I'm getting a bit lazy with my fan fictions. And I feel really guilty. I should really take up a new year's resolution to finish this story, but It's starting to drag on. Should I keep going? Or just call it a day?

Chapter 19

Lee envisioned going up to her at lunch, he imagined marching right up to her in the queue to receive the grotty rice and ham that was on the menu that day. He imagined looking her straight in the eye:

"Hey, you know Kaiya, when you told us that you were from the earth kingdom. Did you, well, lie?"

Yeah, that would go down well.

The reality was that he walked straight up to her, looked her straight in the eye, took a deep breath and...

"Your brother, Kouyo..." Lee began.

Kaiya's wide eyes opened in panic as she thrust wildly forward with her clenched fist.

"Ooff" all the air rushed out of his lungs and he doubled over, clutching his stomach. She had punched him! How dare she punch him! He straightened up, about to give her a piece of his mind when she grabbed his ear and yanked hard in the direction of the main doors.

"Ow... Ow... Ow..." He hobbled next to her, bending down low to release tension on his ear.

Suddenly, he was released, and he stood up, massaging his ear.

"OW." He grumbled loudly, glaring in Kaiya's direction.

Only Kaiya wasn't paying attention to his pain, she was too busy sealing the doors that lead into the temple garden with earth bending. Then she whirled to face him, tight lipped.

"How do you know Kouyo's name?" She hissed. "I never actually told you what my brother was called!"

"I read Kouyo's letter to you." Lee confessed, "He talked about stuff, water bending, I just want to know. What's going on?"

Kaiya's face drew pale, and Lee knew that something he had said had struck a nerve. She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out again, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead, something gave way inside her.

"What did you find out?" She whispered, keeping her eyes closed.

"Kouyo talked about you... and water bending." Lee said.

Kaiya opened her bright wide eyes and gave him a piercing stare. For the first time Lee noticed that her eyes were a startling, brilliant, icy blue.

Gesturing at him to sit down, Kaiya flicked her gaze away and began pacing. She stopped abruptly at the small pond in the middle of the garden. Lee ignored her order to sit down and walked up beside her instead, trying to keep his curiosity bottled up inside. Kaiya would speak when she was ready.

"As you know, my name is Kaiya Ruggasson. I am ten years old; I have a twin brother and a number of other siblings. I was banished from my home town about three and a half months ago; I've been here for three months, learning the art of earth bending from you."

Lee opened his mouth impatiently; Kaiya placed her hand gently over his mouth, plugging it before he could make a sound.

"Like I said, you know this already. The truth is just complicated, okay?"

Lee nodded and reigned himself in a little more. This was probably hard for Kaiya, and he would not make it any harder than necessary.

"I never told you why I was banished, that mystery was probably eating you up inside, huh?" She glanced quickly at Lee, hiding partly behind her loose, long fringe.

Lee nodded, smiling inwardly, Kaiya knew him so well already, better than anyone, even his missing mother.

"Look, I got banished because I was a girl that mastered water bending." Kaiya gushed all of a sudden. "I lived at the North Pole, there; girls are healers while the boys become the fighters. I didn't want to just be a healer. I went to the healing lessons like a good little water bender, but got fighting lessons from my grandmother in secret."

"Healer?" Lee squeaked.

Kaiya nodded and gulped, "I'm able to use water to mend wounds, illnesses, whatever."

"Right." Lee said faintly. "This doesn't explain how you can earth bend; do you have some sort of trick bending, so you can live here?" Lee feared the answer; he almost didn't want to know what she would say.

Kaiya bent her legs slightly, bending less than the familiar earth bending stance. She raised her hand, making the movement graceful and flowing. Lee hadn't known of the grace beneath her skin, it was astonishing.

A tendril of water flowed out of the pond, sparkling in the midday sun, throwing rainbows in the light. It flowed around her skin, a silky blue ribbon, following the direction of her arms.

Lee felt his mouth drop open, this time in amazement.

Kaiya turned round to face him, bending the water into a small globe in front of her chest.

"There was never any trick Lee," She said softly, "I can bend both elements."

Lee was beyond words now.

"After I was banished the water Priests took me aside, they told me to travel to the earth kingdom and make good use of this time. I've already mastered water." Kaiya shrugged, "Earth has been fun so far."

"You... You're..." Lee mumbled, his vision clouding.

"I'm the Avatar, Lee, master of all four elements" Kaiya said.

Black crept into the edge of Lee's vision and he swayed on his feet.

Kaiya frowned, "Lee? Is something wrong?"

Lee fell into the blackness and stopped thinking for a time.