welcome back

The journey to Republic City was long- nearly three days worth of travel, and almost entirely passed in silence. It was hard to bring up everything that had happened- and so much had happened- without causing arrest among the group, so they all silently agreed not to bring it up. Haruko was grateful for it- she needed the time to think for herself, alone, and was sure the others felt the same. It had been a long, wary fight.

It was dawn when they first caught sight of the city. Haruko had been up on night watch- even though they didn’t have anything to watch for, they had decided that one of them would keep silent company with Koto each night- and had been the first to see it.

The first thing she saw was the Spirit Portal- there was no way she couldn’t have seen it. The portal was a glowing column of yellow-green reaching into the heavens and dissipating amongst the clouds. Haruko could look up into eternity and not see the top of it. The greenish light stood out both against the night blue when she had first seen it, and the baby peach that painted the morning sky. As they flew closer to the city, Haruko could make out the surrounding skyscrapers-the tall buildings formed a clearing around the portal, as if to give it space to breath. The sight of the city skyline gave her such an unfamiliar sense of nostalgia, as if she was returning to her home.

“I know, Pasha.” She whispered to the small meerfox as she looked out on the horizon, speaking more to herself than the sleeping animal on her lap. “We’re finally here.”

Haruko turned back to look at her friends. Jae was still sleeping, draping his body over Tala’s. Haruko figured that he, having grown up in the city, didn’t need to take in the view. The other members of their team- Tala, Hang, and her brother, Aazir, all viewed the city from their side of the bison saddle, all with the same weary look in their eyes. When he caught her glancing at her, Aazir shot Haruko a glare. She could tell why.

“There’s Air Temple Island.” Koto called out, gesturing at the bay below and, more specifically, the small island in the center of it, directly across from the docks. “Should I head down?”

Tala shook their head. “No, Asami said we should lay low for a while, remember?” They woke Jae up by giving him a gentle shove while Haruko comprehended how weird it was that Tala was the one suggesting they follow the rules. “Hey, you have an apartment in the city, right?”

Jae rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “We’re already at the city?” When answered by silence, he nodded. “Yeah, me and my sister still have our apartment in the Dragon Flats borough. We can stay there until we get word of things going better.” He didn’t elaborate on what ‘things going better’ meant.

“Sounds good to me.” Aazir shrugged. Haruko nodded in agreement, then looked to Hang. The waterbender didn’t respond.

“Dragon Flats borough, alright.” Koto nodded, taking them down further into the city, over the green of the Spirit Wilds. “I’m going to land in the park so I can send Cloud home, and we can walk to Jae’s apartment.”

It was only a short walk from where Koto had landed to Jae’s apartment, and a welcome one after a few days of travel. Republic City seemed alive in a way that most of the Earth Kingdom wasn’t. When she brought it up to Tala- the person walking closest to her- they gave their observations.

“It’s probably because of the spirits.” They shrugged, gesturing to the area around them. “There’s a lot here, more than in Aringeru, even. And there’s a lot of spirits in Aringeru.”

Haruko nodded, glancing at a cluster of bird-like spirits gathered on a telephone pole. She had noticed that there tended to be more spirits the farther she got from the central Earth Kingdom, though she couldn’t figure out why.

“Makes sense that there’s a lot of spirits near a spirit portal.” Aazir scoffed. Haruko admitted that her brother was making a point, but didn’t say it out loud.

Within a few minutes, they had arrived at Jae’s apartment. The sky was a soft shade of blue when Haruko last glanced at it before entering the building.

Jae’s apartment was dark when they first entered it, each surface coated in a layer of dust from lack of activity. Jae apologized as they all shuffled around the foyer to remove their shoes and coats, but nobody really seemed to mind. The apartment was warm, and silent, and a place to rest even if just for a brief moment.

“There’s three bedrooms.” Jae explained as he pulled the curtains open to light up the main room. “Hang, you can have my sister’s room- she’s out doing Air Acolyte things.”

Hang nodded and sat down on the couch, setting her belongings on the floor around her feet. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Jae continued. “There’s my room- one person can stay with me, though you’d probably have to sleep on the floor, and our parents' room. That leaves three more spaces for the four of us… I guess someone can sleep on the couch?”

“I’ll take the couch.” Aazir deadpanned, laying out on the couch he had claimed for himself.

“And I can sleep on the floor.” Tala added. They turned to Haruko and Koto. “That leaves the master for you two, if you’re ok with that.”

Koto answered before Haruko could. “That would be alright.” She turned to Haruko and picked up her bag. “I’ll go take our stuff there, if that’s ok.”

Haruko nodded and sat down in between Hang and her brother. “Hey.”

Aazir only glared in response, while Hang stood up and gathered her belongings. She turned to Jae. “Could you show me where your sister’s room is?”

Jae nodded hastily and started down the same hallway Koto had left to. “Yeah, sure, follow me.”

Once the two had disappeared from sight, Tala soon followed. “I’m going to go use the restroom. Bye.” They did as they said, disappearing down the hall and leaving Haruko alone with her brother, whom she was sure hated her.

”Haruko…” Aazir muttered, speaking in their native language even though there was no one around to hear them. “Why didn’t you tell me?”.

”I thought you knew!” Haruko replied. ”Ahsa told us he was one of them six months ago! You were there!”

Aazir hesitated before answering. “Yeah, but I didn’t think she was telling the truth!”

Haruko put her hand on her brother’s, avoiding looking him in the eye to escape the sight of his tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner… it’s just… things are really complicated right now for me, and I didn’t-”

Aazir jerked his hand away from Haruko’s ending their conversation.

“Am I interrupting something?” Jae asked. Haruko looked up to see that he and Tala had re-entered the room.

“No, we just finished talking.” Haruko cast a glance at her brother but saw nothing in his face. She settled on turning to Jae. “So what’s up?”

“Tala and I were thinking about getting some groceries.” Jae leaned back on his feet and glanced at the door. “Since no one’s been here for a while and we need some food. Either of you wanna come help?”

Haruko shrugged and stood up. “Sounds fun.” She needed a break from her brother, anyways.”

Jae’s local grocery store was only a short walk away, and a business thankfully small enough that they got only a few stares but large enough that they could easily disappear among the aisles.

“Dragon Flats is one of the biggest nonbender-only neighborhoods in the entire world.” Jae commented as he pushed a cart through the instant noodle aisle. “So if we wanna lay low, maybe you all should lay off on the fire blasts and such.”

“No bending, got it.” Tala commented as they checked the shelves for something on their list. “They don’t have komodo chicken flavor.”

“Then get something else?” Jae shrugged. “It’s not that serious.”

“So… nonbending neighborhoods? How does that work?” Haruko asked, genuinely surprised about the concept’s existence.

Jae furrowed his brow for only a moment before continuing down the aisle. “Same as any other community in Republic City. Waterbenders gather together in the waterbending neighborhoods, firebenders gather together in the firebending neighborhoods. Guess it just makes sense that us normal folk stuck together too. The school I used to go to didn’t even have a bending curriculum, because there was no one to teach.”

“Huh.” Haruko leaned on the cart and looked up at the ceiling, not knowing what to say.

“So, are we not going to talk about it?” Tala scoffed as they returned to the cart.

Jae glanced at Haruko, then back at Tala. “Talk about what?”

Tala took in a shaky breath before steading themself on the cart. “Chau’s gone. We knew her and we spent time with her and now she’s dead. It’s… are you not affected by this? We were all there for the moment she died!”

A moment of still silence passed before anyone dared move, filled by the sound of fluorescent lights. Haruko exchanged a glance with Jae- a confession told in only looks. They had both witnessed death before, it was something they got used to.

“My parents died in front of me when I was thirteen.” Jae scoffed. Haruko was surprised he was so open about it, she still couldn’t bear to think about her own mother’s death. “You get used to it.”

Tala silenced themself by staring at the floor. “It was the first time I-” They couldn’t complete the sentence.

Haruko looked up at the ceiling again, then around the grocery store. “We should try and find something to get for Hang. I think she needs it.”

Jae nodded. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.”

bloodshed

Koto had the news on by the time they got home. She and Aazir were watching the vidset with minimal interest, standing up when Haruko, Jae and Tala got home.

“Hey, Koto.” Haruko set down some of the grocery bags on the table and went over to see what was on the news. It was one of the Republic City channels, as she had been expecting, and they were reporting on the recent death of the Fire Lord.

“While the causes of death of both Fire Lord Nozomi and Crown Prince Teijo Tanaka still remain a mystery, Fire Nation officials and Avatar Hanuel Beifong assure the public that the culprits will be found.” The news anchor’s monotone voice cracked over the vidset’s speakers. “Furthermore, Ochako Tanaka, world-renowned firebending instructor, will be crowned Fire Lord after a week-long mourning period.”

Koto huffed and turned off the vidset. “Hanuel’s being controlled in this, as per usual. I don’t know by who, but I know that she knows who killed both of them. Someone doesn’t want the rest of the world to know.”

“Sounds like a problem for Hanuel.” Jae commented as he started putting away groceries. “Can someone help me with this?”

“Yeah, sure.” Koto nodded and walked over to help Jae. Haruko followed.

“We got some stuff for Hang.” Haruko explained as she moved daikon from the paper grocery bags to Jae’s produce bowl. “Just a few changes of clothes, since she doesn’t have her old ones.”

“And some mango.” Tala added, showing Koto and Aazir the fruit they had bought. “Doesn’t she like mango?”

Aazir shrugged. “I guess so?” He paused. “That’s really nice of you guys, though.”

“Hey, Hang.” Haruko knocked on the door, softly enough that the sound wouldn’t be heard in the rest of the apartment. She glanced back at Koto and Aazir before continuing. “We just want to talk.”

“We also have some food for you.” Aazir added.

A shuffling sound came from inside the room, and within a few moments, it opened. In the time since they had arrived at Jae’s apartment, Hang had redone her braid, but nothing else about her appearance had changed. She still looked weak, and weary, and as if she had been crying.

“Hey, Hang.” Koto gave a small smile. “You doing alright?”

Hang nodded and opened the door further to let them inside. Haruko followed, setting the folded on the bed next to her. Jae’s sister’s room was small and very decorated, but each surface was covered in a layer of dust. There was a bed, a desk, and a mirror vanity covered so much in pictures that it was hard for Haruko to see her reflection. The one recurring person in each photo was a teenage girl with dark hair and a bright smile, but Haruko recognized a younger Jae in a few of the images.

“We got you some mango at the store.” Aazir handed Hang the plate of fruit he had meticulously cut up for her.

“And some new clothes.” Haruko picked up the folded outfit to show Hang. “It was Tala’s idea, since you probably don’t want to stay in that nasty prison uniform.”

Hang nodded and took the plate, setting it on the bedside table. She adjusted the collar of her maroon shirt. “Thanks. You guys are really nice.”

Koto sat down at the vanity’s stool. “So, how are you doing?”

Hang hesitated to answer. She tensed up. “I don’t know… it’s a lot to think about.”

“I know.” Haruko answered. She put her hand on Hang’s shoulder in sympathy. The pain of Chau’s had affected them all, in a way, but none as much as Hang.

“Thanks…” Hang stiffened. She put her hand over her chin, then her mouth. “I- I need to tell you something.”

Haruko cast a glance to Koto, who returned the look then turned to the Fire Nation sword propped up against the bed, next to Hang’s banjo. The waterbender had it with her ever since her fight with Teijo, but none of them had the nerve to ask how she had got it. The answer was obvious anyways- they had all seen Teijo disappear out the window with the sword and Hang return with it when Teijo died.

Aazir reached out to Hang. “Hang, we all know you killed Teijo, it’s ok, you had to-”

“I didn’t just kill Teijo.” Hang said hurriedly, like an adhesive bandage she was ripping off her skin. She closed her eyes. “I- I bloodbent him.”

Haruko moved back. She had only heard legends and myths about waterbenders with the ability to control the fluid inside of people’s bodies. It was supposed to be a scary story to tease little kids about, something to tell friends beside a campfire- not an ability one of her closest friends had. She glanced at her brother- Aazir stared at Hang with a fear and intensity she would’ve assumed was reserved for family members only.

Koto jumped to her feet. “You what?! You’re a- you’re a bloodbender?”

Hang flinched at the accusation. “I don’t know- I just-”

“Either you’re a bloodbender or you’re not. Did you bloodbend him?” Koto assumed a straight posture.

“I didn’t know I could-” Hang glanced at her hands. “It was a full moon, remember? It just all… happened.”

Aazir hesitantly put his hand on Hang’s shoulder. “Did you mean to?”

“You can’t accidentally bloodbend someone!” Koto ran her hands through her hair, messing it up. “It’s- it’s a deliberate act!”

“I know.’ Hang growled, anger rising in her voice. “And it was my choice to make. He killed my mother right before my eyes- he was going to kill me!”

“It’s not like you didn’t have other choices.” Koto spat, moving backwards towards the door. “You’re a waterbender, in the middle of a rainstorm on a full moon and your first instinct is to bloodbend? You could’ve done something else!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t.” Hang barked. “I bloodbent him, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it now, unless you have a secret airbending power that reverses time.”

Koto stiffened and turned to Haruko. It became aware to her that she hadn’t said anything about the subject since it had been brought up. Haruko struggled to speak. “I- I don’t know. There’s not much we can do about it now, though.”

“Whatever.” Koto scoffed before leaving the door. Haruko got up to follow her and caught it before Koto could slam it shut, closing it quietly behind it.

“We should talk.” Haruko led Koto into the room they were sharing and shut the door behind them.

“You’re defending her? For bloodbending?” Koto scoffed.

Haruko looked to the side to avoid the question. “I- I’m not defending anything. We just- Hang obviously had a reason she did what she did, and we should respect that. Communication, you know.”

Koto scoffed. “That’s a lot coming from the person that didn’t tell her little brother that their father’s a domestic terrorist. Or that she’s the Avatar.”

Haruko shook her head in shock. “Look- Aazir should’ve known about our dad by now, it’s not my fault he has the observation skills of a mole-rat. And you didn’t tell him about me, either!”

Koto scoffed. “He’s not my brother.”

“Tala and Jae and Hang aren’t my brother but you didn’t tell them.”

“Fine, fine.” Koto put her hand to her temple. “I’m not in the clear, either, but… this isn’t the way things are supposed to go!”

Haruko didn’t answer, waiting for Koto to finish speaking.

“Things aren’t supposed to go this way- for you, for me, for Hang, for any of us! There’s ways our lives are supposed to go, but they just keep- everything just falls apart over and over again.”

Haruko stiffened her posture. She put her hand over the doorknob. She couldn’t think of a way to respond to Koto’s worries. “This is just the way things are now, I guess. I’m going to go help Jae cook. Bye.” She didn’t wait for Koto’s response before shutting the door behind her.

unfortunate circumstances

“Keep your stance light, palms to the sky-” Koto chided, demonstronstrating the stance with everything but the motion.

Haruko nodded and copied Koto’s motion as best as she could. While she had gotten better at directing airflow, her actual airbending stances left much to be desired, at least according to Koto. After sending a gust of wind spiraling into the evening sky with nothing but her will, Haruko stumbled back, having accidentally caught a glimpse of the horizon- alight in the golden sunrise, the fog casting a glow over the entire city. Koto had woken her up before dawn to practice airbending on the rooftop, allowing Haruko to see a sight she normally wouldn’t have, the sunrise. Republic City was both everything she had dreamed and nothing like she had imagined, a world so distant from her own it seemed unreal. Even though she had gotten used to seeing the southern Spirit Portal on the horizon in the Southern Water Tribe, the city’s portal seemed so much closer, nestled in between skyscrapers but reaching into the heavens above them.

“You alright?” Koto walked over to Haruko and put her hand on her shoulder.

Haruko nodded and shook her head to clear it. “Yeah, I’m fine. Still getting used to the view, though.”

Koto nodded and paused, looking out onto the horizon. The golden-yellow glow complimented both the fiery robes she wore and the clear blue of her arrow tattoos. She sighed. “It is quite the view, isn’t it. I think we’ve had enough training for the morning, you wanna go get some breakfast?”

Haruko nodded and tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ears. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Despite being dead silent when they had left, the apartment was slowly stirring by the time Haruko and Koto returned. Aazir had woken up and was in the kitchen with Tala, preparing breakfast- in the two-or-so weeks they had stayed in Republic City so far, they had determined who’s cooking was inedible (Koto’s) and who fit to handle food. Jae had even drafted up a chore schedule. It was surreal to Haruko, how neatly they all fit into what had to be a temporary environment. No matter how simply things came together, they would all inevitably have to leave. She knew she wasn’t alone, the thought looming over all of them like a storm cloud on the horizon.

Surprisingly, Hang was up, sitting on the couch and talking to Jae. She seemed unusually at ease, for the past few weeks Haruko hadn’t seen much of her outside the occasional shared mealtime. Hang looked better, wearing her hair in her typical braid and donning one of the all-white outfits Tala had picked out for her- the firebender had explained the foggy swamp tribes wore white as a mourning color, and that they wanted to respect that part of Hang’s culture. Apparently, she had appreciated the gesture.

“Morning, Hang.” Haruko greeted as she sat down next to her friend. Koto sat opposite them, curling up on an armchair. “How’re you doing?”

Hang nodded and hummed in response. “Much better. I was talking with Jae-”

“I was telling her that I can teach her how to use that new sword of hers.” Jae interrupted, leaning over Hang to make eye contact with Haruko. It was only when she looked over Hang a second time did Haruko notice the blade sheathed and strapped to Hang’s belt, in the same place Jae held his knife.

Hang turned to Koto. “And before you say anything, it’s not Teijo’s sword.” She deadpanned, her voice uncharacteristically dry and monotonous. “Teijo can’t own a sword if he’s dead.”

Koto stammered and nearly fell out of her chair. “What- I never said- You’re making assumptions.”

Haruko cleared her throat to ease conversation. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re doing better, Hang.”

Hang smiled and put her hand over Haruko’s shoulder. “Thanks. You’ve all been too good to me,” She looked downward, lost in thought. “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

“Hey guys!” Aazir smiled as he and Tala entered the room, each carrying a plate of steamed buns, taking a moment to distribute them amongst the group.

“How’s everyone’s morning?” Tala smiled as they sat on the armrest next to Jae.

Haruko shrugged and turned to her brother, who looked to be sitting as far away from her as possible at the other side of the room.

“I’m good.” Jae turned up to Tala and launched into a story, evidently one he had told Hang already, judging by the way she rolled her eyes and cast a glance at Haruko.

As the conversation died down, Haruko looked to the maps and brochures Jae had spread out across the coffee table. One of them detailed the Spirit Wilds, showing a vibrant image almost reminiscent of Hang’s home swamp. “I think I’m going to go check out the Spirit Wilds.” She commented to no one in particular. After a few weeks in the city, she still hadn't seen them.

“Oh, I’ll come with you.” Koto commented. “Usually, you can’t get in without a tour pass, but I should be able to get you in for free.”

“Alright.” Haruko shrugged and followed Koto to the door. Before she left, she turned back to the only people still paying attention to them. “See you two in a few hours, I guess.”

Even though Koto gave lengthy, potentially-interesting insight as they walked through the spirit wilds, Haruko found it far easier to pay attention to the actual spirit wilds than she did her friend’s voice. The biome- she guessed it was the proper term, though she didn’t quite know- was such a striking difference from the city, it was jarring for the first few moments of the walk. As they journeyed deeper into the wild, Haruko noticed remnants of the city it had covered- cobblestone streets covered in moss, antique street lights transformed into pillars for vines to hang from. It was both like walking into a dream and stepping into the past, a wholly surreal experience, but one that felt eerily familiar to Haruko.

“So…” Koto paused her speech to turn to Haruko. “What’s on your mind?”

Haruko stumbled to speak. “What? No, there’s nothing on my mind. I’m fine.”

Koto’s brow furrowed. “I know you well enough to know that you aren’t the type to randomly go on a scenic walk. What’s up.”

Haruko stopped walking and looked down at her shoes. “I- fine. Fine.”

Koto stayed silent in wait of her response. Haruko gathered herself. “It’s just… I’ve got a lot to think about. I don’t know if what I’m doing is right-” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “I don’t want to mess anything up more that I already have but-”

“You could ask Korra.” Koto suggested, interrupting Haruko’s spiral. It took her a moment to realize the other girl wasn’t joking. Theoretically, she was supposed to be able to contact her past lives.

“Alright.” Haruko said. She looked up at Koto. “How do we do that?”

Koto paced around the clearing for a moment, her hand over her chin in thought. After a few moments, she rested her fist on her open palm. “We need to go to the museum.”

“What are you guys doing?” Tala laughed as they watched Koto pour over a map.

“They’re planning a museum heist.” Jae looked up from his magazine to comment.

Koto scoffed. “It’s not a heist… it’s a….break in.”

Jae looked between her and Tala. “Yeah, sure. A totally normal afternoon activity, planning a break in at the museum.”

“Why are you even planning a museum ‘break in’?” Aazir asked as he looked over the museum map Koto had spread over the dining table. The map itself had come from one of Jae’s brochures, and detailed the layout of the Avatar Museum underneath the statue of Avatar Aang standing in the bay.

Koto didn’t look up and gestured vaguely at Haruko.

“Uh….” Haruko stuttered when everyone turned to her. “We’re gonna try to contact Korra.”

“What’s that got to do with the museum?” Aazir scoffed. Haruko turned to Koto for an answer.

“The artifacts in the museum might trigger something- a memory or a reflex or something.” Koto explained. “Then Haruko might be able to commune with Korra.”

Haruko didn’t respond, her heart racing in anticipation of the unknown.

“And why are we breakin in?” Jae deadpanned.

Tala smirked. “To keep it all a secret.”

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Hang walked into the room, knockin on the doorframe to announce her presence. “But there’s something on the news you guys might want to see.”

No one said a word as they all filed into the living room to see what Hang was talking about. The vidset showed an image of a news anchor sitting at a desk, in front of a map of the northern UDES, the region around the Northern Air Temple.

“... according to reports by both airbenders and acolytes, temple residents have been vanishing from their homes…” The anchor announced in a voice too monotonous for the subject material. “The missing include temple Abbot Rohan, grandson of Avatar Aang, as well as-”

The message cut off before the anchor could complete their sentence. Haruko turned around the group to see that Tala had been the one to turn off the vidset. Koto held her hand over her mouth, like she was thinking.

“So.” Jae stated, trying to fill the silence. “Airbenders are going missing. What are we going to do about that?”

“We’re doing the same thing we were before.” Tala affirmed, looking Haruko in the eye. “Who knows, maybe Korra will have an answer for us.”

the musuem

To Haruko’s surprise, getting to the museum was the easier part of the plan. After a short bus ride from the Dragon Flats borough to the docks and an even briefer, waterbending-assisted ride on an ice raft, they washed up on the shore of what Koto had called Aang Memorial Island.

The island was small, one of the smaller land masses in the bay. Most of the space on the island’s surface was taken up by one structure- a large, almost pedestal-like building that supported the stone statue above it. Haruko had seen the statue when they first arrived in the city, but she hadn’t paid it more than a passing glance. Now, she was confronted with it all at once- a picturesque, off-green depiction of one of her past incarnations, looking not to her but to the city they had left. From such a close, low, angle she couldn’t see Aang’s face, yet the sight still caught her off guard, almost as much as the sudden touch to her shoulder.

Haruko spun around, only to see that it was just Jae. She sighed in a brief moment of relief. “Oh. It’s just you.”

“You alright?” Jae smiled, though it seemed somewhat forced. “You seem tense.”

Haruko shrugged and moved Jae’s hand off her shoulder. “Yeah. I’m good.”

Jae nodded and hesitated before responding. His voice, somehow, was still enthusiastic when he did. “Are you ready?”

Haruko couldn’t muster up an answer to the question, stalling for a long enough time that Koto was able to interrupt, moving to the front of the group so that everybody could see her.

“Alright, everyone!” She gave a forced smile and gestured wildly with her hands. “We’re here! This is it!”

“Relax.” Tala chided, moving up to Koto and surpassing her with a clap to the shoulder. The movement jostled the smaller-framed girl backwards. “Everything’s going to be fine. Let’s go.”

Haruko could hear Hang scoffed as they all started to walk towards the museum. “They’re sure optimistic.” Haruko considered moving back in the small crowd to walk with the waterbender, but was stopped when her brother approached her.

“Hey, Aazir.” Haruko said. She didn’t bother forcing a smile or any emotion into her voice. “So, are you ready?”

“I should be the one asking you that.” Aazir laughed. Haruko was glad- her brother didn’t seem angry with her anymore, or at least he was getting better at hiding it. “So, are you ready?”

Haruko couldn’t give a response. She put her hand over her arm, tracing the bold lines of her tattoos. “I don’t know.”

“Can you really be prepared to talk to a dead woman?” Hang laughed, interrupting the conversation and leaning over to make eye contact with them.

Haruko laughed. It was forced, but relieving. “Yeah. That.”

“Not only that, it’s a dead woman who’s apparently you.” Jae added after turning around to walk backwards. “Not to be like that, but I would really hate to be you right now. This is some weird stuff.”

“Are you gonna glow again?” Aazir recoiled, eyeing Haruko up and down as if she might enter the Avatar State at that very moment.

Haruko was quick to shake her head. “No, of course not! At least-”

“She might.” Koto added, her voice timid and soft. “That’s- that’s kind of what we’re going for, we want her to connect with her past lives.”

Hang leaned down so that she was closer to Haruko. “You know, the more I learn about this Avatar stuff the weirder it gets.” Haruko didn’t respond. Each passing moment, each mention of her title shortened her breath. She hoped she would wake up to find it all a dream.

“I’ve heard- my mother told me once- that one way for the Avatar to connect with their past lives is for them to manifest through the current Avatar.” Koto continued. Her gaze stayed fixed on Haruko the entire time. “So that might happen.”

“Oh, great. Haruko’s going to get possessed.” Tala replied dryly. “That definitely sounds like a good idea.”

Haruko looked at her shoes as she walked, not able to think of anything to say.

The interior of the museum was larger than Haruko expected, and much emptier. Despite what warnings Koto had given about the museum being patrolled at night by a few night guards, they hadn’t run into any so far. Haruko only wondered when their luck would run out.

The main room of the museum was large and ornate- more of a round, temple-like hall. Even with Tala’s self-made torch and Jae’s regular flashlight, it was still too dark for Haruko to take in the detailed, mosaic floor in full. She figured that, if seen in it’s completely lit glory, it would’ve taken her breath away.

“So, what are we looking for?” Hang said, already picking up a map from a directory desk. She beconked Tala closer to her so she could read.

“Anything about Korra would probably work.” Koto moved closer to Hang to read the map herself, then spun on her heels and pointed down a hall. “That way.”

After sharing a glance with Hang and Aazir, Haruko followed her friend down the hallway.

As they walked, Aazir kept adjusting the way his jacket sat over his layered tunic. It was going to get warmer soon, and he would have to lose the layers. Haruko turned to her brother. “Are you alright?”

Aazir gave a brief nod. “Yup. Totally. This is a perfectly normal sibling activity to be doing. We broke into a museum and now you’re gonna talk to a dead woman. This is very normal.” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

Haruko couldn’t help but laugh. “I was asking if you were cold or whatever, but yeah. It’s been a weird few months.”

“It’s a bit scary, isn’t it?” Aazir’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I mean, it’s all unknown. We don’t know what’s going to happen to us, we don’t know where we’re going. We don’t even know if this will work.”

“I know.” Haruko took a breath. She couldn’t bear to reply to her brother, there was no truth she could say that would make their situation better.

“Oh.” Aazir gestured ahead of them, to where Koto and Tala had stopped. “We’re here.”

The exhibit on Avatar Korra was labeled as such by a large plaque over the entrance of the hall, the past Avatar’s name written in silver characters each as tall as Haruko’s arm was long. Unlike the rest of the museum, which had been furnished in the neutral tones characteristic of the rest of the city, the hall dedicated to Korra was notably water tribe- furnished almost completely in varying shades of blue and white.

Haruko approached Koto as they filed into the room. “So, this is the place?” She asked. It was a stupid question, but Haruko didn’t know what to say.

Koto nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Yep. Is anything…. Resonating?”

Haruko looked across the hall, noting the exhibits set around across it. Unlike the main museum, most of the exhibits were still lit up. There were all sorts of artifacts- clothing preserved in glass boxes, jewelry and art and Korra’s own writing all accompanied by details written on plaques. It all seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn’t place it, no matter how hard she tried. Haruko turned to Koto and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Hey guys, check this out!” Jae called out before Koto could respond. His exclamation drew the attention of Hang, Tala and Aazir, who had been viewing other exhibits. Haruko followed their example and went to see what Jae was talking about.

“This is pretty cool, right?” Jae smiled. He stood over a glass case that held two objects- an electric glove almost identical to the one Tehreem wielded, and a wooden mask, painted and chipped. Haruko noticed the plaque at the bottom of the display, noting what the objects were, but Haruko couldn’t tear her eyes from that of the mask, or more accurately, the lack of them. There wasn’t a face behind that mask, even though Haruko was sure there should’ve been. Somehow, she had seen the mask before, with a set of eyes behind it. Seeing it empty now sent a shiver up her spine, she could almost feel the cold of a palm on the back of her neck.

“So, apparently, this mask is one of the originals that belonged to the leader of the Equalists, Amon!” Jae explained with an out-of-place enthusiasm. “Isn’t that cool! I mean, he was probably crazy, but it’s still cool!”

“Isn’t he the one who turned out to be a bloodbender?” Tala commented, turning to Hang for an answer. The waterbender could only shrug in response.

“I think that guy tried to kill my mom once.” Koto deadpanned. Her comment was answered by silence.

“That’s it.” Haruko stated. Her voice was weaker than she expected to be. She was afraid. “I remember that. I know that mask.”

Koto hesitated to respond, glancing between the mask and Haruko. “Alright. That’s a start… Let's go start the meditation.”

Without saying a word, Koto led Haruko to the center of Korra’s hall and sat her down in the center of the room before taking her own seat directly opposite her. Haruko watched as Koto put her hands in front of her, her fists facing each other so that her arrows pointed at one another, then copied the pose as best she could. When Koto closed her eyes, Haruko did the same.

“Focus… try to clear your mind…” Haruko could barely hear Koto’s whispers. She could feel the stares of her peers on her back and wondered if she was doing it right.

An image flashed across Haruko’s vision- the figure of a man, wearing the same mask she had seen only moments before. She could see his cold, blue eyes behind the mask, but only before he extended his hand over her face. Her vision went white the moment he touched her forehead.

imprisoned

Haruko woke to the sound of her brother’s voice, and the cold, still ground below her. It wasn’t earth- at least not earth she could bend- instead being made of hard metal. Sometime during her unconsciousness, or even the Avatar State session that had preceded it, someone had removed her jacket and put it under her as a pillow, though also exposing her bare arms to the cold air. As Haruko’s senses slowly lulled back to life, she tried to make sense of where she was- decidedly, not the museum by the lack of color and general structure of the room. Her friends were all sitting around the room, Koto and Jae closest to her.

“Oh, Haruko’s up.” Jae smiled and tapped her on the shoulder as she sat up. He wasn’t wearing his quiver, or the belt that held his knives.

Haruko put her hand to the temple as Jae and Koto helped her sit up. She could hear the sound of approaching footsteps on metal as Aazir and Tala rushed over to her.

“You went into the Avatar State,” Aazir explained as Haruko’s vision cleared. She could make out the distinct faces of her peers now.

“I know that.” Haruko groaned, pulling her jacket around her shoulders for warmth. Despite the efforts of her friends, her muscles ached from an unpleasant sleep.

“You can tell?” Hang asked. Haruko could make out the waterbender’s form somewhere behind Koto- close enough to be apart of the conversation and not have to move.

“Of course I can tell, why wouldn’t I-'' Haruko cut herself off mid-sentence. “That’s really not important right now.”

“Oh! What’s it feel like?” Jae jumped to face Haruko, enthusiasm in his voice.

Haruko furrowed her brow and turned to Koto. “Where are we?”

“The Republic City Police Department.” Koto offered. By now, Haruko had guessed they were in some sort of cell due to the sparse furniture and barred wall to her left. It made sense. “We got arrested, which we honestly should’ve planned for.” A silence fell over the group. “That’s on me. I should’ve thought it over more. I’m sorry.”

“Apparently the Chief is coming to see us, himself.” Tala said, quickly changing the topic to spare Koto’s emotion. They gestured to the airbender. “Because of her, I’m guessing.”

“Makes sense.” Hang shrugged. She turned to Haruko and shrugged. “Anyways, you didn’t miss much. Unless one of you two-” She gestured between Aazir and Haruko- “Learns metalbending, we aren’t getting out of here.”

“Even then it’s a longshot.” Jae glanced out the barred wall at something Haruko couldn’t see from her angle. “Lotta cops around this place.”

“We don’t need to escape, I can probably talk some sense into Mako.” Koto sighed. “At least, I hope we can. We kind of need to.”

“At the expense of what?” Haruko turned to her friend, trying to mask her concern.

“The world. These sorts of things affect everyone-” Koto looked Haruko dead in the eye. “Your choices affect everyone. We have to dance around them carefully, but at the same time-”

Haruko understood. It was what she had been dreading, but she understood. There would always be a point where they would have to come clean about it, and apparently, that time was now, no matter how much fear it filled her heart with. “Alright. I understand.”

“So… you’re going to tell them?” Tala asked, their voice uncharacteristically cautionary.

“I don’t know if we have a choice.” Haruko gathered her knees closer to her body, staring at a blank, fixed point on the wall. “We might have to.”

“Is that a risk you’re willing to take?”

Haruko hesitated. “I don’t know.”

Thankfully, Haruko was interrupted by the gate opening- the metal scrape across the ground producing a sound so horrendous and loud that it caught everyone’s attention and prevented her from speaking anymore. Haruko jumped to her feet with Jae and Tala, but relaxed when a group of armor-clad officers filed into the room, each holding a pair of handcuffs and keeping their metallic wires stationary at their belts. When she paused to count them all, Haruko noticed there were seven in total, one for each of them with a captain to spare.

One of the officers approached Haruko, singling her out from the group. It took her a moment to realize she wasn’t alone- everyone else was being approached individually as well. The truth gave her a semblance of relief before she looked into the man’s eyes.

“Are you… Haruko Saeed?” The man asked, checking a card he held that apparently had her name written on it. Haruko didn’t know how they had found her identity- she hoped that it was because her friends told the officers while she was unconscious and not because they looted around her belongings and found her ID- but she nodded.

“Alright,” The officer huffed, pocketing the card. “Hands out.”

Given no other choice, Haruko complied and was soon shackled. The handcuffs dug into her skin, but she wasn’t going to verbally complain. Instead, she turned to her friends, all similarly restrained.

“Single file line” The officer Haruko assumed to be the captain barked. Haruko obliged, as did her friends, and she ended up third in line, after Tala and Jae. She stiffened her posture when she caught a glimpse of the guards watching her. They might not have been planning on fighting their captors this time, but that didn’t mean she had to let her guard down.

“Alright.” The guard captain huffed, straightening his own posture in a way that made his metallic armor clank against itself. “Let’s get moving.”

From what Haruko could tell, the Republic City Police Department was a maze of prison cells, locked doors, and empty vending machines, though she suspected the officers were deliberately taking them on a longwinded path to deter their hopes of escape. The guard on Haruko’s left- the same man that had shackled her- made sure Haruko kept a steady pace until their procession made a sharp turn into a dark room.

It was clearly an interrogation room of some sorts- the only furniture a large metal table in the center. Haruko was surprised the officers had accommodations for a group of their size- the table in the room had a large, metallic bench on one side of it and a few singular chairs on the other. The officer that had accompanied Haruko the entire time took her by the forearm and sat her on the bench, in between Jae and Koto. She looked down to her left just to see that her brother was safe, if getting the exact same treatment.

Once the last of the procession- Hang- had been sat down, the man Haruko guessed was the captain marched to the front of the table, standing behind the chair. “Chief Sang-eo will meet with you shortly.” Before he could receive any response, the captain left the room, his squad following shortly behind him.

