Chapter 5: A Change In Scenery

"Kisu, stop breathing in my face," Kiaree mumbles, her eyes closed. Kisu's breath smells faintly of smoke and it starts to grow stronger. Kiaree reaches a hand out blindly to push her small dragon away, but comes in contact with something much larger than Kisu. Kiaree's eyes fly open and are met by a raging fire quickly engulfing the house. A huge tail is lying across her bed and leads all the way out of the door.

"Meg!" Kiaree exclaims, calling out to her friend, but Meg is nowhere to be seen. The flames lick at her and she quickly jumps out of bed and dashes for the door, shooting fire out of her path with her own flames. When this proves ineffective, Kiaree earth bends a huge slab of the floor into the air and onto the flames in front of her in an attempt to put them out. It doesn't have the desired affect, only making the flames shoot out from under the floor towards her.

Kiaree shrieks, covering her face with her arms as she falls backwards to avoid the flames. She then notices the giant tail still next to her, leading to the door. Kiaree leaps onto it, wrapping her arms and legs around the gigantic tail. She coughs, and covers her mouth with her shirt to avoid breathing in too much smoke. Kiaree reaches down and picks up a nearby plate, smashing it into the tail with all her might. Kiaree hears a roar and the tail is pulled out of the house, past the fiery grip of the flames. She gasps as she is brought face to face with a full sized dragon, wrapping completely aground the burning house twice.

"Kisu?" Kiaree yells over the roar of the fire below. The dragon shoots a breath of fire into the air. The brilliant flame is swirled with colors Kiaree had never seen before, magically twisting into the air then disappearing into heat. Kiaree's heart leaps as she is both awed and terrified at the same time.

With Kiaree still gripping his tail, Kisu bows his head low, then leaps upward into the air, flying high above Ba Sing Se and past the clouds. Midair, he turns and dives straight back to the earth, towards their burning home.

"Kisu! Kisu stop!" Kiaree shrieks as he nears the house. Kiaree can already feel the heat of the fire below as they near. In a last attempt to stop her dragon Kiaree once again yells, "STOP!" right as they plunge into the fire.

Kiaree sits straight up in bed, waking from her dream. For a minute, she can only see white and panics, then realizes that the cover is over her head and pulls it off. The cold night air feels like pricks on her skin and Kiaree notices that she is sweating. Still panting, the terrified avatar searches the dark room for Kisu. She stumbles into him lying on the floor by his food bowl, bones from his previous meal still lying at the bottom.

"Kisu?" Kiaree whispers, waving her arms blindly near the floor. She gasps as he flies to her shoulder and curls around her neck. He lets out a small noise, almost like a purr, and Kiaree sighs. "Don't grow up too fast Kisu," she murmurs and walks back to her bed. Kiaree picks Kisu off her neck and notices how long he is. Kisu has gotten to be at least six feet long. He wiggles in her arms, trying to move into a comfortable position. Kiaree lets him go and he once again flies to her shoulders. Kiaree grunts at his weight, her previous adrenaline rush gone. She yawns and lies back down on her bed. Before her head hits the pillow, Kisu flies out from under Kiaree and takes a position stretched out next to her on the bed. Kiaree strokes his head, and closes her eyes, trying to get as much sleep as she can in the remaining hours of the night.

Early the next morning, Kiaree enters the designated training area where Haru advised her to meet him. Looking around the numerous rocks and training obstacles, she see's that her teacher hasn't arrived yet, and takes a meditating position on the ground. The sun is just rising, spreading an orange glow over the rocks in front of her, their shadows leaving her in the cold. Kiaree sighs, pushing her fists together and closing her eyes. Not really knowing how to meditate, Kiaree focuses on the growing warmth on her face as the sun rises. After a bit, her whole body is engulfed in its warmth. But the heat of the sun reminds Kiaree of her dream and the faint yellow glow that penetrates through her eyelids turns into a raging fire engulfing her.

"Kiaree." She gasps, opening her eyes to find herself once again in the shade. She looks up, staring right in the face of her earth bending master.

"Master Haru, you're late," Kiaree smirks, standing up and bowing to Haru.

"I think that makes us even then," Haru smiles, then gets serious. "After today's lesson, we will be taking an… extended vacation from training."

"What do you mean? We just started training back up."

