So sorry this chapter is coming out way later than I wanted it to, but you know the usual real life stuff coming up at this point.

This chapters marks the start of the Spirit Temple arc and yes, it is going to hurt like a motherf*cker in more ways than one.

To not waste anymore time, let's get this chapter started!

Azula let out a breath as she rubbed her hands together near the fire she had built, which was no issue for her thanks to her firebending. The warmth produced from the fire kept her hands warm as a chilly wind past them by that made her shiver slightly even with the cloak she had on. The fire didn't waver against the wind as it still burned hot as ever. She could see that Kazumi was just about done setting up the tents for them as the sun started to go down.

They had set out three days ago for their next mission with Serenity carrying them the way like usual. The town where this supposed 'Spirit Temple' was having problems with was a bit farther than their usual destinations, and the town seemed fairly isolated according to their maps which Kazumi updated periodically. It had been a rather uneventful past few days besides the usual travel encounters like wild animals and some such, but perhaps one would call that fortunate to not have any trouble on the road. Azula suspected they were going to have plenty to worry about when they reach their destination.

She didn't quite mind the travel really as she had gotten used to it months back, there was a kind of peace to it as they travelled across the Fire Nation. Back when she was still the princess of the Fire Nation, she was afforded certain luxuries and machines that made travelling much faster and convenient for her. But traveling with Kazumi taught her that even modesty has its comforts. The cool air on your skin as you rode past or the soft noises of the forest that came from animals, that were either friendly or not so friendly depending on how lucky you were.

Azula had learned plenty of new things from Kazumi whenever they traveled like a list of plants that were safe to consume for forage and a very long list of poisonous plants that were not safe to eat. She had been taught basic survival back in the Academy, but Kazumi had taught her beyond the simple lessons of setting up a fire and finding shelter.

Serenity cozies up to the campfire Azula had built, the ostrich horse looking rather tired after the long day of carrying two passengers. Kazumi had told her in the past that Serenity was stronger and more well-built than most ostrich horses her age that she was capable of carrying more than one rider along with their camp supplies. But even she tired out after a while, despite the breaks they took throughout the travel time.

Azula gave the ostrich horse a good scratch on the head that resulted in happy noises from Serenity, Kazumi gave the two of them a smile as she got to work on dinner." Poor thing, we must have ran her ragged all day."

" Maybe we should consider getting a second ostrich horse to reduce the load on Serenity." Azula suggested, half serious.

" Absolutely not, having two animals living under one roof is already enough." Kazumi refused though it was done in a joking tone, with a smirk as made dinner. " Alternatively we can always try to train Tira to be a rider animal, I know she certainly wouldn't mind letting you be her rider."

" Such a role is unfitting for a powerful creature like Tira." Azula rolled her eyes at the suggestion but her words resulted in an annoyed squawk from the ostrich horse. Azula made up for it by giving more scratches " But you're pretty good too Serenity."

Serenity seemed to forgive her as she gave more happy squawks in response.

It took a while for dinner to get ready, so Azula took the initiative of feeding Serenity the new bag of seeds that they bought in the last town they passed, which Serenity accepted happily. While Kazumi cooked, Azula kept a lookout for any wild animals or roaming bandits that might be a problem for them. They had picked a decent clearing in the forest that was a little ways off from the road, so they were adequately safe but one can never be too sure out in the wilds.

After a few minutes of waiting, Kazumi handed a hot bowl of stew over to her apprentice." Here you go Azula."

" Thanks Kazumi." Azula nodded her head as she took the bowl from her mentor. She took sip of the stew prepared and it tasted delicious like always. " How far away are we from the town?"

" Around half a day give or take. We should set out early tomorrow so we can arrive by mid-day or evening." Kazumi always preferred to start their day bright and early when they were on a mission, which Azula agreed with.

" So Kazumi, what kind of information do we have on this 'Spirit Temple'? Did your informant include any details we should know?" Azula inquired as she took another spoon of her stew.