At the sound of the heavy door closing behind the last officer, the room fell silent save for a stray cough breathed by Aazir. After what couldn’t have been more than half a minute, Jae threw his hands onto the table and started fidgeting with them. It took Haruko a moment to figure out what he was doing.

“You’re breaking out?!” Haruko whispered, trying to keep her voice level despite her growing nerves. “Seriously?”

“Trying to,” Jae responded, matching her whispered tone.

“Wait, Jae’s breaking out?” Tala asked. “Why?”

Haruko could only shrug, but Jae had an answer- one he was confident to tell. “I keep bobby pins in my pockets, just for this reason.”

“Wow.” Tala deadpanned. “That would’ve been useful back in the Fire Nation.”

“No, I don’t think it would’ve given the circumstance.” Jae huffed as he focused on his work. The more Haruko thought about it, the more she doubted how much of an impact Jae’s lockpicking would’ve actually made.

“What?” Koto hissed, leaning over Haruko to get a better look at Jae. “Don’t do that, we’re supposed to be seeing the Chief of Police soon.”

Jae shrugged and massaged his wrists as the cuff fell off. “Too late for that.”

Koto glared at Jae and looked like she was about to start yelling at him before the heavy door creaked open. Haruko watched as Jae pulled his bare hands and the empty cuffs into his lap just as the Chief of Police walked into the room, alone.

The Chief of Police- Haruko was pretty sure he was named Mako- was a tall man with a relatively thin build, somewhere in his mid-sixties if Haruko were to guess. The gray of his hair and uniform both contrasted with the bright, fiery amber of his eyes. Unlike the other officers, he wore neither a helmet nor the metallic wire on his back. He sat down at the other end of the table and pulled out a clipboard.

“Tala Hira, Haruko and Aazir Saeed, Jae Seong, Hang Thao and… Koto.” Mako listed off all the names, looking each of them in the eye as he did so. “That’s all of you?”

Haruko made eye contact and nodded just before Koto’s outburst. The girl her still-restrained hands onto the table. “Mako, please! You have to listen to us!”

Mako recoiled for only a moment. “Koto, I need you to understand that this situation doesn’t look good for any of us. The daughter of the Air Nomad’s leader being arrested for-” He checked his clipboard. “Breaking and entering into a museum? With a bunch of wanted criminals in the UDES?”

Haruko glanced to Tala, who shrugged, as if to say, “It’s true’.

“There’s a reason for it,” Koto replied, her voice unnaturally stiff and determined. “We have a justification.”

“Well, I’d love to hear it!” Mako leaned back in his chair.

Koto took a breath to steady herself, and Haruko couldn’t help but share the other girl’s worry. “My friend Haruko over here… is the Avatar.”

Mako’s first reaction was to laugh. His second was graver. “You’re joking, right?”

Haruko shook her head. “We- we found out it was me almost six months ago now, when I accidentally airbent. I’m an earthbender, by the way.” Her voice wavered as she spoke, she could usually contain her nerves but they just kept coming out. “Koto- we figured that whatever was being said about Hanuel was a lie. I’ve also been into the Avatar State about… three times now.”

“She was actually in the state just before your officers arrived.” Tala added. “Hang was able to calm her down, though.”

Mako put his hand to his chin in thought. “Airbending…. What other elements have you bent so far?”

“Earth, obviously.” Haruko sputtered. She rested her hands on the table. “And water, also. I haven’t been able to firebend yet, though Tala’s been trying to teach me.”

Mako nodded and stood up, turning back to the table just before he exited the room. “I’ll be back soon.” Moments later, he returned with two objects, a glass of water and a key. He set the first on the table and used the second to unlock Haruko’s handcuffs.

“Are you a metalbender?” Mako asked. When Haruko shook her head, he nodded. “That’s alright then. I want you to show me your airbending first.”

“Ok…” Haruko massaged her wrists before angling her hands upward to create a miniature tornado that hovered centimeters above her palm. Mako watched with intent as she let the spiral dissipate, but didn’t say anything. The show wasn’t over yet.

“Alright.” Mako nodded. He gestured to the glass of water with his pen. “Now water.”

Haruko nodded and took a breath inward, focusing on the small amount of water in the cup. It was just like she had done before- there was nothing to it as long as she closed her eyes. When Haruko opened her eyes, she had pulled the water out of the cup to form a floating bubble in front of them. It was a simple act, but one so recognizable as waterbending that she could see the surprise on Mako’s face even through the water.

Haruko returned the water to the cup. “I’m sorry!”

Mako put his hand to his temple “No… no, it’s not-” He paused to think, and Haruko turned to study the expressions of her peers. Hang gave her a warm, appreciative smile, which she returned as best she could.

“This is quite the situation…” Mako muttered. He looked to Haruko, and then to the others “I- hm. I think we’re going to go see Jinora.”

return from shame

Hanuel had never seen the Fire Nation as dismal as it was in the weeks following the Fire Lord’s death. There had been storms before, in the weeks leading up to it all and even during the event itself, but it was a dark cloud hanging over them, a warning sign of what to come. Now, it had come- everything was all said and done and over and it had been almost a month since it all had happened. Hanuel was having trouble getting used to it all.

It had almost seemed sacreligious, a mockery of the sacred, to have the Fire Lord’s funeral during a rainstorm. When Hanuel brought this up to one of the Fire Sages, the man simply shrugged and told her that they were doing the best they could. Fire Lord Nozomi’s funeral was held indoors, a situation unfitting of her title. She was cremated alongside Teijo- who’s cause of death, at least according to every doctor and specialist Hanuel had spoken to- remained a mystery. The ceremony was immediately followed with another- the crowning of Jitsuko’s older sister, Ochako, as the new Fire Lord. The coronation was hushed, quiet, and somber, rooted in silent traditions Hanuel didn’t know exactly how to participate in. She found it off-putting that someone so young held a government title, and had to keep reminding herself that she held a position of power and was actually younger than Ochako. It wasn’t the same, exactly, and the disconnect bothered her.

After Ochako said a few words into a film camera- her first official speech as the Fire Lord- she disappeared into what was now her offices to presumably start her work as the leader of the nation. Later, behind a closed door, Jitsuko had told Hanuel that her sister was with child from her betrothed, and the wedding would most likely happen by the end of the summer before the baby’s birth. Jitsuko had mentioned that it meant she would still hold the title of Crown Princess- a position she now held, after her brother’s death and her sister’s ascension to the throne- until the child came of age, but didn’t indicate how she felt about the whole situation. When Hanuel asked her why she told her this, the other girl had shrugged and said, “I don’t know. The Avatar should know about current happenings, I guess.” Even the briefest lapse of Jitsuko’s self-regulation had caused Hanuel to second-guess herself. The fight had taken its toll on all of them.

Initially, Hanuel had suspected that Prime Minister Mira’s original order still stood- she would remain in the Fire Nation until she had mastered the element of fire (a task that, judging from her current firebending abilities, was still far off), no matter who the Fire Lord was. She had failed to consider that the woman meant to train her was busy running the nation, and should’ve been expecting Mira’s call. The Prime Minister had ordered her immediate return to Ba Sing Se with any companions that agreed to come (preferably all of them). It was for her safety, the woman had described. If the Fire Nation was under threat from anarchist terrorist organizations, the best thing to do would be to get her out of it until the situation calmed down. Only then would she be able to return to her mastery of firebending.

The day the UDES airship arrived to pick Hanuel up, it rained. Not a heavy, pouring rain like it had been that night, but a rain light enough that it gathered on the pavement and created a sheen of water only a quarter-inch thick.

Haruko breathed in the morning air like it was a cup of cold water, as if it could quell her emotion. It couldn’t so she turned to Mikah. “You ready?”

Mikah adjusted the outer layers of his robe. The both of them had adopted the cultural wear of the Fire Nation in the past few weeks, as a sign of respect for the departed, meaning they both wore white robes trimmed with gold lining and their hair in topknots. While the color and hairstyle both looked unnatural on Mikah, Hanuel would be lying if she said they didn’t flatter him.

“I don’t know…” Mikah muttered. His voice was soft. “Oh. You mean ready to leave.” He picked up his suitcase. “Yeah, I think so.”

Hanuel nodded and lifted her own bag. She fought the urge to ask what Mikah had initially thought she was asking and walked out to the airship.

The air was thick with humidity as Hanuel and Mikah made their way across the airfield, a sign of the coming spring. No longer protected by the rain awning, Hanuel soin found herself covered in cool rain, causing her to blink and look down at her feet. Everything seemed gray, from the sky to the ground to the metal hull of the airship waiting to whisk them back to Ba Sing Se. Hanuel had never been bothered by gray before, but this much of it seemed more jarring than calming.

“Wait up!” Jitsuko called from behind them. Hanuel turned around to see her friend running across the field, stepping carefully over puddles as to not damage or dirty her white dress.

“Hey, Jitsuko.” Mikah greeted before Hanuel could. When Mira had called them a few days ago, Jitsuko had declared that she would be staying in the Fire Nation to help her family recover and adjust to her new title. It made sense, though Hanuel was still disappointed by the reality.

After echoing Mikah’s statement, Hanuel asked. “Here to see us off?”

Jitsuko nodded and adjusted her glasses. It was only a matter of time before they got covered in rainwater. “Yeah. I figured I’d come say goodbye before you left. I’m glad I didn’t miss you.”

“By the looks of it, you almost did.” Mikah turned back to glance at the airship. The two Dai Li agents guarding the ramp didn’t react. “I’m glad you did, though.”

“Yeah.” Hanuel nodded. “Jitsuko- I’m, I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t get the image of Teijo’s corpse out of her head- when they found him, his body had been a mangled mess of limbs, drenched in water. While he hadn’t had the most honorable last moments, he deserved better than that, or at least Hanuel thought he would. It’s what Mira would’ve said.

Jitsuko turned to her feet. “Yeah, it’s ok. It’s just been a while.” She paused. “It might take some time to get used to.”

Instead of giving an awkward response, Hanuel turned to Mikah for support. The waterbender put his hand over her shoulder. “I think we should be going now.”

Jitsuko nodded and enveloped them both in a hug before they could leave on the airship. The motion startled Hanuel- Jitsuko had never been known for physical contact- but she complied, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl.

“Goodbye.” Jitsuko whispered, forcing the emotion out of her voice.

“Goodbye.” Hanuel echoed. “We’ll see each other soon.”

the island temple

The sky above Yue Bay was painted a soft pink, like the inside of a moon peach, as the ferry to Air Temple Island traveled across the open water, a solitary traveler due to the early hour.

Shortly after getting back all their belongings- which, jarringly, was mostly weapons- Mako had packed the entire group into his small police car and driven all of them to the piers, where he explained for the third time that they would be heading to Air Temple Island, to speak with Koto’s mother- of course, he only referred to her by ‘Master Jinora’.

Haruko leaned over the boat’s wooden railing, even though she knew it wasn’t the best idea. The water below was clear and still- only partially disturbed by the gentle movements of the boat. If she focused hard enough, she could see her own reflection staring back at her- filtered through the movement and the pink reflection of the sky.

“It’s a nice morning.” Tala said as they approached her, leaning their back against the railing so that they were facing in opposite directions but close enough to talk.

“Yeah. It is.” Haruko sighed, and turned around to look at the rest of the boat with Tala. They had been the only group boarding- Haruko suspected the island didn’t get many visitors so early in the morning- and the ship was managed only by a small group of acolytes and airbenders. Koto seemed to know each of them personally and had disappeared to presumably catch up with them. Jae and Aazir seemed to be doing the same thing she and Tala were- talking and sightseeing at the same time- and when the firebender caught her stare, they sent a salute at their friends. Hang was nowhere to be found, but Haruko knew the girl well enough to know she was probably at the back of the boat, to be closer to the water, or at least to be alone.

Haruko leaned up to look at the sky, as if she could get lost in it. She hoped that miraculously, she would, and she wouldn’t have to finally confront everything. Their journey- that had almost lasted half a year now- was finally coming to its monumental close, and Haruko couldn’t dread it more. She had no idea what would happen- what chapter would open itself once she finally closed this one. The temporary pleasantness of the moment seemed to taunt her, a cruel joke by the world. The sight of the spirit world on the horizon only added to her dread.

“The portal is weird,” Haruko stated blatantly. Tala hadn’t shown any indication of a certain topic they wanted to discuss, so Haruko figured it was as fair game as anything.

The sound of a laugh escaped Tala’s mouth. “Pfft- yeah? There’s a spirit portal in the Southern Water Tribe, but you never seemed that bothered about that one.”

“Yeah, it’s…” Haruko threw her hands in front of her to prove her point. “It’s different.”

“How? How is it different?”

“It’s…. It blended into the sky so I could ignore it most of the time.”

Tala stifled another laugh. “That’s the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard.”

“Well, it’s the excuse I’m going.” Haruko huffed, crossing her arms in front of her before bursting out in laughter. It really was a lame excuse.

Tala sighed and looked up to the sky, pushing more of their weight onto the wooden support. “Haruko… I never really apologized, did I?”

The statement caught Haruko off-guard. “Apologize? For what?”

“About your father.” Tala’s voice grew deeper, lacking the enthusiastic spikes of emotion present in it. “I… I’ve known him for years, ever since I was a kid. I knew his name, and when I heard you and Aazir had the same name… I don’t know why I didn’t tell you.”

The beat of Haruko’s heart rattled against her ribcage. “You… you knew him?” Somehow, it had never occurred to her that Tala would know her father. He had been missing for so long, but it was hard to imagine what his life was like without her in it.

Tala nodded, the movement stiff and restrained. “Yeah. He- he never mentioned anything about you or Aazir, or about his past in general. I know that Arnook knows about his history, and I’d bet good money that Tehreem does too. I don’t know about Ahsa, though.”

“Oh.” Haruko replied. It was all she could say.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Tala said. “I should’ve told you two sooner, when I first figured it out. I was just- I was scared. I didn’t know what you would think about me once I did, and once the truth was out there it was too late and every moment seemed like the wrong one.”

Haruko nodded. She understood- having personal experience carrying heavy secrets. She put her hand around Tala’s arm, pulling them over for a hug. “I’m glad you told me.”

Tala wrapped their arms around Haruko. They radiated of warmth and were almost too tall for the action. “Thank you. I wish I could’ve told you sooner, before it all fell apart.”

“I know.” Haruko said as she broke away from the embrace. “You should probably tell this to Aazir, by the way.”

“Yeah.” Tala nodded, walking backward in the direction of her brother. “That’s what I was gonna do to do.”

Upon reaching the shores of Air Temple Island, Mako took it upon himself to usher them all up the docks and into one of the buildings closest to the island entrance, much to Koto’s protest of knowing the temple better than him anyways. After taking off their shoes, coats, and any weapons they had been carrying, they were all- even Mako- ushered into a small, window-lit office room.

Haruko recognized the man behind the desk- thick dark hair, prominent, square features, the blue of his arrow tattoo. The more she looked at the man, the more she could’ve sworn it was Kelsang, Koto’s older brother, other than the length of his hair and the glasses over his nose.

After one moment too many of sitting there while they all sat in silence, the man looked up. He had exchanged a few greetings with both Mako and Koto when they first entered the room, but Haruko hadn’t been close enough to hear them and he hadn’t spoken since. He cleared his throat. “I’ve got all you’re paperwork filed.” When answered with silence, he paused awkwardly. “Oh. You’re probably wondering who I am.”

“Guys, this is my brother, Tenki.” Koto leaned forward so that everyone could better see her. “He’s the head temple administrator.”

Tenki nodded in humility. “I am. And you’re-”

“Are you and Kelsang twins?” Aazir asked bluntly. Haruko elbowed him in the side for the rude question, to which he scoffed. “They look alike!”

“Yes, we are.” Tenki adjusted his glasses. “But I digress. This report by Chief Sang-eo says you all are requesting an audience with my mother-” he glanced at Koto awkwardly. “Our mother. Master Jinora, allegedly about… spiritual issues.”

Haruko nodded, preparing for the worst. At the very best, they’d have to wait a day before they got to see Koto’s mom, assuming they didn’t get a streak of luck like they did when trying to meet with Saila.

“Alright.” Tenki nodded. He stood up to dust off his robes and walk to the door. “I think she’s in the middle of a class right now, but we should be able to catch her before her next.”

Haruko couldn’t believe it, but decided not to stress the issue and followed.

Jinora was in a courtyard, teaching a group of yellow-clad children some airbending forms Haruko recognized from her own training. As soon she saw the group approaching from the entrance, she quickly dismissed the class and ran up to embrace her daughter.

“Koto!” Jinora wrapped her hands around Koto. She was notably shorter than all three of her children and had dark, graying hair tied into a neat bun. “Koto, where have you been? Cloud returned here a month ago and we all thought-”

“I was fine, Mom.” Koto broke from the hug to look her mother in the eyes. “I was staying with some friends. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. My friends.” She cast a glance to Haruko, which Jinora followed.

“Oh.” Jinora replied. “Ok.”

“You should probably get Kai,” Mako added. “And we should head inside. It’s a- uh- sensitive matter.”

“Alright.” Jinora nodded. “I think Kai’s on break, we should be able to find him. Come, follow me.”

Jinora led them into one of the temple’s main structures, where they intercepted a man Haruko assumed to be Kai and gathered into a living space with a door that locked. There was just enough space for them all to sit down.

“So, Koto,” Jinora said as she sat down next to Kai. Haruko had since discerned that he was her husband, and therefore, Koto’s father. “Tell u about your friends.”

“I met these people traveling the Earth Kingdom, on the run from the law.” Koto explained. “That sounds bad, but I promise we have a good reason. Haruko and Aazir are sandbenders from the Pathara tribe, Hang’s a waterbender from the Foggy Swamp, Tala’s a firebender from the Coral Isles-”

“And I’m a nonbender from here.” Jae interrupted, ignoring the glare Koto sent him. “My name is Jae.”

“Alright.” Kai nodded. “It sounds like you’ve got a full set there, then. Why were you on the run?”

“It’s- it’s complicated.” Koto looked to Tala.

“We’re actually also on the run from the Red Lotus, a group I’m… formerly affiliated with,” Tala explained as cautiously as they could.

“Oh,” Kai replied, then repeated himself. “Oh.”

“You said the concern you had was spiritual?” Tenki asked.

“Yes.” Koto alternated between looking at Haruko and Mako. “Uh-”

“Last night, this group of teens broke into the Avatar Museum on Aang Memorial Island,” Mako slowly explained, resting his hand on Haruko’s shoulder. “I’ve since learned that this one… is Korra’s reincarnation.”

A silence fell across the room, only punctured by the beat of Haruko’s heart. She couldn’t make eye contact with anyone, so she looked down at her own hands- palms slick with sweat.

“Mako…” Kai whispered. “Are you-”

“He’s telling the truth!” Aazir exclaimed. “That’s… that’s kind of why the Red Lotus is after us. We think they know.”

“So does the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe,” Hang added. “Chief Saila. And Asami Sato. We’ve been trying to get to you ever since we found out, actually.”

Jinora cast a worried glance across the room before settling on Mako. She didn’t say anything, but her question was written all over her face: Is this girl the Avatar?

“I saw her bend both air and water only an hour ago.” Mako’s grip around Haruko’s shoulder grew firmer. “And she’s told me that she’s an earthbender as well. This girl…. This girl is Korra’s reincarnation. Not Hanuel.”

Kai leaned back and put his hand over his forehead. “Oh. Ok. This is… this is really bad.”

Haruko’s only reaction was to look down. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes.

“No, don’t cry-” Jinora leaned forward before putting her hand over her temple. “It’s Haruko, right?”

Haruko managed to make eye contact just long enough to nod.

Jinora returned the gesture. “Alright. I want you to take a walk with me in a bit.” She turned to her husband and son. “Can you ask them all about what’s been happening and get them settled here on the island?” After receiving nods from both, Jinora stood up and walked to the door, beckoning for Haruko to follow.

The garden Jinora led Haruko to was small and minimalistic, entirely enclosed by a few walls. It seemed like the ideal place for the two of them to talk, under the shade of a willow tree. Haruko didn’t know a thing about gardening principles, but even she could see the subtle influences of Air Nomad design in the architecture.

Jinora sat down on the grass and motioned for Haruko to follow. Haruko did, but instead of assuming Jinora’s relaxed position, wrapped her arms around her knees.

“So…. it’s you?” Jinora asked.

Haruko nodded. “I’ve… I’ve bent three out of four elements so far and been into the Avatar State a handful of times. I don’t think it could be anyone else.”

“How long have you known?”

“About… six months ago now. Last fall, I accidentally airbent after falling off a building.” At Jinora’s look of surprise, Haruko looked down. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Alright….” Jinora nodded. “You’re seventeen, right?”

“Right.”

“I don’t know how we didn’t find you… we searched the globe for years before the White Lotus declared Hanuel as the Avatar.”

“I mean, I did live in a desert for the first seven years of my life.” Haruko shrugged.

“There is that.” Jinora hesitated to respond. “And… we were still rebuilding from what both Zaheer and Kuvira did to your nation, as well as Korra’s death. It wasn’t… I don’t think it was the right time for a new Avatar to come into the world, if you know what I mean.”

Haruko understood. She knew Korra had died young and abruptly, leaving a mess in her wake. She even knew her very existence was a part of that mess. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t have any fault in this. I don’t know who’s fault it actually is, but it’s not yours.”

“What’s going to happen with Hanuel?” Haruko asked.

Jinora hesitated to respond, lost in deep thought. “I don’t.. I don’t exactly know. Ideally, we could come forward with the truth and make a peaceful transition of Avatar duties, but I’m not exactly sure. The world…. It’s in a very fragile state right now. I’m sure Saila told you no less.”

“I know.” Haruko nodded. “Do you- do you think Hanuel is going to be alright? I don’t want to hurt her.”

“The truth can hurt sometimes, but it will be better for her if she learns it.” Jinora put her hand over Haruko’s shoulder. “But only at the right time. Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” Haruko asked, although she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

“To be the Avatar.”

“No.” The answer was simple, definite, and clear. “I’m not ready. I don’t- I’m scared.”

“The time will come eventually…” The statement caught Haruko off-guard, for so long this had been the time. “But we can work around it as best as we can.”

“Even if that means lying to Hanuel for longer?”

Jinora didn’t answer the question, instead changing the subject. “I’m sure you’ve seen the news lately.”

“About the Fire Lord?” Haruko asked. “Or your brother?”

“My brother.” Jinora clarified. “He’s been missing for weeks now, and I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I think this could be the work of the spirits.”

“Ok.” Haruko nodded, pretending to understand the statement. “Why?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time spirits have abducted humans, and now I have a reason as to why. They could be upset that the identity of the Avatar has not truly been discovered.”

“Alright.” Haruko looked at her hands as she slowly connected the dots. “Then, what can I do to fix it and bring the airbenders back?”

“I need you to connect with your spiritual self.” Jinora rested her hand on Haruko’s shoulder. “I can help guide you- I guided Korra into the spirit world when we were young. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to help.”

Haruko nodded and tried to collect herself. “Ok. Alright. I think I can do that.”

Jinora smiled. “Good. I’d be glad to help guide you in any way I can.” She hesitated. “Haruko, I want you to know how sorry I am about all this.”

Haruko shook her head. “I get the feeling this isn’t your fault either.” She didn’t add how she didn’t know who’s fault it was.

stiff air

The shining sight of Ba Sing Se’s rings filled Hanuel with a dread she wasn’t expecting them too. She shouldn’t have felt so scared, so uneasy as she saw the inlaid discs of urban life gleam in the morning sun, but she did. There was something so wholly wrong about returning with promises unfulfilled.

The people of Ba Sing Se seemed to disagree. Crowds had flooded the streets of every ring, cheering and holding up signs to celebrate the return of their Avatar. Even from the inside of the airship, Hanuel could hear the noise as she leaned close to the glass.

“We’re certainly back in the UDES.” Mikah snickered, adjusting the collar of his white lotus robe. Hanuel didn’t know why he had donned it, when she had asked he had simply said he thought it was right.”

Hanuel forced a laugh and gave in to looking behind her back to check on the Dai Li agents watching them. The cloaked officers had been a constant part of her life since when she was eleven years old and announced as the Avatar, but she had never gotten used to them. The traditional, dark cloaks and wide-brimmed helmets only helped the men look like they walked straight out of a historical saga and into reality. Whenever she did catch a glimpse of one of the men's eyes, it sent a shiver down her spine. That had been when she was younger, still a child, but she had only barely grown out of her fear.

Mikah leaned forward on the rail to wave to the middle ring, even though they probably couldn’t see him from so far away. “So, are you happy to be back home?”

Hanuel sighed. “I don’t- I don’t know.”

The small, sterile area fell silent save for the rumbling of the airship’s engine and the whirring of the air conditioning. It was cold. Hanuel adjusted her collar.

After a moment, Mikah asked. “Really? Why”

“I- I don’t know.” Hanuel huffed. She leaned against the metal railing. She had to say something- she couldn’t just leave her best friend hanging. Hanuel decided on a lie. “I’m just upset, really. We had just gotten to the Fire Nation, and now we're back here. It’s kind of lame.”

“I can see that.” Mikah nodded to himself. He did this repeatedly, as if he was reassuring himself. “Yeah. That makes sense. It won’t be the same without Jitsuko, too.”

“Yeah.” Hanuel muttered. She didn’t want to look down as they passed over the upper ring, so she focused on the metallic soles of her shoes. “Hopefully she comes back soon. Or we can go see her. I still have to learn firebending, after all.”

“True.” Mikah sighed. “Shame you aren’t on water or air yet. If there was instability in say, the South Pole, you could just come to the North. Or vice-versa. Same with the air temples.”

“Too bad there’s only one Fire Nation.” Hanuel cracked a smile. She didn’t know if she actually did like the idea of there being two Fire Nations. “I wonder if Mira might let me train in Republic City. Maybe Uncle Mako could teach me.”

“He’s the Chief of Police, right?” Mikah asked. When Hanuel nodded, he returned the action. “Yeah, I don’t know. She might, especially since he’s family. And a friend of your past life. It might be good for you, you should ask about it.”

Hanuel turned to the palace they were now only moments away from. After a few day’s trip, they had made it. “Yeah…” She muttered. While she had been gone, Mira had finally put out the golden statute of her that she had commissioned years ago. It was almost surreal for Hanuel to see the perfect replica of herself, alight in the golden light of the morning. The statue looked to the sky, just above Hanuel’s own head, with its arms outstretched like it was giving something to the people of Ba Sing Se. “I might.”

“So…” Yu Yan asked as she led Hanuel and Mikah through the large, empty halls of the palace. She had thankfully diverted away the press that had flooded them upon landing, saying that the Avatar was tired from her journey and needed rest. Surprisingly, the excuse had worked. “How was your trip?”

Now that Hanuel had seen the Fire Nation, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the architecture of her homeland. It was larger than she remembered it being, tall columns reaching into a dark ceiling, an overwhelming brutalness of stone that humbled everything. Even she couldn’t stand next to it without feeling small, and there was a gilded, ten-foot-tall statue of her in the courtyard.

“Avatar Hanuel?” Yu Yan asked. She stopped walking to turn to Hanuel. “Are you alright?”

Hanuel stumbled backwards, but caught herself before she could fall. “Y-yeah. I was alright.”

“Seeing the Fire Nation was fun.” Mikah filled in for Hanuel, sending her a worried glance. “Neither of us had ever been before. The rest of it wasn’t.”

It took a while for Yu Yan to respond, even with a nod, but eventually, she did. “My deepest condolences for what you had to go through when there. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Hanuel looked at the ground. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Alright.” Yu Yan stated before turning to Mikah. She spoke softly, so her voice wouldn’t echo through the hallway. “The Prime Minister wants to speak with the Avatar. Can I trust that you’ll be alright?”

“Yeah.” Mikah nodded. “I should be fine.” He sent Hanuel a sympathetic smile, wordlessly saying ‘good luck’.

Hanuel gave Mikah a silent wave before following Yu Yan down the hall.

“So,” Prime Minister Mira folded her hands over her desk. “I will say, I’m disappointed to see you back so soon.”

Hanuel immediately jumped to defend herself- none of what happened in the Fire Nation was her fault- but bit her tongue before she could. She straightened her posture into a polite, relaxed position. “I understand.” Hanuel kept her voice soft.

Mira nodded sagely. “Yes, it’s really a shame about Nozomi. She was a very beloved leader, from what I understand.” The woman looked to Hanuel, as if she might have commentary, but continued when she said nothing. “Yes, it’ll be a struggle adjusting to the new position of power, especially since the girl’s not of royal blood. That’s the thing about monarchies, though. They’re doomed to fail.”

Hanuel nodded out of obligation. She didn’t want to get into a conversation about politics with her guardian. Not now.

“How’d your firebending training go?” Mira took a moment to reorganize the files on her desk, waiting for Hanuel’s response.

“It-it didn’t go very well.” Hanuel confessed, breaking away from eye contact for the first time in the conversation. “I couldn’t produce a flame the entire time we were there.”

“Oh.” The false pleasantness in Mira’s voice dropped, but only for a moment. “Well, I’m sure it’s nothing. You were only there for a few months. Once things get back to normal, you’ll be firebending in no time.”

Hanuel decided not to answer, but instead turned to the files covering the desk. Mira never kept her desk this messy. “What’s project vine?” She asked.

“Uh- pardon?” Mira’s voice cracked.

“It’s on the paper.” Hanuel pointed to the file- a report reading ‘Project Vine Containment Protocol and Report: 1373’. “I’ve heard the name somewhere else before, too.”

“It’s- it’s none of your concern.” Mira took the file from Hanuel and stowed it in one of her filing cabinets. “Unrelated, but would you like to visit your family anytime soon?”

“Can we go to Republic City?” Hanuel asked. She wanted to ask more about the project, but Mira had clearly changed the subject. “To see my airbender family. I don’t see them as often.”

Mira leaned back in her armchair. “I don’t see the problem with that. In fact, I can arrange it by the end of the week.”

“Thank you.” Hanuel said, ignoring her own nerves. “I’m sorry I failed you again.”

The next thing Mira said should’ve comforted Hanuel, but it didn’t. “Don’t apologize. You’ll learn in time, my child.”

spiritual detachment

Only hours after they arrived at Air Temple Island, Haruko and the others were set up in the acolyte quarters and given schedules to live by while they worked things out. Each day, for weeks, Haruko would wake up in a small, orderly room, spend her waking hours studying and meditating with Jinora and running through firebending drills with Tala, in secret, before going to bed to do it all over again the next day. It was easy to fall into a routine, but Haruko couldn’t shake the feeling that it wouldn’t last. Nothing ever did.

Haruko walked as briskly as she could through the hallways without getting lost. It was in vain, though, because she had apparently overestimated how well she knew the temple’s layout. Within moments, she was completely lost.

While the temple was fairly populated, it was large enough that most of the hallways remained mostly empty. It wasn’t always the case, though, as Haruko almost ran into a tattooed, orange-clad girl after turning a sharp corner.

“Oh!” Haruko exclaimed, jumping away from the Airbender she almost collided with. “Sorry- I didn’t see you there.”

The girl smiled, shrugged, and put her hand to the back of her head. “No, no, it’s fine. I didn’t see you either.”

“Yeah.” Haruko laughed awkwardly. The more she studied the girl’s features, the more familiar she seemed. “Are you-”

“Tashi Beifong.” The girl smiled. “We met a while ago, back in Jing Zi, remember?”

Haruko nodded, remembering as much as she could about Koto’s companion. “Oh. Yeah. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Tashi nodded. “Yeah, it kinda has. I didn’t really think we’d ever meet again, so it’s nice to meet again. So, what’re you doing on the island?”

The question caught Haruko off-guard, even though she had been expecting it. “Oh, we’ve just been traveling with Koto- and it’s kind of complicated- and it’s really too much to get into right now.” She cut herself off before she could make even more of a fool out of herself.

“Oh… ok.” Tashi hesitated. “Well, where are you headed?”

“Uh, I’m looking for Koto.” Haruko explained, trying to ignore how easily Tashi figured out that she was lost.

Tashi smiled. “Oh! I saw her and Hang earlier, they’re in the east library.”

“East library, got it.” Haruko nodded and turned in the direction of the east library. “See you later!”

“Morning, Haruko!” Hang waved as Haruko walked into the east library. It was one of the larger archive rooms on the island but still felt small due to the density of bookshelves lining every wall and climbing to the arched ceiling. Like every other room, the windows had been left open, letting in a soft spring breeze and morning light that illuminated the clouds of dust dancing around the empty space. The rooms only current inhabitants were Hang and Koto sitting at one of the tables, and now Haruko.

“Good morning.” Haruko smiled as she sat down at the table. The surface was covered by an array of books, scrolls and ledgers, detailing subjects Haruko couldn’t decipher. Koto hovered over the books closer to her, lost in whatever she was researching.

“What’s all this about?” Haruko pulled one of the books closer to her. It was a map of some kind, but the landscape it detailed was strange and vague. She didn’t recognize any of the place names.

Hang leaned over and took the book from Haruko. “Research on the Spirit World. Jinora said that we should work together on it.”

“I don’t know why she said that, when I can work fine on my own.” Koto scoffed. She didn’t look up from her reading. “But, yeah. We’re working together on this.”

Haruko glanced at Hang to see if the airbender’s disdain was mutual, but Hang’s attention had been caught on a group of spirits in the window.

“So….” Haruko looked down at the book. “How’s research going?”

Hang turned back to the table and smiled. “It’s actually pretty interesting stuff. That book you’ve got is a hypothetical map of the spirit world, actually.”

“Hypothetical…?” Haruko looked back at the atlas. The map itself looked half-drawn, as if the cartographer had found the project too difficult to complete.

“Yeah, the spirit world’s pretty weird, according to Jinora. She said that the landscape changes constantly, and that it reacts to your emotional state. No one’s been able to successfully navigate it, but” Hang gestured to the book. “That obviously didn’t stop this guy from trying.”

Haruko nodded and flipped through the rest of the book. Most of the pages were decorated with similar, vague images of mystical locations, but a few had text descriptions. Allegedly, the maps had been created by a great spiritual scholar eight or nine centuries ago, and had nearly been lost because of the Air Nomad genocide two hundred years ago.

“Hey, Koto, have you ever been to the spirit world?” Haruko said as she put down the book. Like many things, it seemed like the type of thing Koto would know about.

Koto took a moment to respond. “Once, through the portal. I haven’t ever been able to meditate there.”

Haruko glanced at Hang for more of an answer, even though she doubted the waterbender would have one.

“Don’t look at me!” Hang exclaimed. “I’ve never been to the spirit world, portal or no portal.”

While Haruko had been focused on her conversation with Koto and Hang, Tala had entered the room and come to stand over the table.

“I bet you could, though.” The firebender added as they hovered over the books next to Koto. “Meditate into the spirit world, I mean. Arnook said you had spiritual potential.”

“Are we really trusting what Arnook had to say about these kinds of things?” Koto sent a glare at Tala. “Also, what are you doing here? Don’t you have… fires to make or something?”

Tala shrugged. “I’m just saying, if Hang has spiritual potential then she has spiritual potential.”

Hang rested her head in her hands. “Yeah, I’m with Koto on this one. I’m no spiritual expert, like Jinora is. I grew up on the streets of Jing Zi, if you remember.”

“Which isn’t exactly a spiritual hub.” Haruko snickered. “In fact, it might be the opposite.”

“Forget I even said it.” Tala shrugged. “Y’know who definitely has spiritual potential, though, is Haruko. Y’know, because of the Avatar thing?”

“Were you talking to my mom?” Koto groaned.

Tala feigned shock and put their hand over their heart. “And what if I was?”

Even Koto couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the comment. “Speaking of,” Haruko turned back to the spirit atlas. “Have any of you seen Jinora around? She wasn’t in her study for our morning meditation.”

Hang shook her head. “We saw her earlier but haven’t heard from her since.”

