"It's like a scar," Sokka said softly as they soared overhead.
It was indeed like a scar. A great, black scar that ripped across the greenery below with no care for what it ruined.
"Wildfire," Sangilak said grimly. "It's been dry this season. It's surprising it wasn't worse, honestly."
"It was likely to be worse?" Kyuri blinked. Worse than this?
"It could have been much worse. Had it been windy, this entire valley could have been destroyed."
They landed. Ash rose around their feet wherever they stepped. Beautiful, green, leafy trees had been reduced to nothing more than charred, blackened stumps. With her toe, Kyuri nudged one. Chucks crumbled away. She recoiled. Nothing like this had ever happened in the Southern Tribe.
"It's so quiet," Katara said softly. "It's like there's nothing left alive."
"There isn't," Kyuri deadpanned, looking down at a charred skeleton. "Everything fled or burned."
"Fire Nation!" Sokka said, glaring at tracks. They were a mix of the distinctive boots with upturned toes worn by the soldiers and the three-toed impressions of komodo rhinos. 'Those bloodthirsty savages make me sick! They have no respect for-"
"Shh!" Katara hissed.
"What?" he demanded. "I'm not allowed to be angry?"
She pointed. Kyuri looked and saw Aang on his knees in the ash. He scooped some up and let it slip through his fingers, pulled this way and that at the whim of the wind.
"How could anyone do this?" Aang asked softly. "I let this happen."
Kyuri's eyes narrowed. He didn't understand yet that he was in a war. This and worse had and would be done unless he did something about it. He was on the right course, but things like this did happen and there was no stopping it. The only thing you could to was regret and move on. It was not his fault; no one could expect him to be everywhere at once. It was depressing, but it was no one's fault but the monsters of the Fire Nation.
"You forget I was once part of the Fire Nation."
"Before a century of brainwashing and war."
"I cannot deny that."
Something hard pressed against the sole of her shoe and she looked down. An acorn was laying there, slightly squished from where she had stood on it. Her lips lifted slightly. She got Katara's attention and bent down, picking up the small nut and tossing it to her before nodding at the disconsolate Aang. Katara smiled and nodded.
"Are you ready to be cheered up?" she chirped, before hurling it at Aang's head. Kyuri snorted. It was unorthodox, but nonetheless it proved effective. When Aang realized the forest and animals would return, he was visibly happier.
"Who are you?" Sokka demanded, rising. Kyuri's hand went to the hilt of one sword, but then she saw that the man was old, leaning heavily on a knobbly staff. It could be a trick, but she didn't think so. The way his back hunched was impossible to fake. It was the hunch of someone who'd seen a lot of life and had dealt with a lot. She wondered vaguely if one day she'd have that hunch.
"Pardon me," the old man said, slumping forwards towards Aang eagerly. "I saw the flying bison… I thought it was impossible. But those markings…. Are you the Avatar?"
Aang looked to Katara for approval before nodding that he was indeed.
"My village desperately needs your help!" the old man said, and that was all it took. Aang was off like a shot to help. Kyuri could tell we was feeling guilty about the forest still and was trying to make up for it.
"Kyuri, aren't you coming?" Katara asked when they moved to leave and Kyuri stayed still.
"I'll follow on in a minute," she said, waving them off. Sokka shrugged but Katara looked back. She met eyes with Sang, who dipped his head as if to say, I'll watch her.
"Why do you want to stay here?" Sangilak asked.
"It's strange," she said. "In a way, it's like the tundra. It's quiet and there's very little living. The tundra is comforting though. I like the solitude. But this place… feels different."
Sangilak nodded his great head. His tail thumped on the ground and sent up a cloud of dust. "Malevolence and rage has been beaten into this ground. It lingers here, in the air, in the plants. It will stay here until this burn is a long-distant memory."
"I suppose you're right," Kyuri sighed. "Some things are simply too bad to not leave a mark." Her hand drifted to her hip, touching the scar through the leather of her bodysuit. Her other hand went to her sash to touch her father's figure but she met with nothing. A fresh pang of loss went through her and she yanked herself together, striding stiffly over to Sangilak and climbing on.
"Let's go," she said grimly. Sangilak sighed but didn't say anything. He just leapt up and took to the air.
"Kyuri," Sangilak said, his tone excited and mischievous. "Perhaps… a few tricks?"
Kyuri's lips curled back into a savage smile. "Why not?"
