A/N: First off, thank you so much for the comments! 3 3 3 You guys really do keep me going and I'm happy y'all are having as much fun as I am! :3

As for the vibe, I'm going for "watching a train wreck in slow motion" for this chapter. ;U

Oh! One last note! The apparitions/fakes/hallucinations will be "bolded" because I hate putting quotes around them.

Steam rolled off Rangi as the water evaporated off her skin and clothes. It was a slow process, but she'd be dried soon if she kept it up.

"Stop that!" a man yelled, smacking her back. At least he had the sense not to touch her head, she'd melt and rend his flesh from his bones if he did.

"Stop what exactly? Drying myself?" She grumbled indignantly. Her arms flexed against the restraints on her wrists, her arms were bound from behind and she was kneeling on the ground in a lobby with a bunch of lawmen. Her retort rewarded her with a swift kick to the back, causing her to launch forward and fall to the ground completely.

She'd unfortunately had the sense to allow them to arrest her when confronted, she figured it was the most peaceful option. They'd realize it was all a misunderstanding and would let her go. Apparently fate wasn't through with making her look like a fool.

For some asinine reason, the guards in the city seemed to think Rangi was part of the thieves that hit the town. Not that she couldreallyblame them, to them she probably looked like a lackey that may have been left behind to take the fall.

That would've been embarrassing in and of itself, but she was more preoccupied with the events that led up to her capture. Kyoshi breaking into her room, waking her up, touching her face oh so gently….. And then throwing her like a sack into a wall, attacking her with giant pieces of earth,twice, and then almost drowning her!

She'stoyingwith me.A blush of embarrassment played on her cheeks, an annoyed smile toyed at the edge of her lips as she gritted her teeth, her forehead resting against the ground.

A chuckle of annoyance escaped her you wait, when I get my hands on you, you're going to regret it. How would you like it if I hit you with a rock? Or maybe I'll just be kind and only burn your eyebrows off. Then you'll have to get bangs to hide-

Rangi's chuckle died in her throat as her eyes shot open as she stared at the ground below her. A sore ball formed in her throat as her eyes began to sting. Her breathing became sharp, and sparks started to escape each breath.

She was doing it again. Slipping into her old formality. Her old shoes. Her old skin. Acting as if it was just a childish prank, she, Yun, and Kyoshi had played on each other and not the dire circumstance it actually was!

She had to remember, things had changed. Things couldn't-no,wouldn't-go back to how they used to be. She couldn't go back.

She slowly lifted her head to look at the nearest guard, who took a step back in surprise. "Quick messing around and let me go! I'm not a thief! I'm not a daofei! I was trying tocatchthem! I work for Jianzhu and Avatar Yun, for spirits sake!" She thrashed against her bindings. They were the earthbent kind, if she worked it enough she could easily break free.

Their response was a swift kick to the gut by what looked like to be their leader.

People are getting a little too comfortable smacking me around.She glared at the man.

"Shut up! You can plead your case in front of the judge in three weeks!" He jeered.

Three weeks?! That'd be too long, she'd lose Kyoshi's trail for sure.

"Are you saying you are willing to interfere with the Avatar's business, youincompetentfool?!" Rangi growled at him. She hated having to use Yun's name like this, knowing the truth of his death. But she needed to avenge him. And she wasn't going to be able to do that behind a jail cell.

"Of course not! But you don't have any proof you're with either you little criminal. We don't deal with liars!"

"I haveproof, in myroomat theinn! Where your menassaultedme!" She spat, fire also spitting from her mouth.

In a sense she was lucky she didn't get more injured from the night than she already was. Rangi was in Kyoshi's way to flee out through the window, and the other girl had slammed her into the wall so she could make her get-away. Rangi only narrowly missed being hit by a boulder, a boulder that she couldn't see because Kyoshi's big, dumb head was in the way.

Rangi swore she thought Kyoshi was trying to hide the oncoming attack on purpose so that Rangi would be taken out. Well…she wasn't going to let her guard like that down again!

