WARNING: Don't shoot me on this. I may go a bit Mary Sue in this chapter, but if you read the explanation at the end of the chapter you will understand. Please don't judge me, and I assure you, the thing that happens in this chapter will only pop up once, maybe twice more in this story.

Kyuri was riding on Appa for the day, giving Sangilak a break. She was also taking advantage of the fact that Appa didn't bob as much while flying as Sangilak did to replace her paint. She had gotten out of the habit of wearing it at the North Pole, but now she carefully drew the shapes back onto her face. Kyuri paused when she finished, thinking of Yue.

"That girl never really knew what it was to be a Dragora. At first I thought her foolish for that. Now… I think I pity her for not understanding our world."

"Alignak was not old enough to know the ways of the Dragora and she had no one to teach her. It couldn't be helped."

"I suppose not," Kyuri sighed aloud.

"You suppose not what?" Katara asked.

"Nothing," Kyuri said, packing away the small pots of paint and replacing them among the bags strapped to Appa's saddle. One hand came up to play absently with the carved dragon around her throat. She realized it was becoming a habit, but she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed.

She felt… different. Almost… lighter? Freer? No, that wasn't right. Happier, that was it. She felt a bit happier these days, a bit more willing to smile or drop her façade of frostiness. She wondered if it had something to do with the incident at the North Pole, both with Zuko and with Akna.

"There it is!" Sokka called, pointing to the Earth Kingdom fort as it appeared around the mountain in front of them. It was a well fortified structure, with paths leading out in four different directions and up onto lookout posts. It was situated inside a valley, so it was easy to keep watch on the surrounding areas. The round wall encircling the main compound was several feet thick and topped with gold tiles. The main structure was a tall tower, undoubtedly where the commanding officers had their offices and where the soldiers ate.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang! I am General Fong," said a man grandly, stepping out onto the balcony where they landed. He was backed by lines of troops and advanced as they all dismounted and began unloading and stretching. "And welcome to all of you, great heroes! Appa, Momo, majestic Sangilak, brave Sokka, mighty Katara, forceful Kyuri."

"I won't argue with him," Sangilak said, visibly preening. "Majestic, hm. Very much so."

"Easy for you to say. You aren't 'forceful.'"

"Well, you are that. If he had described you as delicate you would have hit him."

"I have more restraint than that. But I might have wanted to."

"Mighty Katara," Katara smiled. "I like that."

Kyuri whirled, hands flying to her swords as she heard bangs and crackling behind her. She looked up to see fireworks blooming in the sky, colors bursting out of nowhere.

"Not bad, not bad," Sokka praised.

"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed by the stories of how you single-handedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole," General Fong said, stroking his impressive beard. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility."

"I try not to think about it too much," Aang admitted modestly.

Kyuri narrowed her eyes. Their things had been taken by several soldiers and placed in rooms designated for their use, while Momo, Appa, and Sangilak were taken off to be fed. Even now she knew Sangilak was crunching through an entire hippo cow as he listened to the conversation.

"He reminds me of Zhao. He's a bit too interested in Aang's power."

"He's a military man," Sangilak reminded her. He paused to crunch through a bone then continued. "But you are right. I don't like the way he speaks."

"Avatar, you're ready to face the Fire Lord."

"Yeah, he's crazy."

Kyuri agreed with Sangilak as Aang gaped at the General.

"What?" he demanded. "No I'm not!"

"Aang still needs to master the four elements," Katara reminded him.

"Why?" General Fong asked simply. "With the power he has, the power to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes, he could defeat the Fire Lord now!"

"But sir," Sokka began respectfully. "Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar State."

Aang jumped in, explaining. "See, it's this special state where-"

"I'm well aware!" General Fong said, cutting him off sharply. "Your eyes and tattoos glow, and you're able to summon unbelievable power." He turned and walked to a map of the world. "Without you we'd be slaughtered before we even reached their shores. But with you leading, the ultimate weapon, we'd be able to cut a swathe right through to the heart of the Fire Nation."