Sangilak bucked under her and Kyuri flew up into the air. She flipped, spiraling this way and that, before angling towards the ground. Sangilak swooped under her and Kyuri seized his tail, using his spikes like a ladder to climb back to her seat. She swung down under his chest, fingers gripping under scales as she moved as easily as a hog monkey along his neck to dangle under his jaw, scratching his favorite spot.
Abruptly, Sangilak began to loop and roll and Kyuri clung on tightly, knowing he was trying to throw her. It wasn't a gesture of annoyance, more a challenge to both of them. Just to taunt him, Kyuri locked her legs around his jaw and let go with her hands. Sangilak let out a rumbling laugh and easily pried his mouth open. Kyuri let go and tumbled, spreading her arms and legs wide to slow her fall. She hit was a small thump in her usually spot.
By the time they finished their fun, the sun had set.
"To the village?" Sangilak asked.
"To the village," Kyuri agreed. He shot off over the trees towards a small but obviously wealthy. Or at least, it used to be. Many buildings were charred or destroyed, no more than a foundation of a skeleton of framework. And the beast responsible for the damage was there, smashing away at the buildings and letting jets of blue light out of it's mouth, a little yellow and orange dot following after it.
"What is that?" Kyuri demanded.
"A spirit," Sangilak replied grimly. "Hei Bai, if I'm not mistaken. This must be why the villagers wanted Aang's help."
"Well go down, we have to help!" Kyuri encouraged. Sangilak swooped obediently, but cautioned, "It's a spirit Kyuri, you can't-no!"
Kyuri had already dropped and landed on top of Hai Bei. It was huge, white and black, and walked on its knuckles like a hog monkey. One back set of legs was black, the front set was white, and a smaller set of limbs that dangled from its chest was also black. Its head was wide, with a jaw full of pointed, white teeth.
Hai Bei reacted as soon as Kyuri hit. It reached up and seized her in one fist, pinning her arms to her side. Kyuri shouted and thrashed, trying to get free as the spirit raced into the trees. She bit down, the only defense left to her, but her teeth couldn't find purchase. The thing's skin was rubbery and thick.
Kyuri raised her head, desperately looking for a way out, when she realized that her surroundings were blurred. Not just from speed, but something else as well. Instead of green trees, orange mist and vines wove into the scene. Occasionally, water splashed up around her feet. Slowly, the orange overtook the green and Hei Bai slowed, dropping her.
Kyuri scrambled to her feet and drew her blades, looking around frantically. She had no idea where she was. This place was a swamp, hot and muggy. Vines swooped everywhere, dripping from trees and creeping across logs. Occasionally, the cry or growl of… something echoed.
Small plops could be heard, like someone walking through water. Kyuri whirled to see Hei Bai standing there, a polar bear at his side and moving towards her. Kyuri's eyes widened. She knew this bear. She'd held it in her sash for so many years that it couldn't be mistaken. There was a familiarity that couldn't be faked.
"You," she whispered, staring at the bear. She hadn't seen the bear when it was alive, but it was huge. Nine feet stretched out, she'd guess, and well over a thousand pounds. She took a step back as it came forwards. Hai Bei turned and left, leaving her with the bear. Kyuri's eyes never left its sad black ones until it moved past her.
"Wait!" she yelled .It was silly, but she didn't want to be left alone, and this bear was the only thing she had that she knew. It stopped and turned back to look at her. The bear tossed its head in a way that almost seemed to say 'follow me.' Kyuri took a hesitant step forwards and then another when the bear nodded its shaggy head once and began walking again. She sheathed her swords and moved to its side.
Kyuri glanced to the side. She knew if this was the spirit of the bear whose bone her father had carved that would mean she was in the Spirit World. But that shouldn't be possible. Only the Avatar had access to the Spirit World. He was the bridge between it and the Material World.
Almost without realizing, Kyuri stretched out her hand and wove her fingers into the bear's fur. It was warm and soft. She brushed the undercoat and it was even softer. Her fingers knotted around it and she walked with confidence next to her guide, peering around with interest. If she was indeed in the Spirit World, she wasn't going to miss a moment.
The bear led her to a large section of dry ground that protruded from the water. In the middle sat a hooded figure. Kyuri watched the person intently. Their cloak made it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman, or even if it was human. She looked to the bear and it nodded, raising a foot and patting the ground. She nodded and moved forwards towards the hooded figure, keeping a hand on the hilt of a knife and ready to draw if they attacked.