Rangi shook her head, trying to shake the memory away. That wasn't the issue at the moment. She needed to get out of there.

The head guard crouched down and took Rangi's cheeks between his thumb and fingers, jostling her head side to side. "Oh, and what are we looking for? We'll go search for it." The chuckle that escaped his lips made her feel like he'd be doing the exact opposite. He may actually steal and sell her stuff instead.

I'm going to burn that hand off!She thought, as she gathered energy in her bindings. she should've just started with brute force. She could be half way to Kyoshi by now if she had.

"What are you doing?! Release the poor girl now!" A familiar voice echoed. An older woman strolled in with a large book at her side.

To both Rangi's chagrin and delight, she realized it was the innkeeper.

"And who are you?" The guard asked.

"I'm the owner of the inn you've wrecked!" The woman marched up to the leader and practically threw the open book into his face. "You see this symbol? She's telling the truth!"

The guardsman choked, realizing his error and what symbol laid on the paper.

"See? That's what I've been telling you!" She couldn't believe something actually worked in her favor.p

"Honestly I can't believe you all. Do you know what she's been through? Her brother-in-law's sister ran away from home!" She inhaled, indignantly before going into her next tirade. "You see, I had a brother-in-law who ran away once-"

Rangi slammed her head into the ground in frustration, attempting to knock herself out.

The talkative auntie continued to berate most of the guards. Meanwhile, Rangi turned to one nearby who wasn't caught in the crossfire. "Hit me. Take a rock and justhit me."

Unfortunately for her, the guard didn't comply.

It was another three hours before Rangi was finally able to leave the accursed place. The woman, as much as she saved time for Rangi, also wasted a lot. Rangi was barely able to gather her things, send a quick message to Jianzhu, and take her newly acquired eel hound and start off in the direction she last saw Kyoshi heading.

Judging by the trajectory that Pengpeng had flown off in, they were going somewhere West-ish. At first she thought it might be Northwest, but then realized if she kept going in the straight path she was on, then she'd end up at the Serpent's Path, and just beyond that, Gaipan Village. Or perhaps they'd go farther? Senlin Village?

It didn't matter, she'd upturn every village, city, town, or random hut in a forest she'd come across. Kyoshi wasn't going to hide from her. She was going to track her down! She was going to make her pay! She was right in the middle of the road….. She was right in the middle of the road!

Rangi pulled on her steed's reins as hard as she could, trying to stop it from running over Kyoshi.

It was too late, as the eel hound stopped only just after it ran right through her. Rangi looked around, gasping in a that really Kyoshi or was it-

"I can't believe you ran me over," a voice said dryly.

Rangi looked down, sure enough, it was the apparition ofKyoshithat her mind loved to conjure up.Kyoshileaned one elbow onto the hound's neck, and drummed fingers with her other hand on Rangi's thigh.

Rangi opted to ignore her, instead looking back at the road and trying to get herself reorientated.

"I know you can hear me," the apparition, now behind her, purred into her ear.

Rangi still ignored her, she kicked the hound's sides to start moving again. Maybe if she just tuned out the voice she'd go away?

"Awww, come on! Talk to me before Yun joins us." She leaned her head on Rangi's back, letting a finger trace shapes on her armor.

"Don't you dare say his name! You don't deserve toeverutter his name! Hallucination or not!" Rangi whipped her head around to stare at the fake. She didn't care how crazy she sounded. But she was still thankful she was the only one around. It gave her a release she didn't know she needed.

"Touchy touchy,"Kyoshipouted. "And here I was going to reveal my motive behind everything." She sighed. "I suppose I should go, I know when I'm not wanted." Something in her tone sounded like she was goading Rangi into taking some sort of bait, and Rangi almost took it.

Rangis heart lurched for a second, only to shake her head and come to her senses.

"You are a figment of my imagination. There's no way you'd know what the real Kyoshi is really thinking."

"But maybe I can help you work through some stuff in that cute little head of yours," she walked two fingers across Rangi's shoulders, then she blew air into Rangi's ear. "Let's work through it,together."