“She’s probably in a meeting or something.” Koto rolled her eyes. “It’s probably not that important.”

As if on cue, Jinora entered the library, flanked by Jae and Aazir. After closing the door behind her, she walked to the head of the table. Aazir sat next to Haruko, but didn’t say anything.

Before she spoke, Jinora took a breath to steady herself. “There’s been a… recent development. Everyone’s here, right?”

Haruko exchanged a glance with Jae and Hang before nodding. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Good.” Jinora replied. “I… well, I’m afraid things aren’t going to plan.”

“What do you mean?” Koto asked, her worry present in her voice.

“I just got off a call with the Prime Minister of the UDES.” Jinora put her hand over her forehead. “She’s sending the Avata- Hanuel Beifong over to the island. I don’t know why and wasn’t able to stop her. I’m sorry.”

A silence fell over the room until Hang spoke. “So… what now?”

Jinora pulled up a chair and sat down in it. “Well, we have two options. You all can stay here and tell Hanuel…. Everything, or….”

“Or what?” Aazir asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Or you could leave the island.”

Koto straighened her posture and crossed her arms. “This isn’t a question. We’re staying here, we’ve got work to do.”

“Well, it’s not that simple.” Hang added. She spoke slowly. “Hanuel- she’s in the pocket of the law. Prime Minister Mira basically controls everything she does, right?” She looked to Jinora for confirmation.

“Hang’s right.” Jinora nodded. “If Hanuel finds out about something, it’s only a matter of time til Mira does.”

“Exactly.” Hang put one hand to her chest and gestured to Tala with the other. “And we’re wanted criminals. You catch my drift.”

Koto stiffened. “You’re a wanted criminal, not me. Speak for yourself.”

Hang bristled but couldn’t speak before Tala put their hand over Koto’s shoulder. “I hate to break this to you, but we’re all wanted in at least two nations.” Koto simply scoffed in reply.

“And that’s why staying at the temple isn’t the best idea.” Jinora put her hands over her temple, but moved to straighten her hair so the motion seemed natural. “We really don’t want you all to end up in jail.”

“So leaving is the best option.” Jae remarked and ignored the glare Koto sent him. “Where would we go?”

“Are we sure we want to leave?” Koto scoffed, then gestured at the books covering the table. “I mean, we’re doing work here.”

Jinora looked down at the array of literature. “I think we might be able to solve both issues. There’s spiritual shrines and locations all across the Earth Kingdom. If you go to these sites, it might be easier for Haruko to meditate into the Spirit World and speak to Korra.”

“Is there a reason she can’t just go through the spirit portal here and talk to Korra through that?” Hang asked.

Jinora nodded. “Everything I’ve read told me that it wouldn’t work. Korra… she tried it and it didn’t work, so I can only assume it wouldn’t work for Haruko.”

“Oh.” Haruko pulled her jacket closer around her. The thought of speaking to Korra still sent a chill down her spine. It felt wrong, like she was usurping a title that wasn’t hers.

“It- it might work. It’s our best option.” Jinora said. She turned to her daughter. “Koto, I won’t be able to come with you. I need you to lead Haruko into the Spirit World so that she can speak to Korra.”

Koto stiffened and took a breath to stifle her emotions. “I can do that.”

“Good, good.” Jinora nodded before turning to the rest of the group. “You should all get packing. It would probably be best if you leave as soon as possible.”

shame and secrets

Hanuel and Mikah reached Air Temple Island underneath the bright, orange sky of evening. Even on the fastest airship the UDES military could provide, it had taken them a few day’s worth of travel to cross the continent to Air Temple Island.

The Republic City Skyline gleamed in the evening light, illuminated by the sun setting behind it. Hanuel had grown up in a city and lived most of her life in another one, but both Zaofu and Ba Sing Se paled in comparison to the scale of Republic City. It was a metropolis- a maze of concrete towers risen from the ground up, as if they might scrape the heavens. The centerpiece of the skyline was the Spirit Portal- a collum of pure light that stretched farther into the sky than anything else, visible from anywhere in the city. Hanuel couldn’t help but be awed as she leaned on the glass of the airship. “It’s amazing…”

“The Spirit Portal?” Mikah asked. When Hanuel nodded, he smiled. “Yeah, it sure is something. You know, there’s a Spirit Portal in the Northern Water Tribe, too.”

“Really?” Hanuel asked, even though she had known for years about the Northern Spirit Portal.

Mikah nodded. “Yeah. It’s red, though. You should come up north, sometime. I think you’d like it there.”

Hanuel nodded and tried to ignore the warmth in her cheeks. “Yeah, maybe we could.”

Upon arriving at the island, Hanuel and Mikah were greeted by a small group of airbenders and acolytes. Almost as soon as she had stepped off the platform, Haneul found herself enveloped in a warm hug.

“Kai!” Hanuel exclaimed as soon as she had the chance to look back at the man. Koto’s father wore both his bright smile and his blue arrow tattoos with pride, though there was something behind the dark of his green eyes. “Is everything alright?”

“No, everything’s alright.” Kai shook his head, but he seemed like he was trying to reassure himself more than her. “Everythings alright. It’s nice to see you.”

Hanuel forced a smile and turned to Mikah, who was speaking with one of the acolytes. After making sure her friend was ok, Hanuel turned back to Kai. “I’m excited to be here, after everything that happened. It will be nice to get the chance to relax.”

“I’m sure it will be.” Kai smiled and led Hanuel further into the temple. “I’m sorry things didn’t go well in the Fire Nation.”

Hanuel looked down to her feet. Every mention of what had happened in the Fire Nation stung as much as the actual event. She had failed, and it had cost actual human lives. It was all too fresh and real. “Yeah…”

“Do you want to… talk about it?” Kai lowered his voice.

“No, I’m fine.” Hanuel shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m just happy to be here.”

Kai nodded. “Yeah, that’s the spirit. We’re all happy to have you here, so don’t worry about anything.”

Hanuel nodded. As much as she wanted to believe Kai, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being lied to. “I- ok. Thanks.”

When Kai stopped walking, Hanuel looked up, only to find that they had arrived in what she assumed was their destination- one of the temple’s many open courtyards. Despite being completely walled in, the space seemed open and airy, probably due to the fact that if she looked up, Hanuel could see the sky without obstruction.

Like most Air Nomad gardens, the courtyard was decorated in a sparse, minimal fashion, at least compared to the extravagant arrangement Hanuel was used to seeing in Ba Sing Se. Instead of filling every conceivable space with greenery, the gardeners of Air Temple Island opted to leave most of the space open, letting both people and air currents through. Across the large space, airbenders and acolytes gathered in small groups to talk. Hanuel even recognized some of them.

“Tashi!” Hanuel exclaimed, waving to her cousin. “Hey, Tashi!”

As soon as her name had been called out, Tashi turned from the girl she had been talking to and ran over to Hanuel, immediately enveloping her in a hug. “Hanuel! It’s been so long!”

“Hey, it’s only been a few months!” Hanuel laughed as she returned the embrace. “I was off on Avatar business, you know? It’s important stuff.”

Tashi laughed and stepped away from Hanuel. “Yeah, I know. I know. I’m glad you’re here, now. It’ll be fun to catch up!”

Hanuel nodded. “It will.” She leaned down to Tashi’s height. “Don’t tell anyone, but I really need this break. Being the Avatar is so tiring.”

Tashi stifled a laugh. “Yeah, sure. Anyways, you just missed Koto, she left this afternoon.”

“Koto was here?” Hanuel asked. She turned to Kai, hoping he would know something about the whereabouts of his daughter.

Kai nodded, albeit reluctantly. “She was, though she had to leave. To the Eastern Temple.”

“Why?” Hanuel tilted her head. After the fight with Teijo, Koto had mysteriously disappeared, again. She hadn’t been acting like herself the entire time they were there, and things only kept getting worse.

“She wanted to spend some time with her Aunt,” Kai said, nodding to himself. He sounded like he was making things up as he went. “She’ll probably be back in a few months or so, maybe you two can catch up.”

“Yeah…” Hanuel said. She couldn’t think of anything else she could say to fix the tear that had formed.

“Hanuel,” Tashi grabbed ahold of her hand. “Come with me, we can talk.”

Hanuel hesitated to reply, turning back to Mikah. The waterbender still seemed engrossed in his conversation, and Hanuel knew her friend well enough that she knew he would be fine. She gave into Tashi’s pleas and followed.

Tashi led her through the courtyard, a distance away from Kai, Mikah, and the other temple residence. The tree they ended up sitting underneath was in no way a private location, but it offered them enough distance from the others to speak about confidential topics.

“I’m sorry about what happened in the Fire Nation.” Tashi confessed, drawing in the dirt. “I know I couldn’t have done anything, but I still feel bad about it.”

“Don’t be.” Hanuel replied. “It’s not your fault. I should’ve… I should’ve figured out what Teijo was up too sooner. I could’ve prevented everything.”

“Was he actually… you know…” Tashi left the sentence unfinished.

“I don’t really know. I’m pretty sure. He’s dead now, so I guess we’ll never really know.”

“Oh.”

“I’m pretty sure he was. The detectives are still looking into it. Koto…”

“What about Koto?”

“Koto actually told me earlier, that he was up to something. I think he burnt her. Then her new friends came to rescue her, but… I don’t know.”

Tashi put her hand over Hanuel’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you believe Koto?”

It was as if Tashi had reached into her mind and said the words for her. Why hadn’t she believed Koto? Koto had been right the entire time, and she hadn’t believed her. “Koto... lies a lot. I’m…. I don’t know what she says is true and what she says isn’t.”

“Oh,” Tashi said. “That’s- that’s fair. Ok. Uh, are you doing alright?”

Hanuel nodded and stood up. “Yeah. I’m fine. Let’s go meet up with the others.” She ignored how uneasy she felt.

unpredictable events

“Tala, get down from there, you’re gonna fall.” Haruko sighed as she leaned on the back of Cloud’s saddle. For the past thirty minutes of flight time, the firebender had been leaning dangerously close to the edge. There was nothing below them but clouds, about a hundred feet of air, and the landscape of the Northern Udes. If they fell, they weren’t surviving.

Tala brushed her worry with a flippant hand gesture. “I need to check for landmarks. According to the map, we should be arriving soon.”

“I didn’t know you were such a navigator, hotshot.” Jae laughed and put his hand on Tala’s shoulder, pulling them back. “We’ll be fine, Koto knows where she’s going. Right, Koto?”

After Koto gave a gesture of agreement, Haruko turned to Tala. “It’s true though. Hang’s usually the one with the maps.”

Haruko followed Tala’s gaze to the waterbender, who only looked up from her banjo when she caught their staring. “Yeah, are you sure you don’t want me to handle the maps? I’m perfectly fine doing that.”

Tala shook their head. “No, no, I’m fine with it. I’m doing you a service.”

“Doing me a service… how?” Hang chuckled.

After feigning shock by putting their hand to their chest and turning to Jae in mock disbelief, Tala smiled. “By handling the maps!”

Haruko joined in the chorus of laughs with her friends, then turned to her brother. Aazir had laid out on as much of the saddle space as the others would allow him and pulled his beanie over his eyes. Haruko would’ve thought he was asleep if she didn’t know him better.

“Hey, Aazir.” She gently nudged her brother, stirring him enough that he groaned and pulled his beanie up. “Get up, Tala thinks we’re gonna get there soon.”

“What?” Aazir blinked in the bright morning sunlight he was now staring directly into. “Why’s Tala in charge of the maps?”

“Because I’m doing Hang a service,” Tala called. They had moved back to their vantage point, despite Jae’s protest.

“They’re right, we are getting closer.” Koto turned around to make eye contact with Aazir, then spun around to face Tala. “Stop doing that, you’re gonna fall out.”

“Yeah, and if you do, we won’t come save you.” Hang snickered.

Koto let out an over-dramatic sigh. “No, we’d save them. But seriously, stop.” Once Tala returned to their seat, she turned back to Haruko and Aazir. “Aazir, are you… ok? You look like you just woke up.”

Aazir clasped his hands over his hands. “I hate flying.” Haruko simply sent Koto a shrug. Apparently, it was enough of a response, because the airbender soon turned back around to continue flying.

“Say, Haruko,” Hang gestured closer to herself, wanting Haruko to move closer. After checking that her brother was fine where he was, Haruko obliged.

“So…” Haruko said as she sat down next to Hang. “What do you want to talk about?”

Hang sighed and rested her banjo in her arms. “You know… all of this Avatar stuff. Are you… I don’t know, excited to talk to Korra?”

Haruko leaned back on the supply sacks and groaned. “Ugh, I don’t know! It’s weird.”

“Everything you do is weird, Haruko.” Hang laughed. “Bonus that comes with your Avatarhood.”

“First of all, that’s not a word.” Haruko frowned.

“Sure it is. Jinora said.”

“Whatever. Second of all, this is extra weird.” Haruko straightened her posture and gestured at herself. “What am I supposed to say, ‘Oh, hi, Avatar Korra! How’s the afterlife been treating you? By the way, I’m the next version of you! Sorry I wasn’t doing anything for a while I didn’t know it was me!’ Yeah, I don’t think she’d react well to that.”

Hang sighed and stifled a laugh. “I mean, it’s not like I can give you advice on this sort of thing. Only one Avatar and everything.”

“Stop reminding me how stressful this is.” Haruko threw her hands over her eyes. She could still see glimpses of sunlight through her fingers.

“Sorry.” Haruko could feel the touch of Hang’s hand on her shoulder. “But hey, you’re gonna get through it. I believe in you.”

Before Haruko could thank the waterbender for her vote of confidence, she was interrupted by Koto’s clear voice. “Everybody hold on, we’re heading down soon!”

The clearing Koto landed in was lush and green with early spring. Light that was bright and harsh in the sky became soft and pleasant when filtered through the trees. From what Haruko could remember from Koto’s many monologues, they were in the temperate, central reaches of the UDES, in a secluded forest known for its connection to the spirit world. Haruko couldn’t remember the name, but she could feel the world breathing around her.

“Koto was right.” Hang whistled as she helped Haruko dismount Cloud. “This place is seeping with the spiritual.”

“You can feel it too?” At first, Haruko had suspected the chill she got when entering the clearing was another Avatar-only thing.

Hang nodded and looked off into the distance. “Yeah, I can. It’s… it’s an energy, y’know? Like a heartbeat. It feels the same as the swamp, and the spirit wilds in Republic City.”

“Huh.” Haruko commented. Before she could reflect on Hang’s insight more, Tala jumped own infront of them and clapped her on the shoulder.

“Who’s ready to talk to a dead woman?” The firebender sent her a smile as they led her to the center of the clearing, where Jae, Aazir and Koto had already gathered.

“I can’t say that I am.” Haruko laughed and shrugged off Tala’s embrace.

“Too bad, because you’re the only one of us who has to do that.” Jae smiled once they met him. “Don’t sweat it, though. I’m sure everything will go fine.”

“The last time we tried this we got arrested.” Aazir poined out, his voice as dry as the desert he came from.

Koto clasped her hands together. “Well, that won’t happen now because we’re in the middle of the woods and no one can arrest us.”

“Impeccable logic, right there.” Hang deadpanned, though her smile told a different story.

After sending a glare at Hang, Koto grabbed hold of Haruko’s hand and led her over to the the center of the clearing. When she looked down, Haruko could see a circle of stone risen up from the ground, carved with symbols she couldn’t quite decipher. “Is this…?”

“This is the Cay Rung Ao Shrine, or at least what remains of it.” Koto explained, sitting down in the center of the circle. Harko followed, mirroring her pose. “It used to be a revered, spiritual place known for its connection with the other world, until it was destroyed during the Hundred Year War. However, they say that it’s still a place one can go to in order to catch a glimpse of the divine. It’s worth a try.”

Haruko nodded and glanced around her. The rest of their companions had taken seats in various spots around the circle, but none within its inner ring. They were keeping their distance after whatever had happened last time.

“I need everyone to stay quiet!” Koto called out. No one responded, following her order. The airbender turned to Haruko. “Alright, Haruko. I need you to close your eyes and focus on me.”

“Alright.” Haruko said, then did so.

“Focus…” Koto muttered. “Breath…”

A moment passed in still, awkward silence before Aazir broke it. “I don’t think it’s working.”

“At least she’s not glowing.” Jae said. There was a smile in his voice.

Haruko opened her eyes at the same time Koto did, just in time to see the airbender lean back to lecture their friends. “Of course it’s working! We just need to be patient.”

“It’s not working.” Haruko deadpanned.

“Really, Haruko?” Koto scoffed, then put her hand to forehead.

“What?” Haruko leaned back. “Not my fault all your weird resentments are getting in the way of the spirits or whatever.”

Koto took a moment to collect herself. “We’re trying this again. It can’t be that simple. We have to do this.” She spun around to face Aazir. “And don’t interrupt us again!”

Haruko reassumed her meditative posture and closed her eyes, assuming Koto was doing the same. Minutes of silence passed, and nothing happened. Haruko was painfully aware of it, but she persisted anyway, sitting long enough that she could be sure they eclipsed their original time.

To her surprise, Koto was the one to break the silence. “It isn’t working.” Koto sighed, calling Haruko back to reality. “I don’t know why.”

“Maybe we’re rushing it?” Haruko offered, leaning back on her wrists. She could only make guesses to why their meditation wasn’t working, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be right. “We might need to… I don’t know, soak up the spiritual energy of the place some more?”

The answer must’ve made sense, because Koto responded to it with an acute nod. “Yeah, we just need time. We’ll take a break.”

“Thank the spirits.” Hang smiled as she stretched. Her movement was imitated by Tala, Jae, and Aazir. “I don’t think I could’ve kept up that posture for much longer.”

Tala dusted off their pants as they stood up. “I’m gonna go get some water. Anyone want any?”

“Oh! I’ll come with!” Jae ran up to Tala as they were leaving.

Haruko waved to the two of them but walked to Hang instead. “I’m good.”

“I’ll bet you ten yuans they’re a thing.” Hang smirked as Haruko sat down on the grass next to her.

Haruko put her hand over her mouth to hide her laugh. “C’mon, don’t be like that.” She spared a glance in the direction Tala and Jae had left to. “You think so?”

Hang nodded sagely as if she was describing the spiritual importance of the shrine they were visiting instead of a teenage love affair. “Yeah. They’re cute together, don’t you think?”

“Look at you, playing matchmaker.” Haruko laughed.

“You’re not immune to it either.” Hang playfully elbowed her. “I’ve seen how you look at Koto.”

“Sttooop!” Haruko fell to the soft, grassy ground in a fit of laughter. She covered her face from the sun and the possibility Koto might see them. “I don’t like Koto! Not like that, at least. I like her as a friend. We’re friends.”

Hang smiled. “Whatever you say, loverbird.”

“Speaking of Koto…” Haruko wiped away stray blades of grass as she composed herself. “You two have been… upset with each other lately.”

“That’s one way of putting it. I’m pretty sure she hates me now.” Haruko followed Hang’s gaze to the airbender, who was talking with Aazir. “I don’t even know why. Like, I get the whole ‘airbender pacifism thing, but that doesn’t apply to me, I can kill someone if I want!” Hang sputtered and put her hand to her head. “That sounded bad.”

“Yeah, kinda.” Haruko forced a laugh. She wasn’t used to mediating arguments, especially such complex ones. She figured she would have to get used to them. “I think Koto’s just a bit stressed about everything. It’s been a bit of a stressful time.”

Hang hesitated and put her hand to her forehead. “I- I know. It’s just- I want her to understand, so she stops being mad at me about it. I had to kill him, there wasn’t any other choice! He would’ve killed me! I had to!”

“Do you think…” Haruko looked out into the clearing. By now, Jae and Tala had returned, each holding a water bottle. “Do you think you should tell her that?”

“I don’t know. Probably.” Hang sighed and leaned back, moving her banjo out of the way. “Sorry, that got a little dark. Any song requests?”

Haruko laughed. “I don’t really know any songs.”

“That’s alright, I’ll improvise.” Hang smiled.

After waving Hang goodbye, Haruko walked across the clearing to meet with Koto and Tala.

“Heya, Haruko!” Tala waved, even though they were still holding their waterbottle. “Sorry, the Avatar stuff isn’t going that well.”

“It’s going fine.” Koto huffed. “These things just… take time.”

Haruko turned back to Hang when she heard faint banjo music but quickly refocused her attention. “Yeah, I’m with Koto. We just need to be open about these things.”

“Open enough to try meditating with Hang?” Tala asked, gesturing towards the waterbender.

Koto crossed her arms. “Why would we- oh.”

Hang hadn’t stopped playing her banjo- strumming out a mellow, soft song. In fact, she had drawn an audience. In addition to Aazir and Jae, a small group of spirits had gathered around Hang and on her shoulders to listen to her play. It was an illustration out of a fable, the girl illuminated by the soft morning sun.

“I mean, it’s worth a try.” Tala shrugged. “Arnook did say she had potential with the spirits.”

Koto hesitated to reply. “Fine. We can try it.”

Hang stopped playing when they approached her. “Hey, guys. Uh, what’s up?”

“Tala thinks you might be able to help guide me into the spirit world.” Haruko smiled as she helped her friend up. Tala gave a reassuring smile. Koto turned away.

“R-really?” Hang stifled a laugh. She put her hand to her chest. “Me?”

“It’s worth a try.” Tala shrugged. “If it doesn’t work, then we’ll just try again with Koto. If it does, then, well, we won’t need to try again.”

Hang exchanged a worried glance with Koto, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Haruko led Hang to the center of the ring and sat them both down, facing each other. Around them, the others had gathered. Koto had taken Hang’s spot.

“Alright.” Hang shifted awkwardly into a meditation posture, clearly an imitation of Koto’s. “I’m not that good at this, to be honest. In fact, I’ve never done it before.

“Me neither.” Haruko laughed, then closed her eyes.

It took a moment for Hang to respond. “Are you ready?”

Haruko nodded. “I am.” She could feel her own energy leaving her body, drifting off like she was falling asleep. She could feel Hang’s energy, threatening to encompass her own. It was blue, like her dreams. It was all like dreaming.

Haruko didn’t open her eyes until she was sure than when she did, she would be in a different place.

a reflected world

Hang opened her eyes to an unfamiliar landscape of ice blue on indigo, like the color of the moon reflected onto a stationary body of water. At first, she had trouble seeing- as if she was underwater, the nonexistent liquid forcing her eyes shut and blurring her vision. In the absence of her sight, Hang tried relying on her other senses. She was still sitting in the same meditation posture. She wasn’t on the warm, earthy ground of the clearing anymore, though. Soft, cool blades of grass grazed her bare skin, creating a chill that was matched by that of the crisp, night air around her. Everything smelled like nature- like a plant of some kind, though she wasn’t sure which. If she focused hard enough, she could hear the faint sound of an erhu in the distance, though the song was echoed and distorted. It was still a pleasant sound, or at least tolerable.

After a moment- or two, for some reason her internal clock seemed off- Hang’s vision cleared enough that she could make out the area surrounding her- a grove of willow trees, their tendril-like leaves glistening silver in what looked like moonlight. Around her, small spheres of light danced in the fog, weaving in and out of the branches and illuminating the clearing. A small river flowed through the area, gathering in a large pool to her right, holding a sphere of light suspended within it. Despite not being able to feel the river’s water in her bending grasp, Hang felt herself being drawn to the sphere of light in the center of the pool, as if it wanted her to be closer to it.

It was only when she was able to tear her eyes away from the orb did Hang notice Haruko sitting before her.

The other girl seemed to notice Hang at the same moment she noticed her, and reacted as such, nearly falling over in her movement. “Hang!” She exclaimed, collecting herself.

Hang glanced around, taking another moment to breathe in their surroundings. “Did it…. Work?” It seemed like a silly question, given their current location, but she asked it anyways.

“I don’t- I don’t know.” Haruko put her hand to her chin, then ran it through her bangs. “I don’t know. I think I’m supposed to talk to Korra.”

Hang looked around the clearing, as if Haruko’s famed past life would walk out from behind the curtains of willow leaves. When she didn’t, she returned her sight to Haruko. “Well. At least we’re in the Spirit World.”

Haruko pulled her jacket closer around her shoulders for warmth. “Is that what this place is?”

“I don’t know where else it could be.” Hang’s gaze caught on one of the orbs of light floating through the air. It wasn’t a firefly, or anything like it, and it moved more like a fish than a bug.

“Yeah…” Haruko muttered. Her hand had moved from the lapel of her jacket to the bone-carved pendant she wore. “I can feel it.”

“Really? What can you feel?” Hang didn’t know there was anything to feel, specifically. From what she could tell, being in the spirit world felt the same as the human realm, for the most part.

Haruko nodded and put her hand over her chest. “I don’t know. Something. It’s… I don’t know if I can describe it.”

Then it was an Avatar thing. It wouldn’t be the first time Haruko hadn’t been able to describe an experience exclusive to her. Hang nodded and stood up, helping Haruko up as she followed her. “So. What are we going to do?”

“What are we going to do-what?” Haruko asked.

Hang shrugged and gestured around the clearing they stood in. “We’re in the Spirit World now. Now what.”

Haruko followed Hang’s gaze across the grove. “I don’t know. Maybe we could… ask some spirits about what’s been happening with the airbenders? That could work?”

“Yeah…” Hang nodded. A few of the small light-spheres had gathered near her shoulders and nestled in the folds of her braid, but she didn’t pay them any mind. “Spirits… shouldn’t be too hard to find spirits in the Spirit World.” She took a moment to laugh at her own joke.

Haruko’s gaze drifted before settling on a point to Hang’s left. Without giving even nonverbal warning, she set off in the direction, pulling Hang alongside with her. “This way.”

“Whoa-” Hang laughed, loosening Haruko’s grip around her wrist. “What’s up?”

Haruko gestured ahead of them, at the large willow tree they were nearing. The tree’s canopy formed an almost-complete “There. I get the feeling we’ll find what we’re looking for there.”

Hang cast a worried glance to her friend before returning her gaze to the tree. They were close enough now that she could extend her hand and lift the curtain of leaves. Hang hesitated before unveiling the tree completely. The more Hang focused, the less she thought about things, the more she could feel the forces of the world’s energy ebbing and flowing against her, stopping right before they passed through her. It felt like the flow of water, but completely umallebale. It scared her, though Hang struggled to place why.

She felt Haruko’s hand over hers. “Are you… ok?”

Hang nodded and closed her eyes. “Yeah. I’m great. Let’s keep going.”

The inside of the canopy was considerably darker than the outside grove, illuminated only by glowing veins of water trickling down from the tree’s roots. As soon as Haruko had entered the space, Hang let the leaves fall. The curtain instantly closed around them in a jetting, unnatural movement. Hang was afraid of what would happen if she tried to leave now, and instead turned her attention to what Haruko was looking at- the tree’s trunk.

The veins of light- which had previously only stretched over the tree’s roots- had traveled up the trunk of the tree and into the grain of the bark, etching out the form of a masked face, elongated and inhuman. And then, it spoke.

”Raava…” The spirit’s voice was low and mellow, but echoed across the space like the sound of a gong. ”After nearly five thousand years of absence, you’ve returned.”

Haruko stiffened, then put her hand over her chest. “Are you- are you talking to me?”

The spirit peered at Haruko, looking her over. “You’ve changed. And you’ve brought….” It looked up, at Hang. She could do nothing but bow in reverence. ”A friend…”

“I only mean the greatest respect…” Hang kept her eyes on the ground. She was vaguely aware of both Haruko mirroring her posture and the water pooling around her feet. “I- I’m-”

“I’m the Avatar.” Haruko interrupted Hang’s statement. Her voice only partially faltered during the confession. She was getting better at saying it. “I’m Avatar Korra’s reincarnation. We-”

“I know who you are.” The spirit said. ”I know who both of you are.”

Hang’s heart nearly skipped a beat. It was impossible that the spirit would know who she was- she held no title, at least not any important to a spirit. She wasn’t anybody, not like Haruko.

”Rise, children.” When both Haruko and Hang resumed their standing postures, the spirit turned to Haruko. ”While I know you, it seems like you have forgotten my name yet again.”

“You’re Yin Mu.” Hang said. The words fell out of her mouth before she could fully understand what she had said. She only knew that she was right.

The spirit turned to her, but didn’t say a word. It studied her features. “Clever girl. You speak what you do not know, and yet...”

Hang stiffened. Her chest grew tight, the weight of the unseen truth compressing it and causing strain to her breaths. The spirit- Yin Mu, according to the voice in her head- knew something about her. It knew something about her that she didn’t know herself.

“Uhhmm…” Haruko cleared her throat to interrupt as politely as she could. “We, uh, need your help with something. We have a problem.”

“Speak, young Avatar.”

Hang almost caught the sight of Haruko flinching at her title, but the motion was subtle enough she couldn’t be certain. “Yeah. Uh, in the human world, humans are kind of… going missing.”

The spirit didn’t speak.

“Airbenders, specifically.” Haruko continued. Her voice started to falter. “I was, uh, wondering if you know anything about that?”

Yin Mu’s eyes furrowed. ”What gives you the notion I would know of that. You should speak to your past lives, Avatar.”

“We tried!” Haruko explained. Her voice rose. “We tried, we just think-”

“You think the spirits are the root of your every problem?” The spirit said, it’s shout nearing a cry. ”Typical of humans. You haven’t changed a bit in the last few millennia.”

“We never said- Jinora-” Haruko stuttered. She put her hand to her forehead, then ran it through her bangs.

“We just want to know what’s going on, so we can help!” Hang pleaded with her friend. Below her, she could feel the ground growing steadily more unstable, as if it might give out within any moment.

”And yet you assume the involvement of the spirits.” Yin Mu cried out. It’s voice cracked, like the sound of lighting Hang was all too familiar with. ”You speak out of turn, and you are no longer welcome here. LEAVE.”

Before Hang could react or even take in what had happened, the ground started to split beneath them, torn apart as if it had been earthbent. She looked up to Haruko for an answer, but couldn’t say anything before her friend took ahold of her hand and they both succumbed to the gravity of the void beneath them.

Luckily, Hang hit water. She couldn’t bend it in time to cusion her fall- she doubted she could waterbend in the Spirit World, anyways- but the springy marshland was a welcome landing site compared to the number of harde surfaces they could’ve wound up falling onto.

As soon as she had regained enough consciousness to do so, Hang sprung up to observe their surroundings. She and Haruko had fallen into a dense swampland- both unnervingly alike and strikingly different from her childhood homeland. The thick fog that replaced the air seemed almost tinted a sickly yellow-green, and it reeked of water, life and decay. The water Hang had fallen into now coated her body, hair and clothes, weighing her down.

“Haruko, are you alright?” Hang kneeled down to help Haruko up. While the other girl had suffered the same fall, she had taken longer to recover.

“Yeah…” Haruko murumered, bringing her jacket tighter around her shoulders. She shivered before continuing. “Where are we?”

Hang glanced around the swampland. It was hard to distinguish any of the area's features beyond the silhouettes of the mangrove trees. “Still the Spirit World, I think.” She knew they were still in the Spirit World. “I think… I think we messed up.”

Haruko forced out a dry laugh. “That’s an understatement. We… are we stuck here?”

“You aren’t stuck here.” A voice called out, steadily growing closer to them. Hang took hold of Haruko’s arm and helped to her feet.

“Getting out of the Spirit World is easier than getting in, at least the way you two came.” The figure that had spoken cleared his way through the fog, a distinguished, humanoid silhouette forming from the fog. As he grew closer to them, Hang could make out his features- dark hair tied in a choppy ponytail, loose, dark robes, and piercing green eyes that seemed to bore into her. “You’re pretty lucky, if you ask me.”

“Uh-” Haruko stumbled out of Hang’s supportive grip. “Do I know you?”

The boy leaned back on his heels, then looked up at Hang. “In a sense. I was friends with one of your past lives. Kind of. Name’s Yun, by the way.”

“And what are you doing here?” Hang glared down at Yun. It didn’t make sense that they’d find another human- if he actually was human- in the Spirit World. It seemed impossible, or at least improbable.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He smiled. “So, Avatar-and-friend, what brings you to my swamp?”

Haruko glanced up at Hang, worry painted across her face. “Hang and I were trying to-”

“We’re just trying to get home. Back to the human world” Hang said. She didn’t want to spend any more time in the unfamiliar than she had to.

“Alright.” Yun scoffed, then sent Haruko a glance unfitting of their current relationship, as if to subtly ask ‘is she always like this?’. Haruko glanced away at the trees to avoid the conversation. Yun shrugged and continued. “Like I said, getting out’s easier than getting in. At least in your case. I just have one request of you, Avatar.”

Haruko jolted back when Yun mentioned her by title. “Wh-what do you want?”

“Quit the charade.” Yun shrugged. “It’ll be better for the world if you start telling the truth about this.”

“But I’m not-” Haruko looked at her hands, then up at Yun, then to Hang. “I can’t!”

Yun didn’t respond. Something in the distant fog had caught his interest- or caught him off guard. “I need to leave.”

Hang watched Yun disappear back into the fog before returning her gaze to where he had been looking. A human figure, still shrouded in the fog, was watching them. It was watching her.

Haruko wrapped her hand across Hang’s arm. “We’re being followed.”

“I know.” Hang whispered. She kept her eyes on the figure, which was approaching them. Both she and Haruko moved steadily backward to match it’s pace. If they ran, it might chase after them.

The figure stepped out of the fog, revealing himself. Even though she hadn’t seen him in a while, Hang would’ve recognized the man’s sharp eyes and features anywhere. “Arnook.” Arnook had followed them. Arnook had found them. The vague, spiritual powers Tala often referred to worked against all odds and functioned even in the spirit world. It was like they were cursed.

He didn’t reply, but lowered himself down. Hang instantly recognized the motion as a charging attack and grabbed Haruko, pulling her away from the man and into the dense fog.

“What’s going on?” Haruko shouted as they made a sharp turn around a mangrove tree. “Why is Arnook here?”

“I don’t know, but it can’t be good.” Hang shouted. She was out of breath, which surprised her. She didn’t know she could be out of breath in the spirit world.

“What are we going to do?” Haruko stopped in her tracks, pausing to glance around the area. Hang followed, looking back in the direction they had come. Arnook was nowhere to be seen, but Hang was sure he was hiding behind the thick layers of fog. She could feel him.

Haruko grabbed Hang by the hand and pulled her away from her trance. “Come on. We’re going.”

“What?” Hang stammered, only barely managing to collect herself in time to see the large lake Haruko had led her to. She didn’t know how she didn’t notice the body of water before- it was massive, as dark as the night sky and probably just as deep. “Are you saying-”

“We don’t really have a choice.” Haruko cut Hang off, as if she had read her mind, and started wading into the water. Given no other choice, Hang followed.

Hang’s heart nearly stopped when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn’t have to turn around to know they were Arnook’s- she already knew. The water around them grew deeper, as if the silt ground was disappearing. Another rift was tearing, leaving them no choice but to fall in. Haruko was the first, disappearing under the black waters before Hang could scream for help. They were too late. Hang didn’t have time to look behind her before the current pulled her under and the cold, brackish water filled her lungs.

return to reality

Haruko re-entered the physical world coughing and sputtering, desperately trying to rid her body of the water she had swallowed. It took her an embarrassingly long time to figure out that she wasn’t actually drowning anymore and that the water in her throat in lungs was nonexistent. After gratefully inhaling a breath of clear, fresh, real air, she collected herself to look around.

She was back in the clearing- a fact she was grateful for. Hang was still directly opposite across from her, similarly collecting herself from the scare. Aazir and Tala were standing around them, making Haruko wonder where Koto was until she noticed the airbender behind her.

“Haruko, Hang-” Koto stammered, helping Haruko sit up. Her muscles ached- how long had she been sitting? The sky around them was obscured by thick forest, but Haruko could make out glimpses of golden evening beneath the silhouettes of trees. “Were you… in the Spirit World? Did you talk to Korra?”

“Yes and no,” Hang answered before Haruko got the chance to. “We made it to the Spirit World, but Korra wasn’t there. We managed to talk to a few spirits, but things turned south fast.”