"Stop that right now," the figure said, raising a head and yanking its hood back. Kyuri couldn't contain herself. She stepped back, eyes wide, and gasped. She'd seen this person before, but only in memories grown hazy with time. The pattern of red paint across the person's face was unmistakable, and so were the swords at the woman's waist, which were now at her back. Gold eyes similar to Prince Zuko's, and for good reason, stared at her.
"Yoshio," Kyuri whispered.
"Kyuri," Yoshio nodded with a half-smile. "Well come on, don't stand there like a startled elephant mouse, have a seat." She gestured to the ground in front of her. Slowly, Kyuri stepped forwards. "Could we hurry this up please? There is much to discuss," she added. Kyuri sat down a yard away from Yoshio, who snorted. The polar bear traipsed past her and lay down at Yoshio's side. She petted it gently.
"Thank you for bringing her Nanuk," Yoshio smiled.
"Why am I here?" Kyuri demanded.
"Well, firstly because you attacked Hei Bai and he took you as a prisoner. But everyone knows everything that happens in the Spirit World, so Nanuk and I took this advantage to have a word."
"How do you to know each other?" Kyuri demanded.
Yoshio snorted. "Now think, would you? Nanuk watches over you, and so do I. He does it for your father's sake and me for Hao's. Or rather Sangilak's. That's what he goes by now, isn't it?" Kyuri nodded. "So of course we know each other!"
"I thought only the Avatar could get into the Spirit World," Kyuri questioned, slowly loosening up. There was no doubt this was Yoshio. From what Sangilak had told her, the mannerisms were the same and so was the paint, the face behind it, everything.
"Ah, well, you're a bit of a special case you see," Yoshio said with a grin. "Dragora have always been rather spiritually aware; it's a trait they take from their dragons. Add that to the fact that you had an irritated spirit dragging you out of the Material World and Nanuk and I pulling you here and there you go!"
"So why did you want me here?" Kyuri asked.
"Well, quite frankly, because we're irritated with you."
Kyuri blinked and leaned forwards. "Excuse me?" she demanded. "I didn't realize I was supposed to be living my life to please the two of you."
"Don't get testy with me," Yoshio said as Nanuk growled. "We're just… concerned. That's a better word! Yes, concerned for your wellbeing."
"I can take care of myself," Kyuri said coldly. "Sang trained me well."
"There's more than one kind of wellbeing," Yoshio said, waving a hand. "Don't be foolish. Actually, there are four. Physical, of course, which is the only one you seen to take into account, as well as mental, spiritual, and emotional. Now mentally and spiritually you get along well enough, you excel physically, but emotionally you, well… you are failing dismally."
"My emotions, whatever importance they may have, are none of your business," Kyuri said sharply, rising and turning. She took a step but found herself frozen. Her muscles strained but she couldn't move. Her eyes flamed as Yoshio appeared in front of her, shaking her head as if rebuking a child.
"I really had hoped we could go about this civilly, but I suppose not," she sighed. Her wrist flicked and Kyuri felt herself turning and settling back into her previous position with Yoshio in front of her once more. She glared hatefully, still frozen, as Yoshio started speaking.
"Kyuri, you seem to be under the highly mistaken impression that emotions make you weak. Now I don't blame, it's a delusion many people share, and you haven't had anyone to teach you better except Sangilak, and I'll admit he's not the best for emotional girl-talks. In fact, as I recall, he once-"
"Let me go!" Kyuri snarled, wrenched her jaw apart long enough to bite out those three words with more venom than she'd ever spoken with before. Yoshio blinked in surprise and then laughed.
"Ah, I suppose you're stronger spiritually than I thought. Breaking a spirit's hold, that's rather big stuff missy." She wagged a finger. "And no I won't, because you'll try to leave again and this is important. Actually, at this point, you'll probably attack me," Yoshio mused. She waved her hands. "Oh whatever. Where were we?"
Nanuk growled and Yoshio nodded.
"Ah yes, there. The fact is, you're under the mistaken impressions that emotions make you weak. I don't blame you, after what happened. It was the moment when you broke down and cried, after that soldier slaughtered your parents, that you were injured. That memory has frozen in your mind and you've worked off of the mistaken assumption that letting your emotions show leaves you open for pain."