"I know," Master Haru sighs. "I hate to be the first to tell you this, but, you and the Kyoshi warrior," Master Haru still hadn't taken it upon himself to learn Meg's name, "will be leaving Ba Sing Se."

Kiaree stares at her sifu, then stammers, "But… but we just got to Ba Sing Se. Is it because the King is missing? Because King Chan has been missing for a week now and if we had to leave because of him we should have left a week ago before Meg and I got settled in and how will I learn earth bending if I'm leaving and are you…" she rushes. Haru holds up his hand to silence her and Kiaree takes a few moments to catch her breath.

"To answer your many question, no it's not because of King Chan, well not completely. And I'm not coming with you, so your training will be on hold… again," Master Haru murmurs.

"Then why am I leaving?"

Haru sighs. Kiaree notices a tired look in his sad eyes and fears the worst. "It seems, and in such convenient timing, Chief Aaron of the Southern Water Tribe has disappeared, along with King Chan. The Water Tribe warriors have confirmed it was a kidnapping and the White Lotus are heading there soon to determine if the kidnapping is related to ours here in Ba Sing Se. The White Lotus are leaving…"

"Which means I'm leaving," Kiaree confirms, and then sighs.

"I'm sorry. But let's not waste anymore time of our last training session until you return," Master Haru says, then begins Kiaree earth bending lessons for the day.

After around five hours of sufficient earth bending forms and drills, Master Haru informs Kiaree that she should go to her house to start packing.

"I will be sure to be there when you leave," Haru says and Kiaree smiles. "To give you instructions on drills and forms to practice while you are gone." Kiaree smirks at her teacher, knowing he was trying not to show his emotions on purpose. She bows to Master Haru, and turns to leave the training arena.

"Kiaree!" Someone calls behind her, right after Kiaree walks out of the palace gate. She turns to see Jeong walking to her with his normal happy go lucky smile on his face. Kiaree sighs, not really in the mood to pretend that "everything is fine and no Meg and I don't need anything else and Ba Sing Se is great and so is earth bending training" while wearing a fake overly happy smile to please Jeong.

"I came to tell you so bad news," Jeong starts, his smile fading.

"I know," Kiaree interrupts. "I know about Chief Aaron and us leaving."

Jeong looks shocked for a second, and then laughs a somewhat fake laugh. "Of course you do! You're the Avatar! Do you need help packing? I can send Song over right away to help you."

"No, thank you. Meg and I can manage."

"Well, if you change your mind, just call me. Remember… only the best for our Avatar!" Jeong pronounces.

"Our avatar?" Kiaree thinks as she smiles to Jeong and walks home. Sure, Kiaree tries to be nice to everyone, but some people were just overly friendly. And sometimes Jeong kind of freaks her out. "He's just trying to be there for me. It's his job."

Kiaree enters her home to find a still sleeping Meg sprawled out over her bed and Kisu flying in and out of every hole he can find between furniture and the walls. Every opening he could fit through, that is. Occasionally, in his rapid flying, Kisu would get the largest part of his back stuck between two chairs or the wall and thrash around before freeing himself. Eventually, he glides under Kiaree's bed and can't manage to get himself back out. Kiaree walks over to Kisu from her spot in the threshold and pulls him hard out from under the bed.

"You aren't a little baby anymore," Kiaree coos, bundling the long Kisu in her arms and scratching his head. "You don't realize how big you are."

"Could you keep it down," Meg mumbles from her bed. "Some of us need our sleep."

"Meg, it's 12 o'clock. Get your lazy ass out of bed," she jokes. "And I have some… news."

"Oh, great. 'News' from the Avatar isn't always a good thing," Meg smirks as she sits up and stretches, swinging her legs over the side of the lavish earth kingdom bed.

Kiaree sighs. "We have to leave. We are going to the Southern Water Tribe because Chief Aaron has been kidnapped and that's where the White Lotus is heading, so I'm going to go pack!" With that, Kiaree strides to another room, leaving Meg stunned behind her. Kiaree tried to make it sound cheery and not so bad, but is afraid she only scarred Meg. Kiaree laughs and starts packing. Eventually Meg joins in, rolling her eyes at Kiaree every time she gets the chance. After packing, the girls spend the rest of the day pretending to be royalty in the Earth Kingdom palace, getting foot rubs and palanquin rides through the city.