" Not much unfortunately. According to my informant, they heard rumors that this town had been experiencing a string of missing people that they attribute to something called the 'Spirit Temple'. Still not quite sure what that means really." Kazumi shook her head, looking somewhat annoyed at the lack of information." Whatever it is, we have to assume that dark spirits are behind it somehow."

" You think there's an actual temple out there that's inhabited by spirits?" Azula asked. That would sound oddly fitting in a strange sort of way.

" Perhaps. Most dark spirits tend to be roamers who never stay in one place for too long, though they may occasionally terrorize an area that's a suitable enough hunting ground for them." Kazumi explained in detail. "The town is fairly isolated from any other nearby settlements, right next to a large forest with plenty of places to hide. Easy pickings for a spirit looking for some new victims." Azula agreed with Kazumi's assessment of the situation, dark spirits looking for fresh victims preferred easy targets that weren't too much trouble to make disappear.

" But a Spirit Temple? What could that even mean?" Azula asked out loud.

" Who knows? We should talk to the locals when we reach the town." Kazumi surmised a plan of action. Gather information, find out where the dark spirit is operating from and cleanse it from this world.

The rest of the night went by pretty uneventfully, thankfully they didn't have to deal with any wild animals or bandits stumbling onto their camp. So they got to enjoy a nice half hour of looking at the stars while laying down on Serenity for comfort, before turning in early for the night.

They had a big day tomorrow and Azula has a feeling this one is going to be a particular headache.

The next morning they set out early after breakfast as agreed, Kazumi even making some tea for them before they got on Serenity and continued their travel to the town that had reported the disappearances. It was a peaceful ride all things considered, they passed by some small villages and farms where people were doing their best to live their lives in peace. Along with some animals that were thankfully harmless but nice to look at as opposed to just more trees. They followed their usual schedule of stopping for breaks when it suited them to give Serenity time to rest before continuing on, munching on some simple buttered bread and tea.

Kazumi's estimates were a bit off on their distance from the town in question as it was a bit farther than expected, since by the time they arrived the sun was beginning to set and the evening night began to rise in its place. But after a lengthy journey, Azula was just glad to finally make it to their destination. The town itself looked mid-sized from the distance they stopped at, maybe a bit on the bigger side but not quite large enough to call itself a city. The town didn't have anything in the way of defenses like a wall and it was situated right near what looked to be a large forest of some kind.

They rode a bit closer to the town before Kazumi got off Serenity with Azula to walk the rest of the way. Probably to give the ostrich horse some reprieve after the long ride." Come on Azula, let's get settled inside. We can start our investigation off tomorrow."

" Agreed." Azula nodded as the two of them approached the town, but as they got closer she could see that there was a lone guard stationed at the front entrance of the town, sitting on a wooden crate and armed with a badly maintained spear.

" Halt! Who goes there!?" The guard at the front entrance into the town stood up from his seat in a startled posture, as he pointed his spear at them. Azula almost thought it was kind of pathetic if this was all the defenses the town had, even for a first line.

" At ease good sir, we are simply travelers who are looking for a place to rest for a few days." Kazumi lied with a disarming smile. They were dressed in casual clothes instead of their usual armor and weapons, though Kazumi did keep a few weapons hidden in the sleeves of her clothes, Azula doubted the guard had the training needed to spot any of them.

" I'm sorry miss, but we're not really letting any travelers into the town at the moment. There's been some trouble going about and I think it would be best for you both to go back the way came, there's another town not too far from here." The guard was at least polite about it, as he tried to turn them away. Azula wondered if they could just bribe the guard to allow them to pass, when Kazumi suddenly put an arm around her and pulled her close.

" Please good sir, my daughter and I have had a long day on the road, and we could use some rest for the night. Would you mind letting us through and pointing us in the direction of your nearest inn?" Kazumi flashed the man her nicest smile, and her good looks seemed enough to convince him.