Yoshio's face fell. "I can tell you first hand that that is true. I was wooed and fell in love with a man who intended to take my power and use it for his own purposes. I was foolish enough to marry him. It was only afterwards that I found out who he was, and by then it was too late. I couldn't convince him otherwise." She slumped forwards, face etched deeply with the wrinkles of tragedy. Her face lightened slightly as a small smile twitched the corners of her mouth. "But I fell in love again. A soldier, a general, who smuggled me out of the Fire Nation with Sangilak and helped me get out from under my husband's thumb. I hated to leave him, but he had a duty to his country, and while I didn't agree with it, I respected it."
"I know this already," Kyuri ground out. Yoshio blinked.
"I'm just going to free your mouth since it seems to be the one thing I can't control," Yoshio said pointedly. Her fingers twitched and Kyuri felt the grip on her jaw loosen. "And I know you know. But there is a point to this. While emotions can break you, that very same emotion can also heal you. It was when I fell out of love with my husband and in love with my general that I found the strength to escape, to live my own life once again."
"But you didn't live your life," Kyuri pointed out. "You got to the South Pole only to die from the cold."
"Yes," Yoshio admitted. "But you're missing the point. I died a free woman."
"Your life is not mine," Kyuri said sharply. "I don't think curling up in a ball and crying will do anything to keep me from getting hurt. Standing strong and not letting them interfere with logical thought is the only way to keep from getting hurt. You yourself once said that rage is the most sure-fire way to die in a fight, and I agree. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to dominate them."
"Urgh, you are missing the point!" Yoshio snapped, throwing up her hands. You think this is all about strength? Fine, then how about this. If something's easy then it requires little strength, right?"
"Yes, by definition something that's easy is-"
"Just hush and listen!" Yoshio cut her off. "Keeping your emotions bottled up is easy for you, right?"
"Yes," Kyuri said with a hint of pride.
"And letting them show would be difficult?"
"I suppose."
"Ha!" Yoshio said, beaming and pointing at her. "Then by definition things that are difficult require more strength! Aha, your entire philosophy picked apart in three questions! Agni I'm good."
Kyuri didn't need Yoshio's hold on her to keep her still anymore. What she said… logically it made sense, and that was worrisome. Did that mean that for the last decade of her life she'd been… weak? Her face hardened and Yoshio's smile fell. No, that wasn't possible! She wasn't weak, she was strong, just like her father had told her to be when he presented her with that carving! She was strong, she let no one touch her, nothing hurt her!
"I am not weak," Kyuri snapped. "I am strong. And I am done here."
"You aren't," Yoshio said, reinstating the hold.
Kyuri was furious, she was shaking with anger and confusion and stress and things she'd never thought of before and everything was building up and her eyes were pricking with tears and she wouldn't cry she wouldn't cry, she wasn't going to let her emotions get the better of her…
Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her head to the side. Kyuri found herself leaning against Yoshio's shoulder and that was when her iron control, forged from years of restraint and discipline, snapped in the face of motherly comfort. No, it didn't snap, it shattered.
Kyuri howled, tears, streaming down her face as she sobbed, her heart aching. She hadn't cried for her parents after they died, not after that first time, after that cut on her hip that nearly killed her. There were so many things she'd hadn't cried for, hadn't laughed at, hadn't grieved for, hadn't screamed in fear of. Hysterical giggles burst from her lips, followed by screams and sobs and sounds she'd never thought she'd ever make after her parents death.
And throughout it all Yoshio was there, rubbing her back and stroking her hair and cooing. "Shh, it's alright Kyuri, let it out, let it out. It's alright. Shh, shh, I'm here, I've got you..."
It seemed like an hour later when Kyuri finally stopped. Her shirt and Yoshio's were both soaked with tears and Kyuri's throat hurt. Her eyes did too, and her head. Her sobs had faded with her voice and been replaced by pathetic gasps.
Slowly, Kyuri pulled away, wiping her eyes and collecting herself. Her back and shoulders hurt from being in one position from so long. Carefully, she stood and tottered towards the water, splashing some on her face. She looked down as her face appeared from the ripples.
Her paint was smeared, streaked. Under it, her face was blotchy red and purple, her eyelashes shining with tears. Her chin and lips shook and trembled.
What was that? Had she truly lost control that badly? Had that been her? It all seemed so surreal, so separate from the picture she held of herself as someone who wasn't touched by emotions. That explosion of emotions… it was frightening. But she also felt relieved. There was a weight on her heart that was gone that was the grief of losing her parents. After she had been healed by Sangilak she had locked her heart in a box. In the beginning she had been awed and afraid by the great shimmering beast that had saved her. She hadn't wanted to show weakness and tears to him, and that spread to anyone and everyone she met even as she loosened up around him.
