I'm the worst at posting regularly and I'm so sorry, but I'm trying to actually get more of this fanfticion written and I'm super slacking. Thank you for your patience I won't disappoint you!
Ren stepped inside and clasped his hands behind his back, blankly staring between each of them.
"Hm, not bad," Ari shrugged, taking in his features.
"You were brought here deliberately, as-"
"Yeah you know who we are…" Shiori interrupted.
Ren closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
"I now understand where the Avatar learned her manners."
Shiori grinned proudly.
"Yes, I know very well who you are, I've been tracking each of you. It was a fortunate coincidence that you decided to, unconvincingly, fake your way into The Shizen. It saved us the trouble of collecting you forcefully. We failed at capturing you along with the others, Chief Beifong, so thank you for being so cooperative."
"Uh, you're welcome?"
Shiori elbowed her.
"Ehem, I mean what exactly do you want with us? Everyone you've taken hostage is a bender except for President Yanwei, so what's your goal?"
"I hate to shed the blood of a bender, but sometimes you sacrifice a few for the good of the many. And I'm fully aware that the great grandson of Avatar Aang is a non bender. Truly a waste of excellent heritage," He said, dark eyes fixed on Raavi.
"I would have you executed now, but I think you could be of more use to me."
Ren took confident strides to Raavi, then stepping around him and taking his cuffs off. Without a second thought, Raavi spun with a clenched fist aimed and ready, but with a flick of his fingers, Ren sent a chunk of the stone wall flying to meet it, throwing Raavi onto his back. Placing a boot on his cheek, Ren shook his head and said, "As if you could even touch me. You are nothing but a lowly pawn."
"Get off of him!" Kita shouted as a Kana nudged her into the room. She ran towards them and swung out her right leg, a gust of wind throwing Ren only slightly off balance.
"I would expect nothing less of my future wife. However, you'll need to be less defiant in the future," he said matter of factly, tucking his tousled black hair back behind his ears.
"Your what?!" Raavi asked as he scrambled to his feet, standing in front of Kita with outstretched, protective arms.
Shiori was in a daze, eyes fixed on Kana as she walked towards her.
"I spoke to our savior about you, just stay quiet and you can join us."
"Never," She growled before opening her mouth wide and shooting fire straight into Kana's face. She screamed, ducking and kicking Shiori's legs out from under her.
"Kana! Detain them all before this gets further out of hand." Ren commanded.
"I don't think I-"
"Do it," he said calmly. Kana put Tila to sleep instantly before latching onto Shiori, who had never been more afraid than she was at that moment. All of her muscles were straining, spine arching, skull pounding, but the pain wasn't her concern.
I can't move, I can't bend, I...I have no control...what do I do, I'm defenseless, I can't...I can't….
"You let me down...and I'll make you pay for it." Kana huffed.
"Shiori!" Kita called, taking a step towards her before Kana lifted her other hand, halting her.
"Ah! Shi...or...i!" She managed through gritted teeth. Kita closed her eyes and searched her soul, feeling the spirit energy flowing through her, and willed it to move. Bending the glowing blue streams with her mind, her foot slid forward. She kept at it, trying so hard that it hurt, but persisting, until the path of energy was so clear that when she envisioned breaking free, could see Kana struggling too much to hold her that she let Shiori go. Ari knelt by her side, blowing his hair out of his face as he checked to see if she was okay.
"Kana do it now," Ren ordered again, more stern this time.
The door to the conference room flew open with a blast of wind and Jinora and Kai rushed inside.
"Get away from my son, you greasy reprobate!"
"Mom!"
"Master…" Kita wheezed. Jinora blew Kana away, sending her flying. However, just in time for her to free everyone of their cuffs, ten soldiers ran in after them and suddenly the room was overtaken in a blur of elements, bright orange flames clashing against rock, and water attempting to forge through hurricane force winds. Kita's blue fire shot out at Ren and he dodged easily, the same blank expression seeming to never leave his sullen face.
"I'm going to stop you!" She declared.
"You're going to join me."
"Kita! We have to get out of here! They've already surrounded the heart of the city by ten blocks in each direction and are already sorting for non bending citizens! We have to run!" Kai shouted.
"We can't abandon the city!" Kita argued.
"If we stay we'll just be captured, then what good can we do?!" Jinora told her.
"Where are Giyan and the others?!" Ari asked.
"They were taken to separate rooms, we found you first!"
"We need to save them!" Ari insisted.
Shiori knocked a waterbending soldier out, giving Ari the opportunity to steal the water he carried. He looked at Kita, who was barely holding her own against Ren, yet could tell he was distracted.
"Raavi!"
He slammed an earthbenders head into the wooden table and looked to Ari, who then motioned to Ren. Raavi nodded and formed fists, protruding the knuckles of his index finger in preparation to chi block. He and Kita's eyes locked for a split second, but it was all she needed to understand. She turned their fight so that Ren's back was to Raavi, and used two streams to trap his arms, holding him just long enough for Raavi to jab him in four key pressure points.
"Savior!" Kana cried, running to him.