“Arnook was there.” Haruko clarified, turning to Koto first, then Tala. “You could’ve mentioned your old friend can track people through the Spirit World.”

“He can what?!” Tala jumped to their feet, then paused to run their hand through their hair. “I couldn’t have told you that if I wanted, I didn’t know. Maybe this is… a new power, I don’t know.”

“Or your friends are liars.” Aazir deadpanned.

“What?” Tala turned to the boy, anger and heat rising in their voice.

Aazir simply shrugged and casually leaned back on his heels. “I’m just saying. It wouldn’t be the first time they deprived us of some very important information.”

“That’s- that’s not the point.” Koto interrupted. “The thing is, he could track you down in the Spirit World? How?”

“Same way he tracks us down here.” Hang shrugged. “I think he has a special sense for people’s energies- he can sense where in the world they are, spiritually or physically. It’s like he can feel people’s essences across the plane of reality.”

The answer was too specific to be a guess. “Hang… can you do that?” Haruko asked.

Hang paused before responding, looking at the dirt ground instead of making eye contact. “I don’t- I don’t know. Anyways, where’s Jae?”

Haruko had barely registered the boy’s absence, still caught up in what happened during their journey to the Spirit World. She turned to Tala.

“He scouted ahead a few hours ago to check out the closest town.” The firebender explained. “Since none of us want to camp out overnight.”

“Correction, Koto wanted to camp out overnight.” Aazir sent a mean-spirited expression towards the airbender, which she returned.

Koto scoffed and put her “I just think-”

“Nobody cares what you think.” Tala cut Koto off before she could reply. “None of us want to camp out. We’re going to go into town and get a room at an inn, then figure out what to do next.”

Koto riled herself up to argue, then must’ve decided better and retaliated. “Fine.” She huffed, crossing her arms. “We’ll figure out what to do when we’re at the inn.”

Only moments later, Aazir turned to Haruko. “So what was the Spirit World like?”

Haruko couldn’t help but relax at the causal question. “I don’t know. It was spirit-y. I think the spirits could tell that I’m- you know- by just looking at me.”

“Well, that’s a change of pace.” Aazir laughed. “Probably a good thing. You almost pass out every time you bring it up.”

“Hey-” Haruko lightly punched her brother in the arm. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

Aazir shrugged. “I don’t have any other experiences with Avatars to go off of, but I would definitely say yes. You are that bad.”

Haruko put her hand to her forehead, then drew it over her eyes. Before she could think of an answer, any answer, she was interrupted by the sound of rustling bushes and a very enthusiastic Jae.

“I’ve got great news!” He announced as he climbed from the woodland back into the clearing. “Oh, Hang and Haruko are back.”

“Sup.” Hang deadpanned.

“Anyways- back to my news.” Jae gestured around as he spoke. “Town’s pretty close by, only a few minutes walk. It’s called Tong-Li, and it’s pretty nice. The local innkeeper said we could stay the night, I already booked a room.

“Good.” Koto walked towards Jae. “If everybody’s ready to leave, we should go.”

Haruko exchanged a glance with Aazir, then followed. “Fine by me.”

Tong-Li was as picturesque as Jae had described it to be, especially when bathed in the golden light in the evening. It had been so long since Haruko had been in the Earth Kingdom that she was almost surprised to see buildings accented in shades of green instead of red. From what she could tell, the town was used to tourism- judging from the amount of inns, the open layout of the town, and the casual glances given to them by the locals, she and her companions weren’t the only outsiders at the town.

The inn- or at least the one Jae had gotten them a room in- was on the outskirts of town, and run by a kindly old couple that welcomed them with open arms and led them to their room without asking.

“I got us two rooms again.” Jae explained as he closed the door behind them. “This one and the one adjacent to it. I was figuring we could do the same as last time, girls in one room, not-girls in the other?”

“Fine by me.” Tala shrugged, already sitting down on one of the beds.

Haruko glanced to Hang and Koto, the latter of whom was pacing anxiously in what little space the hotel room offered. “I’m alright with that.”

“Cool, I’m going to go put my stuff down.” Haruko nodded, ignoring how uneasy her companions seemed. They were all tired.

“Wait-” Koto intercepted Haruko before she could make it through the door to the adjacent room. “We need to talk.”

Haruko studied Koto’s face. She was clearly nervous, but Haruko couldn’t exactly place why, other than the same things they were always worried about. “Alright.” She sat down on the bed next to Tala. “We’ll talk. We have things to talk about.”

Tala gave her a supportive shoulder-pat as the rest of the group settled across the room.

“So.” Koto clasped her hand together. “Much to everyone’s surprise, Hang was able to lead Haruko into the spirit world.” She said the words slowly, as if she needed to force out the strength to say each one.

“It’s really not ‘to everyone’s surprise’.” Tala frowned. “I said she had spiritual potential. Arnook said she had spiritual potential. It really shouldn’t be a surprise that she has spiritual capabilities.”

“Are we really trusting Arnook about things?” Koto exclaimed. “I shouldn’t have to explain that he’s part of a group that tried to assassinate a government leader.”

“Technically, we were also trying to assassinate that government leader.” Jae deadpanned. “Or at least, Hang was.”

Koto ran her hands through her hair. “That doesn’t matter! The point is that we shouldn’t trust him about this kind of thing!”

“Actually, we should!” Tala jumped to their feet. “He’s a spiritual expert! He can track people through the Spirit World, and was able to recognize that Hang has a similar ability! You might not agree with his politics but you have to recognize that he was right, at least about this!”

“Fine! Whatever! Arnook was right!” Koto through her hands up into the air in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry I’m hesitant to think a bloodbender has the potential to be a spiritual leader.”

“What?” Jae exclaimed. “Arnook can’t bloodbend, can he?”

Hang defensively wrapped her hands around her body, like the gesture would protect her. “Koto actually… wasn’t referring to Arnook. She was referring to me.”

Tala looked between Koto and Hang. “She can bloodbend? Since when?”

“Since Teijo.” Hang explained hesitantly, choosing her words carefully. “That’s actually how I killed him. I- er- froze his blood.”

Haruko could feel herself stiffen at the description. It was the most detail she had gotten about the death, and she instantly knew it was more than she wanted to know.

Tala put their hand to their forehead, then to their chin. They turned to Koto. “Is this why you’ve been mad at Hang ever since we left the Fire Nation? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I haven’t- Haruko and Aazir already knew! I thought they told you!”

Tala looked to Aazir, then Haruko. She could only return their gaze with a blank stare of her own.

Koto took a breath before continuing. “Look, that isn’t the point right now. We should be trying to figure out what happened to Haruko and Hang in the Spirit World.”

Haruko looked to Hang for permission to speak. “Well, we already told you most of what happened. We woke up in the spirit world and talked to some spirits, then found Arnook. There isn’t much else.”

“What spirits did you talk to, and what about?” Koto pressed. “How’d you find Arnook?”

“One of them was a talking tree, the other one was just… a guy.” Haruko explained, fully aware of how concerningly vague she sounded. “We were trying to figure out what the spirits might have to do with the disappearing airbenders but couldn’t get a clear answer.”

“They said that it wasn’t the work of the spirits.” Hang added. “The missing airbenders, I mean. Tree spirit especially seemed really adamant that they had nothing to do with it. And we didn’t find Arnook, he found us.”

“Oh.” Koto sat down and put her hand to her forehead. “So, what are we going to do now?”

“What?” Hang stumbled over the words. “You’re asking me?”

Koto hesitated before speaking. “You’re apparently more of a spiritual expert than I am.” Despite her unease, she seemed genuine. “So it’s up to you, and Haruko. What do you think is our best move?”

Hang paused to think, hesitating on the new weight of her next words. “Well, I think we should keep moving, for one. If Arnook’s tracking us down then we shouldn’t stick to one place for more than a while. And we should keep to what we’re doing. We weren’t able to contact Korra this time, but-” She shot Haruko a hopeful glance. “I don’t think we should give up hope now. Haruko managed to get into the Spirit World. That’s a start, at least.”

“And we should have someone on guard while we sleep.” Haruko added. “Arnook’s able to track us wherever we go, and I don’t want to get caught unprepared. I’ll take the first shift tonight.”

“Yeah, good idea.” Jae nodded and stood up. “I’ll join you, just for safety.”

“The rest of you should get some sleep.” Haruko said, examining the worried faces of her peers. “We’re probably going to be travelling early next morning.”

It took only an hour or so before the entire room fell into dead, sleeping silence, but it eventually did, leaving Jae and Haruko alone in the silence. When she looked out the town, Haruko could almost be certain she and Jae were the only waking people within miles.

“Pretty rural town, eh?” Jae whispered as they kept watch.

“Yeah…” Haruko replied, matching his tone. “Kind of nice. I’m not to fond of cities, actually. At least not big ones.”

“Wow, I never would’ve guessed that about you. Some raised in the middle of nowhere, Si Wong doesn’t like urban life.” Jae deadpanned.

“It’s not like that. At least not mostly. I just like being able to see the open sky. Have you ever seen the horizon out in the desert?”

“I can’t say that I have. I lived in the city til my parents died then stuck pretty close to the coastlines after that, being a sailor. Though, I think I might want to see it someday. You talk about it a lot.”

“Oh. Sorry about that.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Whatever keeps your mind off everything.”

Haruko paused to look Jae in the eye. “What- what do you mean?”

Jae shrugged. “I mean, I can’t begin to imagine the stress you’ve been under for the past six months. If talking about space helps keep your mind off of how shitty things are, even for a minute, I don’t see the harm in it.”

“Oh.” Haruko whispered. “I mean, it’s the same for everyone. We’re all in this together, right? All that teamwork stuff?”

Jae shook his head. “I mean, yeah, but I think it’s been pretty rough for you, specifically. You know, you’re able to express your emotions about this stuff. You don’t have to pretend things are fine, cause they definitely aren’t.”

Haruko nodded. She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. “Yeah? What about you, you always act like things are fine when they’re definitely not.”

“Yeah.” Jae hesitated. He took off his glasses. “Guess I do. Someone’s gotta be the positive one, though. And I’m typically the least involved in whatever’s going on. You’re almost always the most affected by things.”

“I guess I am…” Haruko whispered. She turned to look out on the horizon. She could just see the sky past the trees.

“You know, you’re really scary.” Jae said. “In the Avatar State. Your eyes glow over and your voice gets all echo-y and weird. It’s like it's not you anymore, almost.”

“It’s scary for me too, if it’s any consolation.” Haruko shrugged. “I think… it’s all pretty scary. Not just the Avatar State, but the idea of being the Avatar. It feels wrong. I don’t like having this much power, or this much responsibility. Standing up about things was easier when I was just some kid from the desert. Now there’s… something attached to it. I don’t really know how to word it. I feel like I’m supposed to be something important now- Koto keeps talking about how my actions have an effect on the world. It doesn’t… I still don’t feel like I’m actually the Avatar, you know? It’s weird.”

“Yeah, I can get that.” Jae sighed. “Not exactly, but kind of. It took me a while to actually come to terms with my parent’s death. Maybe it's the same for this type of thing. And I get where you’re coming from. It is kind of hard to come to terms with the fact that I’m actually travelling with the Avatar, and that it’s you. I can only imagine that it’s worse for you, and it’s gonna be worse for Hanuel.”

Haruko nodded. “I think it would be better if it was Hanuel, to be honest. At least then we wouldn’t have to go through all this.”

“Ah, don’t say that.” Jae put his hand over her shoulder. “Look. I might not be a spiritual expert or anything, but I’ve seen a handful of documentaries about past Avatars and the one point they always drive home is that Avatars are born into specific eras because the world needs them the way they are.”

“Nice sentiment, but I don’t know why the world would need me the way I am. In fact, the world’s probably gonna hate me. A sandbender Avatar? They’d go nuts.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. I think it’ll work out in the end, though.” Jae mused.

Haruko nodded in agreement, though her heart wasn’t in it. “How can you be sure?”

Jae hesitated before answering. “I really can’t, can I?”

wish fulfillment

“Tashi! Hey Tashi!”

Hanuel’s cousin groaned as she was shaken awake. “Hanuel, it’s the middle of the night. What are you doing?”

“It’s not that late…” Hanuel scoffed and leaned away from Tashi.

Tashi checked the digital clock she kept on her bedside. “It’s literally midnight. What’s going on? Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, sleeping or something?”

Hanuel could barely keep her excitement contained and had to force herself not to speak loudly and wake up the entire island. “So, you know how I’m, like, the Avatar?”

Tashi looked like the conversation was just barely keeping her awake. “What about it?”

“And you know how the Avatar can bend all for elements,” Hanuel continued, trying to leave Tashi enough time to recognize her implication.

“What did you- did you firebend?” Tashi jumped back and glanced over Hanuel for any sign of fire-charred sleeves or ashy fingers or the inexplicable glow firebenders got in their eyes sometimes.

“No, no, not yet.” Hanuel shook her head. In actuality, she hadn’t even attempted bending fire since she had left the Fire Nation, both under Mira’s orders and her own personal conviction. “But I was thinking maybe we could practice air.”

Tashi took a moment to think over the statement. “Wait- like airbending? But isn’t that against the rules? You haven’t firebent yet, at all”

“I mean, it’s never explicitly stated that I have to learn the elements in order.” Hanuel forced a laugh to make herself sound more confident. “And it’s not like other Avatars haven’t done this before.” She knew for a fact that at least two Avatars had done the same, although any example she could give was supported only by the fact her past lives had been in desperate situations. “And we wouldn’t do much, just a bit! It probably won’t even make a difference in the grand scheme of things!”

“I don’t know…” Tashi glanced to the side, away from Hanuel. “I don’t want to like, mess up your Avatarhood or anything.” The statement seemed like an excuse. A lie. Tashi was hiding something from her.

“Please.” Hanuel put her hands over her cousin’s. “It’s important to me.”

Tashi inhaled, then forced a nod. “Yeah, ok. There’s no harm in trying.”

In the light of day, the temple shined gold, both in adherence to traditional Air Nomad color values and the contrast it made with the sky on clearer days. Cast in the moonlight, though, the marble floors and furnishing seemed to glow in a soft blue. The sky seemed clearer on the island than it was in the rest of the city, and Hanuel assumed it probably was- the Air Nomads were certainly not known for their pollution. If she stood on the tips of her toes or climbed to stand on the banister, she could probably see the city’s skyline above the trees and temple walls, but for as long as her feet stayed planted on the ground, the only reminder of the nearby city was the spirit portal climbing into the sky, it’s top forever veiled by clouds. Hanuel could almost pretend she and Tashi were the only people alive within miles, surrounded only by dense woodland.

Hanuel didn’t recognize the route Tashi led her down the temple hallways and through the numerous courtyards. Admittedly, she didn’t know the temple layout as well as she should’ve, but the more turns Tashi took her down the more certain Hanuel became that she would need help returning to her own bedroom. Eventually, they reached their destination- a large courtyard unfamiliar to Hanuel, in the center of which stood a raised platform covered in free-standing, pillar-like gates.

“Whoa…” Hanuel stepped back to take in the scenery. “Is this-”

“The spinning gates.” Tashi explained. “It’s the first thing young airbenders learn, it might as well be a right of passage. I, uh, figured it might be best to start with an exercise that isn’t actually manipulating air, since it’s your first time and you haven’t ever done it before. It’s supposed to get you into the mindset of an airbender, and it’s really simple. You just maneuver through the gates, while they’re spinning.”

“Alright!” Hanuel smiled, bouncing on her feet as she rolled up sleeves. “Just make my way through the gates, while they’re spinning. Easy.”

“I said it was simple, not easy.” Tashi corrected, but softened the statement with a smile. She dropped into a low bending stance and positioned her arms gracefully in front of her before thrusting forward, bringing a strong gust of wind with her. As Tashi brought her center up, the air spiraled around the gates and brought them to motion. They spun rapidly and chattered as they moved, the sound almost akin to a camera shutter.

“So, I just… go?” Hanuel turned to her cousin for an answer.

At Tashi’s nod, Hanuel ran forward into the gates and was immediately hit in the shoulder. She couldn’t react fast enough until she was hit again in the back, then in the shin. It wasn’t long before she was forced back the way she came, panting and bruised.

“You were right.” Hanuel huffed as she braced herself on her knees. “That was pretty difficult.”

“Yeah…” Tashi laughed as she helped Hanuel up. “This exercise is usually done with little kids when they first start their training, but there’s obviously going to be an exception for the Avatar.”

Hanuel nodded. “Yeah. Makes sense. Can I go again?”

“I don’t see why not.” Tashi shrugged, then restarted the gate’s motion. Hanuel ran headfirst into the gates again, only to get the same result. She fell onto her back and looked to the sky, the pain of her bruises preventing her from moving.

“Are you alright?!” Tashi ran over to her and kneeled down next to her. A look of worry was painted across her features.

“I’m great.” Hanuel groaned as she sat up. It was a lie. “I’m fine. I just need to go again. I think I’m getting better.”

Tashi’s brow furrowed. “I’m not sure. I think you should take some time to rest. You don’t want to get injured.”

“I know, I know.” Hanuel sighed. She leaned back to see the sky. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“About the airbending?” Tashi sat down next to her. “You know, you don’t need to learn airbending now. You’re on break, you can relax. Just because you’re the Avatar doesn’t mean you can’t take some time for yourself.”

Mira would disagree with the statement. She would say that the Avatar’s duty was, no matter the circumstance, to help the people. Hanuel sighed. “I don’t know… everything’s been so stressful lately. I don’t know what to do. It’s like everything’s falling apart in my hands.”

Judging by her silence, Tashi didn’t have an answer for her.

Hanuel awoke to the sound of a heavy knock at her door and immediately regretted her midnight escapades.

“Ughhh, go away.” Hanuel groaned as she shoved her face into her pillow. “I’m trying to sleep.”

“Are you sure?” A distinct, familiar voice called from the other side of the door. “You don’t want to say hi to your favorite cousin?”

“Kelsang!” Hanuel jumped to her feet and practically threw the door open before enveloping the airbender in a hug. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! Where have you been!”

“Oh, out and about. Nomad things.” Kelsang grunted and tapped Hanuel on the shoulder, to signal that she was hugging him too tightly. When she released him, he smiled. “Came back to the temple as per Mom’s request, apparently she has some news for me.”

“Some confidential news.” Kelsang’s twin brother, Tenki, corrected. The other man was so shy and monotonous that Hanuel hadn’t even noticed his presence. He turned to Hanuel. “It’s nothing that important, just a family matter.”

“Oh.” Hanuel asked. “Is Koto going to come down?”

Tenku glanced at his brother, then back at Hanuel. “No, I don’t think so. She was here a few weeks ago but left on a solo mission.”

Hanuel wondered if the mention really was solo, or if her childhood friend was traveling with her new companions.

“Anyways, that’s not the point.” The smile in Kelsang’s voiced eased her worry as he clapped his hand over her shoulder. “The point is that I bought us all pro-bending tickets for tonight’s game! You, me, Tenki, Tashi and Mikah! Isn’t that fun!”

“Wow!” Hanuel stammered. Ever since she was a little girl, seeing a pro-bending game live had been on her bucket list. “That’s amazing! Thank you!”

“Ah, it’s nothing for the Avatar. Just doing my part to help you get a good life experience so you can save the world.” Kelsang smiled. To Hanuel’s suprise, Tenki looked away and coughed into his hand. Kelsang turned to his brother. “What’s up?”

“We should probably go talk to Mom.” Tenki muttered, pulling Kelsang away from Hanuel. He turned to her. “You should go get breakfast.”

“Alright…” Hanuel muttered and started to walk down the hallway. She tried to ignore how strange the interaction seemed.

“You know, I actually don’t understand pro-bending, at all.” Mikah confessed halfway into the game they were watching.

“Really?” Hanuel laughed and leaned back in her seat. Kelsang had gotten them the best seats in the house- their very own private box positioned opposite the announcers booth. The space offered them a view of the entire stadium and all the action going on inside it. While both Kelsang and Tashi had joined Hanuel in rooting for whatever team whose name she liked better, Tenki and Mikah had stayed reserved and quiet the entire time.

“Yeah.” Mikah smiled. “Sports aren’t really my thing, though. It’s a bit too loud and violent for my taste. I’m glad you’re having fun, though.”

“Aw, thanks!” Hanuel smiled. She leaned back in her seat, intentionally gravitating towards Mikah. “You’re too sweet.”

“You think Jitsuko would like this kind of stuff?” Mikah laughed as he asked. It was hard to think of their reserved firebending companion getting excited about anything, much less something as trivial as sports.

Hanuel snorted. “I don’t know, maybe. She’d probably get along with Tenki more than anyone here.” When she thought about it, Hanuel realized that Jitsuko hadn’t ever met any of the airbenders other than Koto and Tashi, at least that she knew of. While she knew of the strain between the two nations, it had always seemed like a distant historical event only recorded in textbooks. Like many things she had failed to consider before, it was coming at her as real as ever now.

“Are you alright?” Mikah must’ve sensed her tension somehow, because he turned to her. “You seemed stressed.”

“I don’t know…” Hanuel groaned and sunk further into her seat, resting her feet on the banister. She was glad Mira or any other UDES officials weren’t here, or she would’ve been reprimanded for her improper behavior. “It’s just… I’m still thinking about everything that happened in the Fire Nation.”

“It’s a lot to think about.” Mikah shrugged and put his hand over her shoulder. “It’s ok that you’re stressed, you know. It’s natural. And if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“I know.” Hanuel sighed and put her hands over her eyes to block out the golden light of the chandelier. “I think I want to think it over more, before I say something I might regret. I just need some time to think.”

Mikah was dissatisfied by the answer- Hanuel could tell by his silence and the way his breathing tensed. She lifted the hand over her left eye to study his features and the worry painted over them. “Yeah…” The waterbender sighed. His gaze drifted back over to the match they were supposed to be watching. “That is why we’re here, I suppose. To get some time to think.”

“And if they let airbenders then I could try out for a spot on a team! It’s a brilliant idea!” Kelsang beamed as their party left the arena. He had been rambling about the premise- letting airbenders compete on pro-bending teams- as soon as the final match of the night concluded. Most of Kelsang’s excitement consisted of half-thought-out plans and the same few repeated sentiments, but it was nice to hear him so excited about something.

“You’d become a pro-bender if given the chance?” Tenki raised an eyebrow at his brother. “Somehow, that makes perfect sense.”

“I know, doesn’t it? Like, I could totally see you in a uniform.” Tashi piped up. She leaned back and made a frame with her fingers to view Kelsang through. “You’d look great.”

Hanuel laughed, then shivered. Despite it being early spring by now, the outside air was still chilly at night, at least in comparison to the warmth of the arena. “Wow, it’s kind of cold.” She said, pulling her cardigan over her shoulders. Mikah laughed at her.

“I’m gonna call a taxi.” Tenki walked over to the street curb to hail over a cab. Both other airbenders followed him, leaving Hanuel alone with Mikah.

“It actually is kind of chilly, at least for Republic City this time of year.” Mikah said as they stepped out of the way of some passerby’s. Hanuel his words but could barely register them, focusing instead on the people passing them by. To the citizens of Republic City -at least these people here tonight- she wasn’t the Avatar. She wasn’t a Beifong. She could live free of expectation, free of duty. It was a relieving feeling. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

“Avatar Hanuel!” A man called out as he stepped away from the crowd, disrupting the flow of his fellow pedestrians. “Avatar Hanuel, is that you?”

Hanuel stepped behind Mikah. Normally, she wouldn’t mind being recognized in public, it happened all the time in the Earth Kingdom. But something was different about tonight. She wasn’t supposed to be recognized tonight, tonight was supposed to be her opportunity to be normal.

Mikah glanced to Hanuel to check if she was ok, then turned to the man. “What do you want?” While Hanuel knew her friend was a pacifist healer who wouldn’t dream of hurting anyone, the stranger didn’t.

“I’m Li Jei with the Republic City Post, and I have a few questions for you.” The man turned to her as he dug a small notepad out of his pocket. “How are you liking Republic City so far?”

“Uh-” Hanuel stuttered. She was off her game. Apparently, the question had been a nicety, anyways, because the reporter instantly fired another at her. “What are your plans to deal with the spiritual issues sweeping the UDES as of this minute?”

Hanuel had to collect her thoughts. “Wh- what? Spiritual issues? What spiritual issues?”

Li Jei cleared his throat. “The.. spiritual issues? In the UDES?” He wrote something down in his journal- Hanuel could almost make out the words ‘Avatar clueless to current spiritual reality, acts without a plan’.

“Hey, back off.” Kelsang stepped in-between Hanuel and the reporter. “The Avatar isn’t taking questions right now.”

Li Jei grumbled and stuffed his notepad back into his pocket, but didn’t say anything. Hanuel watched him disappear back into the crowd before turning back to her friends.

“I’m sorry about that, the press can have no respect sometimes.” Kelsang put his had over her shoulder and led her to the curbside, where a cab was waiting for them. “Are you alright?”

Hanuel nodded but kept her eyes on the gray concrete below her feet, away from the clear sky above her that had once fascinated her. She couldn’t muster enough courage to give more of an answer.

the ivy city

Even through the dense morning fog, Haruko could make out the silhouette of the Coral Isles archipelago as she leaned on the wooden frame of Cloud’s saddle. Even this high in the air, the fog was thick, cool, and white, transforming what would’ve been a colorful spring sky into an unfilled landscape, a painting waiting to be completed. She could only make out the coastlines of the islands if she squinted, mostly because of the light produced by the cities upon them.

“So, why are we heading off course again?” Koto called out as they started to descend down towards the islands. “My mom said-”

“We all know what your mom said, you don’t have to bring it up every two seconds.” Hang rolled her eyes and shot Haruko a look she couldn’t interpret. “And you know why we’re here. Tala won’t shut up about it.”

Tala put a hand over their chest at the mention of their name. “Look, the news said that there’s a spiritual issue going on in Aringeru. I thought we should check it out, see what’s happening. It’s not like Haruko’s supposed to be fixing these specific issues or anything.”

The only person who laughed at the firebender’s half-witted sarcastic remark was Jae. “I think it’s a good idea. It’ll give Haruko- I don’t know, some on-the-job experience with the whole Avatar thing.”

“And we aren’t too off course, actually.” Hang added. “There are some spiritual sites around the Coral Isles that we were planning to visit anyways. We’re just taking less time to get to them.”

Koto huffed, straightened her posture, and turned back to the empty sky. Evidently, she had gotten her fill of arguing with the others.

“Someone’s got a stick up her ass...” Aazir muttered as Haruko kept her eyes on Koto.

“Aazir! Don’t say that!” Haruko turned to her brother just long enough to send a glare at him.

“What! It’s true!” Aazir gestured in front of himself.

Haruko rolled her eyes and ignored her brother, turning back to the horizon. As they neared the archipelago, she could better see the island’s surface, and something seemed off. “Hey, Tala? Are the islands always this… green?”

“What do you mean?” Tala asked, climbing over to the side of the saddle. “Oh.”

Admittedly, Haruko had never seen Aringeru from the air, but she had been to the city once before. While dense in vegetation compared to her desert hometown, the city had been overwhelmingly colorful-decked out not only in green, but in orange, red, blue and violet. She would’ve expected the arial view to reflect the multi-colored thatched roofs and tarp-covered markets she had experienced months ago, but all she saw now was a deep, earthy green, as if the entire civilization had been replaced by a forest.

“Well, that’s not normal.” Aazir scoffed. “Is it?”

Tala shook their head. “Nope. That’s definitely not normal. In fact, I’ll bet you five yuans that’s what we’re here for.”

It was easier to see what had happened once they had descended into the city, but the revelation only made the situation stranger. From what Haruko could tell, the entire city had been covered with a mass of plant life stretching from shore to shore, growing over the buildings and streets. Haruko couldn’t even tell what kind of plant it was until they had landed in the inn’s courtyard, when she discovered it was thick vines of ivy grown over nearly every surface.

“It’s like the Spirit Wilds, almost…” Koto mused as she dismounted her bison. Haruko followed, and almost jumped when the vines started creeping around her feet.

“Spirit Wilds never tried to pull me in with them…” Jae grumbled as he freed his own feet, apparently having the same issues.

“Bet this is the spiritual issue on the news.” Hang said as she, too, dismounted Cloud.

“Really?” Aazir turned the waterbender. He didn’t elaborate on the question.

Hang shrugged. “I mean, what else could it be?”

“Lola! Masina!” Tala called out. Haruko turned at the sound of their voice to see Tala’s two relatives making their way down a forged path in the vines. Tuli, Tala’s grandmother, swatted at the vines as they threatened to grow back, while her granddaughter Masina stood over her shoulder.

“It’s about time you showed up around here.” Tuli scoffed once she met her grandchild.

“I’m sorry.” Tala put their grandmother’s hand to their head in a sign of respect, then, when Tuli replied to their gesture, scooped both her and Masina into a warm hug. “I’m sorry. I got caught up in everything, but I’m here now.”

“Everything’s forgiven, child.” There was a smile in Tuli’s voice as she patted Tala on the shoulder. “Now, let's go inside. It’s dismal out.”

Tuli ushered her both her guests and her grandchildren, and, after assuring they had all been given a glass of iced tea, turned back to Tala. “Where have you been all this time?”

“And what brings you back?” Masina added, her voice as disinterested as Haruko remembered it being. “I thought you had ditched us for your crime friends again.”

Tala took a sip of their tea before answering, stalling for time to think up an answer. “It’s, uh, kind of a long story.”

“We have time.” Tuli shrugged.

“Right.” Tala nodded, and once again paused. “Well, you know how the last time I was here, Ahsa and I raided the factory with Haruko and Koto?” They gestured at the people he had mentioned in case his relatives had forgotten their names.

Haruko smiled and gave an awkward wave, faltering under the attention. Tala’s mention of the event reminded her of what had happened that night- it was the first time she had airbent.

“Yeah-” Tala continued. “After that, we had to flee the islands because we were found out. I wrote this all out in a letter when it happened. After that we met Jae and ended up in Gangbei for a while, then Gaoling, then the Southern Water Tribe- it was kinda complicated for a bit.”

“And you’ve been… running around the world with a bunch of strangers… because of what?” Tuli asked. Her voice was laced with its usual disdain, but also genuine worry.

“We were on the run from the law.” Hang replied in Tala’s stead. “That was most of the reason, at least initially. I didn’t want to get arrested, and Koto was oath-bound to take care of the Saeed kids and ensure that they got to Republic City safely.”

“And we found out something pretty important,” Jae added. “Actually, a lot of important things. It was kind of chaotic.”

“Mostly one, though.” Koto interrupted. She glanced to Haruko, then Tala, then made eye contact with the other inhabitants of the room. It was clear what she was going to say next, at least to Haruko. “We, uh, found out that Haruko is the Avatar. I was the first to know, but now we all know. That’s why we were headed to Repbublic City, but we got caught up in the Fire Nation for a bit during the winter. It was… it was a lot going on at once.”

The room fell into chilled silence as Tuli and Masina both sat with gaping mouths for a moment, taking in the moment. Masina put her hand to her head, and set her glass of tea on the coffee table. “I- what? What about that girl Hanuel? She’s the-”

“She’s not.” Koto’s voice lowered to a graver pitch. The room, once warm and bright with the promise of family, seemed as cold and gray as the outside world. “I… don’t know how she got named the Avatar, it must have been some kind of mistake. Haruko’s bent three out of four elements and has been into the Avatar State multiple times by now, there’s no chance it can’t be her.”

“Hmph.” Tuli looked over Haruko, studying her features for any sign of Avatarhood. Once her scrutiny was done, the old woman shrugged. “I can see it. Something in her eyes, tells you she’s the one. Surprised I didn’t see it earlier, if I’m being honest.”

“Wh-what?” Haruko stammered, unintentionally gesturing to herself. “You-you don’t want me to show you my waterbending or anything?”

Tuli closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, no- I believe you. You don’t need to prove yourself to me, I have a feeling you’ve done that too many times already.”

Haruko nodded and sniffed away the tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t know what it was about her, but Tala’s grandmother seemed to know exactly what was worrying her and how to calm her nerves. “Y-yeah.” Haruko stumbled over her own words, fully aware of her voice cracking. “Thank you.” She could feel Aazir putting his arm around her, pulling her into an embrace. She didn’t fight it.

“So, why are you all actually here?” Masina deadpanned. She looked to her cousin, then to the others.

“The spiritual issue, actually.” Hang explained. “The, uh, plants. We figured that Haruko might be able to help with that.”

Tala cleared their throat. “And… I kinda just wanted to come back here and see you guys again.” Either they didn’t notice Koto’s pointed glare, or they were ignoring it.

The room fell silent, though it was a softer quietness than before. Haruko looked between the faces of her friends- all portraying varying degrees of contentedness. She sighed, and let herself relax.

“Alright.” Tuli nodded to herself and stood up with Masina’s help. “You all can stay at the inn, free of charge, as long as you help work. Getting rid of all the ivy would also be appreciated.” She turned to Tala. “And, thank you for coming back.”

According to Masina, the ivy had shown up a few months ago, just as the rainy season started to end. She and Tuli had done all they could to keep the plants at bay and keep their inn inhabitable, but the infestation had taken its toll on them, and the entire city.

“You can barely see the sky in some parts of the city, because the vines grew over the streets.” Tala’s cousin explained as she led Haruko, Hang, and Koto to vacant rooms. “It’s crazy, no one knows what to do.”

“We saw it on the news, but they didn’t describe the actual issue.” Haruko replied as she stepped over a vine. “Just that it was ‘spiritual’ and bad.”

“That’s weird.” Masina hummed to herself. “Dunno why they wouldn’t say. Maybe they just don’t care about us.”

“It might have to do with the vines themselves.” Koto prompted. “The spiritual energy in Republic City sometimes interferes with radio signals and that sort of thing. It could be the same sort of deal.”

“What, did you learn that from your mom too?” Hang muttered to herself, loud enough so that others could hear her.

Koto turned to the waterbender so quickly that her hair bounced at the movement. “What?”

“I’m just saying.” Hang remarked. “Nearly every word out of your mouth is a quote from your mom. It’s kind of annoying.”

“I’m sorry I respect my mother!” Koto took a step away from Hang and nearly tripped on a stray vine. “Who happens to be the world’s leading spiritual expert! We’re having a discussion about spiritual issues! I didn’t even bring her up!”

“Jeez, I wasn’t expecting you to get all riled up.” Hang scoffed and turned away from Koto. “I’m just saying that you bring her up every chance you get. It’s kind of annoying.”

“I don’t-” Koto stammered. She put her hand to her forehead. “Why are you mad at me about this! I didn’t even bring her up this time.”

“Uhh…” Masina took a step back from the others and glanced at Haruko. “What’s going on?”

After returning Masina’s worried glance with a shrug, Haruko turned to Koto and put her hand on her shoulder. “Koto… don’t you think it might be a little insensitive to bring up your mom around Hang, considering what happened?” She spoke as slowly and cautiously as she could.

“Look, Hang.” Koto sighed. “I’m sorry about what happened to Chau- I really am. But there isn’t anything I can do about it! Why are you blaming me?”

“I’m not blaming you, I’m upset you’re still holding a grudge against me for avenging her death!” Hang seethed. “What happened between me and Teijo was none of your business. You weren’t involved.”

“You assasinated a government leader! After bloodbending him!” Koto’s voice rose as she ran her hands through her hair. “You murdered him! In a brutal and unnecessary way! It’s immoral!”

“Wait-” Masina stepped back and turned wide-eyed to Hang. “You- you’re the one who killed Prince Teijo? That was all over the news for like a week- it was you?!”

“Yes! Whatever! It’s not important!” Hang shouted. “I did what I had to do and gave him a fitting punishment for what he did. You weren’t involved, so leave me alone.”

“What makes you the moral judgment on what punishments are deserved?”

“He killed my mother right in front of me! He was going to kill me too! I couldn’t just let that happen!”

“You tortured him!”

“He tortured me!”

“I can’t-it was wrong, Hang!” Koto stammered. “It was wrong! I just want you to admit that!”