Azula will never understand Kazumi's way with men. She never could do what Ty Lee and Kazumi did that made men act like idiots for her.

" Well...alright, I guess if its just the two of you." The guard stepped aside to let them in, as if he actually stood a chance against them in a real fight.

Kazumi gave the man a flirtatious look as he gave them the directions to the nearest inn and let them in.

Once they were a good distance away, Kazumi turned to her apprentice. " See what I did there Azula?" Kazumi asked as they entered the town.

" You mind controlled him?" Azula seriously.

" No, I just used some simple tricks to get what I want. You would be surprised what a pretty face, a smile and some kind words will get you." Kazumi smirked at her." I can teach you some of my tricks later if you want."

" Sounds like fun." Azula couldn't deny that she was interested in learning the mystic art in getting men to do her bidding like Ty Lee and Kazumi did.

As the two of them walked through the town to reach the inn, Azula couldn't help but sense something wrong with this town. The people they passed who went to their homes eyed them with fear and suspicion, the streets were dreadfully quiet with even the people who walked in groups not speaking a word. It wasn't just the people that caught her attention, it was just the feel of this entire town. She could practically use a knife to cut the tension and fear that was thick in the air. She's not sure if she would call it supernatural influence or just the fear of the people of what has happened. Probably both.

" Do you sense that Kazumi?" Azula whispered to her mentor.

" Yes...its as if there's some kind of dark aura being cast over this place like a blanket." Kazumi replied with a cautious look on her face, it was clear that she didn't trust this place one bit." Let's just find the inn and settle in for the night."

Azula didn't disagree but as her gaze turned to the forest for a brief moment that lied on the very edges of the town, it could just barely be seen through the buildings. She couldn't help but feel some kind of strange pull coming from it...

She shook it off as she followed Kazumi to the nearby inn that the guard mentioned, it had been a long day and their work would begin tomorrow.

The inn they chose to stay at was decent all things considered if not barren of any other guests. After they made arrangements for rooms with the innkeeper last night, they grabbed a quick dinner at the restaurant section that was part of the inn. They didn't see a single other soul there over the course of the entire meal, and it seemed like they were the only guests at the inn. Though perhaps Kazumi shouldn't be too surprised at the lack of other guests on account of how isolated this town is from others.

After having a blissful night of rest, they headed to the restaurant to get their breakfast and once again there were no other guests in sight as they waited for their food. She shared a look with Azula and could guess that she was thinking the same thing.

" Here's your food ladies." The middle-aged innkeeper who also doubled as a waitress said with a kind smile as she approached with a large tray of food. They had met yesterday and it seemed like this small inn didn't have many staff despite its size, but she surmised that there was no need to employ a large number of people when your expected clientele is so low and rare.

" Thank you miss." Kazumi nodded in gratitude as she helped take the food off the tray.

" So what brings you two to our little town? We don't really get many travelers all the way out here." The innkeeper asked with an inquisitive look in her eye.

" We are but humble travelling women who concern themselves with the arts so to speak." Kazumi came up with a half-truth as she dug for information." If its not too much trouble to ask, why does this inn look so empty? I could practically sense the fear that plagues this town when we arrived yesterday."

" Ugh, its a terrible bit of business. People have been going missing for the past few months and nobody knows what happened to them." The innkeeper said in an exasperated tone.

" What do you mean?" Azula asked in a polite tone.

" It started around 2 months ago, maybe 3 now? People from here started going missing in the dead of night, it was slow at first so people weren't panicking about it, but now it seems like people are going missing every week." The innkeeper spoke fearfully." Just gone without so much as a trace. People are scared and have been hounding the mayor to try and fix this for weeks but...we don't even know what happened to those who disappeared. The mayor has assigned some people to guard the entrances though that's clearly not working out so well."

" Just...gone without a trace?" Kazumi pushed.

