A/N: You may have noticed in the last chapter that Valen talks to Kyori in his head. His internal voice will be plain italics while hers will be denoted with italics and single quotation marks.

Valen knew that she meant it. Koko absolutely would leave him behind if he couldn't keep up with the pace she set. And it was brutal. So he said nothing as they followed the deep tracks left by eel hounds. If worst came to worst, he could follow them himself and catch up later.

Still, he didn't want to be left alone with his thoughts. Though neither spoke much, just her presence offered a small distraction. He kept back and let himself stare at her so that he wouldn't have to think about how scared he was that Zenya was gone forever. It helped that he couldn't see Koko's face, which had unfortunately been cleared of concealer. All he could see now was the back of her head…and everything below it.

Kyori came back then. Go figure. 'Like what you see?' she teased.

Don't be like this right now. I'm not going to pursue anything with her. I don't know her, and I'm not sure I like who she became. She was never friendly to me and it's even worse now. So don't give me shit for filling my eyes in a desperate attempt to not worry myself into an ulcer.

'Is she hotter than me?'

Objectively speaking? Probably. But I love you, not her. It makes a difference. You'll always be the most beautiful woman to me because I love every part of you.

'Oh, yeah? Even my desiccated corpse?'

Why do you have to say shit like that?

'Because sometimes you act like I'm not really dead.'

Valen squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. She was too honest. Too willing to bring back his worst pain. He'd already lost nearly everything years ago, and now he'd lost Zenya, too. Talking to what little remained of Kyori wasn't helping like it usually did, and so he changed tack. When the pressure became too great, the only thing that worked was forgetting, even if temporarily. And so he pushed Kyori to the back of his mind and instead focused on the woman in front of him.

Spirits, look at her. She's physically flawless. Perfectly proportioned. And so fit. I'm about to fall over from exhaustion and hunger, and she hasn't faltered even a little. I bet she could keep going all night.

That last thought was initially innocent but quickly veered into inappropriate territory. Kyori's voice couldn't mock him because he'd locked her away with everything else. But even so, he felt bad about where his mind went involuntarily. It had just been…a long time since anyone but himself had seen to his needs.

Was it the same for Koko? She couldn't possibly be more closed off. From what he'd seen so far, he didn't believe she knew how to relax anymore. Or even wanted to, for that matter. Was that why she was wound so tightly?

He managed to keep his thoughts occupied for another half hour before finally accepting that his body could go no further. "While I fully believe that you could keep walking all night," he managed with short gasps, "I, unfortunately, cannot."

"I can't just stop!" Koko snapped without slowing or turning around.

I guess this is it then. She's gonna leave me here. Desperation made him frantically search his mind for something that would sway her. "We're never gonna catch up to them on foot. Surely you must realize that."

At least that got her to stop walking, though only to turn on him with fury. "So you just want to give up?!"

"No! No, of course not! But we need to rest. We can keep tracking them at a reasonable pace and hope they stop somewhere soon. If we're half dead when we find them, what good will that do anyone? I'm not a machine–"

"Is that what you think of me, then? A machine?"

"I– No! Spirits…" Why is she so defensive? And why is she so concerned with what I think of her? "I just meant that you're much more used to this sort of thing than I am, but even so–"

"I told you at the beginning that if you couldn't keep up, I'd leave you behind."

I didn't forget. But you know what? I'm tired of you treating me like shit. I'm tired of having to look at that fucking tattoo and be reminded of what people like you took from me.

Valen shed his earlier despondency, stood up straight, and clenched his fists stubbornly. Zenya was relying on him to save her. He was just going to have to talk some sense into this angry bitch in front of him, mostly because he needed her tracking skills.

"Don't be ridiculous! I can help you. I can use seismic sense to detect them if they're close, and I'll be good in a fight if it comes to that. We need to stick together, but we can't keep walking until we drop. Please. Let's sleep for a few hours and we can start again, fresh and rested."