Rangi felt her body flush. Partly from anger, partly from something else. "I'd prefer doing this alone!" she snapped.

"Too baaaaaad. I'm going to stay with you all the way baby!''The apparition hugged Rangi from behind.

"Ok first question on our little adventure of self discovery: Why is it you see methisway? You know this isn't how I act! You know me better than that! EvenYunis more himself than I am!"Kyoshiwhined.

Rangi snapped her reins harder. "Do I?!" She shrieked. "Do I really? You-you, youliedto me for two years! Everything we've been through, every moment, every emotion-it's been a lie!" Rangi's voice broke. She felt her chest contracting, it was getting harder to breathe.

Kyoshiburied her face into Rangi's back."Was it, though?"It was barely a whisper, easily taken and carried by the breeze. But it struck Rangi like lightning and shook her like thunder.

Rangi stopped the eel hound, her breathing causing tremors to rip through her. She made small sharp gasps for air through the tears that ran down her face. Memories of all her tender moments with Kyoshi filled her head. They couldn't have all been lies. No one was that good of a liar, right?

But in an instant, all the memories were painted with blood. Sprayed onto them like an executioner sprayed by the bodily backlash from criminal they had just beheaded.

"YOU KILLED OUR FRIEND!" Rangi bellowed. "You killed our friend! It doesn't matter if it wasrealat one point, you-"

Rangi whipped her head around, to confront the apparition head on. But she had disappeared. Just like Rangi had wanted.

Left with her new lone torment, she let out one last scream before shooting off towards her new destination.

When I see her, I'm going to punch her so hard, her ass will land right back in Yokoya!Rangi growled to herself, as another jet of water hit the rock she was hiding behind.

As much as Rangi hated to admit it, her hatred for the girl who killed their best friend and ruined their lives….had tapered, but onlya only for amoment. It wasn't indefinitely, right now, her ire towards the girl was a bit more childish. Well, as childish as a giant serpent monster who's trying to drown you can be.

Oh no, you justhadto run away. You couldn't let me capture you, you just HAD TO RUN!

Rangi set a flame blast in the opposite direction she was going to go. The torrent of water followed it, and she and her eel hound made a break for the next clearing. She got through three clearings total before the giant wiggly monster smarted up and started blasting the new rock she was hiding behind.

Screw killing her, that'd be a mercy! They have to let me get her back first. I'll start by trapping her in a barrel and dunking her in water for three days straight, then she'll have an iota of an understanding of what I've been through!

For the past day and a half, she had been dodging, bobbing, and weaving along the Serpent's Pass. Mostly because she'd gottenso luckyin attracting its attention as soon as she got on the damn path. It was like the spirits themselves were punishing her. Why?Shedidn't kill the Avatar! Kyoshi did! All Rangi was doing was trying to bring about justice!

Rangi grabbed a palm sized rock, and began putting energy into her hand. She ran to an opening where she just came from, she threw the rock, powered by firebending, as hard as she could. It struck and pierced the nose of the monster as intended. The monster began thrashing in pain.

She dodged out of the way of a non-targeted water spout, and sprinted to her eel hound.

She cracked the reins for the animal to go at top speed, the end of the trail was in sight!

And then it wasn't.

Rangi felt like she was hit by the biggest boulder in existence and lost her grip on the hound.

Next thing she saw was her falling off the cliffside, the hound stuck behind a rock, unsure of where to go, stuck in place. At least she'd gotten lucky there.

She quickly righted herself with jet stepping, luckily one of her feet and hands hadn't gotten too wet from the blast of water, and grabbed onto the cliffside. She slowly started climbing up.

She was almost at the top when she heard waves rustling behind her, and saw the serpent had swam to the otherside, now that the tide was low enough.

Rangi swore before taking a deep breath, and shooting fire out of her what extremities would allow it, as fast as she could. Hoping it'd be enough power to grab the last ledge. Her hand just barely gripped the topmost ledge and she swung herself up.

The hound cried when it saw her and she quickly jumped on it and cracked its reins as soon as she could.