" Like they vanished more like it. Some people have been saying that the town is cursed or something but...I don't know what to believe." The innkeeper sighed in a tired tone." The disappearances have been driving people away, I'm losing what little business I was getting before this all started and now traders aren't even coming into the town anymore. I'm worried we're going to turn into an actual ghost town before long."

Kazumi shared a look with Azula who seemed to have the same line of thinking: The Spirit was behind these disappearances, it couldn't be a coincidence.

" That sounds terrible miss." Kazumi sympathetically.

" I'm sorry to ask this, but does the name 'Spirit Temple' mean anything to you?" Azula asked immediately after.

" Spirit Temple? You mean that gossip that's been going around the village?" The innkeeper seemed to notice their confused expressions as she continued to explain in more detail." Its a rumor that's been going around since the disappearances happened, something about the people who went missing talking about seeing some kind of temple in their dreams that told them to go there before they disappeared. I wouldn't take it seriously, sounds like just your usual superstition going around."

" Are there any temples around this area?"

" None that I know about, there's nothing but dense forest for miles around from here."

" Well, thank you for the information miss, you have been very helpful to us." Kazumi thanked the innkeeper for her information.

" Helpful? Helpful for what?"

" Let's just say we are a special kind of artists who specialize in cases like this." Kazumi just gave a sly smile to the innkeeper.

After they finished up with breakfast, the time came for them to formally begin their investigation into what was going on in this town. They had gotten some information from the innkeeper but Kazumi needed more. She wanted to gather more information about the victims themselves, the circumstances of their disappearance, background and anything else that could give them a clue about what was behind this.

So they paid the mayor of the town a visit to both offer their services and gather insight on the victims. The mayor was surprisingly more welcoming and accepting of their help than they anticipated, he was pretty welcoming when they introduced themselves and what they do. The mayor didn't hesitate for a moment to give them the details of what was going on, the victims and he even offered to pay a small reward to them to fix this, that it was actually kind of surprising to Azula. But the mayor was an older man who seemed to be desperate for any sort of solution to the disappearances that were taking place in this town, so maybe it wasn't too surprising.

The disappearances started 3 months ago like the innkeeper had said, slowly at first but now there seemed to be more people going missing every week. There had been a total of 34 disappearances altogether, all vanished from their homes without a trace. The mayor explained that he had actually investigated previously and found that there was no forced entry which ruled out the ordinary explanations like kidnappers breaking into homes to take people. Unless they were dealing with another cult who were armed with powers from an upper dark spirit to carry out their bidding.

Neither bode very well for her personally. She still remembered the first time she took a life back in those horrid mines.

She shook her head to focus up as she listened to the mayor's explanation. Kazumi pressed the mayor for as much information as possible, details about the victims, their backgrounds and anything that could be useful to them. There didn't seem to be any sort of pattern to the victims, they all seemed selected at random for whatever reason. Different ages, different backgrounds, barely a few of them even knew each other that well to be considered friends.

Once again, Kazumi brought up the Spirit Temple and the mayor had no idea what she was talking about. He dismissed it as just some town rumor going around thanks to the disappearances, but Azula wasn't so sure. After they were done talking, the mayor welcomed them to some notes he had assembled on all the people who went missing and such so that would be useful for their investigation.

Azula looked over some of the notes as they left the mayor's residence, turning to her mentor. " What do you make of all this Kazumi?"

" Not sure. There didn't seem to be any sort of relation between the victims and no signs of forced entry could mean a spirit is behind this...but something doesn't feel right."

" Do you think we're dealing with another cult?" Azula said, somewhat nervous at the prospect.

" No, Azula this feels too...precise. Way more precise than human's ever could do, spirit powers or not." Kazumi shook her head and Azula could see her point. The previous cult group they encountered had gotten lucky that they managed to kidnap so many people, and that was partly due to luck. This was twice that figure and somebody had to have screwed up at some point." We should investigate the homes and where the victims went missing, see if we can find any clues."

