Chapter Twenty-Five:

We drove the skid across the plains and parked near a small town. "We need to get the supplies to the people." Kinto said. "I have men waiting to distribute them."

Kinto assigned members of the group to his men. Kaze went with two of them through the town. Even though she knew how to keep herself warm, Kinto still insisted she wear something to not stand out.

The streets were mostly empty. The few people outside skittered down the streets, trying not to be out for long. Visola's soldiers walked the streets with spears in there hands and pouches on there belts.

We walked up to a house and one of the men knocked on the door. "Whose it that?" a man inside said, pointing to Kaze.

"A friend." one of the men replied.

He opened the door and let us in. Kaze and the men set down some pouches on the table. "This out to last us a few weeks."

Kaze heard a knock on the door. The men went over to the door and came back with two young kids. Kaze saw the empty looks on there faces, as they approached the table. The men handed the kids a pouch, and they pulled pieces of jerky out of them and eagerly devoured them.

"Save some for your families" one of the men told the kids.

The men lead Kaze out of the house and down a different route through the town. They meet back with Kinto at the skid. "I think all of you understand what's going on there." he said. "This is why we do what we do. You help my people, I get you your friend."

"As much as I want to help you, I also need to help my people." Sela said. "Once we get the Avatar, he have to return to Republic City and confront Arashi."

Kinto looked over at her. "You know Arashi?"

"He's the head of the White Lotus and in charge of Republic City." she replied.

"Arashi is my father, our father. Visola is my sister."

When Kinto was just a young boy, he had an incredible talent. He first discovered this when playing a game with his peers. He looked over across the field to the opposing player. One sent a waterblast towards him. Kinto lifted his hand and curved it's path so it missed him.

Some more blasts shot by him. Kinto drew water from the through and sent at an opponent. He sent more blasts and the all slammed more opposing players. A shot then hit Kinto. He turned and saw the player who tagged him. Kinto swung his arms, trying to bend water.

Instead the player flew back and hit the wall. Kinto stared in shock at what had happened. He didn't see any water move, the player must have moved on there own. Both teams looked at Kinto in fear.

When Kinto got home he explained what had happened. His father stared at him in disappointment, and his mother looked away in shame. "Son you are a bloodbender." he said. "You must never use your abilities."

"But dad.."

"No questions. Bloodbending is a cursed art, end of story."

Kinto's bratty little sister Visola would always tease him about this. As she grew older, Kinto's mom started having accidents. She would slip and fall sometimes, would drop things, and hurt herself in other ways.

Later it would become more blatant. She would strike herself and try to stop but could not. Visola would always blame him, and Kinto would be punished by his father. As this continued, his father eventually caught on. He soon saw through his daughter's innocent act. He realized she was behind his wife's misfortunes.

Still Kinto's father never warmed up to him. He always regarded his children in cold contempt for there abilities.

One day Kinto came home and did not see his mother. He called out, and got no reply. He searched the house calling for her, but with no answer. He then found her, but she was on the floor, motionless.

He felt no pulse, and noticed bruises on her limbs. Kinto knew who did this. It was his sister, it was Visola.

When his father came back and saw the horrid sight. "I didn't do this." Kinto begged. "It was Visola."

"What! No!" Visola replied. "He did it."

"Enough" his father declared. "I will tell everyone she left me, taking you two with her."

The two of them stared at him in shock, knowing exactly what that meant. With that, Kinto and Visola were shipped off to the Southern Water Tribe. As they were being transported, Kinto confronted Visola. "Did you hurt mom?" he said, not wanting really to acknowledge what happened.

"Hurt?" she smuggly replied.

"How could you?!" he shouted. "Why did you do it?!"

"It was easier to pick on her then you or dad." she said. "But eventually it stopped being fun. So when a toy is no longer fun, you throw it out."

In a rage, Kinto reached towards the sea and pulled wave out. Visola repelled the wave and gestured towards herself. Kinto was pulled by his arms towards Visola. She pulled up some water and froze it into crystals.

Kinto briefly went slack, then threw himself onto the deck. The ice crystals flew over him. He sprang back up and threw watershots at Visola. She deflected them, and tried to control him again. She forced him to step towards her, as he struggled to resist.

Visola made a thin water whip and lashed Kinto with it. It stung each time it slashed across his back and chest. Visola cackled each time it hit. She raised it up for another blow, but Kinto gave her arm and push.

Visola's arm flew back and the water whip splashed onto the deck. She stepped forward but Kinto grabbed her foot and pulled it forward. Visola tumbled down to the deck.

She got up, but before the two could continue, White Lotus soldiers surrounded them. Visola and Kinto were put in platinum chains and locked in cells.

"Once we reached the Southern Water Tribe I made a point of avoiding Visola, but that was my mistake." Kinto explained. "She gathered power and started abusing the people. Before I knew she was the one in charge."

"That's terrible." Kaze commented.

"I wish I did more to stop her."

"Your doing what you can." Kaze replied.

"And we will have your back." Sela added.

"Now let's go out there and take the fight to her." declared Tetsu.