The hound shot forward as a jet of water just missed them, it quickly followed in a nonstop onslaught. Rangi kicked and snapped to get the animal to go faster. They shot past the torii gate that marked the end of the pass.

The serpent kept spewing water into the trees and they broke under its pressure. Rangi didn't stop the hound until they were at least two miles away. Once they were out of harm's way, she found a spot for them to rest and tied the beast up. The eel hound practically collapsed onto the ground once it was tied up, and started softly snoring.

Just as she finished tying it up, and she laid down to rest, she heard a voice. "Phew! That. Was. Close! You really are a top notch soldier aren't you, Rangi?" It wasYun'svoice.

"Just let me sleep," Rangi muttered, too dead tired to even fight them off. They had kept to themselves while she fended off the serpent, but now that the danger was gone the hallucinations were back in full force.

"You can sleep, dear, it's all up to you,"Kysohicooed in Rangi's ear, as she gently stroked the girl's cheek.

"C'mon Kyoshi, you know she doesn't want to sleep! She has a duty to do!"Yunsat down on the other side of her, bumping her playfully with his knee. "Get up soldier! I, the Avatar, command you to get up and avenge me!" He was saying it in his usual joking tone, as if telling her not to do it. But command shot through her nonetheless.

Rangi attempted to get up, butKyoshihad moved her hand from Rangi's cheek to her chest and pushed down. She didn't say anything except glare atYun, and silently drum her fingers on Rangi's armor.

"Luh-let me up," Rangi gasped, her eyes were so heavy they felt like rocks were glued to them. Her body? It felt so heavy that literal air and imagination was keeping her pinned to the ground. She felt so weak. Of course, she'd only let herself be weak when she was alone with these two. Real or not.

"No,"Kyoshisaid simply, she didn't let her eyes wander fromYun'sface. "You need to rest."

"No I don't, I really should-" Rangi tried to get up, but like a turtle duck on its back, she just floundered.

"You'reeel houndneeds rest,"Kyoshiclarified.

Rangi stopped struggling. Right, the hound needed to rest, and Rangi needed that hound. She took a deep breath. She needed to get what sleep she could so that she could be in working order when the hound was ready.

"Fine, fine! Rest! Then get back to vengeance,"Yunlaughed as carefree as he did when he lived. He patted her on the shoulder.

Rangi felt fingers gently touch her cheek and pull her head to the otherside. She was now nose to nose with the fakeKyoshi, the apparition's lips ghosting over her own.

"But for now, sleep and forget about this. Dream about something happier. Dream about me,"she whispered.

Rangi's breath hitched as a painful expression crossed her face. She wanted to do just that. She wanted to comply with her demands so, sobadly. She wanted to even though she knew she shouldn't.

Embers of the past still flickering inside her, during a time whenifKyoshi had ever deigned to ask her to do anything, that she would've in a heartbeat. In a past when she wanted Kyoshi to rely on her. To come to her for anything.

Steal a treat from the kitchen? It would be like it was never there in the first place. Take care of her bullies? She'd disobey her own mother's orders on leaving the mansion and would've done so, she'd set the village on fire if she must. Cut out her own heart and give it to her? It was already waiting in the present box, wrapped in paper that Kyoshi had picked herself.

As Rangi looked into the hallucination's soft gaze, she felt her willpower crumbling yet again. She would comply. In that moment, whatever Kyoshi, real or not, wanted, she would do it.

"Alright," she rasped out. She felt Kyoshi's lips move, tugging into a smile of some sort. Rangi started to let herself slip into the darkness.

"Of course you'd give in, you did always like her more than me,"Yun'svoice whispered in an alarming manner. It was cold, too cold. Not a tone that Rangi had ever heard come out of her best friend before."In fact, I know you wanted me dead at one point, too, didn't you? Maybe that's why you find it so easy to still give in to her?"

She wanted to stop her descent, but sleep was coming at her like a freefall, she couldn't stop it. "No- I-" She tried to find words in her numbing mind, to reject the truth to her friend.