To his surprise, she didn't snap back with an angry retort. In the fading light, he could see the stubborn set to her jaw and the conflict in her eyes. It finally registered with him that she was afraid. The rage was actually fear and worry for the kids she was supposed to be protecting. Was it possible that she cared about them as much as he cared about Zenya?

Finally, she let out a frustrated huff. "Fine. A few hours."

Every muscle in Valen's body relaxed at once and he sank to the ground with grateful relief. "Thank you." Spirits. Thank you.

His whole body ached. All he could do was lie on the cold, hard ground, curled up on his side a few feet away from Koko. They had their backs to each other as if trying to create a wall between them.

Valen was on the very edge of sleep when her rough, low voice pulled him back.

"I'm sorry about your family," she said softly.

For a few seconds, he thought maybe he was dreaming. What in the world had made her say that? Kiriko had once had a sweet, gentle side, but never for him. Koko certainly didn't.

"...Thank you." He said automatically, fully expecting to wake up and find that she was actually asleep. But the aches and pains remained. There was a root jabbing him in the rib and it made the world feel real. "Likewise."

"Thanks."

Why did she have to bring it up? I was doing so well with the repressing. All the pain returned, and Kyori with it, chittering away in his head again. He didn't know what to do about it. Usually, talking to her helped relieve a little of the pressure; at least she talked back, unlike Zenya.

He cleared his throat, desperate for a better outlet. "Not a day goes by without me wishing I hadn't gone on that stupid vacation. We should've been with the others when Zaofu was evacuated." There were so many unanswered questions about that day. He decided to ask one, pretty sure he already knew the answer. Hopefully it would get her talking enough to distract him. "Did you stay with them?"

"No. I was on my way back to Republic City. I didn't find–"

There, her voice cut off for a second and he thought she'd changed her mind about opening up, but she continued after only a quick pause.

"–Opal and Bolin, or anyone else, until years later."

Is she actually going to tell me what happened to her? "I bet they were happy to see you alive and well," he prodded.

"Yeah."

"Raniq especially." Or whatever her name is now. Nani, was it? "Are you two still together?"

There was a long pause—long enough that he began to wonder if he'd embarrassed her. Or maybe they'd broken up and it was a sore spot.

'I can't believe you'd ask her something so personal. Idiot,' Kyori added fondly.

Soft rustles behind him spoke of Koko shifting around. "Together?" Her tone held no trace of pain or insecurity or even annoyance—only pure confusion.

Valen looked over his shoulder and saw that she'd rolled to face him. "Were– Were you not? Before the comet?"

"No…"

Seriously? It was so obvious… But why would she lie? "Huh. I thought for sure…"

"Why?"

Something told him this might end up being an actual conversation, so he rolled over, too. They were now only a couple of feet away from each other. Lying next to her, facing her, felt much different than standing. Uncomfortably intimate, like two people sharing a bed.

"When she broke things off with me," Valen explained, "she admitted that she was far more interested in women. One woman specifically. I put two and two together. Just figured you both wanted to be discreet about it."

Koko didn't say anything right away and he started to feel guilty about putting her on the spot about something so deeply personal. But none of it made sense. She wasn't the type to be self-conscious about this sort of thing, having grown up with two moms. Maybe it was Raniq. Nani. Maybe Koko was protecting her.

"We weren't together," she said finally, "but you're not…entirely off the mark."

I knew it! But what does she mean? They weren't together, but– But what? Raniq was so obviously in love with her. Was it one-sided?

"So…she wanted to be with you?" he guessed. "But you didn't?" When Koko didn't answer, he cringed. Of course she wasn't going to confirm that. Raniq had been the incorrigible gossip, not Kiriko. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me. I get it. And I'm glad you two are still friends. Sorry for making assumptions. It just seemed to make sense, you know? You were never interested in any guy that I knew of, especially me, so I figured Nik must be right–"

The flood of words cut off when he realized what he'd just admitted, albeit in an oblique way. Maybe she wouldn't notice…

"What do you mean, 'especially you'?" Koko asked.