"Better?" Yoshio asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Her face and Nanuk's appeared beside Kyuri's in the water. Kyuri nodded weakly, burying her face in her hands.
"I know it's hard," Yoshio said softly, getting down on her knees beside her. She wiped the water from her face with the hem of her cloak. "You want to think you can do things on your own, that you don't need the help of others, but if you let others in, you don't have to do it all on your own. If you show yourself to them then you will be able to relate to people in a way you couldn't have been before.
"I'm not asking you to be a different person overnight. You have a decade of experience being closed off. But you can try. It'll be difficult to open up, I know. But if you never even try than how will you ever know Katara again? How will you know Aang and Sokka, and others? You won't ever find a man to love, who loves you in return, and missing that it a true tragedy. It's the best feeling I've ever felt," Yoshio smiled.
Kyuri let out a snort and a weak chuckle. "Yes, because I come in contact with so many men. I'm not pretty like Katara. I don't… Trust is something that's hard for me."
"It always has been," Yoshio agreed. "But it can still be given. Sometimes the greatest rewards come after the greatest risks."
"My father said that once," Kyuri remembered.
"I know," Yoshio nodded. "He told me?"
"He-?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Kyuri watched as Nanuk's reflection changed into her father's. A face with strong bone structure and flat angles, long black hair filled with blue beads. His beard still had that grey streak right down the middle, separated from the rest by another bead.
"Dad," Kyuri whispered. She reached out towards the reflection with shaking fingers, but as soon as she touched the water the land under her heaved. She was thrown forwards only to find herself on solid ground.
"Kyuri!"
It was Katara's voice. Kyuri heard running footsteps and she knew she was back in the Material World. Strong hands grabbed her arms as Sokka and Katara helped her to her feet. Aang offered her his staff to lean on, but Kyuri waved him away weakly.
"Are you okay?" Katara asked. She'd never seen Kyuri look like this. She looked tired and sad and confused. She looked… beaten.
"Fine," Kyuri sighed, looking up in the full moon. She closed her eyes for a moment and let it restore her energy. She removed herself from her friend's grip and took a few steps forwards. "I was in the Spirit World."
"I know," Katara nodded. "For a whole day! How do you feel?"
Kyuri sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. That's the problem."
She walked over to Sangilak and rubbed his jaw absently as he welcomed her back joyously.
"What happened?" he asked eagerly.
Kyuri replayed the entire experience in her mind. When she reached her break, Sangilak actually staggered under the sheer weight of the emotion attached to the scene.
"You-" he said, blinking his large yellow eyes at her in shock. "You let go."
"I let go," Kyuri agreed. "Never again. That was horrible."
"That's what happens when you bottle things up," Sangilak sighed. "That's what I wanted to save you from. When all that finally comes out, it's never pretty. Are you alright?"
"I'm functional," Kyuri allowed. "And for the moment that's all that matters. From the looks of it, we have a mission to complete."
She was right. Aang related his adventures in the Spirit World, and apparently they had to get to a temple on a crescent-shaped island in the Fire Nation by tomorrow so he could talk to Avatar Roku. The villagers were kind enough to give them provisions for their journey in thanks for saving them from the spirit, and once Aang figured out there was no way in the Spirit World they were letting him traipse off into the Fire Nation alone, they were off.
It was a sprint, pure and simple. They were racing against the rising sun to get to the island in time.
"Aang, we got trouble!" Katara called as the sun edged towards midday and they all willed it to slow down.
"And it's gaining fast!" Sokka added. Kyuri turned and saw a familiar ship in the water below them bringing out and lighting their catapults.
"Sang, down!" Kyuri ordered. Sangilak turned and dove as the catapult fired. The first missile flew just as Kyuri separated from Sang and hit the water. She looked to the surface and punched her fists down, shooting to the surface. She shot out, water swirling around her legs as she hovered next to the ship.
"There!" cried a soldier, pointing at her. Kyuri flicked her hand and knocked him back with a thread of water before reaching down. Slowly, she raised both of her arms towards the sky, palms up. A huge wave rose at her will. Her hands flipped and twisted and the wave rolled forwards, dashing over the sides of the ship and soaking all of the balls of tar. They wouldn't be lit now.
Kyuri surged forwards on the water and dropped onto the deck in a roll, pulling the water around her arms and up to her shoulders. The water shot out and seized two soldiers around their feet before hurling them into the wall. She iced some of the water on deck and slid across it, diving and weaving around fireballs as she made for the catapults.