"It's ok, I've always known, webothhave,"he laughed coldly, it was the last thing Rangi heard before darkness finally took over.

Rangi held a red box in her hand, wrapped with green and blue ribbons. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest as she stood in the courtyard of the mansion, looking down at the little object.

No…. No! Not this. Please, anything but screamed inside her mind as she watched the dream unfold, both from the first person and third person perspective at the same time.

"Come on, it's just a gift, don't be nervous," Rangi saw her younger self, of eight-ish months ago, mumble. "Just act natural- no wait, be cool. No, be yourself- no!" The Other Rangi grabbed the back of her head in frustration. "No, not yourself,definitelynot yourself."

The girl lightly clenched the present, trying to draw some kind of courage from it. It was a birthday present of some sort, not that Kyoshi even knewher ownbirthday. Rangi had just arbitrarily chosen that month and day, just so she could have an excuse to give Kyoshi something.

After some deliberation, and pacing, the girl decided to continue onwards.

Don't! Just go back, you won't be giving it to her! Please!Rangi was sobbing, she didn't want to see the rest of the dream. She wanted to wake up. She didn't want to relive the memory.

But the girl didn't hear her cries. She just kept marching forward to her doom. The gifting room.

In the dream Rangi approached the gifting room, more silently than she usually would have. She wanted to surprise her friend that was inside. But as she got closer, she heard strange noises coming from the room.

She approached the room with extra caution and strained ears. It sounded like giggling, two voices. Odd, Kyoshi should've been by herself.

Please stop! Turn back!

Rangi could see the door, it was slightly open.

Don't look!

Heart drumming in her chest, she sidled up against the wooden wall, and peered inside through the crack. What she saw inside caused her heart to still and her world to fall apart.

Yun's head was laying on Kyosh's lap, his hand reaching up to caress her face. Kyoshi was looking down at him, one hand on his chest and the other lightly drizzling fire lilies petals onto his face. The way they looked at each other made Rangi feel like her insides were caving in on themselves. They looked at each other the same way that Rangi felt like she looked at Kyoshi.

She saw as Kyoshi began to lean down and Yun responded by leaning up to meet her. Rangi turned away. She didn't know if they actually had kissed, but she couldn't bear to watch regardless. Instead, she watched as her younger dream self ran away in tearful silence.

She would deliver Kyoshi her present on a different day, but with a broken heart as her companion. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. Kyoshi was an Earth Kingdom girl, and Earth Kingdom girlsdidn'tfall for other girls. It was a hard lesson for Rangi to learn that day.

It was also the same day Rangi chose to kill Yun in her heart. It was only once, and only for a moment, but she'd wished for his death in some capacity.

Rangi took a deep breath, as she relived a part of the memory she wasn't going to follow. She wished she could follow her other self, but an unholy force kept her latched there, the dream- no,nightmarewasn't yet over for her. She slowly turned her head, to face the nightmarish memory again.

Rangi saw as the room had changed, it was now scattered and splattered with fire lily petals everywhere. Petals now painted Kyoshi's face, hair, and clothes. They also fell from the lips where hers and Yun's met. They also spilled from Yun's open neck.

Rangi's eyes widened in horror as she realized that Yun's head was no longer connected to his body. The rest of him laid at Kyoshi's lap, more lilies spilling from his open wound and dancing on the floor. They drifted towards the door and pooled around Rangi's feet.

Rangi opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her eyes drifted back from her feet to look at Kyoshi, who was looking at her directly in the eye.

Kyoshi removed her lips from Yun's mouth and grinned at Rangi.

"Thanks for the assist, partner in crime," Kyoshi's face twisted with glee. "Now you can have me all to yourself."

Rangi woke up with a strangle cry and thrashing. She rolled onto her side and began retching. In her delirium, she thought she started emptying fire lilies onto the forest floor.

She flung herself back, as if afraid of being burned by the flowers. However, when she looked back to where she thought she threw up, she found nothing. There was nothing in her, nothing to empty.