Okay, she noticed. Guess it doesn't really matter anymore, does it? What's a little lost pride if it'll keep her talking? He forced out a laugh. "Uh– This is kind of embarrassing. Keep in mind, it was a long time ago, before Kyori and I got serious, but I…may have had a thing for you at one point."

"You– You what?"

"Heh. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable–"

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Valen froze. That was not the reaction he was expecting. She almost sounded…affronted? That made no sense whatsoever. "Oh– Well…" he stammered. "A few reasons. Does it matter? Do you even like men that way?"

"I did," she whispered.

"Oh." Are you fucking kidding me? "Wait– Hold on– Are you saying that, if I had said something, you would've been interested?"

She didn't answer, and unfortunately it was too dark now to see her face. But the silence surely meant something. That awkward, distant attitude she'd always had for him specifically, all those years ago, finally made sense. What would've happened if he'd pursued her instead of Raniq? Would it have lasted? Would Kyori have gotten in the middle?

'You bet your ass I would have. I knew you didn't love Raniq, but you could've fallen in love with Kiriko. I wouldn't have been okay with that back then.'

And I'm sure it would've gotten ugly. I guess it's better that I never knew.

'Everything happens, or doesn't happen, for a reason.'

In his mind's eye, he saw Kyori's sweet smile. That was the only place she existed now, and nothing would make him let her go—not even shocking confessions.

"I'm gonna take your silence as a yes," he said aloud to break the painful tension. "I hope you know my mind is completely blown right now."

"Before you get all worked up, you should know that we will not be going there."

"I wasn't–"

She bowled right over him, on a mission. "I'm not that person anymore, and haven't been for a long time."

"Right. You said that earlier." But what does it mean? Why does she want to forget the happiest parts of her life?

"I meant it."

Why do I even care? I barely knew her back then. My interest was just an idle fantasy. Now she's a completely different person and just as emotionally unavailable as I am. This revelation is surprising, but it doesn't change anything.

He exhaled forcefully, feeling a twinge of regret for what could've been, even if only briefly. Life was about experiences, after all. "It's true for me, too. I still love Kyori. I haven't moved on, and I don't think I ever will. I know I don't need to tell you that, but I feel like we've said some pretty honest stuff to each other and I don't want to give you the wrong impression."

What he meant was that he didn't want her to think he was going to chase her—pester her with unwanted attention—but all she did was scoff at his sincere words.

"Don't you worry about me. My life is fine just the way it is—current kidnapping predicament aside."

All of his fears about Zenya came back in an instant. Was she hurt? Scared? But Koko continued before his thoughts could go further.

"I don't have the slightest interest in romance, with you or anyone else. There's no longing. No pining. Physical intimacy is off so far the table it's buried in the ground. And I'm not naïve. I would never expect someone to put up with that kind of boundary, even if I wanted them to. Which I don't."

The impassioned rant took his breath away. It couldn't be clearer that she didn't want to be touched, ever, in any way. He'd earned a black eye just from grabbing her wrist, after all. Whatever had happened to her obviously messed her up. Who hurt her so badly?

Had someone violated her?

Now he felt terrible about staring at her earlier just to distract himself. She was probably so tired of being objectified for her looks. "You're more than just a body. I hope you know that."

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah. I do. I just–"

The uncomfortable truth was that she was right. Even if he had any interest in one day moving on, he certainly wouldn't do it with someone who didn't want to open up either emotionally or physically. Pursuing someone like her would be an exercise in futility.

Sorry," he continued. "I can barely think straight from worrying about Zenya. And frankly, I'm not used to talking to people who actually respond."

'Um, excuse me?' Kyori interrupted.

It's not the same thing. Once again, he tried to put her from his mind and focus on the person who was in front of him. "What I'm trying to say—badly, apparently—is that I respect you. We've both been through some awful shit. I don't think it would kill us to lean on each other a little right now. Be friends, even. Or at least friendly. That's all I ask."