"Right," Aang said slowly. "But… I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar State, much less what to do when I'm there."

"So it's decided then!" General Fong said, spinning to face them. "I'll help you figure out how to get in and out of the Avatar State, and then you'll face your destiny!"

"Nothing's decided," Katara said tensely as they all rose as one. Kyuri smirked slightly as, down in the stables, Sangilak growled at a soldier approaching him curiously and sent the man running. "We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny his way."

"Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war goes on? May I show you something?" Fong asked, gesturing to the window. Aang followed him over and stared down at the building below, where a constant stream of bandaged men moved in and out of the door. "That's the infirmary and those men down there are the lucky ones. They came back. The Fire Nation destroys lives. People are dying, Aang! You could end it, now! Think about it."

They retired to their rooms for the night. Katara and Sokka lounged on their beds, Kyuri cleaning her weapons. Aang was gone. He told them he was going to go visit Appa in the stables, but Kyuri knew he was lying. According to Sangilak, Aang hadn't been down there since they arrived. That begged the question of where he had been. Kyuri had a sneaking suspicion, and it was confirmed when Aang returned and sat down on his bed, his face tired and sad.

"I told the General I'd fight the Fire Lord," he said quietly.

"Aang, no!" Katara protested, sitting up. "This isn't the way!"

"Why not?" Sokka demanded. "Remember when e took out the Fire Navy? That was incredible!"

"There's a right way to do this. Practice, study, and discipline!" Katara pressed.

"Or just glow it up and stomp that Fire Lord!"

"If you two meat heads want to throw away everything we've worked for, then fine. By all means, glow it up!"

"Katara, I'm just being realistic!" Aang called out as Katara stomped towards the door. "I don't have time to do this the right way!"

"Come on Kyuri, you don't really support this, do you?" Katara asked. Kyuri sighed and put down a knife, sliding it under her pillow. They may be in a fort, but she didn't trust General Fong any farther than she could throw him.

"If anything's worth doing it's worth doing right," Kyuri said calmly, lying back against her pillows. "Aang, the Avatar State… Have you ever being heard of it used as a weapon? I don't believe it is. I believe it's a protective measure. To use it offensively it think is against its purpose."

Thus far, Kyuri was not impressed. She understood it was Aang's decision what he did and how he went after the Fire Lord, but there had to be a better way to induce the Avatar State. Really, giving energy-boosting tea to a hyper twelve year old? What nonsense was that? That was by far one of the best methods though. Shocking him? Throwing mud on him? There was no way it could be that simple.

Katara went out to speak with Aang that night, after the attempts were over, and returned to the girl's room looking very upset. Kyuri made no move to comfort her, merely lifted the blankets on her bed. Katara slid in next to her and the two girls laid there, staring at the ceiling like they used to when they were younger.

"He won't give up," Katara said softly. "He thinks that he's saving people by doing this. I mean, I guess if he could defeat the Fire Lord, he would be, but… I still don't like to think of Aang having to go through that. Does it make me a bad person that I want to save Aang from that even if it means more people die in the war?"

Kyuri paused, mulling it over. Emotions were not her strong suit, but this she thought she could possibly answer. "No," she began slowly. "I think… I think it means that you care for him. And the fact that you care what happens to those soldiers means you care about them too. I don't think that this is really an instant of you being good or bad. I think this is you being… caring. You've always been very caring."

"You used to be too," Katara recalled. "Remember when Sokka tripped that one day and sprained his ankle? You were the one who tended to him while I was gone getting dad. We came back and found out you'd ripped the bottom off your shirt and splinted his ankle."

Kyuri could remember that day vividly.

"Ouch! Stop Kyuri, it hurts!"

"I'll hit it if you don't quit whining and let me do this, idiot!"

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you're keeping me from making you better!"

"What happened?" Katara burst out. She'd wanted to ask ever since she found out Kyuri was still alive. Something had happened in their family's hut that night, something Kyuri had never wanted to talk about, something that had changed her irrevocably.