“I won’t. I can’t.” Hang shook her head. “Because I wasn’t wrong. And I don’t care what you think about it, just, please, leave me alone!”

Koto didn’t reply, leaving space for Masina to. “So… uhh…. These three doors lead to you guy’s rooms… you have been here before, you know the schedules. I’m gonna, uh, leave.” Before Haruko could even respond, the younger girl had run off into the distance. When she turned back to her friends, Hang had already disappeared into one of the rooms, leaving just Koto and her.

“Do you wanna…. I don’t know, talk about it?” Haruko felt herself putting her hand to the back of her head. “I can help you unpack or something.

“Yeah.” Koto nodded, adjusted her bag, and walked through one of the doors. Haruko followed.

The room was small and sparsely furnished, only decorated with a simple bed, a dresser and a small desk. Upon entering, Koto tossed her backpack onto the bed and immediately collapsed onto it next to her belongings. She threw her hands over her eyes to mask her crying.

Haruko closed the door behind them. “Uh- are you ok?”

“What am I doing wrong?!” Koto sobbed, sitting up and wiping away her tears. “I just- am I doing anything wrong?”

“I, uh. I don’t know?” Haruko shrugged, sitting in the desk’s chair. “I don’t really know what you’re trying to do.”

“I’m- I’m just trying to keep the team together!” Koto sighed. “I don’t want Hang to walk out on us or anything. We can’t handle losing a member of the team at this point.”

Haruko cleared her throat. “I didn’t ever really consider that being a possibility. Hang seems pretty… I don’t know, dedicated to the cause? I don’t think she would leave.”

“She might now, after what I said to her.” Koto groaned, keeping her eyes covered. “I just- everythings so messed up right now and I have no idea what to do and I just want everything to make sense!”

All Haruko could do was nod along. “Yeah… things are pretty messed up now. I don’t know if we can make sense of it, even if we try.”

“I know….” Koto rested her hands at her side, revealing eyes bloodshot from tears. “I just… someone needs to make sure everything doesn’t fall apart right? But I’m afraid I might’ve hurt Hang. I don’t want to hurt her, I just-”

“Then apologize to her.” Haruko stated. “Look, Hang’s told me to my face that all she wants is to communicate with you. If you initiate it with an apology, she might be more receptive to it. Hang wants to talk and for you to understand where she’s coming from, and I think you want the same. You just need to be open to it.”

“I know…” Koto sighed. “I just don’t know if I’ll be able to find the words I need to say. There’s… there’s so much going on right now.”

Haruko leaned on the seat of the chair. “That’s alright, I guess. We’ll probably just be hanging around here for a while, so that might be a good opportunity for it.”

Koto sat up and gathered herself. “Yeah, makes sense. When’d you get so wise, by the way?”

Haruko stifled a laugh. “I dunno, actually. I’m just used to dealing with Aazir, I’m kind of used to talking sense into people.” She paused. “That, or it’s an Avatar thing.”

“You’re getting better at saying it.” Koto prompted. “That’s a good thing.”

“Yeah.” Haruko said. “Somehow, it’s getting more normal to me.”

the healer

Only a few days after Haruko and her friends arrived in Aringeru, the sky opened upon them.

“I don’t get this,” Tala complained as they and Haruko dodged bullets of rainwater on their way across the inn’s courtyard. “It never gets this rainy in springtime. Either the monsoons are early or there’s something else afoot.”

“Maybe it’s the… spirits?” Haruko shrugged, stepping underneath an overhanging vine to avoid the rainfall. She didn’t know enough about spirits to be confident in her answer, but she figured it was as plausible as any justification for the weather.

“Can spirits even do that? Do this?”

Haruko shrugged.

“Hmph.” Tala turned to her. “Y’know, you should know this, as the Avatar. Aren’t you supposed to bridge the human and spirit worlds together or something?.”

“First of all, that makes me sound like a spirit portal, which I am not.” Haruko huffed. “Second of all, how would I know what spirits can or can’t do?”

“Because you’re the Avatar.” Tala stated matter-of-factly.

“And? Avatarhood doesn’t exactly come with, ‘how to decipher messages from the spirits’ manuals.”

“Yeah, but don’t you have like… a sense for these sorts of things?” The firebender shrugged.

Before Haruko could come up with another justification, they were approached by a third party- Jae.

“Hey, Haruko, Tala.” Jae took a moment to wipe some of the rainwater off his face before waving. “What’re you guys doing?”

Tala smiled. “Winning an argument against Haruko.”

“You aren’t winning.” Haruko sent Tala a glare before turning to Jae. “And it’s not really an argument. We’re just talking about the rain.”

Jae took a moment to glance around their surroundings. “Yup. The rain sure is… rainy.”

“I mean, it kind of makes sense. The rainy season might just be early this year. And it’s not the only weird… occurrences happening around here.” Tala shrugged, gesturing at the vines around them.

“I don’t like the rain.” Haruko crossed her arms but immediately returned them to her sides after feeling their uncomfortable wetness against her body. “It never rains this much in the Si Wong.”

“Yeah, I would hope not.” Jae chuckled. “Though, I can’t say I’m a big fan of the storms, either. It never storms this much up in Republic City.”

“Reminds you of the Fire Nation, almost.” Tala’s voice lowered. “I know they aren’t exactly known for the rain, but it sure was raining a lot when we were there.”

“We can’t escape it, huh.” Haruko forced a laugh. “That’s kind of funny, actually. No matter where we go, we end up in the rain.”

Jae shrugged. “At least it’s warmer here than it was there. And we don’t have to wear our hair up in weird topknots.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Haruko laughed. “Thank the spirits we aren’t actually still in the Fire Nation.”

“Mhm.” Tala nodded before turning to Jae. “So, what’s new with you?”

“Oh yeah!” Jae smiled, as if he was just remembering why he was there. He turned to Haruko. “Tuli sent me to find you, she wants to see you about something.”

“Probably the vines since you’re, y’know, the Avatar.” Tala jeered, elbowing Haruko in the shoulder.

“Fine, I’m going to talk to her.” Haruko scoffed as she stepped away from Tala, but made sure to turn back at them before fully leaving. “See you later!”

“Bye!” Jae waved. “Good luck!”

The inside of the inn’s main structure was warm, dry, and a nice break from the rain. Once she had closed the door behind her, Haruko took a moment to take off her muddy boots and jacket and leave them next to the door before turning to the rest of the room.

At least compared to the chill of the storm outside, it was warm- warm enough that Haruko was only marginally bothered by having her arms bare. The closed windows prevented any wind current from entering the space, letting clouds of dust settle in air. Despite it being mid-morning, the room was dark, illuminated in gray by the natural light coming from closed windows and the door Haruko had come from. She was pretty sure the lights hanging near the ceiling weren’t working, and would have to ask Tuli about fixing them for her.

As Haruko scanned the room, she noticed a figure standing in the doorway across from her- Masina. The younger girl must’ve only just got there, because she was already approaching Haruko by the time she noticed she was there.

“Lola Tuli wants to talk to you.” Masina grabbed Haruko by the hand and led her through the hallway.

“Yeah, I’ve heard,” Haruko said, taking her hand back but still following Masina. “By the way, do you know where Aazir is? I haven’t seen him all day.”

“I don’t know, he’s your brother.” Masina shrugged as they paused outside a closed door. “I think he went out to the market with Koto, though. To get some more food.”

“Oh.” Haruko said. “Makes sense.” Before she could reflect on the mundane statement, Masina opened the door and led them both inside it. What Haruko was expecting to be a living space was revealed to actually be a healer’s studio, the likes of which she had only ever seen in movers. A tub-like depression had been lowered in the center of the room’s floor and filled with clear water that seemed to glow, illuminating the room in a calming, blue light. Hang and Tuli sat next to it, in between herb cabinets and medical trays.

As Masina closed the door behind them, Hang looked up from the conversation. “There you guys are! We were waiting for you?”

“What’s going on?” Haruko asked as she and Masina took seats on the other side of the pool.

“It’s time for Masina’s lessons in healing, and I figured you two could stand to be taught the basics,” Tuli explained, looking between Haruko and Hang.

“Me?” Haruko gestured to herself. “But I’m not- well, I guess I am a waterbender, but-”

“Anyone can learn to heal, they just need to put in the effort to do it.” Tuli corrected. “Now, you can waterbend, can’t you?”

“Yeah. The only element I can’t bend yet is fire.” Haruko replied. “I-uh- did them out of order.”

“Hmph.” Tuli muttered. “Well, there’s not much we can do about that now, is there?”

Haruko shook her head, not knowing if there was any other response she could make.

“Well, dwelling on the past isn’t going to teach you girls healing, is it? Let’s get started.” Tuli turned to her granddaughter. “Masina, would you get the clay?”

Masina stood up and walked behind Haruko, then returned carrying a small wooden tray. She offered the tray to Haruko, revealing the small lumps of wet clay it held. Haruko took some of the clay into her hands and watched as Masina offered it to Tuli and Hang before returning to her own seat.

“Now, I always start off my healing students with pottery,” Tuli said, closing her eyes and shaping the clay with her hands. Haruko imitated the movement with the aid of her earthbending and watched Tuli with intent. “Healing differs from the other waterbending forms in that it’s purely internal and stems from the emotion and intent of the bender, rather than motion or reflex. Healing also relies on making the energy in someone’s body malleable and directing it’s flow. Claywork is a good tool to get in the right mindset to heal.”

The room fell into a gentle silence until Masina turned to Haruko. “Have you ever healed before?”

Haruko shook her head. “Nah, I’ve only known I can waterbend for a few months now, and really only done combative bending, mostly on accident. I honestly don’t know if I’m a good enough waterbender to heal.”

“That’s nonsense. Anyone can heal.” Tuli nodded to herself, otherwise completely engrossed in her pottery.

“Plus, you’re the Avatar.” Hang added. “You’re basically programmed to be a good bender.”

“Wow, bring it up all the time, won’t you…” Haruko muttered.

“It’s an important bit of information.” Hang shrugged.

“It is, but…”

Hang looked up from her work only long enough to look Haruko directly in the eyes. “You’re going to have to confront it eventually, you know.”

“I know.” Haruko sighed and looked down at the bowl she was creating. It was uneven and lopsided due to her lack of skill. “I’m just not ready yet.”

“So, anyway.” Masina changed the subject, much to Haruko’s relief. “I heard the Akamai’s shop down by the cove got completely destroyed by the vines. They consumed the wood and destroyed the looms. Shey and her family are with her cousins for now.”

“Mmm…. that’s a shame.” Tuli nodded to herself. “Those Akamai’s are some of the best weavers in town. I hope they’re alright.”

“They are, apparently the only major injury was that Nakoa broke his wrist. He’ll be fine, though. They’ve got enough healers in the family to keep them from all dying off.”

“Are there a lot of waterbenders here in the isles?” Hang asked.

“Mhm, there are. Probably more than any other element.” Tuli nodded “You know, before the war with the Fire Nation, we were a voyager people who traveled the islands of the Eastern Sea. My own grandmother told me stories of the times when we were one of the most respected empires of the world. The Earth Kingdom took over our settlements and annexed us into their kingdom, but not after killing our leaders. Then it was the Fire Nation, who wanted to use our lands as military bases. After the war was over, we were Earth Kingdom again, then Earth Empire, now this.”

“It’s dumb that we’re part of this nation when Earthbenders are a minority.” Masina frowned. “Like, we have earthbenders here and all but we also have Firebenders like Tala and even some Airbenders since we’re close to the Eastern Temple. We don’t belong to any of the nations because we’re our own people.”

Hang nodded. “Yeah, I can get that. It’s the same for us swamp folk- they don’t like us around but can’t stand to let our land go. You’d think we’d get some legal rights out of it but… they just kicked us all out.”

“Yeah, they did that with us sandbenders, too.” Haruko sighed. “Apparently the oil under the desert is more valuable than our livelihoods and culture.”

“I don’t even know why they wanted our land.” Hang leaned back and rested her half-formed bowl in her lap. “They kept saying it was for resources but never told us what they were there for.”

“Probably just the UDES being a bunch of scumlords, like always.” Masina shrugged. “Like how they aren’t even dealing with the spirit crisis happening right here and now.”

“Speaking of that,” Haruko set down her own bowl. “What are we going to do about that? We still don’t know where it’s coming from or what it is.”

“I’d say it might have something to do with you.” Tuli suggested. “The absence of the Avatar and the presence of someone else taking that title is the type of thing to have an impact on the spirits.”

“Maybe…” Haruko sighed. The statement made her feel more uneasy than she was willing to admit.

the contact

The minute Haruko entered the kitchen, she regretted it. She had unknowingly walked into the middle of a war zone, and needed to get out as soon as she could. “Uh, what’s happening here?”

Jae looked up from the manuals spread across the table just long enough to make eye contact with her. “We’re doing research!”

“Research for what?” Haruko stepped over the piles of boxes lining the floor to get to the kitchen sink and put away the glasses she was holding. “And what’s with the maps?”

“The maps are an integral part of the research!” Tala said, as if it was obvious, before turning back to the charts they were surveying. They had even threaded red string across the map of the coral isles, denoting important locations such as ‘home’, ‘factory’; and ‘best poke in town.

“Again, research for what? What are you planning?” Haruko gestured around as she collapsed into a chair at the same table Jae sat at. She could barely see him behind the piles of atlases and files. “Did you bring out every book in the inn? You can’t even get to some of these.”

“Maybe. I didn’t touch Masina’s.” Tala said. “The point is-“

“Tuli’s gonna kill you when she finds out you commandeered her kitchen.” Haruko looked to her friend. By now, she had spent enough time with the family to know exactly what would happen to Tala.

Tala shrugged. “Maybe she will, maybe she won’t. Not the point. The point is- you can help.”

“And why would I help with... whatever this is?” Haruko raised an eyebrow.

“Because!” Jae raised a finger to the sky. “It’s the one thing you can’t resist- helping people through crime.”

“Fine.” Haruko leaned forward in her chair and pulled an atlas closer to her. “What are we planning?”

“We aren’t exactly planning anything, so to speak, unless you count for dinner.” Tala gestured to their map and its numerous restaurant listings. “We’re reviewing old information to try and make sense of it. Have you ever heard of Project Vine?”

The name rang a bell in Haruko’s head, and it only took her a moment to remember where she had heard it from. “The night of the break-in here, Koto and I found some files about it. They were encrypted, though, and we couldn’t figure out what they meant before we were chased out.”

“You remember all that from... months ago?” Jae asked.

Haruko shrugged. “Was a memorable night. First time I bent air, so...”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Tala nodded. “Anyways, back to Project Vine. Ahsa and I... we had been looking into the project for quite some time, it’s why she and I were in Aringeru the time you guys showed up anyways. We were trying to find out more about it.”

“Wow. Guess we’re lucky.” Haruko glanced at Jae, then back at Tala. “So what is it?”

“We... don’t actually know.” Tala put their hand to the back of their neck. “Despite the years of effort we put into it this research, we weren’t able to crack much about it.”

“So we don’t have anything but a bunch of local atlases.” Haruko frowned at the book she was holding.

“Old city records too,” Jae added, lifting up his reading material- a city ledger from twenty years ago- so that Haruko could see it. “And some old newspapers, magazines. All sorts of interesting stuff. None of it’s too useful, though.”

“We also have a contact,” Tala stated, leaning over the table and glancing between Haruko and Jae. “There’s a man in the city with information about Project Vine, who’s willing to meet us and tell us what he knows, as long as we pay.”

“Ok, that sounds like an invitation to get mugged if I’ve ever heard one.” Haruko frowned.

“It’s our only real lead, so it’s either this or nothing.” Tala shrugged. “Jae and I are going out to market this afternoon to meet him, but we could really use the extra muscle. You in?”

“Y’know what? Sure.” Haruko shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“When you said you needed extra muscle, I thought you meant to intimidate people, not… carry extra groceries.” Haruko frowned and adjusted the paper bag she was carrying. The weight of it almost competed with that of the rain coating her back.

“We need to get more groceries, so…” Tala shrugged. “Why not get them why we’re here?”

“Fair point.” Haruko shrugged and paused to wipe the rainwater off her brow. Even with the canopy of vines above them, she still managed to get soaked.

“No, not ‘fair point’.” Jae crossed his arms. His bright yellow poncho crinkled as he did so. “We’re gonna look like fools when we show up to talk to your contact! Is that what you want, Tala? For us all to look like idiots when we’re trying to get information?”

Tala paused in their steps to look over themself and Jae, both dressed in rain ponchos. “I don’t see the problem with it. A lot of people wear these sort of things when the rainy season starts.”

“We don’t look cool! How are we supposed to be on a cool spy mission when we’re wearing raincoats?” Jae stressed, using his hands to emphasize his words.

“I mean, you’re the one who decided to wear it. Haruko didn’t wear a raincoat at all.” Tala shrugged.

“That’s just because I don’t have one.” Haruko frowned. She put her one free hand over her heart.“Si Wong Desert, remember.”

“Y’know what, you can have mine.” Before Haruko could object, Jae was already taking off his poncho and taking the groceries from Haruko. She could do nothing but go along with it.

“Guys, we’re holding up traffic.” Tala frowned, glancing beyond them at the angry market-goers inevitably behind them.

“No, no, we’re good.” Haruko smoothed out the poncho as soon as it was on her. Before she knew it, the bag was thrust back into her hands. “Hey!’

“Look, I can’t carry that!” Jae shrugged and turned back to Tala. “We’re ready to keep going.”

“Alright.” Tala shrugged and continued walking. They turned to Haruko. “So, I haven’t seen you in a while. What’ve you been up to lately?”

“Yeah, what have you been up to?” Jae put his hand over Haruko’s shoulder to catch her attention. “Because I, too, haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Oh, just waterbending training with Tuli, Hang and Masina.” Haruko laughed and adjusted the weight of the groceries in her arms. “It’s not that interesting yet. We’re mostly just learning to heal.”

“Already learning to heal when you haven’t even produced a flame…” Tala shook their head, then covered the motion in a laugh. “Nah, it’s ok. I’m sure you’ll figure it all out someday. Healing’s a really useful skill to have, I hear.”

“Yeah.” Haruko nodded. “It is. I don’t know if I’m any good at it yet, but it’ll probably come in useful at some point, right?”

“By the way, how’s Hang doing?” Jae piped up. “Is she still… I don’t know, depressed about what happened to her mom?” His genuine concern was apparent in the subtle inflections of his voice.

Haruko hesitated to reply. She didn’t want to speak for her friend’s recovery based on only her appearance, but Jae was relying on her for an answer. “She’s doing alright, as far as I can tell. She’s better at the healing stuff than I am.”

“Is she still mad at Koto?” Tala asked.

“I think so.” Haruko looked to the ground- the stone pathway glistening in the rainfall. “I think so, yeah. I haven’t seen Koto in a while, is she still angry with Hang?”

“Oh yeah.” Jae nodded to himself. “I actually don’t know much of what she’s been doing since we got here. Probably just been sulking around.”

“Five yuans she’s jealous of Hang’s new spirit powers.” Tala said, their voice devoid of emotion.

“She’s not jealous she’s just… worried about things.” Haruko sighed. “And rightfully so- we have a lot to worry about. She just wants to make sure we’re making the right decisions.”

“That doesn’t excuse holding a grudge over Hang for no good reason.” Tala crossed their arms. “She’s being rude and uptight, for nothing.”

Instead of replying to Tala, Jae turned to Haruko. “What about you- what do you think of all of this?”

“I don’t really know.” Haruko mused, surveying the shops around her. She couldn’t elaborate on the statement before she spotted a familiar face barrelling towards them.

“Jun!” Jae bypassed Haruko just in time to intercept the man and get swallowed into a hug.

“Jae, my boy!” The captain exclaimed, ruffling his former deck hand’s hair for a moment before the boy forced himself away. “And you’ve brought Tala back! Spirits, I would’ve thought you all for dead after you left for Gangbei and never showed up again. I actually set up an altar for ya on the Lotus, so that’cha spirit could come back to us. Guess the intention worked, cause here ya are.”

“Hah! I guess it did!” Jae smiled and let out a hooting laugh. “I’m not sure how we’re not dead, to be honest, but that’s a long story for another day. You remember Haruko, right?”

Jun bent down to make eye contact with Haruko, getting uncomfortably close to her face. “Ah, yeah, you! Good to see you again, ‘aruko. Ya look better than when I last met’cha.”

“Uhhh, thanks?” Haruko stepped away from Jun, who instantly reassumed his full height and turned to Tala.

“It’s nice to see you again, Jun.” Tala smiled. “We can’t stay, long, though. We have a contact to meet in the docks.”

“Well, don’t let me hold y’all up.” Jun stepped apart from Jae and Haruko to give them ample space to continue. “I’m sure ya know where the docks are, so I’ll spare ya the trouble of directions. Tell me how it goes if we cross ways again, won’t’cha?”

“We will. Don’t worry.” Jae smiled, giving Jun a casual salute as he started to walk away. “See ya later!”

“Good luck!” Jun called back before Jae could fully disappear from view.

The vines didn’t reach the docks. The plant growth that had taken over the rest of the city abruptly stopped close to the shoreline, as if it, even, was afraid of the rotten underbelly of Aringeru. In a way, it made the once-desolate borough more hospitable and pleasant. Haruko was able to see the full sky for the first time in weeks, uncluttered by overhead, overgrown ivy. Even still obscured by the rain and smog, the clear open sky was a pleasant sight.

Due to the lack of vines cutting off routes and taking up space, pedestrian traffic spread out and slowed down as one left the dense jungle, like the delta of a river as the water flowed into the open sea. Now unconfined by the strict flows of traffic, passersby filtered into the maze of shipping containers and market stalls, each finding their own direction.

“The guy said he’d meet us on the west end.” Tala directed Jae and Haruko away from the flow of traffic. “That’s where they house the big freighters and stuff.”

“Oh, cool.” Jae surveyed their surroundings as they walked. Haruko followed his gaze, noting the sailors watching them. To her relief, none of them seemed all that interested in them- just another few passersby on their way through the piers. Despite the thick fog and stench of oil and seawater, the air seemed clearer, or at least colder, then it had in the confined space of the market. The sky above them, while muted from the weather, shined orange and yellow due to the setting sun. The effect it created cast the city into burnt orange, like the aftermath of a fire.

Tala stopped, and it took a moment for Haruko to figure out why. For a while, she and Jae had been following them without question, trusting their judgmenet to get them to the right place. Haruko had barely accounted for the distance they had travelled, or the twists and turns that they had taken. When she looked up from the rain-soaked, concrete ground, she realized where they were- deep in a maze of wooden market stalls, the sea before them. While she couldn’t see the sun from the fog, Haruko knew they were faceing westward, from the light of dusk on the horizon, reflected on the ocean.

“Our contact should be here soon.” Tala turned to Jae, then to Haruko.

A figure stepped out of the alley’s shadows. Due to the intense light of the sunset , Haruko hadn’t noticed the back-streets fourth inhabitant blending into the silhoette of the walls. He was a lean man, only a few inches taller than Tala, and wore his thick, dark hair loose around his shoulders. The distinct features of his face were unreadable in the low light.

“You Tala Hira?” The man coughed, glancing Tala over once, then Jae, then Haruko.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Tala nodded, extending their hand between the man and their friends. “These are my associates. Are you Achmad?”

“I am.” The man nodded, hurriedly. “I need to make this quick. I do shipments for material- run the boats out here in there. A few years ago, our company got bought out by the greenbacks, and all we do now is ship from their factories and back. We go from Gaoling and back, transporting precious cargo kept in locked cases. They send guards with us- all us crew are supposed to do is man the ship without question. They aren’t metal- though.”

“Gaoling…” Jae muttered so that only Haruko could hear him. “What exports does Gaoling have….”

“And they’re building something in that factory of theirs.” Achmad continued, ignoring what Jae had said if he had even heard it. “I don’t know what, but they say it’s a weapon.”

“Project Vine could be a weapon… it makes sense.” Tala put their hand over their chin. “The only question is what kind, and why?”

“And what they’re getting from Gaoling that has anything to do with this,” Jae added.

“I don’t know for certain.” Achmad put his hand to the back of his neck. “I’m just a sailor, but I figured if you all are trying to do something about it, you should know.”

“Someone’s got to do something about what’s happening.” Tala shrugged. “And, thank you for telling us. We’re one step closer to solving this mystery and putting a stop to whatever they’re doing. I get the feeling it’s not gonna be good.”

Achmad nodded and glanced behind him, as if he thought he might have been followed. “I should leave before we’re spotted- I’m supposed to be working now. There isn’t any more I have to say, anyways. You kids stay safe and do well with what information I’ve given you. Live in fear until you know it’s safe.”

Before Haruko knew it, Achmad had turned around and bolted through the alleyway, hurrying back to his job and leaving them alone. His last words to them stuck in Haruko’s mind, repeating like a funeral lament. Living in fear was all they could do, now.

Before they returned to the inn, Tala led them to a restaurant, saying they could talk over what they had learned there. Without saying more than a few pleasantries, they led Haruko and Jae back under the cover of the vines and through the dense market, though it was less crowded now that night had fallen. After passing through the twists and turns of downtown Aringeru- made even more mysterious by the vines, fog, and low light- they all arrived at what Tala proclaimed to be the best poke restaurant in all of Aringeru- a hole-in-the-wall establishment distinguished only by a flickering neon sign and the golden light of the inside pouring out onto the street below. Once inside the restaurant, Tala waved a warm hello to the owners, who returned their enthusiasm and instantly started asking about their family. After sitting Jae and Haruko down at a booth in the back of the restaurant, Tala left to the restaurant’s kitchen to talk to the staff, explaining that he knew them well.

“So.” Haruko took off her poncho as she sat down. “You think Tala’s gonna be back with the food soon?”

Jae, who had been transfixed on watching Tala, snapped back to attention. “Uh, yeah, looks like it.”

“Cool, cool.” Haruko nodded and glanced at Tala. “This… might be a weird question, but are you two… y’know, a thing?”

Jae flushed pink and glanced away. “Tala and me? Are you crazy? That’s-” He sputtered, then sighed. “Kind of. I- uh, it’s kinda complicated right now? You understand.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Haruko shrugged and glanced over to Tala, who seemed to be telling a story of some kind. “Things are a bit weird right now, even for us.”

“Do you- do you think they like me back?” Jae put his hand over his cheek in an effort to hide his blush. “I mean, like like me?”

Haruko shrugged. “I think so. I mean, I’m not Tala so there’s no real way for me to know for certain, but…”

“Yeah.” Jae nodded and took in a breath of air in lack of anything to swallow. “Yeah. On the same topic… how are you and Koto doing?”

“Me and- and Koto?” Haruko could feel the heat rising to her face. She turned away from Jae. “That’s... we’re not really a thing. And we’re… not exactly on the best terms right now, what with everything happening with Hang.”

Jae nodded. “Yeah, I can see that. I think you’ll work it out sometime. I hope so, you two would be a cute couple.”

“Stooooppp….” Haruko groaned, draping herself over the table. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“What’s going on?” Tala said, having returned. Haruko instantly got up and made room for Tala to sit next to her. They placed bowls of food in front of them and turned to Jae. “Why’s Haruko upset?”

“I was messing with her about Koto.” Jae smiled, then deepened his expression. “We should talk about Project Vine, though, now that you’re here.”

“I agree.” Tala nodded, and lowered their voice. “We know more than we know now. We know that’s a weapon. Probably.”

“Knowing the UDES military, it’s definitely a weapon.” Jae scoffed. “They aren’t exactly known for their harmless peacekeeping.”

“Right.” Tala nodded. “The big question is- what kind of weapon is it?”

“Probably the kind they can exterminate entire civilizations with without having to look any of the people in the eyes.” Haruko grumbled. She couldn’t force herself to look anywhere but down, her own memory threatening to drown her. “I wouldn’t put it past them to rally us all up just to kill us all. They hate us.” She didn’t have to specify what ‘us’ referred to- Jae and Tala already knew.

“Yeah.” Tala took in a shaky, hesitant breath. “I… wouldn’t put that past them.”

“We need to stop them.” Jae declared. “We don’t have a choice- we need to stop them before they hurt anyone.”

“But- we can’t do anything about it!” Haruko ran her hands through her hair. “What are six kids going to do against a nation’s army?”

“What’s a nation’s army going to do against the Avatar?” Tala countered, lowering their voice to a near-whisper. “Look, if we gather enough evidence, and if you’re the one to present it, we might have a chance of solving this without any bloodshed. We could stage an international intervention.”

“If they even recognize me as a legitimate Avatar.” Haruko scoffed. “Right now, the odds aren’t exactly in our favor.”

“That’s true, but it might be our only choice,” Jae said, turning to look Haruko in the eye. “At the end of the day it’s your identity and your decision to make, but it wouldn’t do us any harm to keep the possibility in mind.”

“Right.” Haruko nodded. “I just don’t know how much the Avatar title can do when someone else is holding in it.”

“New plan,” Tala announced. “We learn as much as information as we can about this weapon- what it does, what they’re planning to do with it, why they’re getting shipments from Gaoling- and whatever’s happening with the airbenders and the spirits. Once we know enough about that… then we act on it.”

Haruko nodded, then slumped back in her seat. She didn’t want to guess how long it would be until their plan, inevitably, failed.

the living city

The morning after she, Jae, and Tala went to the market, Haruko woke up early. Early enough, in fact, that she could get dressed, walk out of her bedroom, and get to the main courtyard all without seeing another person.

For whatever reason, Koto was awake. From what time they had spent together, Haruko knew the girl wasn’t an early riser, but here, in the waking hours before the sun fully rose, she stood awake. It was as if she had walked straight from Haruko’s dreams.

“Uh, hey Koto.” Haruko said. She kept her voice low, to avoid waking those still sleeping. “I wasn’t expecting to see you up so early.”

“Yeah…” Koto nodded. “I couldn’t sleep any, so I thought I might as well come to see the sunrise. What about you?”

“Oh, same.” Haruko nodded, letting her gaze drift across Koto. The airbender was wearing a loose, casual outfit appropriate for the warmer weather, that showed the sharpness of her figure and the paleness of her skin. Haruko wondered if she was cold in the morning rain, then shook her head to get back on topic. “I usually wake up early, though, so this isn’t too unnatural to me.”

“Of course you wake up early.” Koto laughed to herself and shook her head, causing her loose hair to bounce around her shoulders. “That’s just like you to do that, you know? Wake up early to start the day when it’s young.”

“Yeah…” Haruko awkwardly joined in Koto’s laugh and put her hand to the back of her neck. “I guess I never really thought about it like that…”

“No- no, it’s a good quality to have.” Koto shook her head again. “It’s a quality I wish I had myself, I sleep through breakfast way more than I’d like to admit. It’s something I admire about you, how steadfast and determined you are.”

“Oh.” Haruko had to force herself to breathe, hoping that Koto couldn’t hear the rapid beat of her heart. There was a lot she admired about Koto, none of it she could accurately put into words. What was she supposed to say- that she liked her hair, the blue of her tattoos against the pale marble of her skin, the way her clothes draped over her bony silhouette? How was she supposed to say that her smile lit up a room whenever she showed it, that her laugh sounded like the tone of a bell to her- sonorous and clear, bringing images of spring to the front of her mind. How was she supposed to tell her that she saw the world in her eyes every time she looked into them, the unbridled hope of a girl who saw only the best in her, despite the warning signs that she did not live up to her dreams. She had stalled too long. “Uh- thanks. That’s really nice of you.”

“You’re welcome.” Koto said, a smile in her voice. Spirits, she was like the sky itself, in a way Haruko had never seen it. “Hey, it’s not raining today.”

Haruko hadn’t even noticed. She looked up to see that the water dripping occasionally onto her head and shoulders wasn’t rain itself- just left over from the storm last night. “Huh. I guess it isn’t.” She caught a drop of water in her palm. “That’s nice.”

“Do you not like the rain?” Koto asked.

Haruko shook her head. “Nah. I guess I’m just not used to it yet, though.”

“Figures.” Koto laughed. “Hey, do you wanna come down to the beach with me? It might be nice to see the sun rise over the water.”

Haruko could feel warmth rising to her cheeks, but ignored it as best she could. “Uh- yeah. I think that would be nice.”

The beach was empty- free of the people Haruko was sure would come later in the day. Like the docks, it was one of the few places free of overhanging vines, letting her and Koto take in the spectacular display of light. The beach closest to the Hira Inn faced eastward, giving them the perfect opportunity to watch the sun peek over the water’s surface. Even as they stepped onto the sand, the sun had already climbed over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of vibrant pinks and soft oranges against the delicate clouds.

“It’s amazing…” Koto breathed, pausing to take in the sky. Haruko was standing close enough to her that she could take the other girl’s hand into her own. Out of fear, she didn’t.

“Yeah…” Haruko nodded. She didn’t know what to look at- the sky, or Koto. In essence, they seemed one and the same to her. “Now I’m glad you woke up. I wouldn’t have thought to come.”

Koto laughed, then wrapped her hand around Haruko’s. She couldn’t object to the sudden motion, or the way Koto led her forward. “Come on, let’s go sit next to the water.”

When she got to the line of the tide, Koto slipped off her cloth slippers and set them on the dry sand. Haruko followed, taking off her boots and set them next to Koto’s shoes, then joined the other girl where the water could wash over their feet.

“I don’t think I’ll ever see anything like this again.” Koto exhaled. “I don’t know if I want to. I’d be perfectly content living in this moment, eternally, with you. It’s a selfish wish, but…”

“I understand.” Haruko breathed. “It’s better than thinking about… everything.”

“Yeah. I… I can’t apologize enough about... about everything, really. You shouldn’t have to go through all this.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” It took all of Haruko’s nerves to put her hand over Koto’s shoulder. “It’s no one's fault. We just have to live in the situation we’re in.”

Koto tilted her head to the sky. “I suppose we do.” She didn’t elaborate on the answer, letting the soft, rhythmic roaring and crash of the waves fill the space for her.

“Hey, Koto?” Haruko whispered. “Do you know if Aazir is mad at me right now?”

“Aazir?” Koto turned to her, then instantly looked back to the horizon. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Oh.” Haruko said. She kept her gaze on the horizon.

“I don’t think he’s mad at you in particular. He’s probably just trying to work out what’s been going on recently. It’s a lot to think about, for everyone.”

“Yeah.” Haruko hummed. “It really is.”

Instead of replying, Koto turned around at the sound of footsteps behind them. Haruko followed her gaze to see Tala running down the beach towards them.

“Koto! Haruko!” The firebender collapsed into a fit of panting the minute they got to Haruko and Koto. “You guys- you have to come back, the- the thing-”

Koto sent a worried glance to Haruko before turning back to Tala. ‘Tala- are you ok? What’s going on?”

“The vines.” Tala braced themself on their knees with one hand and clenched their shoulder with the other. Haruko could just see that they were covering up a wound. “The- the vines are attacking.”

“Uh. How?” Haruko furrowed her brow and glanced between Tala and Koto.

“I don’t know.” Tala bit their lip. “They’re attacking civilians in the market. The others are holding them off but-”

“They need the Avatar.” Haruko finished the sentence. “Right. Is the inn still standing?”

Tala nodded and grimaced in pain. “Yeah. Tuli and Masina are taking in the injured.”

“Ok.” Haruko nodded, then moved to put her boots back on. She looked up to Koto. “Take Tala back to the inn and get them healed up. I’m going to go deal with the vines.”

“Uh- how?” Koto asked, already helping Tala up.

“I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.” Haruko stood up and moved away from the beach.

Koto furrowed her brow, but hid her worry behind a mask. “Good luck.” She said before Haruko left.

Haruko had never seen anything like what she saw upon entering the market. Before, the vines seemed almost natural- even more so after weeks of living amongst them. It seemed like the plants had been there all along, or at least long enough that the people of Aringeru didn’t care about it. After the initial shock of the entire city being taken over by plant life had passed, the mundane vines had faded into obscurity, only becoming relevant when spoken about.