"Stop her! Get the Avatar at all costs!" He groaned as he sunk the the floor.
"Everybody run!" Jinora shouted. Raavi took Kita's hand and lead her out. She reached for Shiori, but her friend was still, golden eyes shining with a determination Kita recognized well.
"I won't leave you."
"Once I'm done here I'll find a way to the island. I'll steal an airship or something. You need to go," she said, placing her hand in Kita's momentarily before sending her off. Raavi had to nearly drag her out of the room, but soon Shiori stood alone, her two palms turned upright with flames flickering above them.
"I'll go get her!" Kana told her master.
"No. You failed me once today, I'll get her myself," he grumbled, sitting up.
"But your bending-"
"Will return shortly. Take care of this insolent girl."
"You're not going anywhere," Shiori said, shooting a flame at him, which Kana quickly doused.
"I'm your opponent," She said as Ren fled the room.
Ari and the others went from room to room, kicking the doors down in search for the remaining leaders. They could hear footsteps gaining on them, but kept going until finally Ari blasted open a door, knocking it off its hinges and they all heard, "That could've hit me," followed a small deep chuckled as Giyan stepped out. Ari smirked and joked, "Then I guess I missed."
Jinora then slashed his cuffs in two with an incredibly precise burst of air.
"Do you know where the others are?" Kai asked, adjusting Tila as her unconscious body slid from his shoulders.
"No I couldn't see."
"Then we keep looking, if-"
"Guys!" Raavi shouted, pointing at the end of the hall where a herd of soldiers came charging around the corner.
"We have no time, run!"
"We can't leave without everyone!" Kita argued. Raavi took hold of her arm and ran, the rest of the group following.
"Pepper and Kotya are hiding not far from here, they'll know to come meet us!" Kai told them, "If we get to them, we can escape!"
Shiori threw rapidfire punches, fire bursting from each one. Kana did her best to dodge them all, but was thrown off balance and stumbled backwards, shielding her face from the flame.
"I'll never forgive you for everything you've done!"
"If you stopped being idiotic, you'd understand why!"
"You and that bastard you call a savior are crazy and we'll take all of you down!"
Kana growled, and froze water over her fists, landing a punch in Shiori's gut and causing her to double over and catch her breath.
"He's not crazy! Ren is going to save us...like he saved me."
"Oh from what, your successful life as a pro bender that nearly made the world championships? I know we weren't on the same team for long, but you were going places."
"He saved me from ignorance. From complacency."
"You're being manipulated. I have to stop this."
"But you won't," she countered before darting at Shiori again, two water whips flowing from her hands. Kana latched one around her neck, trying to pull her opponent to her knees, but Shiori let out a fiery roar and evaporated it before swiping her leg under Kana's feet. She toppled over and hit the floor, then quickly rolling out of the way of Shiori's blasts before leaping back up. However, the firebender was faster and threw a punch to Kana's jaw before her feet could land on the ground. Disoriented, she put a hand to her cheek as it already began to swell.
"There they are!" Kai announced as they turned a corner and heard a bison's groan as Pepper and Kotya swooped down near them. Kita hitched her foot in her feline's saddle, the others climbing aboard the bison. As they prepared to take off, Kita felt something: a presence. She snapped her head to the right, and beyond rubble and smoke, stood Ren.
He'll just keep coming...if I don't stop him now.
Kita looked up to see Raavi's eyes already on her. He shook his head slowly, and pleaded, "Please. Please don't."
"I...I can't run...I'm sorry," She muttered, squeezing her eyes shut and yanking Kotya's reigns. Raavi stared after her with clenched fists as she soared towards danger.
Putting her forehead to Kotya's, Kita pet her ears then sent her away before facing the leader of The Shizen.
He looked almost amused, which was the most expression he had shown thus far. Kita glared firmly and stepped toward him.
"This stops now."
Ren didn't respond, his slight smirk only grew.
"If you would only listen to reason, I'm sure we could solve this diplomatically."
"Did the equalists try to come to a peaceful resolution? No."
"You can rise above all that! You're talking about causing the endangerment of an entire culture of people! Where's your humanity?!"
"I am doing what is right, and you will help me! Willingly...or not!" He yelled, stomping his foot to the ground and sending two slabs of rock to close in on her. She spiralled off the ground with a tunnel of air, letting them slam into each other and landing on top of the pieces.
"It doesn't have to come to this, don't you see?" Ren continued, "This would all go smoothly if you just obeyed."
"What kind of Avatar would I be?! What kind of example would I be to the world if I kneeled to someone like you!?" She screamed back, shooting one continuous blast of blue fire in his direction as she ran towards him. He had put up a wall to protect himself, dropping it once she was close and grabbing her fist. Kita spun out of his grip and reached for the water she could visualize in an exposed pipe of a crumbling building. Once it broke free, she brought the stream to her and spread her arms, taking a defensive stance with the water as her shield.