Kyuri stiffened. She wasn't sure she was ready for anyone to know what she'd done. Anyone besides Sang, that was. But then, Katara had known her for years. Katara would understand. And if Katara didn't, then no one would, and she truly was as loathsome a person as she thought she was.

"What happened," Kyuri repeated. "I saw the black snow falling. I saw the ships come in. I knew something was wrong. I went to our hut. I thought I'd make sure mom was okay, that I'd get dad's spear and try to protect her. When I got there, mom was on the ground. Her… her head was across the room." Kyuri took a deep, steadying breath, trying to forget her mother's blank, staring eyes, and the trail of red blood leading to the stump of her neck.

"I'd thought to get dad's spear, but I couldn't. It was sticking out of his stomach. There was a soldier standing over him. He turned around and looked at me. His eyes were so cold, so cruel. I was angry, I was scared, I was grieving, and I… I lashed out at him. I threw pots at him. He just laughed at me and came towards me, pining me in the corner. I thought I was going to die, I was so sure I was going to die.

"He talked to me, Katara," Kyuri said. Unknowingly, tears were rolling down her cheeks, but her face was blank, her eyes distant as she recalled. Katara stared at her, her face etched with deep sympathy and sadness as she watched her friend speak. She longed to reach out and hug Kyuri, but she wasn't sure how she would take it, so she hung back. "He told me… He told me how my mother pleaded for her life, how my dad threw her in front of him to die. He told me how it felt to… to slice through my mother's neck. He laughed when he talked about how… He said my dad flopped around like a fish, pinned to the ground. Then he put his sword on my hip and pulled. It hurt so much, and there was so much blood. He just laughed while I laid there and cried. I was angry, I was so full of emotion. I just… I don't know what I did. I just sort of raised my hands, trying to block his sword, and then… He stopped laughing. I heard this horrible gurgling sound and when I looked up, he was dead."

"Dead," Katara repeated, surprised. "What… what happened?"

"There was a giant icicle coming up from the floor," Kyuri said calmly. "It was the first time I'd ever Waterbended, and I used it to kill a man. I lost control of myself and it made me vulnerable. It got me hurt and it made me a killer. He was just hanging there, the icicle through his chest, and his eyes were as blank as my mother's. I was hurt, I was bleeding, but I had to get away. I ran outside, out of the village, and I just kept running until I couldn't run anymore, until I collapsed in the snow. I assumed I was going to die."

"But you didn't," Katara said encouragingly.

"I didn't," Kyuri agreed. "I woke up in an ice cave. There was a hot spring in the corner and there were all these old chests around, even an old bed. Weapons hung on the walls. I didn't know where I was, but then Sangilak spoke in my mind. He explained to me, talked to me. I told him everything. I was so in awe of him I gave him everything he wanted to know. When he offered the Sankole, I agreed willingly. It was truly amazing to know this creature was willing to bind its soul to me. I was honored and humbled.

"We completed the Sankole and I was healed completely. Sangilak asked when I was going to go back to the village. I told him I wasn't, not ever. I couldn't even begin to think of going back to where my parents lived. I had killed a man. I didn't deserve to be welcomed back and pitied for losing my parents. I missed you and Sokka so much, but I couldn't stand the idea of the two of you looking at me like I looked at myself in the mirror. Instead I threw myself into training.

"It was when I lost control that things started going wrong. That was when I was hurt, when I was stupid enough to attack. I should have run, I should have called for help. Looking back, there were so many things I should have done that would have been better but I just couldn't think at the time. I swore from then on that I wouldn't let my emotions rule my head. I swore that no one would ever reduce me to that again, because the one person that had, had hurt me worse than I'd ever been hurt before, had hurt me so bad that I lashed out and claimed a life."

Katara was silent for a moment as Kyuri raised her hand and wiped the tears away from her eyes absently. She paused, looking at the glistening wetness on the back of her brown hand, white hair falling in her eyes.