"Fine."

Well, that was easy, Valen thought sarcastically. The conversation had been anything but easy. "Good."

He closed his eyes, satisfied that they'd made some progress. If nothing else, she hopefully wouldn't be so inclined to leave him behind now.

Sleepiness began to overtake him but a small, nagging voice in the back of his head made him suddenly worried that he'd hurt her feelings before. That she might think his current lack of interest was because he didn't find her attractive anymore.

Was she insecure about the tattoo? It probably held a lot of bad memories for her, just as it did for him. Did she hate having to see it whenever she looked in the mirror? Did it turn her stomach, too?

"For what it's worth," he blurted, "You still look good."

Kyori's scornful laughter rippled through his mind when Koko not only ignored the comment, but also rolled back over to face the darkness in silence.

'Nice going, moron. So much for not objectifying her. I'm sure you two are best friends now.'

Valen rolled over too, mortified. He could feel Koko's natural heat at his back. It had been there the whole time but was more obvious now. She ran hot, just like he did.

The next day was awkward. So, so awkward. Koko opted for brooding silence while worry gnawed at her alongside hunger, and Valen avoided eye contact.

On the bright side, she actually felt a lot better, and not just from the few hours of sleep to renew her tired muscles. The previous night's mutual confessions were proving to be shockingly cathartic. An old weight had been lifted and she stepped a little lighter.

Two teenagers—neither of whom existed anymore—had once had secret feelings for each other, and now their adult selves knew. The air was cleared. No more unspoken tension. No more feelings, either. Maybe they could actually find some common ground now, once the awkwardness faded. He'd been right before: They had the best chance of rescuing the kids if they worked together.

There were certainly perks to having him around. As someone who needed to meticulously search for tiny tracks and droppings in order to hunt for food, Koko had to admit that his much simpler method was impressive.

"My seismic sense isn't that great," he muttered with a self-deprecating laugh while they ate fresh game, "but I can at least tell where the animals are if I really focus. Zenya's a lot better at it. Faster. She can walk outside and catch something in about ten seconds."

"So she has good survival skills. That's encouraging. If they can escape from whoever took them, they should at least be able to feed themselves."

He smiled, though it was directed at the empty space he was staring into rather than her. They both needed positive thoughts. A little hope to hold onto.

"Good thing plain meat is one of her favorite foods. She's very picky. Unseasoned meat, plain rice, and vegetables as long as they're still crunchy. That's it. That's all she'll eat."

He misses her. Sometimes I forget that's what normal people do when they miss someone—talk about them constantly.

And so she let him ramble on about Zenya and complain about the challenges of their isolated life. Meanwhile, the tracks headed steadily east, toward a river that eventually led somewhere Koko did not want to go: somewhere she would certainly be recognized.

The fortress.

I can't tell him what that might mean, that the kids are being taken there. It'll just demoralize him.

On the morning of the fourth day, Koko saw Valen wander into the trees. He was still gone after five minutes. A little worried, she went to look for him. What she found made her freeze in place, far enough away that he didn't turn around but close enough to know he was murmuring soft words.

He was knelt down, sitting on his ankles, shoulders hunched with something clutched against his chest. Whatever he said was too quiet to be heard.

He acts so normal, but he's just as broken as I am.

There was a lurking fear that kept fighting to be acknowledged. As Koko slowly backed away, the question forced itself into the front of her mind.

What if I had something to do with Kyori's death? What if I blocked it out?

The universe gave her nothing—no assurances that the fear was irrational, or that she would've recognized Kyori and remembered who she was—only oppressive silence. And so she pushed those thoughts away to be dealt with later.

Action helped. She got to work packing up their few belongings, then crouched down next to one of the eel hound tracks where it dug deep into the earth. Her hand traced along the gouge one of the claws had made. Other fears crept in.

