I still don't own LoK or Anastasia, nor anything therein.
I owe part of this chapter to my anonymous reviewer who reviewed to the first chapter. Thank you for your ideas, and your input has been greatly appreciated. The elements have been decided at long last for everybody.
"So this is where she showed up at," Olga spoke at last. "But where is our little sister?"
"I'm afraid that we ran out of energy," Aang said appearing extremely faintly. "You will not be able to see her, she will not be able to see you, and your bodies and spirits will be petrified here until we are able to gather enough strength to summon all of you back at once. This could take a few weeks, but it will more likely take a few months."
"What about when one of us is ready? Can you bring us here one at a time?" Tatiana asked.
"You're airbenders, but you probably can't bend yet. She can't, although she hasn't been doing anything but moping the whole time," Aang said sighing. "I'm sure we'll figure something out, but until then, not to my knowledge. Anastasia may or may not be able to see you depending on her mood and how strong at bending she has become."
"Where is Anastasia?" Alexei asked his mother worriedly, and she frowned.
"I'm afraid that she's not doing so well as I've recently discovered," Aang said nervously shifting. "She's refusing to do anything at all. Not even Korra – my successor – can get her to eat, she'll just sit there and cry. She thinks that you're all dead."
"We were separated from her, we would have been killed if not for the previous Avatars," Alexandra said quietly, "It is only natural that she thinks us dead. The world thought that she was dead whenever we were attacked, but we knew better than that. Why is she refusing to eat aside from our deaths?"
"I don't know," Aang admitted. "She's been here for two months, and still not a single bit of change in her behavior at all. She'll eat, but… they basically have to liquefy it and waterbend it down her throat while using earthbending to hold her still."
"What?" Olga demanded angrily.
"How could you?" Tatiana gasped.
"That is a question for them once they are able to see you," Aang said gravely. "But until then, focus on staying here. If you stray too far from the monument, you'll begin to fade into nothingness, as you are only half-alive at this point. Please do not worry about Anastasia, she will be fine. My successor and her friends are trying to help her as we speak."
"Anastasia," Nicholas and Alexei murmured as they looked out over the city. "What has happened to you to cause this?"
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"No!" Anastasia yelled as tears ran down her face and a waterbender soldier forced liquid food down the princess' throat. "MNnn!"
"Oh, shut up," he snapped, "This is the only thing keeping you alive, you ungrateful wench! General Iroh is a busy enough man as it is, he doesn't need to be busy with you when he's supposed to be relaxing!"
"Enough!" Iroh yelled as he ran up to the door. "Get out, now. That is not a way to treat a lady!"
"Like you'd know," the soldier shot back, and Iroh simply shut the door behind him.
"How long has he been doing this?" Iroh murmured as he used a napkin to wipe Anastasia's face.
"The whole time," she rasped, tears filling her eyes. "He…"
"I heard. He won't be coming back in here," Iroh promised. "Do you know what element you can bend yet?"
"I want my family," she sobbed as she curled up and began sobbing on his shoulder again.
"I know, I understand," he said as he began gently rubbing her back. "Do you want to go back to the memorial or the city?"
She shook her head, tears running down her face. Iroh sighed and instead led her to the training grounds, where Tenzin was trying to teach his children how to airbend better. Anastasia stared at them in mute semi-shock, still uncaring. She hated how care-free these children were, she wanted to prove to Rasputin that she wouldn't let him get away, but he was gone. She wanted to find her Demitri, but she couldn't go back to her home.
Iroh was about to begin firebending from what she could see, and she felt as though she were about to be sick. He stopped as he noticed the pained look upon her face, and walked over to her. He looked her over and seemed to realize just what was wrong.
"Train with me," he said holding out a hand, and she frowned. "It will help, I think."
"I can't bend," she shot back, feeling even more nauseated, "Aang may have given me bending, but I can't bend."
"Then I'll show you," Iroh said calmly, "Channel your chi and focus on channeling one of the elements with it. Stomp the ground for earth, try to punch someone if it's fire, try to move water, or try to create a wave of air."
Anastasia stared at him fearfully, shaking as the thought of flashbacks entered her unwanted side-effects from bending. The fire ravaging the castle, and then once more when the train exploded while she and Demitri were together were both options for firebending. She shook her head as she pushed that option of firebending away, and moved on to think about earthbending. Then she realized that it would possibly bring back the idea of the broken cobblestone bridge. So, she pushed Earthbending out as an option and moved on to waterbending, only to realize that Rasputin had struck on cold and icy/snowy days and had tried to drown her three times. Her only option left was airbending, but she felt as though Aang wouldn't do that, even though it would help her case as to Aang's sending her there. In the end she decided to stare at Iroh until he explained how bending worked.
"You look a little confused," he said calmly, and she nodded extremely stiffly. "Alright, then we'll start with the basics. You need to meditate, probably, in order to find your chi, the source of your bending, and it's best to do this in a quiet place. I'd prefer it if you stayed within my sights, though, if you would please."
Anastasia nodded and went over to a different area, one where she could just barely see Iroh from. She sat down to meditate, but instead decided to watch and see just where she should go from there now that she was lone with no companions aside from those in the Air Temple.
Next Chapter: Anya gets her bending! You see what element she gets and who she gets stuck with!
Yes, a cliffie, I did this on purpose to you, my lovelies. Review and I'll update faster!