Azula nodded as they started their investigation at long last.

The next few hours went by fast with them performing their usual investigative routine. They went to the houses of the victims or where they were last seen, talked to people and searched the town for any sort of clues on where the victims went. Azula was surprised back then by how much of a Spirit Navigator's job involved just talking to people and gathering clues compared to the amount of time they spent fighting spirits. Though she could understand the purpose behind it, information and understanding was just as important as knowing how to fight them. You never wanted to be tracking or hunting a dark spirit blind.

They spent the rest of the day walking all over the town, stopping for lunch, interviewing the townsfolk and gathering as much information as possible. Sadly the entire day felt like a waste of time when they didn't really find much in the way of clues. They searched the houses of the people who went missing and didn't find any signs of forced entry, Kazumi didn't even sense any sort of spiritual presence left behind by the ones who recently went missing. The people they talked to weren't much help either, even if they were friends or family of the victims. All of them more or less gave the same story, didn't see anything strange or unusual, disappeared out of the blue, just like all the others.

But what caught her attention was when they got to the dreams. They all more or less went the same way with some being longer or shorter depending on how much they were told from the victim.

The victim would start having vivid dreams about being in a forest, presumably the one right next to the town and then they would see things that upset them. This is where there was a gap of information where the victim wouldn't exactly say what they saw that upset them. But they all end the same way, with the victim arriving at a temple of some sort. So the day wasn't a total loss.

When night fell and they returned to their inn to rest for the next day, Azula was still thinking about it over dinner with Kazumi. Who was still looking over notes that she had taken about the victims over the course of the day.

" I think it has something to do with the dreams, that seems to be the only connecting pattern between the victims." Azula deduced confidently as she ate." All of them had some kind of vivid dream about a temple in the forest before they disappeared, that can't be a coincidence."

" I agree, but it still doesn't make sense. Why would the spirit deliberately manipulate the dreams of their victims? If it had the power to do that, than it could have wiped out this entire town long ago." Kazumi pointed out, which made sense.

" Maybe its just playing with its food, who knows?" Azula shrugged as she threw ideas out. " You think there's actually a temple out there?"

" Maybe, it might just be an illusion conjured up in the dream to manipulate the victims...but manipulate them to do what?" Kazumi posed the question that neither of them knew the answer to.

A moment of silenced passed before Kazumi stood up." Whatever the case may be, its been a long day so get some rest and we'll start thinking about our next move in the morning."

Azula had no disagreements there, her body ached for rest after the day they had talking to people and investigating.

" Goodnight Kazumi." Azula gave a wave to her mentor as she went to her room that was right next to Kazumi's.

" Goodnight Azula. Sweet dreams." Kazumi gave her a smile as she disappeared into her room.

Azula only hoped it would be a quiet night.

Kazumi opened her eyes and immediately sensed that something was wrong...

The first thing she saw was not the wooden ceiling of her room at the inn that she knows that she fell asleep in, but the light of the moon shining down on her. And she was not lying down on her bed, but instead a patch of grass.

The Spirit Navigator sat up and looked around, she was surrounded by tall trees that were so high and had branches that were thick enough that they blocked out most of the sky. Kazumi reached for the blade that she always kept on her side when she slept only to realize that it wasn't there. She was dressed in the robes she wore earlier today for traveling, but had none the weapons she had on hand.

This place obviously wasn't natural, she could practically feel the energy of this place...and it did not feel good.

What is this place? Am I in the Forgetful Forest? Is this the Spirit World?

The veteran Spirit Navigator had spent enough time in the Spirit World to recognize that this was not the Spirit World. It felt colder and more unknown to her.

Kazumi pondered what to do as she looked around and all she could see was tall, thick trees that surrounded her in what was a small clearing. The only path presented to her was right in front her, a narrow path that was perfectly cut through in between the trees, as if it was carefully maintained and built by an expert gardener. But that just served to make her even more uneasy, was she in the real world or was this just her imagination?