That was not the case anymore. When the vines were docile, they made the city reminiscent of the temple ruins Koto had led them to- crumbling structures of stone supported by the plant life that had overtaken them. Now that they had grown sentience, the plants threatened to turn the city into ruins.

Hang was the easiest of Haruko’s friends to find. When Haruko found her, the tall waterbender was directing a small group of children away from a large vine she had frozen in a block of ice.

“Haruko, there you are.” Hang turned to her the second the last child was safe. “Is Tala ok? Where’s Koto?”

“Koto took Tala back to the inn to heal.” Haruko answered briefly. “What’s happening, what can I do to help?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, I think it’s angry.” Hang said, and glanced over her shoulder just in time to see a heavy vine descending upon them. “Watch out!”

Haruko raised a pillar of earth to protect them just in time to shield both herself and Hang from the impact. While it had been a while since she had earthbent in earnest, her native element was as responsive to her as ever. “Right.” Haruko waited until the vine had stopped moving to speak. “I see what you mean. Where are the others?”

“Aazir and I are moving people out of harm's way, Jae’s climbing up to the tops of buildings to figure out what’s going on.” Hang said, stepping away from Haruko’s earthen shelter. “I think- I think you might be able to fix this. Last I heard, the vines were moving to the center of the city. You should head there.”

“I will.” Haruko nodded, and started moving away from Hang. “Good luck!”

“You too!” Hang called as she waved goodbye.

With the aid of her airbending, it was easy for Haruko to glide over the surface of the ground, only making contact with the ground a third of the time it would’ve taken her, had she been running normally. She didn’t make any effort to hide her use of the other elements, in part because there wasn’t any time to. The people of Aringeru wouldn’t take a second glance at the girl wielding air, water and earth at once while they were fearing for their lives, and if they did, she let them. There were important things- much more important things- to worry about than that.

“Haruko!” Someone called out- Aazir. Following the sound of her brother’s voice to see him supporting a collapsed concrete structure with his bending alone. Yard-high vines crept around the building, squeezing it to the breaking point and preventing any chance of escape.

“Aazir!” Haruko shouted, running towards her brother. As she approached him, Haruko noticed the group of people behind him- huddled in fear. He must’ve been trying to evacuate them.

“I can’t hold this up for much longer.” Aazir grunted, the strain of his actions apparent in his voice.

“Don’t worry- I can help-” Haruko started to climb over the vines, but was thrown back when they started moving under her feet. When she jumped back up, Haruko brought whips of water with her with her movement and formed blades of ice, with which she started to cut through the vines. It took only a few moments before she had completely sawed through the vine.

As soon as she had climbed into the building, Haruko assumed an earthbending stance like Aazir’s and pulled up a pillar of stone to support the building. Aazir relaxed his posture once the weight of the building was off his shoulders, but kept his stance as the other filed out of the gap Haruko had created.

“Let’s go.” Haruko ushered the people out of the gap she created. “Go to the docks or beaches, and take your injured to the Hira inn. It isn’t safe anymore.”

A man, no older than Haruko herself, paused in front of her before leaving, long enough for Haruko to notice the camera around his neck and the badge on the lapel of his shirt. He was a junior journalist. This had been a news office. “You’re- you just bent both water and earth.”

“Uh- yeah.” Haruko nodded as briskly as she could. “I do that. You should really get going, though.” To her relief, the man didn’t ask any more questions and joined the rest of the group.

As soon as both she and Aazir had left the building, Haruko let it collapse into a pile of concrete rubble for the vines to consume. She turned to her brother. “Are you alright?”

Aazir nodded and ran a hand through his hair, simultaneously wiping the sweat from his brow. “Ye-yeah. I’m glad you’re here, though.”

“I can’t stay long to help you.” Haruko cast a glance at the group of civilians. The journalist who had spoken to her was now watching her with intent, memorizing her features for the report he was going to write later. She could already see the headline in her mind. “I need to get to the center of the city, find out what’s going on, and stop it.”

Aazir raised an eyebrow. “You can do that sort of thing?”

“It’s a spiritual issue. If anyone can solve it…” She didn’t need to finish the statement.

“Yeah. Makes sense.” Aazir said. He put his hand over Haruko’s shoulder before bidding farewell. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Haruko put her hand over her brother’s. “You too.”

Compared to the chaos Haruko encountered in the marketplace, the center of the city was calm. The vines creeping around the corporate buildings and offices of the downtown centers moved at a slower, almost natural rate compared to the aggressive ones she had seen. The only reason Haruko could come up for the difference was that the vines downtown weren’t on the hunt for anything.

What the downtown center of the city lacked in movement, it made up for in darkness. The vine canopy above this region of the city was denser than the one in the market, at least by ten times as much. Only small pockets of light escaped to the surface, casting pillars of light. When Haruko crossed through one, she looked up to see Jae watching her. On her way to the region, she had crossed paths with the archer and explained her plan. To her relief, he had agreed to come with her and keep watch in case things went south. Jae gave her a thumbs up and a supportive smile, both of which she returned.

The moment Haruko stepped out of the light, the vines moved- a reaction to her presence. She should’ve been expecting it, but it still struck fear into her heart. When she tried to back away, she fell onto her back, hitting her head against the hard, cool concrete. Haruko realized what was happening all too late- small vines had climbed over her feet when she was still and now crossed over her legs, her arms, her neck. They covered her face, cutting off her sight. She couldn’t gather the strength to scream for help.

Haruko heard a voice. Unfamiliar, hostile and inhuman.

Girl…. It said to her, as if it was speaking directly into her mind. You call yourself an Avatar….

“I- I am.” Haruko said. Though she was certain no words escaped her mouth, she knew it heard her. “I have to be.”

And yet you doubt. You question yourself, time after time. You ask if it is truly you, why this curse had been bestowed onto you. You ask why. So many would kill for what you have, and yet, you hate it.

“I don’t want this. I never asked for any of it. I- I don’t deserve it.”

And do you want me to take it away from you?”

Haruko couldn’t muster up an answer herself. An overwhelming force of light, somewhere inside her, spoke instead. ”No.”

Full of lies and contradictions, just as always, Avatar, It said. Tell me, girl, do you know what I want?

“I don’t?”

I want humanity to pay for what they’ve done, for the transgressions they’ve committed. I know you do to. I know you want to give into it, Avatar. All you need is to let go.

“I- what?”

Let go, Avatar. Give into your rage. Bring justice to this world. It’s your duty.

Haruko could feel her heart beat faster, feel the power flowing from her heart to her hands to the tips of her fingers. She could let go. She just didn’t know what she would be falling into.

What is your name, girl?

“My name is Haruko- Haruko Saeed.”

The voice paused, in contemplation, before speaking again. That is not your name.

Haruko couldn’t fight the light overtaking all her senses- the inevitable sign of her body and soul being taken over by the Avatar State.

the torn truth

Dear Koto, I hope you’re doing well.

Hanuel lifted her pen from the paper, unsure where to continue from. It was hard- harder than she expected- to write to Koto. It didn’t make sense- they had written to each other for years before, exchanging letters about all that happened in their daily lives in the long stretches in between reunions. She had to keep reminding herself that alot had changed since then, but it felt like a lie. A lot had changed, but she didn’t know what.

Without anything else to do, Hanuel sighed and leaned back in her desk chair, lifting the empty letter up with her. There was so little she could think to say- the words completely absent from her mind. It wasn’t that she didn’t have anything to say to Koto, no, it was quite the opposite. She had too much to say- to much that she couldn’t exactly put into words.

Hanuel put her letter back on her desk and added a line. I wish we could see each others soon. I know we were together in the Fire Nation, but we left things off on a sour note. There’s so much I need to say to you.

After a moment of contemplation, Hanuel changed the word ‘need’ to ‘want’. She didn’t want to make Koto feel like she was needed. If her closest, dearest friend didn’t want to speak with her, then… well, then Hanuel would have to deal with it.

Faced with the emptiness of the page yet again, Hanuel closed her eyes, hoping the lack of light would help her process her thoughts. It didn’t, only forcing her to confront them any more. There was so much she needed to say to Koto- but did she really? What did she want Koto to know, other than that she desired answers. In pure, blatant truths, Hanuel didn’t have anything to say to Koto, other than that she was sorry for what had become of their relationship. She couldn’t help but feel it was her fault.

“Spirits….” Hanuel sighed, and put her pen down over the letter. She placed a blank sheet of paper over the one she had written on, to hide the transgression she had committed. Koto clearly didn’t want to speak to her. If she did, she would’ve written to Hanuel herself, or left a message at the temple, or told her the truth while they were in the Fire Nation. Instead, she had spoken in lies and allusions, never telling Hanuel what was really going on.

And she had new friends now. Friends she trusted, people she was willing to go against the law for. Hanuel had a feeling Koto’s new friends knew the truth of whatever she was keeping from her.

“Well, dwelling on things isn’t going to get anything done…” Hanuel muttered to herself as she stood up. She picked up the letter she had already written and sealed- the one addressed to Jitsuko- and left. Koto wouldn’t want her to send a half-written letter with no real content inside it. Hanuel wasn’t even sure they knew where Koto was to send her a letter.

Almost as soon as she had left her room to set off for the temple’s postal office, Hanuel was intercepted by Tashi. Hanuel’s cousin looked surprised to see her, as if she had been heading to Hanuel’s room with the intention of seeing her, but not expecting her to leave.

“Hey, Hanuel!” Tashi smiled, and awkwardly waved. “How are you doing?”

“Uh, I’m alright.” Hanuel laughed, holding up her enveloped letter for Tashi to see. “I’m just gonna send this, it’s for Jitsuko. You remember her, right?”

“Oh, yeah!” Tashi smiled. “She’s your firebender friend, right?”

“Yeah.” Hanuel nodded. There was something off about Tashi’s demeanor, but she couldn’t exactly place what. “She decided to stay in the Fire Nation after her brother died, especially since her sister’s acclimating to her new power. I felt bad for her, so I decided to write her a letter about what’s been happening here.”

“Oh, that’s really considerate of you.” Tashi smiled. “I can-uh- take that off your hands for you, if you want. It’s really no big deal.”

“Is- is something wrong?” Hanuel asked. It wasn’t like Tashi to be so worried. “You seem… worried.”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine, how about you?” Tashi smiled again, taking the enveloped letter from Hanuel’s hands and holding it behind her body. Hanuel noticed that her cousin repeated the same question, but pretended not to.

“I’m fine?” Hanuel asked. “Tashi, what’s going on?”

Tashi was so impacted by the statement, she had to take a step back. “You aren’t… distraught or anything?”

“Why would I be distraught?” Hanuel asked. She glanced around the dim but pleasant hallway, for any sign that she should be worried. It was a pleasant spring day, the best they’d had in the season so far. Hanuel had reasons to worry, though none of which she’d shared with Tashi yet. “What’s happening?”

“You don’t know? You haven’t heard the news yet?” Tashi’s brow furrowed. Her voice rose in pitch and volume.

“N-no? What news?”

Instead of answering, Tashi wrapped her hand across Hanuel’s wrist and pulled her down the hallway, moving so fast Hanuel struggled to keep up. “T-Tashi, what’s happening?”

Tashi stopped outside a closed door and hovered her hand over the doorknob. “I- something happened that you should know about.” She didn’t give Hanuel a chance to reply before opening the door and pulling Hanuel inside.

The room inside was a library, one of many in the temple, though one Hanuel hadn’t seen before. A few familiar faces graced the small room. Mikah sat at the table, looking over newspapers. Tenki stood over him, worry painted over his features.

“Hey Mikah, Tenki.” Hanuel said, taking a seat across from Mikah. “Where’s Kelsang?”

“He had to head back to the Eastern Temple.” Tenki explained briefly. “There was an issue there, and they needed him.”

“Oh.” Hanuel looked down. It seemed like Kelsang had only just arrived at the island before leaving again. “Ok. What’s happening here?”

Mikah shoved one of the newspapers forward, to Hanuel. “You should read it yourself.”

Hanuel took the paper and turned it around so she could read it. “There was a spirit attack in the Coral Isles? How is this the first I’m hearing of this? Is everyone ok? Is that why Kelsang had to leave?”

Tenki and Mikah exchanged a glance, then turned back to her. “You should read more.”

Hanuel could feel her heart picking up pace, rattling against her chest as she turned back to the newspaper. To her surprise, the article didn’t explain the majority of the attack, skipping over many of the important details. Instead, it focused on a singular event amidst the chaos.

A small news office, the article cited it as a local paper called the Aringeru Report, had been caught in the fray of the attack. The company’s small building had been crushed by a vine- for it was sentient vines that were attacking the city- while a group of reporters and staff were still inside it, until they had been saved by the efforts of one teenage girl.

One teenage girl, who, according to every witness who had seen her, had bent both water and earth.

Hanuel couldn’t read anymore, the words blurring from the tears forming in her eyes. She couldn’t look more, to read the questions the news article asked. She didn’t need to, they were the same questions she was asking herself.

There was a girl, somewhere out there, that could bend both water and earth. A teenage girl of Si Wong origin, at least according to the article. The article said that the newspaper office attack wasn’t the only instance the girl had been seen, and that she had been spotted across the city, using a blend of three of the fourt elements: air, water and earth.

There was only one explanation for it. This girl, whoever she was, was the Avatar. She could bend three out of the four elements with ease.

Which meant that Hanuel wasn’t.

Which meant she had been lied to.

Hanuel’s heart beat so fast and loud, the rhythmic pounding was the only thing she could hear. The others- Tashi, Tenki, and Mikah, had surrounded her- they had put their arms around her- but she couldn’t feel it. She couldn’t hear their words of comfort or their worry, she couldn’t hear her own thoughts or feel the warmth of her friends surrounding her.

All she could feel was the crushing emptiness of something being ripped out of her, leaving her to crumble into ruin in its absence.

She wondered if it ever was there to begin with, and was hit by the chilling realization that of course it wasn’t, and she had been a fool for believing it.

peaceful dreams

Haruko awoke to a throbbing pain in her head, the sound of birds at her window, and the warmth of the sun and a cotton blanket draped over her. Wherever she was, it certainly wasn’t the vine-covered depths of Aringeru.

In her semi-consciousness, she could’ve been sure she was back in Jing Zi- back home, where her only real troubles were Padma messing with her and trying not to fail literature class. If she focused hard enough, she could pretend the reality was true- that it really had been just a bad dream. She wasn’t the Avatar, her father was long gone and probably long dead. She hadn’t witnessed people dying with the knowledge that she was partially responsible for it. She hadn’t lied.

The falsehood stung more than the truth would’ve, even if Haruko had believed it.

It took effort for Haruko to open her eyes- it took effort for her to even pull herself out of sleep and take note of her surroundings. She didn’t know where she was, or what had happened, all she knew was that she was weak.

A thought struck Haruko- an outlandish, terrifying. The last thing she remembered was being suffocated by the vines in Aringeru, and now she was here, in what she guessed was a bedroom of sorts. Had she died down there in the vines, and already reincarnated into a firebending infant? Had she already lived through her course of the Avatar Cycle, without anyone even knowing of it?

Out of reflex, Haruko bolted upright and grabbed her own forearms, relieved to find that she was still herself. The sudden motion nearly took all her energy, leaving her to collapse back onto the bed.

“Whoa- are you ok?” Aazir abruptly stood up and rushed to her side. Haruko hadn’t even noticed his presence until he spoke.

“Hey, Aazir…” Haruko said as she sat up again, this time taking it slow. Her mouth was dry. “Do you- have any water?”

Aazir nodded, and handed Haruko a glass of cool, cold water. She drank it all before speaking again. “What- what happened to me? Where are we?” Now fully conscious, Haruko could take in the room she had awoken in. It was a large space- larger than she had been expecting- with a wide, open window to her left, letting in the morning sunlight and a gentle wind. Beyond the window, she could see a foreign, mountainous countryside sprawling for miles, the far off mountains covered in green foliage and decorated with flags of orange, yellow and red. The walls of the room itself were crafted from heavy, creme-colored stone, carved with floral motifs and supported by wooden pillars sculptued in similar patterns.

“The Eastern Air Temple.” Aazir said, collapsing back into the rattan chair by her bedside. “That’s where we are. As for what happened…. What do you remember?”

Haruko let her gaze drift away from Aazir as she scoured her brain for a memory. “Back in Aringeru, with Jae. The vines were trying to pull me down with them.” She didn’t mention the voice she had heard, or what it had said to her.

“Yeah. Ok.” Aazir nodded. “Well, you’re pretty lucky that Jae was there, because he saw what had happened to you and cut you out of there. The vines must’ve done something to you, ‘cause you were all sick and weird and…. Y’know, glowing.”

“Right.” Haruko nodded. Come to think of it, she did remember entering the Avatar State, but had no recollection of what she had done while in it. Typical.

Aazir shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Well, you were in the Avatar State the entire time Jae was bringing you back, but you weren’t really doing anything besides being sick and muttering about ‘Raava’. What’s Raava, by the way?”

The name seemed familiar to Haruko- painfully so- but she couldn’t place where she had heard it before, if ever. In a way, it could’ve been her name he was referring to. “I- I don’t know.”

“Hmph. Koto didn’t know either, so at least there’s that.” Aazir shrugged. “Anyways, you vomited weird goop all over me and Masina and weren’t really responding to anything or anyone so we took you to Tuli and got you healed up. Hang actually did most of the healing, so you have her to thank.”

“Oh.” Haruko leaned back. Hang had never struck her as the healing type, but she wasn’t complaining.

Aazir nodded and continued. “Yeah, weird right? Tuli kept saying that it was some sort of spiritual illness or something that you had. Makes more sense that Hang was able to heal you, since she has spirit powers or whatever.”

“And now we’re here, in the Eastern Air Temple…” Haruko cast a gaze around the room, reminding Aazir of the hole in his story that he had yet to fill.

“Yeah, about that…” Aazir put his hand to the back of his neck. “I… might not be the right person to tell you this sort of thing, but more airbenders have been going missing. It was the southern temple this time. We got a message from Koto’s mom, and she told us to head to here to find out what’s going on. Koto’s aunt, Ikki, is here, too. I think she’ll probably want to talk to you soon.”

Haruko nodded. “Ok. Alright.” She paused. “Is everyone else alright?”

Aazir nodded. “Yeah. You’ve been asleep since you got here, so we’ve all been taking shifts to watch you sleep.” He looked down. “It was… kind of scary, not knowing if you were going to survive.”

“I’m sorry.” Haruko whispered, just loud enough that Aazir could hear her. She didn’t know if the apology meant anything on its own. She couldn’t say that his fears were unjustified, or that the cause of them would go away in time, because that would be a lie. It would only get worse from here.

“It’s scary….” Aazir whispered. He wrapped his hands around his body and sunk into his seat. “Everything’s moving too fast. I can’t….”

“I know.” Was all Haruko could say. And she did know. It was too much too soon, too many revelations in too soon of a time period. They hadn’t had a stable home or place to stay in months. All they had was each other.

“It’s all wrong. Everything’s just… so messed up right now. I don’t know what to do or how to feel about any of it.”

“I know.”

“Do you think Dad will ever come back for us?” Aazir’s voice trembled in fear. Haruko realized she had never seen her brother so openly scared before. “He- he has to, right? He’s our dad. He- he has to care about us, right?”

Haruko inhaled, the breath sharper than she had intended or expected it to be. “I- I don’t really know. I don’t think so.” She looked away from Aazir. “I don’t know whether or not we’re better off without him, anyway.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t miss him.” Aazir wrapped his arms around his body, pantomiming a hug from a loved one. If Haruko had the strength, she would’ve embraced him.

“Are we gonna be ok?” Aazir looked up to her. “Like, really, are we going to be ok? I don’t mean the world or anything, or with you and and your Avatar stuff. Are the two of us going to be ok at the end of all of this? Are we gonna be able to go back to normal?”

Haruko exhaled, wishing she could let go of all her worries with the stale breath she let out. “I don’t know if there’s a normal we can go back to, at this point.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Aazir sighed. “We can still pretend though, right? At least for a while longer?”

Haruko couldn’t summon the strength to answer, whether it be a lie or the truth.

solace

Haruko had never seen anything like the Eastern Air Temple. The long, open hallways and grand windows stood out against the landscapes of her memory, even compared to that of the Southern Air Temple, which she had previously visited. It seemed that every turn they made, they encountered another statue of the same woman, serenely sitting and watching over them. While she couldn’t place it exactly, Haruko was sure she had seen her visage somewhere before.

“That’s Avatar Yangchen.” Koto commented after their fifth encounter with the mysterious woman’s depiction. The airbender had joined her and Aazir shortly after they had left the medical ward, to lead them to the center of the temple where her aunt was waiting. “Your past life, actually. She’s remembered as one of the best Avatars in history.”

“Huh…” Haruko stopped where she stood, to study the woman’s- Yangchen- facial features. They were more delicate than her own, more serene. Yangchen looked wise and decisive and calm, everything she was not. A perfect Avatar. “It’s kind of weird. How long ago was she? In the cycle, I mean.”

Aazir groaned and leaned back on his heels, to indicate his already-obvious boredom. Haruko ignored him.

“About one-and-a-half full cycles ago. She was after Szeto, and followed by Kuruk, Kyoshi, Roku, Aang, Korra, and now, you.” Koto declared, stating the fact like it was trivia and counting the names on her fingers. “You know, you should probably know this-”

“Are you ok?” Haruko glanced across her friend’s features for any indication of the cause of her falter. It wasn’t like Koto to stop mid-sentence.

Koto shook her head to rid herself of whatever thoughts had plagued her. “Yeah, yeah. I just remembered that- I had this conversation with Hanuel, once. Probably a lot of times but… it’s nothing.”

“Really?” Haruko tilted her head. By now, she knew of Koto’s previous friendship with her imposter- Haruko hated thinking of the girl like that, but it was the truth- but had never had the time to ask about it. “Are you sure?”

Koto nodded and took in a shaky breath. “Yeah… I’m just worried about her, you know? The truth will hurt when it comes out, you know? I mean, it will hurt us all- it has hurt us all, but it will hurt her the most. Her and you, I think.”

“Oh.” Haruko dug her hands into her pockets, her knuckles catching against her keys, her wallet, whatever loose change she still carried with her. She kept replaying the scenario of her eventual confession over and over in her head, and it went wrong every time. She knew it would never get better, she just didn’t know if it would ever get worse.

“Uhh…” Aazir coughed, startling Haruko back to attention. “Are we gonna keep going or what?”

“Aazir’s right.” Koto declared, taking Haruko by the hand and pulling her away from the statue. “We should keep going. There’s… there’s not much use just standing around here.”

“Alright.” Haruko said, and followed Koto’s lead. She didn’t make any objections, for either of their sake.

To Haruko’s relief, the courtyard Koto led her to wasn’t crowded. She didn’t think she could handle speaking to more than a few people at the time.

It was evening, a fact Haruko only truly comprehended when she stepped out into the open air and saw the spectrum of orange and pink above her. A clear, soft breeze filtered through the walls and trees, smelling like the mountains. The sound of a wind chime reverberated through the space and mingled with that of the evening birds and soft chatter. Haruko didn’t think she had ever been somewhere more peaceful in her life.

A small group had gathered in the center of the clearing, standing under a large tree. Haruko recognized most of the individuals as her friends and Koto’s brother, Kelsang, but two of the women were unfamiliar to her: a tall, lanky middle-aged woman with a kind smile and iconic blue tattoos, and a shorter, younger woman, probably only a few years older than Haruko herself, dressed in vibrant red-and-yellow robes.

“Haruko! You’re awake!” Jae exclaimed, eclipsing the others to embrace her. Once he had released her, he directed Haruko’s attention to the younger woman. “You need to meet my sister. Haruko, this is Ji-Min. Ji-Min, Haruko.” He lowered his voice to a near-whisper. “She’s the Avatar.”

Ji-Min laughed and extended her hand for Haruko to shake. She did so. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Haruko. And it’s nice to see you healthy again.”

“Uh, you too!” Haruko stammered, taking Ji-Min’s hand. “Jae’s told me alot about you.” It was both hard and easy to believe that the two were siblings.

As they made introductions, Ji-Min led both Haruko and her brother back to the group. Koto had already gotten there, and was speaking with her brother and the other woman. The latter turned to Haruko when she noticed her presence. “And you must be Haruko! I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

“Uh, yeah.” Haruko laughed awkwardly. “That’s me.”

“I’m Ikki, Koto’s Aunt and the abbot of this temple. At least, that’s my official title.” The woman continued. “You already know Kelsang, don’t you?”

“Yeah, we’ve met.” Haruko nodded, waving to the airbender. He returned it with a smile.

Ikki nodded and gestured for Koto to come closer, then put her hand over the girl’s shoulder. “Your friends have told me about the… situation you’re currently in. If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you known?”

Haruko hesitated before responding, taking in a breath to stall for time. She needed it- the moment to prepare herself before explaining. “Only a few months now. I accidentally airbent last fall and-”

“It couldn’t be anyone but you.” Ikki nodded, taking a moment to glance behind her at Haruko’s companions. “And… they-”

“We were travelling with them before, and then they just stuck around, and-” Haruko jumped to reply. “I trust them. All of them.”

“I believe you. They seem like trustworthy people.” Ikki smiled as she watched Tala and Hang. Out of the corner of her eye, Haruko could see introducing Aazir to his sister just as he had her. “Haruko, I can’t begin to imagine the stress you’ve been under for the past few months. It’s stressful to think about it myself. I really don’t want to ask you this, but-”

“I’ll help. Find out why the airbenders are going missing, I mean.” Haruko answered before Ikki could finish the question. “That’s what I’m here for. It’s… it's my job, right? To help people?”

Before Haruko could reply, she was caught in a warm embrace of orange-yellow fabric. “Thank you.” Ikki said, a smile in her voice. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Haruko didn’t know what to say, if she could even say anything at all. She returned the embrace.

expectations

Almost as soon as she had left her room at the Eastern Air Temple her first morning there, Haruko was intercepted by two familiar faces.

“Hey Hang, Tala.” Haruko yawned, exchanging a nod with both her friends. “What’s new?”

“Not much.” The firebender smiled, putting their hand over her shoulder to guide her down the hallway. “Sleep well?”

“As well as I ever do.” Haruko shrugged. “I’ve told you about my weird dreams, right?”

“Wait, you have weird dreams?” Hang deadpanned in mock-seriousness. She leaned down to make eye contact with Haruko and kept a straight face for a whole minute before cracking up and putting her hand over Haruko’s shoulder. “Nah, I’m just messing with you. I think you’ve mentioned it once or twice before. It’s an Avatar thing, right?”

“I mean, it kind of has to be, right?” Haruko shrugged as she followed Hang and Tala. She didn’t know where her friends were leading her, but figured it wouldn’t do her any harm to follow them. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to go, anyways. “I mean, by definition, everything I do is an ‘Avatar thing’.”

“Yeah, makes sense.” Tala nodded. “Anyways, Ikki wanted to see you-”

“Which is why we’re here. Getting you.” Hang awkwardly interrupted.

“Yeah.” Tala nodded. “Apparently she wants to see all of us. Well, not ‘all of us’ all of us, but you, me, Hang and Koto. Koto’s already with her.”

“I had to wake her up.” Hang scoffed. “I don’t know when that girl goes to bed, but it’s not early enough. She sleeps like the dead.”

“She definitely does…” Haruko laughed, then let her gaze drift to the ornate decoration of the hallway. It was so early in the day that the light peeking in from behind the carved window shutters was dim and golden, illuminating the dust she and her friends kicked up as much as it did the pillars and walls of the hallways. While the temple was beautiful, it was impossible not to notice the scars left- mosaics missing entire regions of tile, wooden reliefs so charred the original image was indecipherable. The site of the temple filled Haruko with a certain, uncanny sorrow, a loss for something she had never known, at least not in this lifetime.

Tala, the head of their group, stopped once they had exited the residential hallway. Now in a larger, grander space, they spun in a circle, searching for the right direction. “Do either of you guys….”

“Where are we supposed to be?” Haruko asked. She looked up at the vaulted, decorated ceiling above her, as if it would give her any indication of their desired location.

“Yangchen’s hall, I think. That should be where Koto and her aunt are.” Hang answered as she stepped into the empty hall. She gestured in the direction opposite to the one Tala was facing. “I think it’s… hmmm. It’s this way.”

As Hang set off down the hallway, Haruko and Tala jogged to catch up. Their footsteps echoed across the clean tile floors. “Are you sure about this?” Haruko asked as soon as she was close enough to the waterbender.

“Sure as I ever am. You wanna trust Tala on this?” Hang glanced back at the firebender.

“I’m wounded.” Tala put their hand to their chest and lulled to a stop for nothing but dramatic emphasis. “I can’t believe you’d say such a cruel, heartless-”

“Oh come on.” Hang sighed, but sent Haruko a smile and a stifled laugh. “No offense, but you aren’t the best navigator.”

“I can’t believe this… insulted by my own best friend…” Tala continued their performance by draping their body of Haruko’s. She barely had enough strength to support the firebender’s body weight.

“Hey!” Haruko said as she propped Tala up.

“Avenge me Haruko….” Tala said in mock-graveness. “Avenge me. It’s the only way- Hey!”

Instead of giving into any of their requests, Haruko dropped Tala to the floor. They got up and dusted themself off, as if to pretend the incident hadn’t happened. “Hang is right, though. We probably won’t get as lost if she’s the one leading us. Probably.”

“When have I ever gotten us lost before?” Hang laughed with pride. “Never. That’s when.”

“Yep, exactly.” Tala nodded, glancing at Haruko. “Except for that time she got us on the wrong train, or that other time she got us on the wrong bus-”

“Or that time in the Fire Nation when we spent an hour waiting for the wrong train.” Haruko added. “And Aazir was complaining about being hungry the entire time.”

“That doesn’t count, because Jae’s in charge of handling public transit for the group.” Hang spun around and declared. “And I do get us where we need to be, because here we are.”

Haruko didn’t know what she had been expecting Yangchen’s hall to be like, but the space somehow exceeded expectations she didn’t even know she had. The hall- calling it a room didn’t do it justice- was larger than any other area of the temple Haruko had seen yet, so large that the sounds of their footsteps echoed across the cool stone. While the walls were lined with life-sized statues of airbenders, they were dwarfed- quite literally so- by the giant statue of Avatar Yangchen, sitting in a meditative pose over the rest of the hall. During what little time she had stayed in the temple so far, Haruko had gotten used to seeing her past life's face around the temple halls, but none took her breath away like this one did. She didn’t know much about Yangchen, having elected to ignore some parts of her history classes, but she didn’t need the details to figure out what kind of person the mythical Air Avatar had been. Her features were kind and soft and gentle, sculpted into a serenity that displayed both her wisdom and her compassion. Yangchen’s legacy had treated her kindly, earning her at least twenty statues and the praise of everyone Haruko had heard about her from. She couldn’t hope for the same to be said about her, and, maybe, Haruko thought, she didn’t want to. Even now, Avatarhood seemed such a distant connection from her own identity. She was not Yangchen. She wasn’t Korra or Aang or any of the other figures that seemed to be looming over her, handing her their legacies like a baton. She was Haruko Saeed, a girl born out of the sand and the desert air, not into the arms of glory or the eyes of the world. She was a nobody. A shadow in the background of the room, easily cast away and replaced.

Except, she wasn’t. She really was the Avatar.

“Hey, are you ok?” A warm hand graced Haruko’s shoulder, and it took her too long to realize it was Tala’s. “You, uh, kinda froze up there. For like a minute.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah.” Haruko murmured as she caught herself and tore her eyes away from Yangchen’s. “I was just kind of… caught off guard by the statue.”

“It’s a nice one, isn’t it…” Tala leaned back on their heels as they, too, took in the work of art. It didn’t seem to have the same impact on them, of course. “I wonder what she did to have so many statues. I think I’ve seen more of her than I have of Aang, and he’s on money.” They laughed at their own joke, completely oblivious to Haruko’s thoughts. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“I-” Haruko paused. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell Tala her feelings- if she even could. It probably wouldn’t make any sense to them. It didn’t even make any sense to her. “Yeah. I’m good. It’s just… weird seeing Avatars everywhere.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Tala nodded to themself. “Maybe one day, you’ll have giant statues everywhere and we’ll have to look at your face all the time. That would be pretty cool. Weird, but cool.”

Haruko couldn’t think up an answer. She doubted she would’ve been able to anyways, and turned to the others. In the time she had spent staring at her predecessor, Hang had caught up with the others- now that she had adjusted to simply being in the room, Haruko could notice Koto, Kelsang and Ikki all standing underneath the statue. After exchanging a glance with Tala, she set off to join them.

“Haruko!” Koto smiled, greeting Haruko with a warm embrace. “You look great! Did you sleep well? How are you doing?”

Haruko laughed off her friend’s embrace and questions. “I’m doing great. How about you?”

“I’m good. I’m great.” Koto nodded and smiled. “Well, as good as any of us are doing.” She cast a backward glance at Hang. The waterbender, alongside Koto’s relatives, was watching Tala cycle through the basic forms of firebending they had been teaching Haruko, save for the actual flame.

“Have you… talked to her yet?” Haruko asked out of genuine curiosity.

Koto shook her head and looked down. “Not yet. I’ve been trying, but… there just hasn’t been the time.”

“Well…” Haruko followed Koto’s gaze downwards and traced a pattern on the ground below them. “I think you should try to tell her sometime soon. It’s… not good to keep secrets and wait for things to just go away. They usually don’t.”

“Mhm.” Even though she wasn’t looking at her, Haruko could almost picture Koto nodding. “You’re probably right.”

Before she could say any more, Haruko was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked up to see Ikki nearing them with a smile on her face. “Haruko, good morning! Did Koto tell you what we’re doing yet?”

Haruko shook her head.

“Well.” Ikki said, sending a playful glare at her niece. “We’re all going to go down to Banh Mi- that’s the town a bit north of here- to investigate the spiritual activity. It’s a pretty routine thing we’ve been doing here at the temple, but it might be more effective since you all are here now.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Haruko nodded. “Hang has some really strong… spiritual potential or whatever.”

“And you, of course.” Ikki smiled and put her hand over Haruko’s shoulder. “I was hoping having the Avatar around might help.”

“Yeah.” Haruko nodded. She took in a breath to strengthen herself, hoping anything would help. It didn’t work.

The town of Banh Mi was an hour’s walk from the temple going down the safest slope down the mountain, meaning that by the time they arrived on the edges of the village, the sun had already risen to its peak in the sky.

It was a clear spring day, which would’ve been pleasant if not for the thick, oppressive humidity making the outside air seem as thick as the harira Haruko remembered her mother making, and just as warm.

“Are you alright?” Koto laughed as she slowed her pace to match Haruko’s. Their companions were walking in front of them, making quiet conversation amongst themselves.

“Yeah….” Haruko muttered, pulling up her hair into a ponytail to cool her neck, even though she didn’t have anything to tie it with. “I just don’t like the humidity, y’know?”

“Fair enough.” Koto stifled a laugh. “If I’m being honest, I’m not that big of a fan of it myself. Maybe I should move out to the desert with you, live that nomadic sandbender life.”

“Sounds great to me.” Haruko smiled. “Would be fun to leave all of this behind and just go home. Maybe I can take you out there someday, when this is all over.”

Koto stopped in her tracks for a moment, just long enough so that Haruko could take in her soft, gentle features, the delicate smile on her face. “I would love that.”

As they continued their trek through the town, Haruko returned her attention to her surroundings. Despite the oppressive noon heat, the town was bustling and alive, but only with humans. The spirits they were looking for were nowhere to be found.

“That is weird…” Koto said when Haruko pointed out the lack of spirits. “Usually the areas around the temples are brimming with spirits.”

“We haven’t seen any ever since we got back to the UDES, right?” Haruko asked. “Or at least not many. Not counting the vines in Aringeru.”

Koto nodded, and gazed off into the distance. “Yeah… it doesn’t make much sense… If the airbenders are being taken by spirits, then where are the spirits taking them?”

