said aimlessly. Miyani's lips stopped quivering. Ori's grip on Kida's hand relaxed slightly as she felt harsh fingernails dig into her skin.
"They use too much spice…it just tastes like fire," Kida said. "It hurts."
Ori's smile broke and collapsed like shattered glass, replaced with bitter tears. Her face surged red.
"Don't," Ori begged. "Please don't."
Ariak stepped back. Miyani clenched her fists as Kida moved quickly, one hand tightening around Ori's neck while the other reached out to grab the fallen spear. Miyani stepped forward, but not fast enough.
"One more step and I'll rip her heart open," Kida roared. She dragged Ori limply through the air with what meager bloodbending her broken body was capable of. Miyani took a step back as Ori let out choking sobs of despair.
"Ariak," Miyani growled. Ariak stood frozen, his face warped with grief. Miyani looked away from him and locked eyes with Kida. The bloodbender didn't care. She locked eyes with Ariak, only flitting to Ori for a brief second before she focused entirely on the object of her vengeance.
"One day your friends won't be here to bail you out," Kida threatened. "Then it will just be you or me."
She raised a broken arm, pushing through the pain to point a spear at Ariak. Kida slowly began to back away. Miyani considered going after her, but she couldn't risk hurting Ori. Under her breath, she cursed Ariak for bringing an innocent into this.
"Shark," Kida bellowed. She was barely capable of standing on her own, much less moving. Shark was barely conscious, but both his arms worked. He groggily stepped forward and steadied Kida's steps. The bloodbending brute looked briefly to Miyani. She glared back, and Shark backed away slowly.
Kida kept her eyes on Ariak as they retreated, brandishing her spear threateningly. She backed into the darkened halls of the ruined fortress, slowly vanishing into the shadows. Soon the only sign of her slow, stumbling retreat was the sound of Ori weeping in the darkness, begging her former friend to stop. Eventually the sounds faded into nothingness.
Ariak collapsed to his eyes, staring mournfully at the ground. Miyani clenched her fist tight, but quickly unclenched it.
"Now do you get it," Miyani shouted accusingly. "Now do you understand what she is?"
Ariak said nothing. Miyani grit her teeth and grabbed Ariak by the shoulder, forcing him to stand up and look her in the eye.
"Do you understand?" She demanded.
"You're not a monster," Ariak said quietly. Miyani let him go, letting him stand on his own two feet. "You said you were."
Miyani took a few steps back and shrugged idly.
"I was trying to scare her, Ariak," She said defensively.
"No one's a monster," Ariak said. He was barely louder than a whisper. "Not even her. I thought I could make her stop. I thought-"
Ariak trailed off into silence. Miyani sighed and shook her head, before reaching out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Ariak, I know you were trying to do the right thing," Miyani said. "And I really wish that had worked. I really do."
Seeing the emotional moment between Ori and Kida had put things into perspective. When Miyani had thought of Kida before, all she had known was a psychopath and a killer, a dangerous threat to one of her best friends. Now she knew more. Kida was a beast of broken glass: she had been whole once, but now she was broken, and where she had fractured there were sharp, dangerous edges.
"But enough people have been put in danger," Miyani said. Maybe Kida was a tragedy, but that did nothing to diminish the threat she presented. Broken glass could never be put back together. The best thing anyone could do was put the bladed shards where they couldn't hurt anyone. "It needs to end."
"I know," Ariak said. His voice was despondent. This had been his one hope to redeem Kida, to make her change her course. It had failed, and consumed another innocent in the process. Ariak stumbled forward lazily.
"I have something I need to do," Ariak said. All of this had made his course very clear. There was something he desperately did not want to do –but it had to be done. Miyani sighed.
"Me too," She said.
"Why is it that the only person to report back to me is the only person I didn't send?"
Surma sat in front of the Avatar, as opposed to Miyani or Ariak, they people he had actually assigned to the mission. Perhaps that was for the best. Sen was quite upset that they had failed to stop Kida. With a little time to cool his head, he might not end up yelling at them too loudly.
"Your friends said they were occupied," Surma explained. "Miyani, she went to talk to one of the locals. Wouldn't say what about."
Sen bit his lip. He had a feeling that was going to be a long story.
"What about Ariak?"
"Told me to say that the line had been crossed," Surma said. She was surprised by the sudden drop on Sen's face. He seemed intensely troubled now.
"Thank you, Surma, that will be all," He said coldly. Surma left without another word while Sen leaned back in his chair. He didn't know what had happened in that ancient fortress, and he would not until Ariak or Miyani returned, but it had to have been something terrible. Ariak would never go that far without good reason.
Ice made a harsh prison. Cold white walls enclosed from every angle. Some people believed that a frozen prison was foolish, that prisoners could melt through the walls. They were wrong. This far north it was too cold. Nothing ever melted, only froze and froze again. It was a biting cold, deep enough to sap your will to live.
Ariak trudged through the halls, escorted by a lone guard. There weren't supposed to be any visitors at a maximum security prison, but in this instance they had made an exception.
Some people said supermax was too harsh for this prisoner. Other people said it wasn't harsh enough. Ariak leaned towards the latter. They had charged him with reckless endangerment and criminal negligence; not much, but enough to get him locked away.
Ariak stepped through the cell door. The prisoner didn't even need to look over his shoulder to realize who it was that had come to see him.
"You must be desperate, to come to me," Tinaaki muttered.
"Not desperate," Ariak said. He kept his sentences short. He had no desire to talk to his father. "Determined."
Tinaaki said nothing. He had never held any hope that his son would come to visit out of love or sympathy. Ariak wanted something, something that very few people could give. Kida needed to be stopped. Ariak had held brief hope that he could appeal to her humanity, but that hope had died. There was nothing left of Kida to save.
"I need you to teach me bloodbending."
Kida sat motionless on the bed. She had no desire to leave the bed, and she could not even if she wanted to. Her injuries required extensive bandaging and casts. She could barely move her left arm enough to feed herself, and her right was completely immobilized.
"Sarin's rather disappointed, you know," Dei Sensheng said. He was overseeing her care personally. Despite Kida's personal agendas, she was a valuable asset to her cause. They had very few such advantages. The Bloodbenders mission had failed absolutely –all three targets had been defended from their attacks. The command was furious that so many important operations had failed.
The look Kida gave him in return said that she knew, and that she absolutely did not care. Sensheng had expected nothing less. She was an ally of convenience, not necessity.
"I do have one bit of curiosity, Kida, something you left out of your report," Dei Sensheng questioned. "The hostage you took. She wasn't with you when you arrived."
Kida stared forward and said nothing.
"What happened to her, Kida?"
"We stopped to refuel," Kida said blankly. "She got away."
Sensheng stared at Kida for a moment. She did not look him in the eye.
"I see," Sensheng said. Stiffly, he stood up and left Kida behind, sitting alone. She took a deep breath and examined her broken arm. Slowly, and with great pain to her dislocated shoulder, she reached to her side and grabbed something to eat. It was dry and tasteless.