She heaved heavy breaths for a moment as she calmed herself down. The feeling of sweat caked her body, and her hair and clothes stuck to her like a second skin. Once her breathing evened a bit, she fell onto her back, exhausted. She curled up onto her side, clutching at her stomach to soothe the pain.

As she listened to the sounds of the forest, she realized how alone she was.

Rangi exited the teahouse in Gaipan Village; no leads were found, again. She'd been in the town fordays. Partially to rest, but mostly to investigate.

When she arrived at the village, she found it circling with rumors about a grand theft that had happened recently. Rangi would've just chalked it up to gossip about what happened in Youke Village, but she'd happened to catch a strange wind of gossip from a few unsavory individuals at a bar. Apparently an old man had come by some priceless information he was looking to sell.

The description of the old man gave her pause. She'd seen someone like that. Flying away in a bison.

Rangi listened into all the gossip she could, and once it was done she pieced it all together.

There was a grand theft in Youke Village. Correct.

Many things were stolen: literature, money, valuables, and medicine. All correct.

Among the literature, apparently there had been top secret government documents hidden amongst the normal books and scrolls. Rangi didn't think there was anyone that stupid enough to exist who would think of doing such a thing, but if it was true….. Well that posed a problem.

A Fire National shouldn't need to worry, but she was someone aligned with the Avatar. A problem for one nation, was a problem for all the nations. Ergo, it was now her problem.

On the brightside, if there could be a brightside in the hell she was in, it was apparent that it held a common thread to her main issue: Kyoshi.

Kyoshi had either been the one who stole the documents, or helped facilitate the stealing of them. Either way, Kyoshi was working fast to sow seeds of chaos into the nation, just like Jianzhu had warned her of.

There's really no low you won't stoop to, is there, Kyoshi?!Rangi growled inwardly. She slammed her fist into a nearby wall, trying to direct her rage somewhere. Her fist left a hole and fissures from the small combusted pounding.

She took a deep breath and began to walk again. She needed to find the old man Kyoshi was running with. From there she could follow him and find Kyoshi.

A sound from behind gave her pause, she turned around and saw a man running after her.

"Wait! Girl!" He clapped his hand on her shoulder as he caught up. "I heard what you said at the tailors the other day!"

When Rangi arrived in the village, she opted for a wardrobe change. As it stood, she was a red flame amidst a green forest, just begging to catch fire. It wasn't the best attire to lay low in.

She'd opted for more Earth Kingdom-esque style attire. A long sleeve shirt under a green vested tunic, with green pants. Very generic. The only striking thing was the straw pointed hat she wore to hide her topknot. She was not taking her hair of her topknot.

She'd left her supplies and armor and eel hound at the inn. She would don her heirloom armor when she had to actually confront Kyoshi.

"I completely understand your situation! I had a brother who ran away-"

Just how many people in this damn kingdom run away?!Rangi screamed in her head, then mentally slapped herself over the dumbest question ever asked. It was the largest and most populated place in the world, soof coursethere would probably be at least someone who knew someone who ran away. But running into people who wanted to just yap at her rather than help her were getting annoying.

"I understand your own dilemma, but I really must be going-" she tried to shake him off, but he held fast. Fine, she'd just have to deck him off.

"-but before he ran away, he used to run with an unsavory crowd," the man continued, and Rangi stopped her reeling arm.

"What do you mean?" she asked, not buying that someone wanted to help her while also not wasting more of her precious time.

The man took a piece of folded paper out of his shirt and handed it to Rangi. "There's a seedy bar on the outskirts between Gaipan and Senlin. I think you might find what you're looking for there."

Rangi unfolded the paper, it was a nicely drawn map. The writing was also very nice, something about it felt old-timey. Scholarly, it didn't really fit the image of the man in front of her, who looked like a lower class merchant. Perhaps that was her elitism coloring her perception of the world around her.

She looked at him, a bit confused. "Thank you?"