She looked down the path cautiously but saw no other alternative, as she slowly made her way down the narrow path. Kazumi kept her senses up but they felt useless in this place, she couldn't hear the sound of any bugs or animals around her. She couldn't even feel the air on her face as she walked at a decent pace. She tried to look forward ahead of the path but couldn't see anything besides it just kept going. The path seemed to stretch on forever.

Kazumi didn't know how long she walked, the minutes seemed to bleed into each other and time felt meaningless here.

But what unnerved her the most...was the fact that Kazumi didn't feel tired at all. She had been walking for Agni knows how long and she didn't feel tired in the slightest. Which gave her clue that she was not in the physical plane anymore. This was something else.

CRACK!

Kazumi whipped her head around behind her at the source of the first noise she heard since she arrived in this place. But there was nobody there. It was then Kazumi realized that she hadn't even passed by any fallen sticks on her entire walk, so what could have made that noise?

When she turned around again, the path ahead of her was suddenly blocked by tall trees that were not there before. Kazumi felt a sliver of fear slide into her heart at that realization, wherever she was and whatever was happening around her was being fully controlled by some kind of entity that she didn't know how to face.

With no way to progress forward, she headed back down the way she came...but only after a short walk did she realize that the path behind her that suddenly diverged into a right that was not there before either.

The path keeps shifting and changing...is this a maze or some kind of illusion?

Kazumi didn't have the time to think about it, as she heard something else echo throughout the forest. Something she never thought that she would ever hear again in her lifetime.

It was a baby's cry.

The sound seemed to come from a distance but Kazumi could practically feel it echo in her mind. Her breath quickened in response as panic started to set in as her eyes darted around looking for the source.

Another cry echoed throughout the forest and that was all it took to get Kazumi's legs running. She ran down the path as fast as she possibly could, making several turns that just served to make her heart beat even faster than before. She even ran into several branching pathways that forced her to choose and she just had to make a guess based off where she thinks the cries were coming.

The cries got louder and louder as they rang throughout the forest. Frustration, fear and anger all mixed up into one flooded her mind as she tried to find where her baby was. The cries just kept on coming.

She didn't know how long she had run, it felt like hours of hearing her baby cry out for her until she saw a light at the end of one of the pathways.

Kazumi stepped out of the path and saw it: Her own house. Her home.

Her baby cried out again before she heard its cries go silent, and she felt her heart drop in response.

No, no,no,no, not again!

Kazumi ran as fast as she could to the front door, practically shoulder pushing it open in a single movement and down the hallway where her baby's room was. She threw the door open in a single movement-

And there she saw it.

A woman like figure stood over the baby crib, but it wasn't human in the slightest. It was a monster. The monster turned to Kazumi and gave her a face-splitting grin that reached her ears.

The monster raised a hand onto the crib, which had turned into a claw that burned bright with fire, ready to strike down on the innocent babe.

" NO! GET AWAY FROM HER YOU-"

" KAZUMI!"

A loud voice followed by a stinging pain to her cheek, shocked Kazumi awake as she suddenly felt a pair of hands grabbing her. It took her a moment to realize that Azula was standing in front of her. A quick looked at her surroundings made her realize that she was no longer in her house or at the inn. She was outside in the street and from the looks of things, she was at the border edge of the town where the forest met. Azula was looking at her with fear and worry in her eyes.

" A-A-Azula? W-What's going on? What happened?" Kazumi asked, shaken up by what she saw in her dream to suddenly being pulled back to reality.

" I-I couldn't sleep so I stayed up to go over the notes of what happened when I heard your door opening and I went to check on you but...it was like you were in a daze just now. I tried to speak to you but its like you weren't even conscious, its like you were dead-set of walking into that forest." Azula voice sounded relieved that she finally got ahold of Kazumi but fearful at the same time. How long had Azula been trying to wake her up from her nightmare to no avail? What would have happened if Kazumi actually went into the forest?