"We found the body," Katara began softly. "The soldier's, I mean. The icicle had melted I guess, because there was just a hole in his chest. The men assumed your father got in a lucky hit before he died, and they burned him with the other dead soldiers. They saw blood leading out into the tundra and sent out search parties for you. They looked for a full week, but they never found you. They assumed you'd died, that you'd been frozen or covered in snow."

"But I didn't."

"But you didn't." Katara looked at Kyuri and wondered. She wasn't sure how to take this. Kyuri had blood on her hands. Somehow, she felt she should be disgusted. Kyuri was not repentant for her actions. She regretted killing, but only for the sheer fact that it was killing. She held no grief for the man who killed her family. Katara had always felt that killing in war, while regrettable, was… accepted. So could she really blame Kyuri? She wondered if, had she known she was a bender then, she would have tried to hurt the man she found in the hut with her mother. In an instant she knew she would have.

"You're not a bad person," Katara said, wrapping her arms around Kyuri. Kyuri chuckled softly in her ear.

"I didn't think I was. I thought I was a person who'd done bad things. There is a very large difference, Katara. Thank you for listening."

"What are friends for?"

Kyuri woke up in the morning to find Katara cuddled up to her side, the pair of them sleeping peacefully. She sighed, recalling the night before, when she told Katara what had happened. She felt somewhat shaky this morning, exhausted, but not physically, emotionally. She did feel better though. She felt less uncomfortable around Katara. There was a time they had told each other everything, and now Katara once again knew everything. It felt to her as if the last block between their old friendship had finally come down. Kyuri wondered with a small, self-depreciating smile if they might return to terrorizing the Southern Tribe again.

"Morning," Katara groaned, stretching out. She rolled off the bed and stood, going to the food that had been left for them. Kyuri joined her and they had a breakfast of fruit and bread that was eaten in companionable silence.

"Do you want to talk some more?" Katara asked. Kyuri shook her head.

"I told you everything. Everything I remember at least. Parts of it are fuzzy."

"I'm not surprised. You were running through the snow bleeding out. I do have one question though," Katara asked hesitantly.

"Only one?" Kyuri asked, raising an eyebrow and allowing a mischievous lilt to enter her voice. Katara smiled at the tone that was so familiar, the tone she'd so missed.

"Yeah, just one. You said that the soldier cut you. Where? I've never seen a scar."

Kyuri stood and turned away from Katara, stretching back to fasten her body suit. She felt no awkwardness as she shoved the top part down off her chest and arms. She turned to face Katara, her arms draped modestly across her breasts, to display the scar running all the way from the side of her hip bone down her thigh under the leather. It was an ugly thing, purple and mottled.

"Ouch," Katara commented, looking at it. "What does it feel like?"

"Odd," Kyuri admitted as she replaced the top part of her leathers. "I can't feel an actual touch, just the pressure of one. The nerve endings are dead."

"Oh. It sounds weird."

"It is indeed."

There was a pause as they listened to the banging from outside, presumably from more attempts to trigger the Avatar State in Aang.

"What do you think they're doing?" Katara asked softly.

"I don't know. Some sort of battle simulation," Kyuri suggested. "It sounds like they're bending."

There was a particularly loud bang, the sound of stone breaking, and a few indistinct shouts. Katara looked up at Kyuri edgily.

"Maybe we should just go check it out," she suggested, and Kyuri nodded. Together, they stood and walked down the halls. They went first to the General office, only to find the floor gouged with long scrapes and the bottom part of the window broken out. They ran over and peered out to find the soldiers of the fort going after Aang, who was desperately dodging disks of rock. Kyuri frantically sent thoughts of what was going on to Sangilak, who was just as outraged as she was. A roar split the air as he burst from the stables, fire streaming from his jaws. Soldiers scrambled for cover as he swooped around, picking soldiers up and throwing them around like a giant kamikaze pigeon.

"What's going on?" Katara cried as they ran downstairs into the melee, meting Sokka on the stairs.

"The General's gone crazy!" he shouted. "He's trying to trigger the Avatar State by attacking Aang!"