One soldier had the sense to defrost the ice in front of her. Kyuri flipped over the bare patch and rolled, bringing her hands up as she stood and turning her fingers into tense claws. A field of icy daggers hovered behind her, giving the soldiers who had been rushing at her front pause.
"Duck," Kyuri advised, before she swayed forwards. The icicles went flying, tearing through metal and utterly destroying the catapults.
A heated hand grabbed her wrist and Kyuri whirled, fist drawn back for a punch. Her other wrist was grabbed and the two soldiers forced her to her knees. Two shoes came into her vision and Kyuri looked up to see Zuko standing over her, fists flaming and a snarl on his face. Kyuri smiled.
"Why are you smiling?" Zuko demanded.
"There's an angry dragon behind you," she said simply. Zuko whirled and the two soldiers threw themselves to the side, releasing her. Kyuri raised her arms, circling Zuko and herself in a sphere of water just as icy blue fire bathed the deck.
Zuko stared at the fire surrounding him, safe inside his shield. It was awesome, even though he'd seen dragon fire before. He watched helplessly as the Dragora, Kyuri, stepped from the bubble and into the fire without fear. Dragora couldn't be hurt by their dragon's fire, he knew.
"Sangilak, stop," she said. The fire stopped and she leapt over the rail, landing on Sangilak's back. With a series of powerful flaps, they had caught up with the others. They were dealing with a blockade that was firing on them.
"Keep low," Kyuri called. "We'll have more warning that way. I'm going under. Will you guys be okay?"
"We'll be fine," Sokka shouted. "You know, hopefully!"
Kyuri raised and hand, forming the water around them and trapping a bubble of air before Sangilak dove into the water, going deep and slicing through the water like a torpedo. They shot straight under the blockade and came out again to meet Appa in the air.
"Secure?" Kyuri barked.
"We're fine," Katara said with a weak giggle.
"We did it!" Aang cheered.
"We made it into the Fire Nation," Sokka mumbled. "Great."
The day wore into afternoon, and then evening. The sky was painted pink and orange before they landed on the island. It was a perfect crescent, the highest point a smoking volcano. A plateau provided a convenient place to land and hold Appa and Sangilak while they hiked up the long, twisting road to the temple.
It was a grand structure with tiers and upward curves at the corners tipped with carved flames. Gold and read were, of course, the dominant colors. The carvings and paintings were flawlessly done. Edges were perfectly straight. It was a monument.
"I don't see any guards," Sokka said suspiciously.
"Maybe the Fire Nation abandoned the temple when Avatar Roku died?" Katara suggested.
"Look at the temple," Kyuri said. "It's pristine. There's someone here at least keeping it up."
"Come on, it's almost sundown. We have to move!" Aang said. They all raced inside and found themselves in an octagonal room with a high, elaborate ceiling and columns.
"Wait, I think I heard something," Sokka said. They turned and saw a quintet of Fire Sages standing there, led by a man with a long white beard and grizzled face.
"We are the Fire Sages," he proclaimed. "Guardians of the Temple of the Avatar."
"Great," Aang grinned, stepping towards them. "I am the Avatar."
"We know," he said, and then he attacked.
"Run!" Aang said as he deflected the attacks. Kyuri would have attacked, but Yoshio's words echoed in her ears. She decided to give Aang a bit of trust that he'd defend their flank and took off with Katara and Sokka down the hall. Aang charged out of a hallway in front of them.
"This way?" he called and they chased after him.
"Do you know where you're going?" Katara demanded.
"Nope," Aang chirped as he charged around a corner. The others paused for a moment, and Aang came flying around the corner. "Wrong way!"
They took off again as a Fire Sage rounded the corner after them. Aang pulled them around another corner and they were faced with a dead end. The Fire Sage blocked the passage behind them.
"I don't want to fight you!" he said, hand out in supplication. "I'm a friend!"
"Firebenders aren't our friends!" Sokka snapped.
Please he said, dropping to his knees in front of Aang. "I know why you're here, Avatar."
"You do?" Aang asked, dropping his defensive stance.
"Yes," he said, pushing himself to his feet. "You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him."
"How?" Aang asked suspiciously.
The Fire Sage reached over and lifted a lamp, revealing a hole in the wall. He forced fire into it and a section of the wall opened up, revealing a rough-hewn cavern and a rush of hot air.
"He's not lying," Kyuri said, remembering when Sangilak had shown her Yoshio's wedding. The way to Roku's room, where the ceremony had been held, was through a series of secret tunnels.