" Are you okay Kazumi? Your hands are shaking." Azula pointed out with a concerned look in her eye.

Kazumi looked down at her own hands and realized that they were mildly shaking. She steeled her nerves as she forced the shaking to stop, she couldn't let this bring her down. " I-I'm fine Azula...ow!" Her thoughts were put on hold when Kazumi felt a stinging pain on her cheek and realized the likely source of it." Did you slap me?" Kazumi wasn't so much angry as she was confused by what had just happened.

Azula still looked somewhat guilty at the question." Y-You weren't answering to me and you were getting closer to the forest, and I didn't know what to do. Sorry."

" No, no, you did the right thing Azula." Kazumi rebuffed her apology as she felt too exposed out here." Let's head back to the inn so we can talk."

The walk back to the inn was a quiet one, Kazumi still a bit shaken up by what had just happened. But she felt some small comfort once they made their way back to the inn and Azula discreetly snuck into the restaurant to make them some tea. They had decided to talk in Azula's room since she didn't feel safe going back to her room at the moment, and her apprentice's room didn't have much difference.

"- After that I woke up and you were there. So that's what happened in my dream or nightmare I suppose." Kazumi finished recanting what happened in her dream as she took a sip of her tea, but it did little to settle her nerves after what she had just seen.

" You had a dream about the night your daughter?" Azula asked to make sure, but there was an uncertain tone to it.

Kazumi just gave a grim nod." Yes..."

Azula didn't say anything after that, but she did scoot a bit closer on the bed to Kazumi to the point she leaned up against her a bit. She appreciated the gesture but it felt too little comfort for what she had just experienced.

Kazumi would rather they just focus on the mission for now." L-Let's just focus on what happened alright? So I got a dream just like all the other victim and it was trying to lure me to the forest, but why? What is the point of-

" Agni above, that's how it happened!" Azula suddenly exclaimed as she seemed to come to a realization, as her eyes widened." That's how all the victims went missing without a trace, they walked straight into the forest on their own two feet. That's why we couldn't find any sign of forced entry and why nobody saw anything. The spirit made them walk into the forest through those damn dreams, that's what it was trying to do to you!"

Kazumi's eyes widened as well as she realized that Azula's deduction made sense. The spirit had been using her memories and the other victims to lure them into the forest for their dark deeds. The thought alone gave away to turn Kazumi's shakiness into anger. How dare that spirit use her memories against her and about her own daughter. This will not stand.

" So what do we do next Kazumi?"

" We're going into that forest tomorrow and we are going to kill that spirit."

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I was actually oscillating between having the dream/nightmare scene be from Azula or Kazumi, but ultimately chose the latter since I think its high-time we finally got an inside look into Kazumi's mind about her past. I've given glimpses into it before, but its the Spirit Temple Arc where its time to put them on full-display...mostly.

I do hope that the shift from the dream sequence to waking up wasn't too off to you all. I was kinda rushing the last scene there, but I hope it turned out okay.

Now let's answer some reviews shall we?

To Claymoreki:

Thank you so much for the kind words! Yeah, this fic has definitely transformed into something much bigger than I ever intended for it to be. But I'm glad people are still reading it.

To Lord 770:

Glad that I was able to show the development of Kazumi and Azula's mother-daughter relationship growth. I definitely needed a breather chapter after all the heavy chapters I pumped out on short notice, and for how emotionally heavy these next few chapters are going to be.

There is some brutal irony in the fact that Azula can't handle a bunch of turtleducks, but she can handle tigers pretty well. Tira really is just a big, overgrown cat honestly.

:P

Just for the record, I'm probably never going to explain who Kazumi's informants are or how they work. Partly because I'm lazy and I don't know how to write how an informant network works really.

The Spirit Temple isn't going to be a walk in the park, but its definitely good that Azula and Kazumi have each other.

With that said, I will see you all in the next one.

Angel Out.