Spirits, please let me find Saph alive. I can't ever show my face in Oldtown or Jupa if I don't come back with her.

But it was more than that, she knew. While it was simpler to try and convince herself that this was merely a disruption to her life, a desire not to hurt Nani and Mara and Jojin, she knew the real motivation behind her fear. There was a string tied between her and Saph, pulling taut and causing pain. Koko would do nearly anything to protect her. She would burn that fortress down if need be. Kill every blue sage, or die trying.

Valen returned a minute or so later, back to his usual calm self. Had he sensed her there behind him? If so, he didn't acknowledge it.

"I haven't seen any indication that they stopped," she said as they set off. "Eel hounds are fast. We're probably still a day or two out from their first overnight stop."

"Assuming they even camped for the night," he said in a dull voice.

"The hounds would've needed rest after a full day of running," Koko lied, hoping he didn't know too much about them. The truth was that those damned animals could keep going for days with minimal food and rest. A cruel handler could run them for a week before they dropped dead.

Fortunately, the lie seemed to perk him up a little.

Whether it was something in the water or something she ate, Koko found herself ill on the fifth day. Valen was inexplicably fine, while she spent the entire day sweating and dry heaving once the first meal was out of her system.

Neither suggested they stop, though he kept casting worried glances at her.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" Koko finally snapped. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look terrible. Er, no offense…"

Like I care what you think. "I can shake it off. I'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

He let out an awkward chuckle. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

It was a joke, she was sure, but not a funny one. She directed a well-deserved glare at him. "What makes you think any man could get close enough to me to manage that?"

"Sorry. I was just trying to keep things light. I forgot you don't make jokes."

"Can't say I'm in the mood for them," she said with a grunt. Just because I don't laugh doesn't mean I don't have a sense of humor. "How can you make jokes right now?"

"Because that's the only way I know how to stay sane."

Thanks to her exhaustion from being sick, Koko slept harder than usual that night. The usual shallow sleep, which kept her safe from both the dangers of reality and the horrors in her mind, was beyond her tired body's ability to maintain.

"You won't kill me," Amrit said, even as blood gushed from his throat. "You don't have the will."

The knife fell from her hand but it didn't make a noise beyond a faint splash. She looked down to see that she was ankle deep in thick, sloshing blood. The room tilted and rocked. Small waves began to form in the crimson sea.

"I'll get her next," he said with a smile. Red lips. Red teeth. Red eyes. "She's headed here. They're bringing her. I'll make her just like you. She's so strong. She has fire in her heart." He was right in front of her now. His face was inches from hers. "Just. Like. You."

"Amrit!" Koko screamed. "No! I already killed you!"

"Koko!" he said with a booming laugh. Mocking. "Oh, a name. How sweet. Like a little bird. Koko Koko Koko Koko!"

"Shut up! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

She couldn't move. Someone was gripping her shoulders with strong hands. Pulling. Shaking.

"Koko! Wake up!"

The nightmare burst like a bubble and she lurched upright to fight whoever had their hands on her. Her forehead exploded in pain, the force of it knocking her back to the ground. Stunned. It was dark but all her eyes saw were twinkling stars.

"Ow, shit," a man's voice muttered.

Amrit… He found me! No… No! I killed him. I know I killed him. I'm still dreaming. Wake up. Just wake up.

The man groaned. It didn't sound like Amrit. A few seconds passed and Koko's head began to clear.

Valen. I'm here with Valen. We're looking for the kids.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his shadowy form kneeling at her side.

"What happened? Were we attacked?"

He barked out a sharp laugh. "No. You were shouting in your sleep. I tried to wake you up and you headbutted me. Really hard. I'm sure the concussion will pair nicely with my black eye. Traveling with you is proving to be hazardous to my health."

"Oh." Embarrassed that he'd seen her in such a state, she sat up slowly and tried to get her bearings. The good news was that her stomach seemed to have settled, more or less. The bad news was that she had a killer headache and her combustionbending would be out of commission for at least the next six hours.