"How do you know?" Sokka asked.
"Sangilak remembers this place," she said simply as she followed the Sage.
The Sage explained why the Sages attacked, how their loyalty had shifted, and how Roku himself had carved the tunnels. He talked about how generations had guarded this temple and introduced himself as Shiyu.
He led them up a flight of stairs and shoved a panel back, opening the way into a grand hall. He stepped out and the rest followed them.
"No!" he shouted suddenly.
"What's wrong Shiyu?" Aang asked.
"The Great Doors are closed," he said, staring at the doors. They were indeed great, with carved metal snakes and tongues of flame. The snake's mouths were open, holes showing where fire should be aimed.
"Can't you just open it with Firebending?" Katara suggested. "Like with the other door."
"No," Shiyu said, hanging his head. "Only a full realized Avatar can open the doors. Otherwise all five Fire Sages must work together with five simultaneous fire blasts."
"Five fire blasts?" Sokka grinned. "I think I can help you with that?"
Sokka's plan was ingenious. Five bombs rigged with equal lengths of twine as a fuse. The bombs were placed in the holes and Sokka backed away, stretching out the cords. He used a flint and steel to spark the fuse. The flame traveled along it and split away to each pouch. They all blew simultaneously and they rushed forwards, but the doors were as unyielding as ever, just with a fresh coating of soot.
"The doors are still locked!" Aang said, straining to push them open.
"It didn't work," Shiyu sighed.
"it looked like it worked," Sokka said, rubbing a finger through the soot.
"Maybe that's all we need!" Katara realized. She quickly explained her plan. Momo was slipped through the holes in the door and into the sanctuary and they took cover behind the pillars, waiting for the arrival of the Sages.
They didn't have to wait long. Within minutes Shiyu had the Fire Sages charging into the hall. They saw the soot and Momo's shadow under the door and immediately took their places, firing five fire blasts. Individual pieces of the door moved and clicked into place. The doors ground open. Imagine the Sages surprise when they were faced not with the Avatar, but with a flying lemur.
"Aang, go!" Katara yelled as Momo attacked the Great Sage and she and Sokka took two down. Shiyu turned on the last one, pulling him into a tight hold as Kyuri took the Great Sage from Momo. She slid across the floor and hit his ankles, coming up as he went down and resting a sword on his throat.
"Aang, now's your chance!" Sokka yelled when he didn't appear.
Aang appeared, but he wasn't alone. Zuko had his hands pinned behind his back and was shoving him towards the stairs.
"The Avatar's coming with me!" he yelled. "Close the doors quickly!"
Kyuri doubled over as the Great Sage brought his foot up into her stomach. He stood and seized her neck, throwing her to the ground. Her head cracked against the stone painfully. Two Sages seized her and dragged her upright, pulling her against a column where Katara and Sokka were chained. She snarled and thrashed but the chains were pulled taut across her stomach and arms. She immediately sucked in her stomach and pressed closer to the column, working frantically to get her hands free. If she could get out of the chains pinning her wrists, them she could move her arms and if she could get to the box of acidic powder tucked under her shoulder plate…
Aang charged around the columns and made for the door, leaping over the Sages and slipping through the doors just as the doors ground shut. Blue light flared.
Zuko and the Fire Sages tried desperately to get the doors open, but Roku had apparently sealed them shut. They turned on Shiyu then, demanding to know why he had helped the Avatar.
"It was once the Fire Sages duty to help the Avatar. It is still our duty," he said softly.
Applause echoed in the room and everyone turned to see a man with thick sideburns step into the room flanked by soldiers.
"What a moving performance," he sneered. "I'm sure the Fire Lord with understand when you explain why you betrayed him."
"Commander Zhao," the Great Sage said, bowing respectfully.
"And Prince Zuko," the commander sneered. "A noble effort to be sure, but your little smokescreen didn't work. Two traitors in one day."
Kyuri narrowed her eyes, watching intently as she continued to work her wrists. Shouldn't a Commander be showing the Fire Lord's son more respect? And calling him a traitor? There was more to Zuko's story than they knew, and something told her it wasn't good.
"You're too late Zhao!" Zuko spat as a soldier seized him like he had held Aang a moment ago. "The Avatar's already inside."
"Oh I know," Zhao agreed. "But sooner or later he'll have to come back out."