"That might actually work," Kyuri mused as she watched the fight. Katara threw herself into bending, Sokka hurling his boomerang. Kyuri grabbed the back of a saddle as a soldier on an ostrich horse ran by. She yanked herself up onto the back of the animal, knocking the soldier out and seizing the reins.

Another soldier saw her and rode over, spear ready to knock her out of the saddle. Kyuri bent backwards over the ostrich horse's back and the spear sailed over her midriff. She seized it and yanked hard, dragging the soldier over the head of his mount and out of his seat. She kept a firm grip on the spear, riding towards a group of two mounted soldiers going after Katara. She rode by and tripped both their mounts with the shaft of the spear, sending them tumbling. Katara gave a shout of thanks as she turned and cut away the points of a group of soldier's spears with a whip of water.

"Maybe you can avoid me, but she can't!"

Kyuri looked up sharply, pulling the ostrich horse to a stop. Aang was on the balcony, staring at Fong, who was standing at the opening of a large V made of stone disks. In the middle was Katara, completely exposed and ready to be crushed, but still fighting. She flung a stream of water at Fong, who turned it to mud and then pulled Katara down into the stone up to her knees, trapping her.

"I can't move!" she shouted, pulling frantically.

"Don't hurt her!" Aang pleaded. Kyuri gritted her teeth. She would not beg. Katara had just forgiven her unconditionally for what she figured to be the worst act of her life. This power-hungry general was not going to hurt her any more than he was going to walk on the moon.

Kyuri jumped down from her mount, turned, and kept turning. Her body appeared to be a circle as she flipped end over end towards Fong, who watched in awe. She could see on his face that he was calculating how best to use her, until she paused directly in front of him and straightened. Then he saw her face, promising injury.

"Big mistake," she said coldly. She turned and spun, raising one leg and bending forwards, executing a picture-perfect mirror turn that caught Fong in the jaw and sent him sprawling. Kyuri didn't bother going for her swords. She went after him with her bare hands, kicking and pummeling.

Aang ran forwards, peeling her off and grabbing Fong. "Stop this!" he ordered. "You can't hurt her!"

"You could stop me if you were in the Avatar State!" Fong snapped, but he was no longer looking quite so tough. His mouth was bleeding, a tooth lay on the ground by his feet, and one eye was swelling shut. From the way he was holding himself Kyuri knew she had broken at least two ribs, exactly as expected.

"I'm trying, please, I'm trying!" Aang wailed, his eyes filling with tears. Katara yelped as she was submerged up to her chest.

"I'm sinking!"

"I don't see glowing!" Fong called mockingly.

"You don't need to do this!" Aang screamed, dropping to his knees.

"Apparently I do," Fong said, his voice deadly calm. Behind him, Katara's voice was abruptly cut off as her head sank beneath the stone.

"No!" Aang screamed, diving for when he vanished. Kyuri opened her mouth to let out a similar scream, feeling rage and power building up inside her, but what left her mouth was not the yell of denial she had planned. Instead, an animalistic roar burst from between her lips. She sounded for all the world like Sangilak as he echoed her shout.

Aang's tattoos and eyes burst with light as he turned to Fong, his teeth bared in a livid snarl.

"It worked!" Fong screamed triumphantly. "It worked!" A foot flew out of nowhere and he staggered, his eyes widening as he turned to look at Kyuri. Aang was not the only one who's eyes glowed. Kyuri's burned with a bloody red light.

She came at him without mercy, without thought. The way her body bent was serpentine, draconic, as she attacked, rage filling her every move as well as grief at the loss of Katara. She could hear Sangilak roaring in praise inside her head as she kept coming, feet and fists flying. She was using moves she'd never learned, things Sangilak had never taught her. Her head snapped forwards, braking the general's nose.

"It was just a ploy!" he screamed fearfully as she hurled him back with a kick to his ribs. "She's fine!"

Like a cork, Katara shot out of the ground next to him and dropped, panting, to her hands and knees. Kyuri's raised fists lowered and the glow in her eyes faded. She moved to Katara's side, kicking Fong out of the way carelessly.

"Are you alright?" Kyuri asked calmly, kneeling by her and helping her straighten up.