The man smiled at her, "Don't mention it. I know what it's like, searching high and low for someone you love, and never finding a lead." He bowed, apparently done with the interaction, and turned to leave. Then stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "Listen, kid. Losing someone you care about is like suffering a major injury. It's going to geta lot worsebefore it gets better."

The man marched off after he said his piece. Rangi could only stare at him, mouths slightly ajar. She wasn't used to someone helping her, let alone being so quick about it. It had to be a trap.

She set off towards the outskirt bar, trying to ignore the man's final cryptic message ringing in her mind.

Oh this is definitely a thought as she staked out in a very thorny bush near the bar she was told to go to.

It was crawling with at least a hundred criminals, probably all daofei if her luck was anything to go by. Unfortunately, none of them wereherdaofei.

She'd begun to wonder if she'd been had, when she saw it. An old man came skipping out of the entrance. He had wispy white hair and an odd limp. Rangi studied the rest of his features and sure enough, it was the same man who was on the bison!

Rangi gripped the ground in front of her, so as not to jump for joy. Finally, after weeks she'd finally found a lead to Kyoshi.

She watched as the old man hobbled to the road, the path was parallel to a vast forest. Rangi would use that to her advantage. She silently and nimbly escaped from the bush, and made her way to the parallel foliage.

From there, she painfully and patiently stalked the old man back to the campsite.

"Finally that lazy ass is back!" Rangi heard someone yell as she started to crescent the forestry hill in front of her. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest, but realized no one had seen her yet. They were talking about the old man.

"Did you find a buyer?" The same voice asked, it was the damn Water Tribe woman who almost killed Rangi when they first met.

"Why of course, my dear! Patience is a virtue, and now our virtue is paying off!" his creaky voice sounded like it had a grin accompanying it.

"And we have this kid to thank for our luck turning around!" A burly man slapped the back of Kyoshi's back. He and a young boy had joined the group, apparently summoned by the Water Tribe woman's voice.

"I'll admit, I was wary of having you join, but who knew you'd be the golden goose chicken who'd lay a golden egg!" The woman grinned at Kyoshi.

"First you got us out of Chameleon Bay, and now the documents? Great job kid!" The burly man slapped Kyoshi on the back. More exchanges of praise were given to the tall girl. Kyoshi could only laugh and scratch the back of her head sheepishly, pleased with herself.

As Rangi listened to their praises, her eyes widened and bile filled her mouth. Kyoshi had been the one who stole the documents. The same documents rumored that could be the downfall of the Earth Kingdom itself! And she was the one leading the charge!

Rangi felt woozy. She gripped the tree next to her, her fingers leaving dents in the trunk. She had to be mindful to not set the thing on fire, or to combust-explode the bark under her fingertips.

Hearing it all come from the ostrich horse's mouth, Kyoshi really was this vile criminal. Rangi didn't know her at all!

She released the tree and sank to the forest floor onto her knees.

Why did she keep doing this to herself? Why did she keep trying to hold out hope? Did she think that Kyoshi was just being her usual clumsy self in Chameleon Bay and Youke? Had that been it?

Yes, it had. And she knew it.

She dragged her nails across the earth before clenching her fists, letting the roots and rocks dig into her skin. Letting the pain refocus her mind.

No more. She wasn't going to give in to Kyoshi any more. She was going to capture her and make her pay for her crimes!

She stood up again, with new conviction. With it, she also had to resist the urge to charge down there, and taking them all out. No, it'd be smarter for her to take Kyoshi when she was separated. Once Kyoshi was taken care of, Rangi could hunt down the rest of her co-conspirators.

They mentioned the time they would be doing the trade off. Rangi took a mental note of the time and day, but decided to hang out for a bit longer. She had a feeling she'd get more information if she stuck around.

"You won't be coming with us to the trade off tomorrow," the old man said in a loud voice. The sudden loudness in his voice startled Rangi.

She'd been staking out the Flying Opera daofei camp for the rest of the day. Nothing interesting happened. They'd all decided to throw a miniature party, the older members downing alcohol until they were drunk stupid. Then they all went to sleep, except for Kyoshi and the old man.