Trying to enjoy her last day in Ba Sing Se, Kiaree even agrees to Meg to play some earth bending tricks on the people in the upper ring market. Not wanting to scare the populace of Ba Sing Se with a dragon, Kiaree asks the royal animal attendant to care for Kisu for the day. He is used to dealing with cat owls, antler bunnies, sparrowkeets, and the occasional turtle duck, and when Kiaree and Meg return home that evening, the ends of his robes are burned and the house is a mess with Kisu flying all about. Seeing Kiaree, the animal attendant rushes towards her, but shrieks and ducks as Kisu flies over his head, beating him to Kiaree.

"You're animal is crazy!" He yells rushing out the door and down the street. Meg and Kiaree laugh, closing the door and hustling inside. Exhausted, the two collapse on their beds, with Kisu lying on top of Kiaree.

"Kiaree?" Meg asks from her side of the room.

"Hm?" she mumbles, her face buried in a pillow.

"I think I'm gonna miss Ba Sing Se," Meg sighs, pulling blankets around her.

"Me too," Kiaree agrees, then closes her eyes and prays to the Spirits that she won't have another nightmare.

The next morning, Song arrives bright and early to fetch the avatar and her friend.

"Wake up, wake up! Time to leave! Get your bags," Song sings opening their door, then "politely" waiting outside.

"Isn't it ironic how Song likes to sing?" Meg asks as Kiaree and her take their bags outside with song. Kiaree laughs and the three begin the short walk to the closest monorail station, with Kisu flying loops behind them

"You do have a traveling cage for him, right?" Song laughs nervously, obviously not wanting to demand that the avatar's animal be caged.

"Actually, I was thinking that we just get a separate monorail that no civilians are on so Kisu can ride cage free. He's too big to fit in a cage," Kiaree suggests and Song sighs nervously. After arriving at the station and finally getting Kisu onto a monorail, the four speed by Ba Sing Se's three classes.

"The Order of the White Lotus are going to meet you at E.K. Ferry Port," Song says after exiting the Upper Ring. "From there everyone traveling with you will take a private ferry to the E.K. Ferry Port in Chameleon Bay, where a boat is waiting to take you to the Southern Water Tribe."

Meg looks out the window and sighs at the quickly disappearing Ba Sing Se. Kiaree feels the same way as her Kyoshi Warrior friend and plays with Kisu for the remaining monorail ride. After finally exiting the giant city, the group arrives at the port. Waiting near a docked ferry is Jeong, Master Haru, Shang, Ming, and two people she doesn't recognize. Jeong is wearing his traditional fire nation White Lotus robes, and Master Haru and Shang are dressed in green earth kingdom robes, but Shang's has the symbol the White Lotus imprinted on the back. Ming has on a gray kimono with hints of blue sewn into it and the man and woman Kiaree hasn't met are dressed in blue Water Tribe robe and kimono. The woman has the imprint of the White Lotus on her back.

"Hello, I'm Oma," the woman says, introducing herself to Kiaree and Meg. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am a water bending member of the White Lotus and this is Nile. He traveled with me from the Southern Water Tribe." The two bow to Kiaree and Meg and the girls bow back. Kiaree walks up to Master Haru and gives him a quick hug goodbye.

The surprised earth bender quickly recovers, blushes, and grunts, "Make sure to practice your forms. And don't forget to review your fire bending from time to time."

Kiaree smiles. "Thank you Master Haru. For everything." She bows to her master and he smiles, giving her a small bow back.

"Let's go Kiaree," Shang calls, boarding the ferry.

"Time to head to the Southern Water Tribe!" Jeong exclaims from atop the ferryboat, spreading his arms wide over the edge as if he is saying goodbye to Ba Sing Se. Kiaree and Haru raise their eyebrows at each other andshe stifles a giggle over how weird Jeong can be at times. Kiaree finds Meg and the two board the boat. Kisu is already exploring the small ferry, scaring the few boat workers. As the ferry leaves the port, Kiaree waves goodbye to Master Haru and Song, the two left on shore.

After switching to a much larger boat at the E.K. Ferry Port in Chameleon Bay, the group heads down around the Earth Kingdom and past Kyoshi Island and Whale Tale island. From there the boat takes Kiaree in between the islands holding the Patola Mountain Range and finally into the Bay concealing the Southern Water Tribe.