She sucked in her breath as hard as she could and felt the chains give that extra centimeter she had needed. Her wrists felt about to break, but one quick jerk and her hands were free. She knew better than to make any fast movements; they drew they eye better than anything.
Slowly, one hand wormed up her stomach, across her chest, and over to her shoulder as the soldiers and Sages focused intently on the door, forming a wall to face the Avatar with when he came out. Zuko had been chained to a column next to them and she knew he was watching.
Zuko stared at the Dragora worked herself free and then made a move for the plate at her shoulder. Why was she focused on that? Why not go for the chains? Still, he knew better than to think she was wasting movement. He'd seen her fight enough to know that every single movement she made was with purpose. His eyes widened as he watched a small box drop into her hand. Slowly, she raised her other hand to unscrew the top. He frowned as her throat worked. Was she about to throw up? But no, she spat into the paste. He watched as she jerked her head in several precise movements.
Kyuri stared down, pleased, at the box of acid she now held. In powdered form it was completely harmless, but once one added water it was highly acidic. In fact, she box was already giving out. With a quick jerk of her hands, she dumped it over the chains to her left. In a second the chains were loose and they were free.
It was at that moment that the doors opened and the Firebenders struck.
"No, Aang!" Katara screamed, but Kyuri just watched. The only sign of a person was a pair of glowing blue eyes, and those eyes were too high for a boy Aang's size.
The fire spun around the person, illuminating him and revealing a man with a long white beard and hair pulled into a topknot.
"Avatar Roku," Shiyu breathed.
The Firebenders scattered as Roku threw their fire at them. Kyuri, Katara, and Sokka stood, watching with no idea what to do. Where was Aang?
"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple!" Shiyu yelled as the soldiers and Sages fled. "We have to go!"
'Not without Aang!" Katara protested as Roku tore a rift in the middle of the floor. He raised his hand and lava rose up through it, spreading and shifting, weakening columns.
Kyuri's head turned at a horrified shout. She saw Zuko, still chained, thrashing furiously as the lava crept towards him. She was many things, Dragora, Waterbender, maybe emotionless, but maybe not. But a killer was not one of those things, and in her books, watching someone die and doing nothing to stop it was the same as dropping the blow yourself.
She ran across the floor towards him. His eyes locked on her as she approached.
"What are you doing?" he demanded as she drew her sword. "Are you going to kill me?"
Kyuri just blinked at him. "I am not a killer," she said simply, before bringing the blade down on the chains binding him. They dropped away and she turned to rejoin her friends. Strong hands gripped her shoulder and pulled her back, forcing her hand with the sword out wide.
"You think I'm going to let you walk away when I can hold you as a hostage?" he hissed into her ear as he pulled her towards the stairs. Hot breath puffed across her neck and Kyuri's eyes widened slightly. That was a feeling she'd never felt before, and it was almost pleasant. Maybe there was something to what Yoshio said. It left something to ponder later, but for now-
"You think I'm going to let you capture me?" Kyuri challenged. Her foot flew straight up, nailing him in the face. He staggered back, dazed, and she raced back to her friends, who were now clustered around a weakened Aang, holding him upright.
"Sangilak, there's a hole in the wall. Get to it!"
"I'm already there, foolish girl. I've been there since it appeared."
Kyuri turned and saw a ridge of spikes visible through the gap. She shook her head.
"Over here!" she yelled, racing to the wall and taking her spot on Sangilak. Katara and Sokka led Aang over. He slipped on easily, gripping a spike tightly, and Katara followed immediately.
"Are you sure he can hold all of us?" Sokka asked nervously.
"Get on!" Katara and Aang shouted. Sokka clambered on immediately, clutching the spike in a death grip. Sangilak dipped immediately, flying for the plateau where they left Appa. He hit the ground and Aang jumped off, moving to Appa to check on him. Katara hit the ground, shaking a bit. Sokka fell off on his face, moaning.
"How do you ride that thing?" Sokka demanded. "It's so… flowy. There's nothing under you!"
"I can ride form the tail," Kyuri said absently. "It's a matter of experience."
Sokka looked at the thin tail tipped in blue fur and turned an unnerving shade of green.
They got on their preferred means of transport and took off into the sky, flying over the Fire Nation ships below as they headed out towards the safety of Earth Kingdom waters.
Alright people, seriously? Nearly 600 hits for this story and only 17 reviews? *stomps foot and pouts* My delicate writer feelings are hurt! I am putting my foot down! I want at least ten reviews before you get the next chapter. *huff* So there!
...That's all. Rant over.