"Who– Uh– Who's Amrit?" Valen asked.

Every muscle in her body went rigid. The nausea returned and she nearly gagged. "Don't ever say that name again."

"Sorry…"

He's dead. He can't hurt her. He can't hurt her.

They got an early start that day—the sixth day since Valen had left behind the place he'd called home for the last fourteen years.

The departure from the cave kept replaying in his head:

"What are you waiting for?" Koko had snapped while she gathered up her bag, as well as Saph and Shylo's things.

He was frozen. "I don't– What do I take? I haven't traveled further than Makapu since I started living here."

"Clothes, non-perishable food, waterskin, hunting knife. Hurry up! I already told you, I will not wait for you."

Valen dumped out the bag he'd taken into town and watched as the supplies scattered across the floor. The bag of rice broke open and spilled. There was no time to clean it up. Somehow his legs took him to his room. Shirt, pants, underwear. He should get some things for Zenya, too…

Despite her threat, Koko was waiting at the mouth of the tunnel Zenya had made. "C'mon!"

One last look around. Would it be the last time? Would they come back here once he found Zenya? He clutched the ring that hung from a leather cord under his shirt, just to make sure it was still there. Of course it was. He never took it off.

Back in the present, Valen glanced up from the tracks—which were visible enough for even him to follow without too much difficulty—and looked at the back of Koko's head. They'd traveled single file for the most part; she was undoubtedly leading this search, and the trees were too close together to walk abreast.

There was no longer any urge to admire her body, though not because he didn't find her attractive. It was odd, really: After their mutual confessions, the tension between them had mostly faded. He could now much more easily see her as a potential friend rather than a nebulous symbol of unrequited teenage fantasies.

He had to laugh at himself a little, if for no other reason than to think about something other than the fact that nearly a week of searching hadn't turned up a single campsite. It was embarrassing to remember how immature he'd been all those years ago.

'Yeah, doofus,' Kyori said with fond exasperation. 'I remember, too. I could tell that your attention was elsewhere when we were young.'

That wasn't why we broke up. Don't try and make me feel guilty. I was never unfaithful to you.

'No, but your pathetic fascination with her sure didn't help matters.'

The irony was that Nik, of all people, had encouraged Valen to reconnect with Kyori after breaking up with Raniq. For once, he gave good advice. Mediated their problems with unprecedented maturity. It had made all the difference and Kiriko faded into the background, all but forgotten.

That day, they found the first hopeful signs that their search wasn't in vain: an old campsite, discarded chains, the corpse of a hanged woman, and footprints heading north along the river. Even better, they found a village that two teenagers had recently passed through.

"There was a boy and a girl, yes," an old woman said from her front porch. "I let them sleep in the living room, poor things. They were hungry as could be. S'pose you must be the ones they were waiting for. Said if you came through here, to tell you they'd gone on to look for their friend."

Zenya. Valen's shoulders slumped; he wasn't sure whether this was good news or not. It must be Saph and Shylo who were here. But why did the kidnappers keep Zenya? What do they want with her?

"Dammit," Koko grumbled. "I thought she was smart enough to stay put."

"They were gonna wait, I think," the woman said. "They seemed interested in the river getting stopped up. Wanted to investigate. Guess they must've fixed it because the water started up again about an hour or so ago."

Valen had noticed that, too, but hadn't given it much thought. Now he had a new theory.

"Hm…

Koko turned to him curiously. "What are you thinking?"

"It was probably dammed. With earthbending."

The scowl on her face was so persistent that those rare times when her expression actually relaxed were a little jarring. For just a moment, he caught a glimpse of the young woman she'd once been. Kiriko. Her face was older and harder now. More tired. But it was her. Golden eyes locked with his for a moment and he wondered what she was thinking about.

And then Koko broke the contact and turned back to the woman. "When did they leave?"

"Yesterday morning."