"I'm fine," Katara said, offering a wobbly smile.

Fong, however, was not fine. Aang was unleashing blast after blast of air on him, and his already battered form was taking even more abuse. Aang slowly dropped back to the ground, the glow fading, and Kyuri helped Katara up. Together, the two moved to his side. Katara wrapped her arms around him tightly, hugging him as he curled against her. Kyuri knelt on his other side, her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm sorry Katara," Aang said tiredly. "I hope you never have to see that again."

"Hah, are you joking?" Fong snapped, his voice weak but excited as he limped towards them. "That was almost perfect."

Kyuri let loose an animalistic snarl, her eyes glowing red once more. Fong drew back fearfully and Sokka clubbed him over the head. He dropped.

"Anybody got a problem with that?" Sokka demanded. The soldiers shook their heads fearfully.

"Do you… still want an escort to Omashu?" one asked nervously.

"I think we're fine," Katara said sweetly.

They paused only together their things and then they were gone. Aang was subdued, the exhaustion of the Avatar State hitting him heavily. Katara kept rubbing her chest every now and then or covering her hand with her mouth.

"What was that?" Sokka asked, looking over at Kyuri, who was riding Sangilak. She paused, knowing very well what he meant, but she honestly didn't have an answer.

"It was the Meld."

The voice echoed around them and the others looked around fearfully.

"What is that?" Aang asked.

"Sangilak," Kyuri said calmly, rubbing his throat. "He can converse with others. He just usually chooses not to. Go on Sangilak. I don' understand either."

"Wait, what happened?" Katara asked blankly. "What are you talking about?"

"When you were pulled under, when Aang was in the Avatar State, Kyuri glowed too," Sokka explained. "Her eyes were red, and she was… she looked unstoppable. She just kept coming at Fong. I've never seen anyone fight like that. It was… vicious."

They all looked at Kyuri.

"I'm not a second Avatar," she deadpanned.

"It's called the Meld," Sangilak repeated in all their minds. "It's very, very rare. To understand, you must understand some of the details of the Sankole. What it is, basically, is an exchanging of souls. In my body I hold a piece of Kyuri's soul, and in her body she holds part of mine. However, since mine has been blended with so many other Dragora, she holds tiny portions of their souls as well. It's similar to how the Avatar is a reincarnation."

"Roku told me that the glow is the result of all my past lives combining," Aang said softly.

"It's similar, but not exactly the same," Sangilak said, nodding his great head as he flew. "Kyuri tapped into the bits of soul from my past Dragora and that produced a glow. It's what gave rise to the legend that Dragora were able to bend multiple elements like the Avatar, because of the similar glow. It is called the Meld. For a handful of moments, Kyuri and I were one soul in two bodies, our souls fusing. It only happens very rarely, and usually in much older Dragora. Some could go in and out at will, so close were they with their dragons, but that was only after years of intense meditation. It seems it also produced a few new moves. Hanh in particular was coming out," Sangilak thought in amusement. "She was a warrior-monk who was undefeated to her dying day."

"Wow," Sokka breathed. "So, this Sankole thing. Giving up part of your soul sounds… rough."

"Does it hurt?" Katara asked softly.

Kyuri nodded. "The most excruciating pain I have ever felt. My soul was torn in half and ripped away, replaced by another part. It's the reason why many Dragora go white-haired during the process. I only lost part of my coloring," she said, tugging at the lock of white hair that seemed to perpetually flop in front of her eyes.

"So, you're like a mini Avatar on a flying lizard," Sokka sighed. "Great, just what we need."

So, it got me thinking. I've already said that the Sankole is a spiritual thing, and if it's happened to a bunch of people, then isn't it similar to the reincarnation of the Avatar? If it's all the spirits of past Avatars coming together in one form that produces the glow, then couldn't it happen in other cases? Maybe I'm just overthinking it and getting too much into the AU aspects of my story but I just started wondering. No, Kyuri won't start making frequent trips to the Spirit World or bending other elements. That's all Aang and his arrowed awesomeness!