Rangi had tried to follow them towards wherever they were going by the top of a hill, but the forest ended too soon, so she couldn't really hear what they were talking about until just that moment.

They first decided to meditate, then, after that Kyoshi started doing something weird with an earth dummy. Following chakra points? Rangi could only guess it was something nefarious, learning more ways to hurt people.

Now, suddenly, the old man stated that one sentence a little too loudly, and now it was back to not hearing them. Fine, she'll take what information she could get.

Judging by the group's earlier conversation, it seemed like everyone was going to go to the trade off tomorrow. Now? Kyoshi would be isolated. This greatly worked in Rangi's favor. However, there was one new problem that arose.

Rangi had to choose. The kingdom or Kyoshi.

Jianzhu could and would most likely be able to fix whatever happened to the Earth Kingdom. So she chose Kyoshi. She told herself it was because Kyoshi was more of a threat and it was her primary mission. But she knew, good or bad, she'd choose Kyoshi over everything and everyone else.

Knowing the vital information she needed, and figuring it was a waste of time to continue eavesdropping on a conversation she couldn't hear, she left the campsite. She needed to move her cargo closer to Senlin. And she had one more thing she had to buy before she confronted Kyoshi tonight.

Rangi moved as silently as death itself, once she was sure the rest of the Flying Opera company was well away. She was in the treeline, observing Kyoshi. She appeared to be meditating.

Exiting the safety of the forest, Rangi started slowly getting closer, but stopped when she saw Kyoshi's form move.

"Guess I'm not an Air Nomad," she sighed.

Rangi tensed.No you are not.The fact Kyoshi and her mother were of the Air Nomad Nation broiled Rangi to no end. They were such a scourge on those fine people.

Rangi waited for Kyoshi to resume her meditative position.

"Stay here and don't cause problems," she repeated to herself. A flare of rage boiled within her.

Really? "Don't cause problems?" You've been nothing but one giant problem after another! You don't deserve to say that!

Her left hand tightened around the handkerchief soaked in a sleeping agent in anticipation.

Kyoshi sighed, and started to get back into position. Rangi took the chance, she started moving a bit more quickly than she intended. Her foot hit a long patch of grass, causing it to rustle.

Kyoshi took notice and she started to turn her head. Thinking quickly, Rangi picked up a nearby rock and hit her head really hard. Kyoshi crumbled to the ground instantly.

"Ra-rang…." Kyoshi looked up at Rangi, almost pleadingly. Her head bobbed weakly, she was losing consciousness.

"Don't worry, you won't be causing problems anymore," Rangi said, answering what Kyoshi was mumbling about earlier. She dropped the rock she used and crouched down beside Kyoshi, and got her left hand ready with the handkerchief. She put her hand under Kyoshi's head to support it, her fingers interlacing into her hair. She pressed her lips to Kyoshi's ear and whispered. "Unfortunately for you, you won't be staying here either."

She placed the handkerchief over Kyoshi's mouth and nose and watched as the girl she loved fell unconscious.

A/N: Kyoshi: *tries to save Rangi*

Rangi, pointing to a butterfly/"pigeon": Is Kyoshi trying to kill me?

I like it when they're both a lil stupid :3c (it's not their fault, it was Yun's turn with the braincell!)

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to do with the hallucinations. Originally I was thinking of just making it a one off, but then realized I could work more with them….esp since working off of them would help the lack of people Rangi has on her side. Which meant figuring out how to utilize them and what they represented.

I mean I had a choice of pulling a chapter 2 (aka where she is just in her head for most of the chapter), but I felt like that could get…..eh after a bit.

Having the hallucinations not only 1) made sense (for her to keep up the same pace, if not better, than Zuko would require Rangi sacrificing some of her own health to keep up). 2) Would make the chapters a bit more bearable in how they are written (aka dialogue), 3) I think it'd be a better at representing her skewed memories/viewpoint/perceptions on Kyoshi/Yun than if she just….thought about it. Which is why they act OOC, because her perception (and wants/desires) is so gnarled now.