“Maybe they’re hiding, so you guys don’t suspect they’re coming…” Haruko shrugged. “Or maybe that’s too obvious a solution. Maybe….”

“What is it?” Koto turned to face Haruko, but didn’t stop walking.

“Well, there’s always the possibility that it isn’t the spirits.” Haruko suggested. “I mean, one of them did tell Hang and I that it wasn’t them, directly.”

Koto didn’t have the time to answer before their group was approached by a group of UDES soldiers. The silver trimming on the men’s uniforms gleamed in the sun, like they did in all of Haruko’s memories. They were an omen, a message of death. She fought the urge to run, and instead stood behind Tala, where they were less likely to notice her. She didn’t want to be seen.

“Master Ikki,” The man at the front of the group- the captain- outstretched his hands as he greeted the woman. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”/p>

“General Yung.” Ikki replied, her voice devoid of any welcoming for friendly energy. “What do you need?”

“It’s not what I need, it’s what you need.” Yung replied, assuming a defensive posture. He squared his shoulders and cast a glance across the small group, catching on Haruko and Tala. “Master Ikki, do you know the UDES federal codes about harboring wanted criminals?”

“I can’t say I have them memorized, no.” Noticing the glance, Ikki stepped in front of Yung, to obscure his vision of Haruko and Tala. “Does it matter? I am not a citizen of the UDES.”

“That’s debatable.”

“I’m a citizen of the Air Nation, as are my niece and nephew. These are their companions, who I am free to harbor as I please. I’m not having this conversation again.”

“You may be part of this ‘air nation’, but you’re standing on UDES lands. Even foreigners have to abide by local legislation.” Yung crossed his arms and tilted his head up in a sickening superiority.

Ikki bristled. “This land has been occupied by the Air Nation for centuries. Our temple is only a few miles away.”

“Modern legislation exists declaring this island and all the neighboring archipelago to belong to the UDES. Legislation that’s existed since the hundred year war.”

“The hundred year war- you mean the era in which my people were nearly wiped off the face of the planet?” Ikki raised an eyebrow. “Look, if you want to file a complaint with the Air Nation leadership, our offices are always open. But I’m not going to debate history with you in the middle of the street. Good bye, General.”

“Very well.” Yung turned around and started to lead his men away. “Goodbye, Master Ikki.”

As they headed out of town, Ikki stopped the group under the shade of a tree. “I’m sorry about that- that was General Yung-”

“He’s been stationed at the military base nearby.” Kelsang scoffed. “I don’t know why they put a military base near our temple of all places. We’re pacifists.”

“They’re lucky we’re pacifists.” Koto scoffed. Her comment earned her a scolding glance from her aunt and brother. “I’m just saying! We’re probably lucky too- look at what they did the sandbenders when they put up resistance.” She gestured to Haruko. “All things considered, we could have it way worse.”

“That’s true, but it’s not the point.” Ikki sighed.

“The point is that they hate outsiders and will throw troops at whoever they fear.” Tala declared. “And they fear anyone who isn't them.”

“Exactly.” Ikki nodded. “He’s been insisting that these islands belong to the UDES, even though the region was historically under Air Nomad leadership. I’m sorry, this is probably incredibly boring to you all. The point is, we’re confined to the temple grounds until Yung’s temper cools.”

“That’s alright.” Hang sighed and dug her hands into her pockets. “There wasn’t much to see here, anyways.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.” Ikki sighed. “Let’s get back home, then.”

“Yeah.” Haruko nodded. “Let’s go.”

dry tears

Hanuel was sick. That’s what she was. She was sick- both of the harsh reality of the truth and an actual, physical sickness that caused her stomach to flip and her head to throb. All she wanted was to bury herself into the earth and disappear- to return to the only element she had. If the earth was truly all she had left, then she would embrace it by letting it embrace her. She would sink into the ground and disappear. It would be pleasant, she thought. She had always hated the media attention, anyways.

Unfortunately, for the sake of public appearances, she couldn’t return to the dirt and clay just yet. Apparently, not being the Avatar didn’t rid her of her Avatar duties.

For the sake of the public, she had to go see the President of the United Republic. When she was like this.

Jinora had ordered a taxi for the both of them, from the docks near Air Temple Island to Republic City’s capital building, on the edge of the Spirit Wilds in the middle of the historical district. It was a long trip, even by car, and oppressively hot. Hanuel was used to the heat, that’s what she kept saying to herself. She was used to the exhaustion that came from even glancing at the sun, and the thickness of the air as she moved through it. She was used to the way the sun beat down on her head, warming her thick, black locks of hair. She was used to the wet stickiness of the sweat coating her neck, her face, her entire body. Except now, she doubted it. It could’ve been the first time she had stepped into the sun in her entire life.

“It’s getting hot out pretty fast…” Jinora mused. She had elected to take the seat riding backwards, and faced Hanuel as they traveled through the city. At this hour, in this heat, Republic City was as dead as it was in the middle of the night. The streets were empty of passersby, street vendors, and cars save for the one Hanuel and Jinora were riding in. No one would dare leave the comforts of their air-conditioned homes in this weather, unless they had somewhere to go.

“Yeah.” Hanuel let her gaze drift out the window, because there wasn’t much else she could do. The stone tile of the street- which seemed a greenish-gray in the winter against the color of the snow- glowed a hot, almost yellow-orange in the evening light.

“Are you… alright?” Jinora’s voice wavered. She knew- she knew as well as Hanuel did what had happened and what was happening. She knew, and she had kept the truth from her.

“I’m fine.” Hanuel lied. She kept her eyes outside. She couldn’t bear to look at Jinora. She wouldn’t see the pity on her face. Pity would do her nothing.

“Well…” Jinora sighed. “President Yan called for the meeting. I wouldn’t have brought you along if he hadn’t specifically requested your presence. I’m sorry.”

“What’s the meeting about?” Hanuel asked. She didn’t want to think about the lie she had lived for as long as she could remember. Right now, she was playing a part. A charade, just like she always had. She just needed to know what lines to say, and she would be fine. As long as she knew what to say, she would be fine. She just had to keep telling herself that.

“The airbenders going missing in the Northern and Southern Air Temples.” Jinora started to explain more intricacies of the situation, but her words fell on Hanuel’s deaf ears. She couldn’t force herself to pay attention to what she was being told. She didn’t know why.

“Are you… ok?” Jinora asked once she realized that Hanuel wasn’t paying attention.

“Y-yeah.” Hanuel nodded. She returned to attention and focused her gaze on Jinora. She really didn’t look anything like her adopted daughter, but she had the same sad look in her eyes that Koto did when Hanuel had last seen her. The same strane, wistful gaze that looked onto her with sorrow, a sorrow she now knew the purpose of.

“You’re going to be fine.” Jinora said. She adjusted her robes- she was probably uncomfortably hot in the cape she wore. “You’re going to be fine. All we have to do is get through this meeting, and then we can go home. You’ll get through it, because you’re…. You know how these things work.”

“Right. I know how these things work.” Hanuel repeated. She didn’t know if she did.

The car stopped. Jinora leaned forward and glanced out the window, and said the very words Hanuel was fearing. “Well, it looks like we’re here.”

At least compared to the sluggish heat of the outside, the United Republic capitol was freezing. In her tank top, khaki shorts, and gym shoes, Hanuel felt completely and utterly out of place. In any other circumstance, any other public appearance or meeting with an important world leader, she would’ve been done up to perfection- her collar crisp, her makeup immaculate, her hair neatly tied with not a single strand out of place. Being here, dressed in the way that she was, seemed wrong. It wasn’t the only thing that was wrong.

“It sure is hot out there, isn’t it….” Yan’s receptionist sighed as she led Jinora and Hanuel through whatever ‘necessary’ paperwork they had to fill out before meeting with the president. “Hope you two got here all right.”

“We’re fine. It’s only a short trip from the temple.” Jinora answered briefly and handed in both her own paperwork and Hanuel’s.

“Ah, I sometimes forget y’all are so close by.” The receptionist laughed to herself as she shuffled the paperwork. Hanuel couldn’t bring herself to pay attention to a word being said.

“Are you doing all right, dearie?” The receptionist smiled. Her words caught Hanuel off-guard. “You look like you haven’t slept a wink since the solstice, honey. Is there something troubling you? Could I get you some water, or-”

“No, no. I’m fine.” Hanuel shook her head and wrapped her hands around her bare, pale skin. It was so cold. Why was it so cold? Howwas it so cold?

“Alrighty then.” The receptionist laughed awkwardly. “Well, if you two are ready, I’ll take you to the President now.”

At Jinora’s approval, the receptionist left her desk and led both her and Hanuel through the grandiose hallways of the capitol, all the way to Yan’s offices, and sat them down in a formal meeting room. Yan- a tall, lanky man with gaunt, almost unnatural features- was already there, sitting at the head of the table. Hanuel barely heard his titles being announced- she barely heard her own- and before she knew it, she was sitting next to Jinora and staring at an empty notebook infront of her while her friend’s mother talked to the president.

“I mean all due respect, but you have to understand.” Jinora pleaded. “My people are going missing. This isn’t just a game. Our lives are at stake from a threat we don’t even know.

Hanuel snapped to attention. She didn’t know how the conversation had gotten to this point, or for how long she had dissociated, but something in Jinora’s voice had brought her back. Maybe it was the desperation.

“And yet, you provide no evidence of their absence.” Yan pounded his closed fist on the wooden table in a failed demonstration of his own strength.

“Are the empty tables not evidence enough? We are being stolen, and we need your support.”

“What’s going on? The airbenders are going missing?” Hanuel shook her head to clear her mind.

“Does the-” Yan lowered his voice and turned to Jinora. “Does the Avatar not know of the… situation?”

“It seems that our good friend Prime Minister Mira has kept her in the dark about a number of things…” Jinora sighed, speaking just loud enough for Hanuel to hear her.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, as you can see, Avatar Hanuel,” The mention of her title sent a shiver down Hanuel’s back. “The airbenders are disappearing from the temples. Master Jinora says this is the work of the spirits, but has no evidence of the correlation.”

“I don’t know who or what else it could be.” Jinora scoffed. She turned away from Hanuel, as if she was pretending she was absent. “What else, in this modern day, could simply steal away people like it’s nothing? What else would?”

“And if it is the spirits, what do you want me to do about it?” Yan asked. “I am not the spiritual leader that you are. I cannot help you in this endeavor.”

“I-” Jinora scoffed. “I want you to help us, to find a solution to this problem so we can work it out together. Our nations are allies.”

“I’m not going to just throw money I don’t have at an issue money won’t fix.”

“I’m not asking for your money, I’m asking for your support. It’s only a matter of time before the spirits start targeting your people too.”

“If it is the spirits. You have no evidence that it actually is.”

“You have no evidence otherwise.”

“That I do not. But I’m not the one making the proposal.” He turned to Hanuel. “What do you think about this, Avatar?”

The name made her heart lurch. It made her stomach flip. That was not her name. That was not her name. She was not the Avatar, and no matter hard she tried, she never would be. She was a fake. A fraud. A piece of propaganda for a cause she never even believed in.

“I- I’m not feeling well.” Hanuel said as she stood up. It wasn’t even a lie. “I’m going to go to the washroom.”

“Alright.” Jinora said. She cast Hanuel a worried look, but didn’t say anything else as she watched her disappear out the door.

The minute Hanuel knew she was alone in the hallway, she fell to her knees and wept.

the attack

It was too hot to sleep. Haruko figured that, in due time, she would get used to the constant humidity at the dawn of summer. She had to get used to it- her body would adjust in time.

Apparently, she still had a while to wait until she was able to really rest.

After a period of time- exactly how long, she couldn’t tell- spent tossing and turning around her bed and getting tangled up in her own sheet, Haruko gave up and got up to get some water.

“Maybe I’m dehydrated…” She muttered as she donned cloth slippers loaned to her. Even in the heat, the tile floors of the temple would be cool under her bare feet, especially in the dead of night. There wasn’t a clock in her bedroom, so she looked to the moon. “Wonder what time it is…”

The hallway was empty and cool, just as Haruko had expected it to be. The temples, ancient in their creation, had been designed long before the invention of the electric light or air conditioning, and relied on grand, open windows for both light and heat during the day. Unfortunately, that meant the halls were both incredibly dark and cold by the time night fell. The chill of a gentle night breeze was a relief, but not by much. The air wasn’t the same fresh, earthy scent Haruko had become accustomed to in the area around the temple. It smelled almost like machinery, or oil.

In time, Haruko found the place she was looking for- the bathroom she and her friends had been sharing. The room was one of the few she knew had electric lighting- a few yellow bulbs flickered to life and cast the small lavatory into a golden light as soon as Haruko flicked the switch on the wall.

Haruko pulled open the drawers of the vanity, only to find them bare of the one thing she was looking for- paper cups. “Dammit…” she muttered. “Who takes all of the cups? That’s so weird!”

As soon as she realized how loudly she was talking to herself, Haruko stopped, and caught her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t remember the last time she had looked at herself long enough to actually take in her features. Her hair was getting longer- it now fell just over her brow, and threatened to obscure her vision if it grew any longer. Her other features were mostly the same- unremarkable dark green eyes, freckled brown skin, strong features that were almost identical to her father’s, save for the jagged scar carved across them. Now that she had seen him, she could safely say that she really did look exactly like her father.

She didn’t look like the Avatar. Haruko didn’t understand the thought that came into her mind, but it made sense to her. Every Avatar she had seen so far had the same look in their eyes- a certain confidence mixed with a resolved wisdom. The only look in her eyes was her own fear.

“Hmph.” Haruko muttered, and turned on the water faucet. If she couldn’t get anything to drink- at least without waterbending it into her own mouth- at least she could wash her face and cool her head. The water coming from the faucet was almost metallic, and as cold as ice. She would’ve thought it was winter, if she didn’t know better.

“Hey.” A familiar voice called, starling Haruko out of her action. She turned to see Jae, standing in the doorway she had left open. “Whoa- I’m not going to attack you or anything.”

Haruko only just realized she had assumed a defensive position, then lowered it. “Oh. Sorry. What’s got you up?”

“Can’t sleep.” Jae shrugged. “Figured I would get some water, and I saw you in here.”

“Yeah. Same.” Haruko turned the water off and leaned on the countertop. “There aren’t any cups left. I think Aazir took them all.”

“Aazir?” Jae stifled a laugh. “What, does he have a history of taking cups or something?”

“Not exactly, but I know my brother and it sounds like something he would do.” Haruko shrugged.

“Figures. Of Ji-Min and I, I think I’m the more likely to be a cup thief.” Jae paused. “Wait- you’re a waterbender. Why don’t you just waterbend the water to you, no cup necessary. Or would that be an abuse of your Avatar powers?” He wiggled his fingers for emphasis.

“No, it wouldn’t. I’m just not that good of a waterbender.” Haruko let her gaze drift from Jae to the bathroom’s tile floor. “I’d probably end up wrecking the temple plumbing or something, you know? It wouldn’t be very much fun for anyone.”

“Yeah, sure.” Jae lightly punched Haruko in the shoulder. “I’ve seen you waterbend. You’re pretty good at it.”

“Yeah, but I’m not very good at precision yet.” Haruko laughed. “Either way, I’m not going to bend water into your mouth.”

“There goes my lifelong dream.” Jae sighed theatrically and leaned back on the wall. “Being given water by the Avatar herself… do you you know what you’ve deprived me of, Haruko? Do you understand at all?”

Haruko covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laugh. “Stop, you’re going to wake up everyone in the-”

The ground shook. The room fell silent.

“Did you- did you feel that?” Jae whispered, his voice dropping in pitch, volume and tone. He put his hand over his hip, where Haruko knew a knife was concealed.

“Yeah…” Haruko replied, matching Jae’s tone. She crouched down and put her hand over the ground, spreading her senses across the entire mountainside. If she could only detect what was going on, then-”

The ground shook again. The lights flickered and threatened to completely shut off.

This time, Haruko could figure out what was going on. She stood up and turned to Jae. “The temple’s under attack. There are people- earthbenders- scaling the mountainside. We need to-”
One more time, the ground shook, this time heavily enough that it sent Haruko to the ground. As she propped herself up, she felt something, a disturbance in the very ground below her. Someone was ripping the ground open beneath them.

“Run- RUN!” Haruko scrambled to her feet just as the tile floor began to crumble. She pushed Jae out into the hallway but tripped on the rupturing ground, sending both of them sprawled out onto the cold, hard tile. The grit and dirt stung now fresh wounds.

“What’s going on?” Jae shouted. He had pulled out his knife, as if it could do much about the building falling apart around them.

“They’re tearing the structure apart, from the inside.” Haruko pulled herself up and clenched her fists, desperately trying to keep the floor they stood on intact. “I- I don’t know who they are, I-”

As soon as she had said the words, dark, masked figures emerged from the dust. Haruko could only identify them by the glint of their metallic badges in the moonlight- they were UDES soldiers.

Haruko moved fast, as if her life depended on her quick reaction. It probably did, but she didn’t have the time to dwell on the sentiment. She gathered the small particles of dust suspended and pulled them around her, creating a whip of sand. In the time it had taken for her to gather her weapons, Jae had already taken his first move by lunging at one of the soldiers and tackling them.

The ground under Haruko’s feet ruptured, sending her tumbling backwards. As she fell, she caught sight of who had tripped her- a soldier, their arms still suspended in the earthbending stance they had used- approaching her.

As soon as Haruko had regained her balance, she pulled the whip of sand in front of her, both hitting her opponent in the chest and obscuring her enemy's vision. “Jae!” Haruko shouted. “Are you ok?”

Jae backed away from the soldier he had incapacitated. “Yeah- yeah.” He nodded. “We need to-”

The ground shook as one of the soldiers tore up the tile beneath their feet. Haruko turned just in time to see the second wave of troopers climbing out of the hole they had made.

“What’s going on?” Hang called out as she stepped into the hallway, sleep still her voice and eyes.

“We’re being attacked!” Haruko shouted, pulling another cloud of sand and dust around her as she spun around. Someone lunged at her, but she repelled the motion by blasting her opponent with a gust of wind. “Wake everyone up! We need to get everyone out of the temple!”

It was hard to see in the dim evening light, but Haruko could vaguely make out Hang nodding and turning to run, Jae at her heels. She returned to her fight, only barely acknowledging Tala and Aazir joining her.

“Has anyone gotten Koto up?” Tala shouted over the sound of moving stone. “I wouldn’t guess that she’d sleep through this, but still.”

Haruko raised the earth in front of her, and with Aazir’s help, thrust the stone at their enemies. She turned from her brother to Tala. “Can you hold them off while I go wake her up?”

Tala nodded and turned back to the soldiers. “I think so- good luck.”

Haruko returned the nod before running to Koto’s bedroom.

Koto’s room was right next to Haruko’s, and when she slammed the door open, Haruko was greeted with the sight of the airbender awake and panic-stricken, standing in the center of the room. She had only just woken up.

“Haruko!” Koto greeted Haruko with a quick embrace- she put her hands across her face as if she was afraid she was still dreaming. “What’s going on?”

“The temple’s being attacked.” Haruko stepped away from Koto’s embrace but wrapped her hands around the airbender’s thin, bony ones. “Come on, we need to run.”

“To fight them?” Koto glanced to her hands, to her sides. “Haruko- we can’t-”

“We can’t fight them. We’re gonna run- evacuate everyone in the temple.” Haruko released Koto’s hands to pick up the girl’s satchel bag. “Here- take this. We’re the only ones in this wing, right?”

“Yes, but-”

“Hang and Jae are getting everyone else out. We need to get our stuff and get out before anyone gets hurt. They’re only in this wing, as far as I can tell-”

The wood of the door splintered as a large rock was thrown into it. Haruko pulled Koto down to dodge it before pulling down the wall she knew her own room was behind. After leading Koto over the rubble, she picked up her satchel bag.

The door opened, but not by force of earthbending. Haruko assumed a defensive position and was ready to bast the intruder back into the hallway before she realized it was her brother.

“Haruko, there you are!” Aazir grabbed her by the wrist and pulled back out into the hallway. “We can’t hold them, come on.”

Haruko shook off Aazir’s grip. “Wait, we need to-”

“We can’t get our stuff, we need to run.”

“What about Hang and Jae?”

Aazir couldn’t respond before all three of them were in the hallway and directly in the line of fire. “Duck!” He shouted, bringing Haruko down. Once the stone had flown over their heads, Haruko got to her feet and lunged forward, bringing streams of dust with her.

Tala stepped from the dust and wrapped their arms around Haruko. “There you are- we’re running.”

“Watch out-” Koto stepped apart from the group to blast wind in the opposite direction, sending soldiers flying to the walls. “We need to make it out, right? How?”

Koto was answered only by the sound of approaching footsteps. Haruko spun around and lowered into a bending stance, expecting another wave of troopers. To her relief, it was Hang, Jae and Kelsang.

“Kel!” Koto ran to embrace her brother. “Kel- where’s everyone else?”

“Evacuating. I’m here to help you guys get out.” Kelsang replied, his voice uncharacteristically brisk and low. He cast a glance across the group. “Are you all here?”

Koto nodded. “Yeah- yeah. We’re all here.”

Kelsang nodded. “Good. Get behind me.”

Haruko followed her friends shuffling behind Kelsang’s back, then watched as the older airbender brought his arms up and spun the air in front of him.

“Run!” Kelsang shouted as he turned back to them, just for a moment. “There’s a window on the opposite side of the hall- run and scale down the wall.”

“Kelsang-” Koto replied. “What about you?”

“I’ll hold them off.” Kelsang turned back and increased the speed of the wind. “Now go! Before it’s too late!”

Before Koto could reply, Haruko took her hand and pulled her away, to the window Tala and Hang were already climbing out of. From the moment her feet touched the wet, earthy ground, she ran. Haruko didn’t look back at the temple. She couldn’t, until she was far enough away. She was afraid of what she would see.

the jungle

It took an hour to get far enough from the temple that they could stop- an hour spent trekking through hot, dense jungle with only the light of Tala’s firebending to guide them. None of them had light to guide their way, or maps to find their way out of the woods. None of them had shoes- they were all still wearing their nightwear. All they could do was run into the dead of night.

Except the night wasn’t dead. The woods around them were alive, filled with predators waiting to hunt and maybe even soldiers searching for them. Despite the heat, the thought of it sent a chill down Haruko’s back.

“We can stop here, for now.” Tala stepped apart from the group as they reached a clearing. The woods around them were thick, like walls keeping them insulated from a threat. Haruko couldn’t make out much more beyond them.

“Do you think we’re far enough from the temple?” Jae stepped closer to Tala, into the light of their handheld flame. The cracked frame of his sunglasses glinted in the light. Haruko was surprised he still had them, then remembered that he was wearing them while they were talking before the attack.

“We’re going to have to take that risk- we’re all exhausted.” Tala snapped, then surveyed the group. Haruko’s skin crawled as their gaze fell on her- she could only fear that she was to blame for everything. “Haruko-” They called. Shit. “Come gather firewood with me.”

“I thought you were a firebender.” Haruko frowned as she walked to Tala, carefully stepping over loose twigs and jagged stones. The warmth of the fire wasn’t pleasant in the heat, but she appreciated being able to see.

“I thought you were too.” Tala snapped, leading Haruko to the edge of the clearing. The light they produced illuminated wet, moss-covered logs strewn across the grass. “We need something to burn, for a campfire.

Haruko exhaled and failed to release any of the emotion currently forming a knot in her stomach. “Yeah, sure.”

With Tala’s assistance, Haruko dragged the heavy logs to the center of the clearing and watched as the firebender tossed their flame into the woodpile, igniting the green wood with a simple, harsh motion. She had never seen Tala firebend so aggressively, or seen them produce a fire quite so bright and hot. Instead of complaining about the heat, though, she took a seat next to Jae and Hang. Koto sat apart from her, closer to Aazir.

“Are you sure we should be making a fire?” Hang scoffed and glared at Tala.

“The fire will scare away predators.” Tala snapped. “Oh, sorry. I forgot to consult your opinion about getting eaten by who-knows-what is out here in the woods.”

“The fire’s also going to alert the soldiers that we’re here, dipshit.” Hang’s brow furrowed. “Y’know, the entire reason we’re out here in the middle of the woods anyways?”

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” Jae sighed and put his hand over his eyes, pushing his glasses up. “If they find us, they find us. If they don’t, they don’t. Whatever. Who cares.”

“They aren’t going to even try and find us, because they don’t care.” Koto let out a shaky breath before continuing. “They don’t care about us. They weren’t here for us.”

“Oh really?” Hang turned to Koto. “Cause I’m pretty sure I saw them attacking us.”

Koto got to her feet and walked across the fire, so that she was closer to Hang. Now that she was so close, Haruko could make out the tear streams running down the girl’s face. “Does it not make sense to you?” She shouted. “They weren’t after us! Or at least they weren’t after you! They were after us! Us airbenders! My family!”

“Yeah, I get that!” Hang leaned away from Koto. “I was just worried that they might come after us, too.”

“Of course you would. You only care about yourself.”

Behind Haruko, Jae stood up. He approached Koto. “Koto… maybe you need to relax a bit. Water… does anyone have any water?”

Koto ran her hands through her hair but ended up covering her face with them. “I don’t need to relax! I need you all to care! My brother- my brother might be dead and none of you care.”

“We care. I promise you that we care.” Jae wrapped his arms around Koto and led her back to where she had been sitting. “We care, and we’re going to get them all back. We just have to focus on ourselves tonight, so we can save your family later.”

Koto’s whimpers faded into obscurity under the crackling of the fire, so Haruko focused her attention on something else. She pulled her satchel bag- she was one of the lucky few to have actually grabbed her bag, only she, Koto and Tala had managed to- and decided to check inventory. She had her jacket- not that it was of much use in the heat- a few day’s worth of rations, a medical kit. “Is anyone injured?” She asked her friends. No one answered, so she returned to her bag. She found a book- buried deep in her bag, and wondered where it had come from before realizing she must’ve carried it before she even left Jing Zi. She could only remember reading the book once or twice, and thumbed through the pages, looking for how far she had gotten. In between two of the pages was a makeshift bookmark- an old photograph that had been printed out and folded. The date scribbled onto the back marked it as being taken almost twelve years ago- she would’ve been six then. Haruko didn’t need to open the photo to know what it was, but she unfolded it anyway.

The photo was grainy, the color faded after years of being hidden from light, but it’s contents were still visible. It was her, and her father, back when they lived in the desert. They were sitting on top of her father’s sand-sailer, all dressed up for her very first expedition into the desert. She was holding his sword across her lap, though the blade was wrapped in cloth.

Haruko remembered that day, nearly every second of it- though in hindsight, it had been rather mundane. A photographer from one of the nearby cities had arrived in the camp that day and explained, in awkward and broken Si Wong, that he was doing a journal release about the lives of the mysterious people of the desert. He had taken photos of their tents, their skiffs, their people, even one of Haruko and her father. Haruko remembered asking the photographer for the photo- she had only been photographed once before, and wanted to see what she looked like. Her father had translated her pleas and bargained for a copy of the image, and the photographer had graciously accepted. He had written something on the back- something she hadn’t been able to read then.

Haruko turned the papery photograph over and traced over the handwritten caption- Little Hadiyah- age 6- and her father prepare for an expedition out into the desert to search for new sources of water. Without thinking, her finger hesitated over her name. Hadiyah. Hadiyah. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had called her that.

Haruko glanced up, at the fire still crackling in front of her. If she wanted to, she could burn the image and let go of every memory of her father, her past, and her identity. She could give into the Avatar State, the pure, unyielding light so strong that it washed all her doubt away. She could let go.

Instead, she tucked the photograph back into the book and dropped the book back into her bag. She closed her satchel and looked to Hang. “Hey.”

Hang hesitated to reply. “Hey. What’s new?”

Haruko took in a breath. “Not much. We’re still… out in the middle of the woods, no hope of survival.”

“Pfft. Yeah.” For once, Haruko was grateful that her friend shared her dry, sarcastic sense of humor. “Yeah. We really are gonna die out here, aren’t we….”

“It’s not all bad.” Haruko shrugged. She patted her bag. “I have a few changes of clothes in here, at least enough for me and Aazir- we can wear the same size clothes. If Koto has enough spare clothes, she could probably lend some to Jae. Tala might have some clothes you can wear.”

Hang glanced to Tala, who was sitting with their back to the fire. “Yeah. That might work out.” She sighed. “Spirits… this is bad. This is really bad. We’re- we’re in the middle of the woods, with barely any food, barely any clothes…”

Haruko nodded. She didn’t know if there was much else she could do.

“We’re really gonna die out here.” Hang’s voice cracked. “What are we gonna do?”

“We’ll be fine.” Jae interrupted by putting his hand over Hang’s shoulder. “It’s only a few hour’s walk to the nearest town, we can head there in the morning and catch a ride back to Aringeru or something- maybe back to Republic City. We’ll be alright.”

“We’ll be alright but at what cost!” Hang whimpered. “I don’t have a home I can go back to like you guys! Everything I own I carried and- and I don’t have any of it left! I don’t have anything left of my family now! I’m all alone!”

Instead of answering, Jae wrapped his arms around Hang as she wept. Haruko took his cue of silence and looked down at her hands. Even in the dim light, she could see how dirty they had become in the hour since they had left the temple. Dirt and grime caked the space under her nails, a cut graced her left palm, covered in dried blood. She traced the hard edge of her wrist tattoo that separated her arm from her hand, trying to recall the pain of the process. It had been worth it, she had said then, to be able to carry on her culture in such a minor yet powerful way. She wouldn’t have traded it for anything then, the small freedom she had left.

Tonight, Haruko’s tattoos were dull- the same color as the night threatening to swallow them. If she let go, they would shine like the moon, the blinding light swallowing her and everything she felt. She did not let them glow.

“I’m- I’m sorry.” She blurted out. To her surprise, someone replied.

Even more surprisingly, it was Tala. “What?”

“I’m sorry. It’s- it’s my fault we’re even in this mess.”

Tala shook their head. “No. It’s not your fault. You heard Koto- they weren’t even looking for you.”

“But it is! I- I’m the Avatar. I’m supposed to be able to help people!”

“Spirits help me, you’ve actually started playing that card…” Tala groaned. “‘Oooh look at me I’m the Avatar you all have to listen to me now’, would you shut up and go back to being afraid of your own power or something?”

“What? I’m- Are you saying that I shouldn’t try to help people?”

“I’m saying that it’s not your fault! None of the rest of us are beating ourselves up about it too much, so you should do the same. Chill.”

“Well I’m sorry that I have some werid predestined identity and need to help people because I’m the fucking Avatar! I’m the Avatar! It’s really me! And if I’m supposed to someday go out into the world and carry the weight of everybody else’s problems on my shoulders, then maybe I should be good at it, you know? The world kind of needs a competent Avatar!”

“Shut up- just fucking shut up!” Tala covered their eyes with their dirty hands. “There’s nothing more you could’ve done! There’s nothing more anyone could’ve done!”

“You’re wrong.” Haruko’s breathing had gotten raggedy and harsh as her heartbeat quickened. “You’re wrong. If I had been able to go into the Avatar State and control it, then none of us would be here.”

“Shut up.”

“No- you shut up!” She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore. “If I had been able to go into the Avatar State then everything would have gone differently!”

“Every time you’ve gone into it so far you end up sick and on the floor or a hazard to whatever building we’re in.”

“Actually, she controlled it once.” Aazir tentatively added. “Back in the Fire Nation. She blew out a window.”

“That counts as a building hazard.” Tala sent their comment with a glare. “See what I mean? To me it sounds like you want to go into the Avatar State for whatever reason.” They leaned back. “Maybe she wants to flex her weird cool powers on all of us normal humans.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would I want that? The Avatar State is terrifying!” Haruko stood up to see over the fire.

“I don’t know, you tell me, Avatar.” Tala spat. “Just shut up about it for once. Not everything’s about you!”

Haruko ran her hands through her hair. “First it’s ‘Haruko, you have to do this, you have to do that. You’re the only person in the world who can do this because you’re the Avatar and you’re born to!’ and now it’s ‘not about me’ when we’re talking about something that only I can do because- guess what?! I’m the Avatar!”

Tala frowned. “Look, if you want to be a good Avatar or whatever the least you can do is fucking firebend.”

Haruko looked up to meet Tala’s eyes. “What?”

“Firebend. We’ve been at this for months and you haven’t ever produced a flame. It’s supposed to be the second element you master and you haven’t produced a flame. What are you doing?”

“I- I can’t. I can’t. I can’t firebend yet.”

“Yet. When is that going to become now? When are you going to be ready?!”

“I don’t know, ok!” Haruko shouted. Even her screams couldn’t silence the sounds of the fire and the wind and the nature around them. “I don’t know! I’m still getting used to everything! I’m scared! I’m so scared!” She realized all too late that she was crying.

Tala didn’t reply. Instead, she felt Jae’s arms around her body. The embrace was unpleasant in the heat, but welcome.

“Come on, let’s sit down.” Jae whispered. “It’s gonna be a long night…”

dismissal

It rained the day Hanuel flew into Ba Sing Se- a hot, heavy oppressive rain that came with a dreary, thick humidity and the humming drone of the morning cicadas that infested the valley each summer. From the inside of her private airship, Hanuel was saved from much of the experience, a reality she was grateful for. While the cold, overly-steril vehicle was uncomfortable, it was better than being out in the smog of the city.

Hanuel leaned her head against the back of her seat, gritting her teeth at the uncomfortable impact. She couldn’t figure out why the seat had been designed in the way it had, or why the cabin was kept so dry and cold, like a doctor’s office. She could feel the warmth of the outside only when she placed her hand against the fogged-up glass windows. It was hard to make out the scenery beyond the curtain of condensation coating the surface, but if Hanuel had to guess, she’d assume they were over the Taihua mountains by now. She had taken the trip to and from Ba Sing Se enough times to know that meant they were almost there. She was almost home.

No, not home. Hanuel thought. Ba Sing Se wasn’t her home. It never was.

As the airship started it’s slow descent upon the city, Hanuel cast a glance at the only other people in the room- the two Dai Li agents guarding her. Just this morning, they had arrived at Air Temple Island, for her. For just her. After informing her that the Prime Minister needed to speak with her protege in person and that Mikah was, under no circumstances, allowed to accompany her on this trip, they whisked her away on their private airship for a trip that would last the rest of the day. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Mira wanted to discuss.

Hanuel wrapped her hands around her arms as the airship furthered its descent. While she wasn’t looking out the window, she knew where they were. Their airship was in the city limits now, somewhere between the lower and middle rings. She didn’t look outside. She didn’t want to. The skin on Hanuel’s arms bristled from the cold- the static, low temperature raising small bumps across her bare limbs. She was still wearing the casual clothes she had gotten dressed in that morning- it was the most casual she would’ve ever appeared before Mira in. Every time before, for the past eight-or-nine-years, she had visited Mira only wearing her finest, most professional uniform. The simple competence was to be expected of the Avatar, Mira would say when she say Hanuel in khaki shorts and a tank top, to appear dignified and respectful in front of her mentors and fellow world leaders.

Then it’s a good thing it was all a lie. Hanuel closed her eyes as the ship landed. The impact would happen any moment now. Despite her wishes, there was a safe landing.

Instead of being greeted by an audience, Hanuel had the privilege of true privacy, maybe for the first time in her entire life. The media had no idea she was here. It would've been relieving if the notion behind it wasn't terrifying. Of course they didn't care about her. She was nobody.

The only people who came to greet her on the airships landing pad were a procession of the same masked Dai Li agents and Yu Yan, the latter of whom spared no time in taking Hanuel by the hand and ushering her inside the palace, complaining about the rain the entire time.

The palace was cold- colder than Hanuel remembered it being. And it was emptier. She had become accustomed to hallways filled with people- airbenders and acolytes and her cousins who she knew would be there for her. Even in the Fire Nation, there had been people in the halls- servants or nobles off to do work. If she needed something, anything, there would be people there to help. But not here. Here, there was nothing but high ceilings dark, empty halls- portraits on the walls of faces she didn't recognize, names she only new from books. Despite how much she tried to convince herself that they were alone, Hanuel couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She was being watched. She was always being watched. That had been the point of it. But there wasn't a point now, when it all had been a lie.

