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I thought I was going to be a hero. Let me tell you, I was in for a huge surprise.

Kuruk didn't wait for Hinun to tell him twice. Grinning, the young avatar raced up the stairs, bending water so that it covered his arms like armor. On the second floor, people were popping out into the hall to see what had been done to their windows. Kuruk only stopped for a second to see that the old lady and middle aged man were not who he was looking for. On the second floor he spotted Kunxun in the hallway, talking to whoever else was in his flat.

"Found you!" Kuruk exclaimed. Without a seconds thought he twisted around and then thrust both arms in front of him, two jets of water aimed right at the thief. Kunxun's eyes widened, and he ducked the blasts, retreating into his apartment.

Kuruk grinned and ran after Kunxun, knocking down the flimsy rice paper door with a kick and a water whip, throwing the screen across the room.

Inside the room Kunxun stood in front of the young man he had seen enter the shop after closing.

"Give up or else!"

Kunxun growled and pulled out two knives.

"You can't beat me!" Kuruk gloated. As soon as he said so, Kunxun threw one of the blades. Kuruk was slow to react and only knocked the missile off-course. The knife twirled and the handle hit Kuruk on his temple.

In a second, a burst of red flashed over his eyes and he was back at the spirit pond. Instead of Xian He, there was the giant twenty-legged spider with giant pincers for a face swimming in the water. The monster stopped and then rose up to a threatening height, towering over Kuruk. It opened its mouth and a face appeared. Kuruk couldn't move and the face became larger and larger and larger until he was swallowed whole by the beast in a golden explosion.

Kuruk staggered back and realized the entire vision had only taken a second.

"YOU!" Kuruk said, his water falling to the floor. The young man sitting on the floor had stood up behind Kunxun. "You, who are, what's your name? Tell me."

"Get away from her." Kunxun growled, stepping forward and Kuruk's eyes flashed. His hands pulled the ice from the window, wrapped the icicles around Kunxun and in a second the man was pushed up against the outer wall.

The woman – Kuruk could see that her lips were a bit too full, her eyes too large - was probably in her mid twenties. She stepped forwards, her hands up.

"I am Sita." She said, her voice low and soft. "What do you want?"

"Who are you?" Kuruk said, eyes wide and nearly panicked. It had been her face he had seen in the monsters mouth.

"I am Kunxun's daughter." She said, her hands still up. "Are you going to take him away?"

"But who are you?" Kuruk yelled. He had no idea what was going, why this woman was in his vision, what it even meant.

"I'm just a public worker. I build the delivery slides."

"You're an earthbender."

"She's the best earthbender. Avatar!" Kunxun said, struggling, "And if you touch her I swear I will kill you and bury you so far underground your next life will struggle to move." He growled, spitting on the floor.

Kuruk and Sita stared at each other.

"I think you're supposed to be my earth bending teacher."

"What?" three voices responded. Kuruk turned around and saw Hinun in the doorway.

"You can't be serious." his best friends said, crossing his arms.

"You're the avatar. . . I'm just a construction worker."

Hinun wrapped an arm around Kuruk and leaned to whisper in his friends ear. "I've gotten a boy to run for the regulate. They should be here in a few minutes."

"You need to come with me!" Kuruk explained, stepping forwards and grabbing Sita's arm. "Your fathers going to be arrested and so are you if you stay."

Sita pulled out of Kuruks grip, surprisingly strong for a woman of such thin stature. "Release my father and I will go with you." She said. Kuruk glared at her. Hinun rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" Kuruk grabbed her wrist again and with the other unfroze the water, already heading out the door. Hinun was left staring at a wet and angry looking Kunxun.

"Sorry about your door." Hinun said, "And trying to get you arrested. And getting you evicted."

"I am going to kill the avatar." Kunxun said, pushing by Hinun.

"Oh good, we agree on something!"

Ten minutes later found the rather unseemly group in the tavern below Kuruk and Hinuns small apartment. Agler was growling menacingly in the corner before Kuruk brought her over to sit next to him, laying her head in his lap.

The first thing Kuruk said to the man whom he had planned to capture and imprison was ; "I had a vision of your daughter." Hinun hit his forehead and wanted to die. "I think she's supposed to be my earth bending teacher."

"Will you take me out of Omashu?" Sita asked, intent. Kunxun looked at her as Kuruk nodded.

"Wherever you want to go."

Hinun stayed quiet. He had his hands on his thighs and although he looked relaxed he was ready to protect Kuruk if he thought that his friend was in danger. There was water in the canteen at his side and he might be able to at least subdue Kunxun for a while.

Sita looked at Kunxun who was staring at the ground. "It might be better for you to leave. We've been running for too long. We can separate and life will be easier for you with him." Kunxun glared at the ground.

"Great! So you'll do it!" Kuruk exclaimed.

"I don't have too much of a choice." Sita said. Her hands were clutched together in her lap.

Hinun was silent throughout this entire conversation. He was not happy at all. How could Kuruk just say that the peasant daughter of an outlaw was supposed to be his earthbending teacher? How was he supposed to know if she could even earthbend at a level that Kuruk needed? All of this was so out of order. This woman even looked like she might be a little sick. This was absolutely ridiculous, but. This was Kuruk. He was going to do whatever he was going to do, especially now that he knew he was the avatar. Nobody would ever be able to tell Kuruk no ever again and this whole adventure to Omashu was just the first display of his new found willpower.

"Fantastic!" Kuruk said, grinning, "We'll rest up here, see the sights, pop in on the king – I personally have an invitation to visit the princess, if you know what I mean, and then shop around a bit-"

"No." Sita cut Kuruk off sharply with a raised voice.

Hinun raised his eyebrows, trying to hide his smile. He knew that he may let Kuruk push him around but this woman might become the next big bad polar leopard on the block.

"No? What do you mean, no?" Kuruk managed to say, despite the shock written on his face.

"I want to leave tomorrow morning. My father isn't safe here and he won't leave until I do."

Kunxun said nothing. The man knew that as Sita's father he had the last say over what she did but at this point? What say did he have over her that she hadn't already flaunted away. The fact that he was a wanted criminal only slightly added to his feeling like he had no control over the situation. But he did love his daughter, and she was right to say that he wouldn't leave while she was still in the city.

Kuruk frowned, looking from Kunxun to Hinun and finding no help from either of the older men.

"Fine. But you better be ready to go. Where are all your things?"

Sita glared at the floor. "Only what I am wearing, avatar."

"We'll leave at first light." Hinun interrupted. He resolved to find the woman an extra set of clothing before the shops opened. He held out his hand to Kunxun and then bowed to Sita.

"It is an honor," he said, smiling. "To have finally found the woman who will teach the avatar how to earthbend."