The walls in the conference room were charred black from Shiori's attacks, and the two stood in puddles, the floor having been mostly flooded. Both bender's chests were heaving as they began to tire, the two seeming matched in strength. Shiori weakly threw a fireball that Kana lazily stepped aside to dodge. Mustering her energy, Shiori raised her fists and fired blasts at her midsection and head in the hopes she couldn't block them both, but Kana doused them all, stepping back far enough that her back hit the wall. Shiori closed in, pivoting with an outstretched leg that swung into Kana's side. She slid down to her knees and Shiori prepared to strike the final blow, but paused. Kana looked up at her and grinned.
"That weakness. Even a moment of it gave me the opening I need," She said, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth as she spoke. Kana rested her palm on Shiori's stomach and dug her fingers in, using her blood bending to paralyze her. Shiori gasped for air as her muscles tightened, straining to move of her own will. Kana stood, still gripping her, and Shiori could feel her own blood swirling around inside her. Before she could react, Kana twisted her wrist sharply and a crack echoed throughout the room.
"I didn't sever your spine completely, just enough that you'll never walk...never bend...and will never stop us…" She hissed, then letting Shiori crumple in a heap on the floor, before stepping over her with a chuckle and leaving.
Kita threw hit after hit, fire blasts, water, air, all at Ren with everything she had, but he either blocked with ease or sent quick flying rocks her way to knock her off balance. She darted right to him, the two of them exchanging jabs in close combat, fists swiping in a mess of all four elements as they blurred together. Her blue eyes met his, dead and black, and suddenly her master's voice filled her head. A recent lesson Jinora taught her about souls being tied to the physical being, about dark and light, and how Aang used it to defeat Ozai without taking his life. She caught both his ankles in her streams and held him still, then spinning around and kicking the back of his knees until Ren knelt. Before he could fight back, she faced him and pressed one thumb to his forehead, the other to his heart.
'Am I doing this right?' She thought hesitantly. Yet, beams of orange light sprung from his eyes and mouth, blue from hers. She felt her light energy as she never had before, almost as if the spirit of peace herself was calling to her. But then, darkness crept its way in as his strength overwhelmed her. She refused to give up though, and blue began to spread from her fingertips.
"Savior!" Kana screamed in horror as she approached, barely able to stumble to him.
"Help! I'm too drained I can't! Take her out!" She ordered.
"But we're not aloud to harm-"
"Losing his bending would be worse than death, take the shot now!"
Kita didn't have the awareness to sense the bolt of lightning before it came, the electricity enveloping both of them. Orange mixed with blue until she and Ren both were spotted with each and fell apart, and the light disappeared. Both still had their bending, but neither could move. They laid next to each other, eyes wide and pointed at the sky as each tried to piece together what had happened.
"Pick him up! We need to heal him! Take hold of the Avatar!" Kana shouted. But as soldiers reached for her, white wings furious flapped them away accompanied by unmistakeable hissing. Kotya lifted a paw with extended claws, swiping at them before tucking her nose under Kita's body and rolling her onto the saddle. She took off, and Kita was gaining slight awareness; enough to see, once they got in the air, that no hijacked ship had made it to air temple island, and that she heard Kana's voice.
"Shiori...Kotya, Shiori…" She murmured, loud enough for the feline to comprehend, and she halted. Kita pointed with a shaky hand to City Hall. Kotya dove through a hole that was blown through the ceiling and clawed through soldiers as Kita weakly directed her to the conference room. There laid Shiori, non responsive though her body was spasming. Managing to help Kotya get her onto the saddle, Kita wrapped her arms around her friend and they escaped.
Raavi was barricading a door when he looked into the night sky to see a familiar white speck and felt relief, only to realize airships were closely following them. He sped down the hall, skidding around a corner and out to the courtyard where he leapt onto Pepper. He flew to meet them and Kotya let the two slip off of her saddle and onto the bison. Raavi let Kita's head rest in his lap, yet his concern was for Shiori, who's consciousness was barely holding on. They landed back on the island, where Jinora and Kai were waiting with open arms.
"We need to heal them, immediately," Jinora said as she examined them.
"I know, but we don't have time," He said, motioning the encroaching ships.
"We'll go to the Western temple, Ikki will help us. Ren won't be able to keep up."
"I don't think they'll leave the city…" Kita murmured.
"How do you know?" Giyan asked.
"I'm...not sure...I just do. He's got other plans."
"Not much to go on but we have to go with it," Kai said.
"Did you see Hiro or the others? When you went back?" Tila asked desperately.
"No...I'm sorry."
"I can't just leave the city like this! I was supposed to protect them, my officers they're all...I don't even know what's happened to them."
Kita put her hand over hers, "I know how you feel...I've let Republic City down…" She said as tears streamed down her cheeks, "But we can't stay. Like Master Jinora said...we can't help anyone if we're taken."
"All the bison are gone from the island, the other students and acolytes will be on their way to other temples," Jinora said in an attempt to offer good news.
Tila closed her eyes and nodded slowly, picking up two of the sacks Kai and Ari packed and lifting them onto the saddle. Once everyone boarded, Pepper and Kotya took off. Jinora looked back at the island with hands tightly clasped over her heavy heart as the airships landed, and soldiers in black overtook her family's home.
"Dad...Grandpa Aang...I've failed you..."