Koko and Valen were striding purposefully north a minute later, after a hurried thanks to the woman for her help.

"We're catching up," Valen said, more optimistic than he'd been in days. Zenya may still be in enemy hands, but Saph and Shylo had obviously gotten away somehow. That was encouraging. Maybe Zenya could escape, too. Maybe she already had.

Koko didn't seem to share his upbeat attitude. "The blue sage took Zenya but left Saph and Shylo. Do you have any idea why? Does anyone know about her lineage?"

"No." Not after this long, surely. Who would recognize her? "I mean, I don't see how anyone could. And I've been wondering this myself. All I can come up with is that someone saw her bend and wanted to…recruit her. I know they're always looking for strong earthbenders in that age bracket, for obvious reasons."

That would be the worst possible thing that could happen to this broken world—for the blue sages to use the Avatar as a weapon. For Valen himself, Zenya's death would be the ultimate horror, but her being turned into a blue sage was a close second. At least they can't turn her into a combustionbender…

'Unless she's the Avatar,' Kyori reminded him.

He ignored her and gave Koko a sideways glance, wondering how that specific fate had befallen her. She seemed…relatively normal. The last few days had been okay. She had a quick temper but was otherwise reasonable. Just…very serious. He hadn't seen her so much as crack a smile.

A couple of hours passed in silence, save for the sound of Valen's labored breathing. He did eventually slow but was determined to keep going. Soon, the ground began to soften until their feet were squelching through mud. East of the river, an uneven line of disturbed earth snaked into the distance. It was the same on this side of the river, but hidden by trees.

"Footprints," Koko said.

"What?"

"Look."

They stopped in front of the churned ground. She was right. It hadn't registered at first because they didn't look like tracks—just a big, muddy mess.

"How– How many?"

"Many."

In the last week, the range of emotions Koko had experienced was truly exhausting. Finding Valen had thrown her. Losing Saph… That had nearly broken her. And then the awkward confessions.

Shit. I haven't felt so much like a teenager since…well, ever. Not me, anyway. Not Koko.

The stomach bug. The nightmare. Finding that dead carrier. Fear and desperation had come and gone in waves, broken by intermittent bursts of hope. The blue sages were headed for the fortress. They'd left Saph and Shylo. Why? They'd taken Zenya. Did they think she was the Avatar?

And now…

As she and Valen followed what appeared to be dozens, if not hundreds, of bootprints, outright panic threatened to consume her. There was an imminent fight ahead of them. No space in her head for such strong emotions. And so she compressed them into a ball and stored them safely in the very back of her head where they couldn't bother her too much.

A glance at Valen, who struggled to breathe evenly, made her wonder how he'd managed to keep up. At the beginning, she'd constantly been on the verge of leaving him behind to move more quickly. But… His conversation and occasional light-hearted moments had made a difference. Provided small distractions.

Are we friends now? Is that what this is? It baffled her. What did he see in her that was worth him trying so hard to be friends? Or was it all for Zenya's sake?

"Valen."

"Mm?" he grunted.

"We need to be ready to fight."

His pace rapidly slowed until he stopped to lean on his knees for support while he caught his breath. "I'm always– ready– for a fight."

"You look like you're about to collapse."

He took a few more deep breaths. For just a moment, his hand went to his chest as if to touch something under the shirt. "I'm alright. Just a little winded. If it comes to a fight, the adrenaline will keep me going."

They started walking again, though a little slower. The urge to hurry battled with a need to conserve their energy. Or his energy, at least. She would need him once they confronted the blue sages.

"When was the last time you actually fought anyone?" Koko asked.

"Well…" He coughed awkwardly. "Okay, it's been a while, but Zenya and I do train and spar all the time. I may not have the same instincts you have–" He cut off and glanced at her for a quick second. "Ah– what I mean is…I've always been kind of a tank. Brute force. Maybe I don't have a lot of finesse, but I'm not afraid to kill for Zenya."

"Good. Because you might have to very soon."