Chapter 13

I breathed in Lee's scent of pine needles and night air, the smell making me relax.

"Was it a nightmare?" he asked quietly. I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't look at him.

"You could say that," I said, sitting up from his arms. The night air was cold on the parts of me that were touching him.

"You know what? I'll take the next watch now. Have some sleep," I said, still not looking at him.

Tears still ran down my face, in grief and in shame. I didn't want him to see me like this, a snivelling girl.

"Oh, alright," he said, starting to rise.

"Whoa there, you don't have to move. Sleep here under Selene's wing. It's really warm," I said, patting the spot where I was just sleeping, smiling. I knew my eyes still shone wetly when I looked at him, but the tear tracks were dried.

Lee sighed but didn't fight me on it. He had probably been cold while he was on watch.

He lay down, stretching his long body under the cover of Selene's wing. His brown eyes found me in the darkness, gleaming like a dark star.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," I answered.

He immediately fell asleep which was quite a blessing.

"Raava, how can I do this to my sister? It wasn't right that the old witch split your spirit, but does that make taking half of your spirit from some living thing, to make you whole, right? It sounds like murder," I said to the starry sky.

Raava didn't answer.

I sighed. "There's got to be a way. Maybe if we just get rid of Vaatu's spirit inside me, then we won't have to worry about this uniting business," I murmured to myself.

Again, Raava said nothing.

"Well, you're helpful," I snapped, leaning my head back on Selene and watching the stars.

A stray shooting star flew across the dark navy night, its tail a burning blue-white.

"Make a wish," I murmured.

I wish that this Avatar confusion will be settled soon. I don't care if I die so Yena could unite the Avatar Spirit. As long as she gets rid of Vaatu.

I watched the skies until the navy of the night started to receed, giving way to light fire of the morning.

That was when my eyes fluttered closed, and I nestled close to Lee.

There was a snap. Bushes rustling, leaves shushing like coming waves. The brush of foot over the ground.

Tiana, Yena's voice whispered.

My eyes snapped open, and found myself inches away from Lee, who also was awake. Our bodies were touching each other's everywhere. Couldn't help it, especially when our legs and arms were wrapped around each other's.

We jolted apart, staring at each other when they came.

I knew the way they shot out of the bushes, how they easily drifted in the air, executing flips, that they were chi blockers.

My whips snapped out, wrapping around two of them and slamming them into the ground. Lee ran at three chi blockers coming his way, launching himself into the air, flipping and then knocking them all out with a helicopter kick. He landed on one hand, easily twirling his legs to kick out another chi blocker.

It was obvious that Lee was not easy to deal with. So the chi blockers started to head for me.

I looked at all of them, darting towards me, their mask eyes glowing that eerie green. I launched as many rocks at them as I could, but they still kept coming. Taking a deep breath, I stomped one foot as I lowered myself into a stance, the earth splintering and cracking underneath. Flattening my hands, I shot them out. A wall of earth suddenly rose, some of the chi blockers smacking right into it.

I saw one of those strings with the balls on the end, heading my way. They wanted me helpless, but not dead. Those things didn't have enough voltage to kill. I dodged it with a roll, and then slammed my fists into the ground. The earth rippled like a roiling wave, knocking the chi blockers onto the ground. That was what I needed. If they were in the air, then I couldn't get them.

My fingers crunched into half-open fists. I lifted my hands upwards. Walls of earth surrounded the prone chi blockers, rendering them helpless. They wouldn't be able to get out unless they found another earthbender or they had some strong machinery.

I stormed over to the head chi blocker, who had worn a gold badge on their chest. I grabbed them by the front of the jacket and pulled them to my face.

"Why are you after us?" I hissed.

"The Lieutenant has sent a warrant for the Avatar! Both of them!" the chi blocker cried, whom I identified as a woman.

"Why do they want the Avatars so badly?"

"The Dark Avatar is the weapon! The arrow that will take down this dictatorship!" she insisted, shaking in her earth prison.

I sighed, and looked over my shoulder. Lee was tying the remainder of the chi blockers with their own metal cords that delivered a safe amount of electricity to their systems every three minutes.

Selene opened a sleepy lid, her silvery eyes sweeping over the chi blockers and then to me.

"Thanks for your help, Selene," I teased. "Well, it could have been worse."

I turned to Lee who was standing off to the side, suspiciously watching the chi blockers.

'Hey, you want to go into town? I have a real craving for some candy," I said.

"Candy?" he asked. "Now?"

"Boy, you need to be cultured," I told him. I jerked my chin to the copse of buildings not too far away. "Come on, it won't hurt."