This Chapter is a lot shorter than the others, but that's okay. We'll just pretend it's as long as the others ;) The first part gives a bit of insight on Kai and what she thinks/feels. And then we get some more interaction between the two. Hope that their last meeting was good enough :) Don't worry, things will happen in the near future where it could either break their relationship for good or mend it the way it was. You haven't seen the last of their relationship! Anyway, onto the chapter.

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She flopped down onto the ground beside on the side of a stream. She glanced in the water and observed the large bruise that was beginning to form around her neck. She hissed in pain as she touched it and leaned towards the water. She brought the water into her hands and touched her neck. There was a faint glow and she let the water fall back, observing herself again. It was less obvious after that. She glanced at the direction she came with tears stinging her eyes. Why did she attack me? She asked herself with her face scrunched with confusion.

She began think harder and knew it was because she'd just left her there and ran away that day. When she'd told Fritz what happened she expected him to understand. Instead, he'd gone into a rage, threatening to kill her and took off to free Anala. She never saw him after that and felt sick to her stomach at the possibility that something may have happened to him.

She looked around the forest for anywhere to stay for the night as the sun was beginning to set. When she didn't spot anything she rubbed her arms to get some warmth in them before she lay down by the stream, comforted by the sound of the water running.

At that moment, she missed Anala so much her heart ached. She missed her friend's warmth when she snuggled up to her at night. She missed the jokes they shared and the times they spent just sitting side by side in silence. She missed her companion dearly.

Kai looked over at the water beside her and cried. "What have I done?" she asked aloud, even though no one was around.

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Weeks had passed and Anala still sat angrily on her bed, staring at the sheets as if she was trying to burn holes in them. Lamon had visited her a few times and had tried to bring her out of her dark mood but had failed. Meili had visited, not to talk, but to sit in silence beside her. Ming had even visited. Though her presence was unwelcome and Anala had made sure the big-mouthed woman knew it.

She was so close... so close. It only took a small distraction for the girl to slip from her iron grip and escape. Anala reminded herself to punish the soldier that had taken her attention away from her goal and make him pay for his insolence.

She rose from the bed, needing fresh air more than she had ever before. She slipped through the camp unnoticed by her fellow soldiers. She needed time alone to think, to bend, to let all of her feelings out before she exploded.

She ventured to the meadow where she practised her bending and started with the basic firebending moves before moving onto the more advanced ones. Her moves became fierce and rigid, using her muscles more than her breath like she'd been advised too.

"Nice bending."

She stopped her movements and turned around in shock at the girl in blue who made her way towards the angered girl. Is she a moron? She asked herself as she watched Kai walk close and then stop not too far away from where Anala stood panting and sweating. "You've really improved," Kai smiled.

Anala continued to stare in shock. Had this girl completely forgotten that she had almost killed her with her bare hands? And would have succeeded to do so if it hadn't been for that soldier? She snapped out of her daze and advanced towards Kai who held up her hands. "Before you kill me, can we just talk?"

"You're an idiot, you know that? Turning up to a place like this without a care in the world and dressed like that, of all things!" Anala pointed to the clothes she wore which were obviously Water Tribe. "Where did you even get those? Wait, I don't even care. Leave, now!"

"Anala, what happened to us, we were such good friends," Kai said, her eyes brimming with tears. Anala resisted the urge to role her eyes. Don't fall for it, she's just trying to suck you in before betraying you again, a voice told her sternly.

"We were friends... until you left me behind," Anala growled, circling Kai who stood there calmly. She'd always been a very stubborn person. They held eye contact for a long time when Anala came to a stop right in front of Kai. Anala frowned as she studied Kai and the tear that slipped from her eye. "Why are you really here?"

Kai didn't hesitate. "You have to understand Anala. I couldn't go back to prison. I just couldn't. You have to understand."

"Oh I understand alright. I got a very hands-on experience at prison; I could see why you wouldn't have gone back. But what's done is done though. You fucked up, now deal with it." Anala's posture had straightened and the way she'd said it made the good side of her cringe, but she looked down on Kai, who was at least a head shorter than herself. "I would have gone back for you."

"Would you still?" Kai winced, not wanting to hear the answer that Anala would provide.

Anala shook her head without remorse. "Not anymore." They stood there for a long time, just staring at one another as if facing off but neither was going to fight. It was their final goodbyes before things changed for good. After that night, Anala would no longer play the role of protective best friend and Kai would just have to let go of their friendship.

"Do you think we'll ever be friends again?" Kai asked quietly, looking away from Anala's gaze at last.

Anala hesitated for a moment, thinking it over. She shook her head, she was too angry to let it go. She was too hurt. "You and I are now on different paths. Mine is leading towards the direction of fighting with my country, yours is going home."

"Fighting with the country that turned its back on you so easily?" Kai snapped, her blue eyes turning fierce. Anala snarled at her for daring to mention that. Anala opened her mouth to snap back and her hands twitched to snap her neck but she heard her name being called from within the forest.

"KAINA!" The person bellowed. Anala and Kai's heads both snapped towards the direction.

"Go," Anala whispered, giving Kai a little push in the other direction. "Get out of here, they'll kill you if they find you."

"Scared for my safety Anala?" Kai laughed, smiling hopefully.

"No, I want to be the one who ends your life," Anala hissed, her eyes narrowed. Kai, however, didn't seem convinced and ran off into the trees with the smile on her face. She stood on top of a log, looking back at Anala one more time.

"See you around, Princess Anala of the Fire Nation," Kai saluted her before jumping off the log and disappearing. Anala couldn't stop the small smile from gracing her lips. She almost dreaded the day she and Kai would face off in a battle to the death. Almost, but not quite.

Lamon and a few other soldiers burst into the meadow. "We thought you'd been kidnapped!" Lamon said with his voice full of panic. Anala smirked at him and then looked back towards the spot where Kai had vanished.

"I'm tired, I'm going to head to sleep," Anala said as she headed back towards camp, leaving the soldiers behind looking dazed. She pulled her blankets from her bed upon arriving back and pulled them out to the front of her tent. That night she slept under the stars, remembering the good days before she would have to forget about them for a while.