"I'm sorry about the weather." Yu Yan said as they turned another corner. There were too many hallways in the palace. It was an excuse. Hanuel knew it was an excuse.

"It's fine." She forced herself to reply. "You can't control the weather. And it'll be summer before we know it. It's supposed to get hot."

Yu Yan paused only in her speech. "I assume you know that this visit isn't being covered by the press."

Hanuel nodded. Of course she knew. "Yeah." They were going to kill her in private so nobody knew. Better to dispose of the mistake quietly, right?

She shook her head. "What's going to happen to me?"

Yu Yan hesitated. She stood still. "I'm not sure. It's up to the Prime Minister at this point. I can't assume she'd...." She didn't finish the sentiment. "Speaking of the Prime Minister, we should be seeing her now. Come along."

Hanuel didn't say anything else.

The sound of Hanuel’s footsteps echoed across the blank walls and hard floor of Mira’s office, producing a noise so loud and crisp that when Hanuel took her first steps into the room after closing the door behind her, Mira looked up.

“Hanuel. There you are.” Mira stood up from behind her desk and approached her. For a moment, Hanuel thought the woman was going to embrace her- something that hadn’t happened since she was a child. Instead, the esteemed and illustrious Prime Minister of the UDES maintained her dignity by brushing a loose strand of hair away from Hanuel’s shoulder and leading her back to the desk. “Sit down- sit down. We need to talk.”

Hanuel did as she was told and looked down at the desk in front of her. The desk was still covered in papers and documents- presumably still there from the last time she had seen them, they looked like the same documents. That was strange. In all her life, Hanuel had never known Mira to tolerate clutter.

“Hey, what’s Project Vine?” The words fell out of Hanuel’s mouth before she could even register the thought.

“That’s not important.” Mira put her hand over Hanuel’s. “Look at me. Hanuel. I need your focus.”

Hanuel looked up at her benefactor. A strand of Mira’s perfectly-done hair had come loose and draped across her gaunt, thin features. “I’m listening.

Mira nodded. She closed her eyes. Her shoulders relaxed. “Good. Good. I assume you’ve already heard… the news?”

“It’s not me.” Hanuel had to close her eyes when she said it. Spitting out the words made her feel sick. “I’m not the Avatar. There’s this- there’s this girl in the Coral Isles who was seen bending both water and earth. It’s not- how can it not be me?”

Mira paused before replying. “We- didn’t just see her in Aringeru. I’ve recently received reports from Minister Qiang that the same girl- the Avatar, as it were- was spotted at the Eastern Air Temple, bending earth and air. Well, rather sand and air. We’re fairly certain she’s one of those desert-roaming sand-bandits.” She waved her hand flippantly at the words, alluding to something she didn’t want to openly discuss. Of course she wouldn’t.

“Don’t say that.” Hanuel put her hand over her temple. “And why were our forces at the Eastern Air Temple anyways? The Air Nomads are our allies!”

“That’s not the point.” Mira sighed. Her grip around Hanuel’s hand grew tighter. “Hanuel, that isn’t the point. We have a rouge Avatar on our hands and you’re pressed about-”

“About you potentially attacking my people?!” Hanuel shouted. “I’m part Air Nomad- those are my people, my family! And even if they weren’t, they’re a pacifist society recovering from the brink of extinction! And you… attacked them? Why?”

“That’s not the point, Hanuel. Please try to get back on topic.”

Hanuel took her hand back. “You're not denying it. You aren’t even trying. You actually attacked them. Why?”

“That information is confidential. And as you aren’t the Avatar,” Mira paused, taking in the silence, “you don’t have the clearance to know.”

Hanuel blinked. “What?”

“You aren’t the Avatar, so there’s no reason treating you as such.”

The room seemed to drop in temperature, but it could’ve just been Hanuel’s mind playing tricks on her. “Y-yeah. That makes sense.”

Mira didn’t reply.

“So what’s going to happen next?” Hanuel had to force out her words.

“We’ll go looking for this girl- this Avatar.” Mira sighed. Hanuel didn’t look up to measure her expression. “She couldn’t have gone far, and we know what she looks like. We’ll bring her back here and explain the situation.”

“And then you’ll turn her into me.” Hanuel muttered. “Another perfect Avatar that will do everything you say.”

Mira inhaled. “Leave. Go to your room.”

Hanuel didn’t reply but stood up. She kept her eyes on Mira. “Yeah. I’ll see you later, then.”

walls and secrets

The Dai Li agents that escorted Hanuel through the labyrinth that was the Earth Confederacy palace did not address her by her false title- they did not call her Avatar. They didn’t call her anything, actually, only shuffled behind her the minute Mira’s heavy door closed. Given no choice but to move or collide with the pair of cloaked men that clearly wanted her to start walking, Hanuel chose the option that would get her in less trouble.

Hanuel kept her eyes on the floor as she walked, not wanting to meet the eyes of any of the portraits watching her. There should’ve been people around- at least one other person travelling through the halls, someone who could save her from the awful fate that was, without a doubt, waiting for her. But there wasn’t. The halls were empty.

“Where is everyone?” Hanuel looked back as she walked, to signal to her guards who she was talking to. She couldn’t see their eyes from behind the shadows their hats drew across their faces. “There should be people here- nobles, the palace staff-” She barely noticed how desperate her own voice was growing. “Where’s Yu Yan? She was outside the Prime Minister’s door when I- did she leave?”

“That’s none of your concern, Miss Beifong.” The agent on her left stated, in the most chilling, stern tone Hanuel had ever heard. “Please continue walking.”

Hanuel inhaled and nodded, but waited to let her breath go til she had turned around and started walking once again. In only a matter of seconds, the sound of her footsteps was accompanied by the gentle shuffle of the agents escorting- no, trailing her. They were waiting for her to make the wrong move, to scream or cry or demand an audience with someone- anyone- to settle her debts with. They were waiting for her to try and fight them. Hanuel wondered if they had always been waiting for her to make the wrong move, if they had known of the truth the entire time and were simply puppeting her around for the good of the public. The world needed it’s Avatar, right? And the masses wouldn’t know if it was all a lie.

Especially if the ‘Avatar’ herself didn’t know the truth.

Hanuel considered giving the Dai Li what they wanted.

“Stop here.” One of the men- the one that hadn’t spoken before- ordered, snapping Hanuel out of her fantasies of tearing the floor up from beneath them. She startled at the sound and turned to realize they had arrived in front of her door.

“Yeah.. we’re here…” Hanuel muttered, and put her hand over the doorknob.

“Enter your room.” The man ordered. Hanuel could hear his foreword step- almost feel his hand hovering near her body. He was preparing to attack her. She opened the tall, heavy door and slipped behind it before he could.

Hanuel closed her door behind her and turned around to face her room. It was a large space- one fitting for an Avatar, of course- big enough to hold a living space and her bed, with an adjacent bathroom, all done in green and gold and hints of silver from her home. She stepped into the room, but not before the door behind her clicked as the men on the other side of it locked her in. Hanuel’s skin bristled. They were locking her in.

She stayed silent and still after the sound- quiet enough that she could hear the men shuffling away. It was only when she could no longer hear their footsteps did she let her breath go.

“What am I gonna do….” Hanuel whispered to herself, running her hands through her hair. “Spirits- what am I gonna do?” She needed to do something.

“Ok let’s figure this out. The entire world is literally falling apart but let’s figure this out.” Hanuel exhaled. “I’m not the Avatar.” The truth hurt to admit, even just to herself. “I’m not the Avatar. There’s a girl somewhere out there, running from the law, who is the actual Avatar… and she was at the Eastern Air Temple.” She was probably training. The sources in Aringeru said she had bent air and water- this girl not only was the Avatar, she had already been learning the elements. And nobody knew. “She’s on the run now. They attacked the Air Temple…. The Earth Confederation attacked one of the Air Temples.” Not just one of them. The disappearances in the other regions, the shifts in the nation’s spiritual energy Jinora had spent long hours worrying about- it all made sense.

“They’re taking the Airbenders…” Hanuel breathed, then repeated the words to herself. “They’re taking the Airbenders…. I have to do something.”

There was really only one thing she could do, at this point. She could find out the truth and reveal it to everyone. Then, maybe, someone would be able to help. Hanuel took in a breath to steady herself then put her hand over the metallic doorknob, feeling the metal within the grasp of her bending. “Well.” She laughed to herself. “Looks like they forgot that I can still bend earth.”

The hallway was still empty when Hanuel stumbled into it, a fact she was grateful for. Even so, she shut the door behind her slowly and quietly and moved along the walls to minimize the sounds she made. She almost ran into a pair of patrolling Dai Li agents, but quickly corrected her course and before long, Hanuel had reached her destination- the palace’s library.

The library’s doors were large- larger than the ones guarding her own room. There was no way Hanuel could open those doors on her own, at least not while staying unnoticed. She put her hand to the wall- in a spot she knew was there, and applied pressure. The servant’s entrance opened up, leading Hanuel into a dark room lit by the glowing crystals found underneath the city. The old tunnels, while not in use since the monarchy’s fall from power, were one of the many constant reminders of how old Ba Sing Se really was, and today, for the first time in years, they would be useful. Hanuel slipped inside the tunnel just as the door was closing back behind her and watched as the sliver of light cast across the floor grew smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared as the door shut. She turned her back to the door and started walking.

The library was empty when Hanuel finally entered it- or, it was as empty as she could tell from her vantage point amongst the back rows of shelves. While she had never been an avid reader, the library had always been one of her favorite places in the palace- mostly because time spent in the library, reading about the Avatars of old, was time she spent not in front of crowds or amongst politicians. Time spent in the library was time spent alone, and she could only hope she was alone now.

After too much time spent fumbling around the dusty, eerily silent room, Hanuel found the section she was looking for- the most classified of the Earth Confederacy’s official files. The room they were stored in was hidden behind a heavy, locked door, but it was nothing Hanuel’s metalbending couldn’t fix.

“Airbenders… Airbenders….” Hanuel muttered as she maneuvered through the storeroom. It was darker than the main hold of the library was, and quite messier, with boxes and loose papers strewn haphazardly across the floor. Eventually, Hanuel found what she was looking for- a box of recent files, all dated within the past year- labeled ‘Airbender Relations/Complications with Project Vine’. She pulled the box out and risked falling back onto the cabinets and alerting everyone in the palace before setting it all on the ground and getting to work.

Most of the early files in the box were simple and mostly consisted of reports about the populations of humans and spirits within the cities and towns closest to the Foggy Swamp tribe. “What’s Project Vine got to do with the Foggy Swamp Tribe?”

Discarding the first batch of reports, Hanuel turned to the second. There were more reports about the Foggy Swamp Tribe, though instead of detailing populations, they were industrial reports about the extraction of spirit vines within the past year. The horrifics of the event sent a chill down Hanuel’s spine- they weren’t supposed to be extracting spirit vines. They had promised not to- of course, it wouldn’t be the only thing they had ever lied about. Hanuel kept reading.

According to the report, the extraction of spirit vines had caused a nation-wide spiritual conflict- namely, that the spirits had vanished. The Air Nation had taken notice of this, and had sent out scouts and missionaries earlier that winter to help with the problem. The Earth Confederacy had captured them- first all the airbenders and acolytes at the northern temple, then the southern, then-

The eastern. They had taken the airbenders from the Eastern Temple. Because they were starting to catch onto their plan.

“Prisoners may be used as test subjects for Project Vine….” Hanuel read the last few notes on the file out loud. Project Vine. She had to find out what Project Vine was.

The last group of files in the box answered her questions. The folder was significantly smaller than the other two, and completely unlabeled, but the information inside horrified Hanuel.

“No- no.” It was blueprints. Plans. Schematics and design notes, records of prototype tests.

All for a bomb. A bomb powered by spirit vines.

The Earth Confederacy was building a bomb out of spirit vines. And they were going to use it on the airbenders.

The airbenders who were being held right here, underneath the city.

Hanuel folded the file, stuffed it into the pocket of her shorts, and ran.

burnt out

After days that felt like months of trekking through the dense, wet woods, Haruko and her friends finally reached solace.

“Spirits, it feels good to be indoors.” Jae sighed as soon as he stepped into the barn. The first human civilization they had run into hadn’t been a town, but a small mango farm owned by an elderly couple, who had graciously let them stay on the farm overnight.

“It really does.” Hang nodded in affirmation as she followed Jae. The barn was mostly empty, save for hay and barrels of crops. She took a moment to survey the space they had before marching over to a pile of hay and promptly collapsing onto it. “Y’know, this is the kind of thing that’s only comfortable because of how exhausted I am.”

Without saying a word, Aazir followed her and face-planted directly into the haypile. “Yup. This is paradise.”

After stifling a laugh, Haruko turned to the only two people still lingering in the doorway with her- Tala and Koto. While the latter had taken a few steps into the barn, the firebender kept their eyes on the farmhouse.

“Mrs. San said she was bringing us some food.” Tala explained once they noticed Haruko’s staring, but didn’t turn.

Haruko nodded and walked across the barn floor, ending up on the floor beside Jae. She sighed as she sat down and leaned back on her elbows. “I can’t wait to eat. And sleep.”

“I know, right?” Jae explained, copying her motion. “Maybe the Sans will let us shower. I hope they do.”

“That would be nice.” Koto said as she took a seat in the circle they had formed, closely followed by Tala. The airbender rang her hands through her hair as she sat, a motion Haruko had begun to recognize as an expression of the girl’s tiredness- both mentally and physically. “Wow. I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

“We did walk for like, a week straight.” Aazir pulled himself out of the hay to comment.

“It wasn’t a week.” Koto huffed. “It was only a few days.”

“Ah, that makes the difference in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t it? Because none of us are tired after walking for a few days straight.”

Haruko couldn’t help but laugh, and was soon joined by the rest of her team, even Koto. Once the moment had passed, she propped herself up and leaned forward. “So, what are we going to do next?”

Hang sat up and put her hand over her chin. “Hm. I don’t actually know.”

“We need to get word to Jinora.” Jae prompted, glancing at Koto. “She’ll know what to do about… any of this. And she needs to know that the Earth Confederacy is….”

“Taking airbenders from the temples.” Tala interrupted. “This- might be a longshot, but does anyone have any idea why they’re taking airbenders?”

The barn fell silent. No one could produce an answer, all of them afraid to speak the truth. None of them knew anything.

“They’re taking the airbenders because they’re the Earth Confederacy and they suck.” Aazir scoffed. “They probably don’t need a reason to.”

“Aazir…” Haruko sighed. She put her hand over her temple.

“What?” Aazir exclaimed. “It’s true! They took our people away without a reason! They took away Hang’s people! Time and time again they’ve shown that they don’t care about anyone but themselves! They hate us!”

“It’s more complicated than that- they wouldn’t just….” Jae stammered. He looked to Hang, then Koto, then Haruko herself. “They’d have to have a reason, right?”

“They do. However sick and twisted the justification is, they have a reason for it.” Hang sighed. “Moreover, they probably have a plan. And I don’t want to be frank, but I doubt it’ll end well for the airbenders.”

Faced by the silence that followed Hang’s statement, Koto buried her head in her hands and started to sob. Haruko gave her the only reassurance she knew how and wrapped her arm around the girl’s body.

“Then that gives us all the more reason to try and stop it.” Tala declared firmly, resting their fist upon their palm. “Come daybreak, we’ll call Jinora- either using the Sans’ phone or the phone booth in town. We’ll solve this problem, however we can.”

“Yeah.” Haruko nodded. Somehow, despite the direness of the situation, Tala’s words gave her hope- like the light behind their eyes. “We’ve been through alot before, we can get through this.”

By the time night fell, the entire barn had grown quiet. After sharing a warm meal and taking turns using their hosts’ shower, the group had all slowly fallen asleep amongst the hay, save for Koto and Hang up on the night watch.

“Y’know, you probably don’t need to stay up with me all night.” Hang said when Koto approached her. Instead of taking a high vantage point, the waterbender had simply resided on the same haypile she had initially claimed, but oriented herself towards the door.

“It’s fine. I’m ok with staying up.” Koto tucked her hair behind her ears as she sat down. The night was cooler than the ones that came before it, though she couldn’t tell whether that was because of the lack of fire nearby or a shift in the winds. “I think a cold front might be moving in.”

“That’ll be nice.” Hang replied. She didn’t elaborate, letting her silence be filled by the noise of cicadas and mosquitoes outside.

Koto pulled her knees closer to her body. “Hang, I-”

“Y’know, this weather’s not too different from how it gets out in the swamp.” Hang sighed. “Can’t say I don’t miss it, though even if I could go back it wouldn’t be the same. Have I ever told y’all about my father?”

“I don’t think you ever have.”

“Mhm. Figured as such, I don’t have much to say about him- he died when I was seven. He was a good dad, as good as he could’ve been given the circumstances. He gave me my banjo and taught me how to play. I didn’t have to watch him die- he was killed out on the streets. Something to be grateful for, I suppose.”

Koto nodded. “Yeah. I… don’t think I’ve ever told you about my father either.”

“I’ve literally met your father. He’s a very nice man.”

“My birth father, I mean.” Koto let out a sigh. Her fingers dug into the cool, wet dirt beneath her. “I’m adopted- I figured you all might’ve picked up on that, seeing how I don’t look much like any of my family members.”

“Yeah. I wasn’t going to say anything about it, but-”

“I’m glad you didn’t. It’s not something I like to bring up much.” Koto closed her eyes and braced herself for a truth she knew only she could reveal. “I was born in the Fire Nation. My mother was a nonbender, but my father had gained airbending during Harmonic Convergence and just never done anything about it. He wanted to lead a simple life- I think he was a merchant.”

Hang didn’t say anything, letting Koto finish her story.

“When I was about five or six- I can’t remember exactly- he was mugged and killed on the streets of the town we lived in- that sort of crime is common in the Fire Nation. They’re not the most receptive of other types of benders. After that… my memory starts to get fuzzy. I remember my mother’s tears, the police searching our home.” Her voice faltered under the realization of what she was doing- Koto was spilling out parts of herself she hadn’t bared in years. She hadn’t even told these things to Hanuel. And here she was. “All I remember next is my mother taking me into town. I fell asleep on the ride there, and when I woke up, I was alone. She abandoned me when I was only a little kid. I- I figured you should know.”

Hang paused and shifted her posture. “Koto… I’m sorry. About that, and about how I’ve been for the past few months. I’ve said some things I’m not proud of, and I want you to know how sorry I am. I want to be your friend, I really do.”

“No-” Koto bolted upwards to look Hang in the eye. “No. I should be the one apologizing to you- I’m so sorry. You’ve been going through things I can’t even imagine, and I wasn’t there for you.”

“I…. I thought you were still angry with me.”

“I wasn’t ever angry at you, I was angry with myself and was taking it out on you.” Koto explained. “But that’s not healthy and it’s not fair to you. I’m sorry.”

Hang sighed. “I forgive you.” She extended her hand. “Friends again?”

“Yeah.” Koto took the waterbender’s hand in her own and gave it a firm shake. “Friends again.”

Hang laughed and returned the gesture. “Spirits… I will never get used to how formal you are about these sorts of things.”

Despite herself, Koto joined her friend in laughter.

A few moments passed in relative silence as the laughter died down and Koto and Hang resumed their guarding positions. Koto enjoyed the silence as much as she could, relishing the moment of peace after so much time spent distraught.

Then, the entire barn lit up blue. The blue Koto knew. A color she was dreading.

A flickering image of Koto’s mother materialized in front of her and Hang. Worry and fear were painted across her features as she blinked to consciousness, then lowered her gaze to Koto.

“Mom!” Koto jumped to her feet and almost embraced her mother, before remembering her non-corporal form. She barely noticed Hang joining her at her side. “What’s going on?”

“Koto- Koto, where are you?” Jinora glanced around them.

“We’re at a farm in the south-eastern Earth Confederacy, near the air temple.” Hang explained. “The- the temple was attacked, I’m so sorry, I-”

“By the Earth Confederacy, I know.” Jinora put her hand to her temple, then over her eyes. “The island is being attacked. Their forces are here.”

“What?” Koto exclaimed. She didn’t care that she had spoken loud enough to wake the rest of her friends. “The- the temple is being attacked? They wouldn’t-” The more she thought about it, the more fear the statement stirred within her. Her home was being attacked, and she wasn’t there to defend it.

“Koto, I need you to listen to me.” Jinora looked up to Hang. “I need you both to listen to me. I don’t know what’s going to happen, or where they’re taking us, but you and your friends need to stay safe. Find a safe location to lay low in, once the United Forces sort this out we can figure out what to do next. Do you understand?”

“Mom, we can help, we can get back to the island as fast as we can-”

“You won’t be fast enough. They’re already here.” Jinora put her glowing, transparent hand over her daughter’s cheek, as if to wipe away a tear. “You can help by staying safe, ok? I need you to stay safe. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” Koto said through her tears. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop them. “I understand.”

“Good.” Jinora said. She closed her eyes, and her form flickered. “I love you. Goodbye.”

Koto couldn’t help but fall to her knees as the image of her mother flickered into the night, right before her eyes.

The sounds of the event and the distress that followed were apparently loud enough to wake the others. Even with her head buried in her hands, Koto could hear the sounds of approaching footsteps- four sets, one for each of her friends, save for Hang.

“What happened?” Haruko asked as she approached them. There was a slight yawn to the gril’s voice, as if she had only just woken up. She probably had. Her brother bent down next to Koto and put his arm around her shoulders, gently patting her on the back.

“Jinora’s spirit showed up a few minutes ago while we were on guard.” Hang explained. As the water bender spoke, Koto looked up to watch Jae and Tala lighting the lantern they had been lent, casting warm, yellowish light across the small space they all occupied. “She said that Air Temple Island was attacked by the Earth Confederacy.”

“Oh.” Jae’s voice lowered. “Did she- did she say what we should do?”

Hang glanced to Koto, then back up. “She gave us instructions to lay low for as long as we can while the United Forces deal with the issue. I figured we might be able to go back to Aringeru.”

“Yeah… Aringeru…” Haruko repeated. “Yeah. That might work, actually.”

“So you’re just going to sit around and do nothing while the airbenders are kidnapped and probably dying?” Tala huffed as they leaned back on the barn’s support beams. “Some Avatar you are.”

“Tala, you know I’m not ready to just go out there and blow the entire place up.” Haruko’s brow furrowed. Her stance shifted. “You said it yourself- I can't firebend, I can’t control the Avatar state- spirits, we don’t even know where the airbenders are! There’s not much we can do.”

Tala looked down.

“Well, I agree with Koto’s mom.” Aazir shrugged. “And Haruko. We aren’t in any shape to-”
Before Aazir could finish his statement, a knock at the door sounded. They had company.

Haruko’s heart nearly stopped when the heavy barn doors opened. It definitely did when she saw who was behind it.

Her father- flanked by his teammates, walked through the barn door with all the confidence she remembered him having. His warm, dark, scarred skin- the same as hers- seemed to glow in the warm light. He smiled. “Hey, kids! Nice to see you all again!.”

Haruko couldn’t move. She couldn’t move. It was like the earth itself had collapsed into liquid beneath her and trapped her feet. She could hear the echoing beat of her heart bouncing off the walls of her heartbeat. He was here. Why was he here?

Her brother showed none of her restraint. In fact, it seemed he was completely unaffected by the circumstances. He ran up to their father and greeted him with a hug. “Dad! Where have you been?”

“Aazir!” Zahrun smiled and returned the embrace. He looked up to Haruko. “Hadiyah, come here. I’ve missed you.”

Haruko shook her head. She stayed where she could.

“Hadiyah?” Hang whispered, but not to her. To Koto. “What’s that mean?”

“Hate to interrupt this touching family reunion, but we’re here on business.” Tehreem interrupted. The cool, relaxed tones of her voice broke Haruko out of her trance.

“Right. Right.” Zahrun nodded and separated from Aazir, patting the boy on the shoulder as he did so. “So, kids. How are you all doing? By the way, Hang- thanks for taking care of Tanaka for us. Big help.”

“You- you know about that?” Hang stammered.

“You know our dad?” Aazir exclaimed.

“Yeah, we met a while- it doesn't matter.” Hang shook her head. “What are you doing here? How did you find us?”

Zahrun glanced at Arnook, then back to the group, as if the gesture answered both questions. That, or he was sending a message. “We’ll get to all of that in a second. Now, let’s all relax. Are you all ok? Any major wounds, injuries, anything like that?”

Haruko shook her head. She glanced at Jae.

“Good, good.” Zahrun nodded. “I know most of you. Tala, Hang- my kids, obviously-”

“I’m Jae.” Jae blurted out, then gestured to Koto. “That’s Koto.”

“Jae and Koto… nice, nice. I’ve heard alot about the both of you, as I’m sure you’ve heard about me. And you all know my entourage,” He gestured to Arnook, Tehreem, Ahsa, and then, finally Tala. “It’s nice to finally meet you all at once, though.”

Haruko bristled. She stepped back. “Dad-”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s nice to meet you too.” Koto snapped before Haruko could even finish thinking about the end of her sentence. “Why are you here? What do you want from us?”

Ahsa stepped to the front of her group. “As I’m sure you all know by now,” She glanced to Koto. “The air temples were attacked. We’re going to stage a rescue in Ba Sing Se and save the airbenders.”

“Among other things.” Zahrun added. “It’s been a while since any of us have been to the great walled city and there’s some business I’d like to take care of while we’re there.”

“Your, uh, usual business?” Tala asked.

“That, and another thing.” Zahrun closed his eyes as he spoke. “I’m sure you’ve all heard of project vine by now- it’s a spirit vine bomb, made by the Earth Confederacy to exterminate their enemies- so, basically, every person in this room right now.”

“We’re going to take it out of their hands so they can’t use it.” Tehreem finished the statement. “And we’re here to offer you all a part in this- you’re one of the most capable groups of young fighters out there. We could really use your help?”

“You want- our help?” Hang sputtered, at the same time Koto posed a question of her own.

“A spirit vine bomb? That’s insane-” She put her hand over her temple. “How do you know about this?”

“We have our sources. And we’ll be able to get you some equipment-” Zahrun turned to Jae. “You use a bow, right?”

“No.” Haruko shook her head. “We’re not going with you.”

Her father turned to her. His stance shifted, but his face remained completely unreadable. “Hadiyah-”

“No.” Haruko repeated. “We aren’t going with you. Koto’s mom told us to lay low. I don’t want to-”

“Jinora?” Zahrun remarked. “You’ve- you’ve been in contact with Jinora?”

“Does it matter? We’re staying here.” Haruko furrowed her brow. She wanted him to leave. She wanted him to disappear again, like he always had.

“This is our chance to help the world for the better.” Zahrun said. His voice grew stronger as he spoke. He was practically begging for them to help. “Please. I know we can fix this-”

“I’ll come with you.” Tala interrupted, their voice clear and strong.

“What?” Koto outburst. “You’re just going to- to go with them?”

“Honestly, I’m surprised that you aren’t.” Tala crossed their arms. “It’s your people and your family at risk. I’d think you’d be more ready to go save them.”

“There’s a difference between saving my family and being involved with a group trying to assassinate the Prime Minister of the Earth Confederacy!”

“Then I’ve got some news for you- you’ve been involved with that group all along! This is our chance to actually do something to help the world and you’re throwing it away- for what? Are you trying to run away from your problems?”

“Look, Tala.” Hang put her hand over her eyes. “Let’s try to think through this, rationally-”

“I am being rational! I’m the only one being rational! There’s people dying out there, and you all aren’t doing anything about it!”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Koto sighed.

“It really isn’t! There’s a conflict, and we’re in full capability of solving it. You’re all just cowards.”

“So….” Zahrun cleared his throat. Haruko had almost forgotten her father’s presence. Almost. “Are you guys coming or not.”

“Yes.” Tala nodded. “I am.”

A warm, genuine smile grew across Zahrun’s features. “Well. It’s nice to have you back, Hira. If that’s it, we’ll be on our way.”

The room fell silent.

“Well!” Zahrun clasped his hands together. “Seems like we have our answer. Let’s go.” He didn’t address who he was leaving behind. Of course he didn’t.

Haruko couldn’t bare to watch as her father disappeared into the dark of night behind the barn door, closely followed by one of her best friends. She couldn’t close her eyes to it, either. She could only live stuck in the moment and let the grief of the night finally wash over her.

Despite her efforts not to, she broke into tears the minute the door closed.

the alliance

Even though she could’ve sworn she didn’t sleep, the sound of Jae’s voice startled Haruko from her waking dreams.

“Somebody’s here!” He shouted. Despite his exhaustion, his voice was loud enough to reach the corners of the barn. It might’ve been his adrenaline, or his fear.

Haruko gathered herself and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes to see Jae standing in the center of the room, angling his dagger at the intruder- as if he intended to throw it into the girl’s heart.

“Hanuel?” Koto exclaimed, hurrying to Jae’s side. It took a moment for Haruko to fully recognize the girl, but the realization set in. Hanuel Beifong was right there. In front of them. Again.

“Please, I’m not going to hurt you.” Hanuel threw her hands up in surrender. “I need your help.”

“How did you find us?” Aazir demanded, taking a stance behind Haruko. “And what do you want?”

Hanuel frowned. “You’re not that hard to find, the Earth Confederacy forces spotted your entire group fleeing the temple-”

“You’re with the Earth Confederacy?” Hang shouted, lowering into a bending stance. As far as Haruko could tell, there wasn’t any water nearby, but she knew that didn’t limit Hang’s ability. “You brought forces, didn’t you. Are you here to arrest us?”

“No- no.” Hanuel shook her head. “I’m here with my family. I- I have a lot of news. Can we all calm down for a sec?”

Jae lowered his blade. “Fine. Tell us what you have to say.”

Hanuel nodded and closed her eyes. “First off- I’m not the Avatar.”

The room fell silent. Hanuel knew.

“Uhhh, yeah.” Hang glanced towards Haruko. A message communicated only in words. “Yeah, we heard about that.”

“I figured you might’ve.” Hanuel clasped her hands together. “More importantly, the Earth Confederacy has been-”

“Stealing airbenders, we know.” Aazir snapped. He nodded towards Koto. “They almost snatched up her and the rest of us a few nights ago. We aren’t dumb.”

“Yeah. That.” Hanuel inhaled. “And they’re making a spirit bomb and planning to test it on the Airbenders they have captive.”

“They’re what?!” Koto near-shouted, completely bypassing Jae as she moved closer to Hanuel. “That’s- how do you know this?”

“Because I’m the ‘Avatar’.” Hanuel rolled her eyes and made air quotes around the title. “I have access to private information. Trust me. Please.”

Koto put her hand over her forehead, then her mouth.

“Koto, please. Listen to me.” Hanuel rested her hand on the airbender’s shoulder. “I want to stop this. But I’m running solo and need all the help I can get.”

“I know.” Koto stepped away from the other girl. “The thing is, it’s not just the Earth Confederacy we have to worry about.”

Hanuel’s brow furrowed. She glanced across the rest of the group and eventually settled her gaze on Haruko.

“Oh. Uhm.” Haruko took in a breath. “Well, we recently found out that the Red Lotus is planning an attack on Ba Sing Se to free the airbenders, seize the spirit weapon, and assasinate the prime minister. The firebender on our team- Tala, you might remember them- left with them.”

“They can’t- how do they even know where the airbenders are?” Hanuel ran her hand through her hair.

“They have a guy who can track through both the spiritual and material planes.” Hang explained. “That’s how they’ve been doing what they do for however long he’s been part of the organization. Luckily for us, I can kind of do it too. Luckily for everyone else, I’m bad at it.”

Hanuel sighed. “Well, that’s news. And more reason you should come with us. Please, I’ve seen how you guys fight together- back at the Fire Nation Palace? And we need your help.”

Koto turned around to face Haruko and the rest of the team before returning her gaze to Hanuel. “Alright. We’re in.”

The airship was cold- too cold, even, for the thin jacket Haruko had donned. Hanuel had thought ahead and brought spare clothes for all of them, but their options were limited between the few different styles of uniform the guards of Zaofu wore. Haruko had opted for the clothes with the least metal adornation and had ended up wearing a thin, dark green jacket that was too thin to actually protect her from the cold.

“Are you alright?” The woman- Haruko couldn’t remember if she was Hanuel’s mother or aunt- standing next to her asked warmly.

“Oh. Yeah.” Haruko nodded and put her hands to her sides. “I’ve, uh, never been on an airship before.”

The woman nodded. “That’s alright. We’ll probably be arriving in about an hour.”

Haruko didn’t know if the statement was supposed to ease her nerves or double them. Instead of pondering the question, she refocused her attention on what was infront of her.

They stood in the main hold of the aircraft- ‘they’ being herself, all her friends, and the most capable fighters in the Beifong family, ranging three generations- gathered around a large table. On the table rested a detailed map of Ba Sing Se’s inner ring, lit by the glow of the lamps above. The windows had been shut, creating a chilling darkness in the room. Haruko tried not to think about how disturbing everyone looked with the long shadows cast across their faces.

“According to Hanuel’s sources, the Airbenders are being held here- in the same cave systems Hou-Ting held them back after Harmonic Convergence.” The younger of the two Beifong men- Hanuel’s father- pointed at a spot on the map and tapped it twice.

“Hm. I remember that.” The elder of the two Beifong men mused and put his hand over his bearded chin. Haruko was certain he was Bolin, the famed companion of her previous life. Despite everything, his presence made her that more uneasy. “And I remember their being a lot under Ba Sing Se. Who’s to say that they aren’t, I don’t know, anywhere else?”

Hang leaned down to study the map, then put her finger over a building close to the one Hanuel’s father had pointed out. “What’s this?”

“That would be the city’s laboratory and research campus.” The woman next to Haruko answered. “Well, one of the campuses. There’s another in the middle ring, within the university campus. Though, this one is overseen by the Dai Li.”

“Yeah, I wasn't even allowed anywhere near it.” Hanuel added and crossed her arms.

“Then that’s it. That's our place.” Hang stood up. “If what Hanuel says is right, then they’d want to keep their prisoners- or in this case, test subjects- close to the place they’re developing the weapon in.”

“Mhm. I agree with Hang.” Jae added. “I’ve watched enough sci-fi to know that the secret lab run by the secret government organization is definitely up to no good.”

“Right.” Hanuel's father nodded, then exchanged a glance with the rest of his family. “What’s next is to make a plan.”

“Right.” The woman next to Haruko surveyed the group. “I think our best option as of right now is to split into two teams. Koto- what types of benders are your friends?”

“Well, I’m an airbender, obviously.” Koto gestured to her forehead tattoo. “And Jae’s a nonbender.”

“I specialize in ranged, armed combat.” Jae added, patting the sheathed dagger that sat at his side.

“Yeah.” Koto nodded. “Hang is a very skilled waterbender, and Aazir’s an earthbender.”

“A sandbender, to be specific.” Aazir added. “Though I can also use seismic sense.”

“Right. And Haruko…” Koto hesitated, for a moment too long.

“Haruko’s an airbender, right?” Hanuel asked. “Back at the Fire Nation-”

“Yeah. I’m an airbender.” The half-lie fell out of Haruko’s mouth, just like it had dozens of times before. “I’m not as skilled as Koto is, but I can defend myself pretty well.”

“That’s an understatement. You should’ve seen the way she bent at the palace. It’s incredible- I’ve never seen anyone airbend that way before.” Hanuel sent Haruko a warm smile, one that brought warmth to her cheeks.

“Good to know.” Hanuel’s father nodded, then pulled out two simple figurines, each a different shade of metallic green. “Again, I think the simplest plan is to split into two groups- Koto, you and your friends are more equipped to find and rescue the airbenders. Meanwhile, my family and I will create a diversion and draw as many forces away from the laboratory as we can.”

“What about the Red Lotus?” Jae asked, worry in his voice and face.

“Well, I’m hoping we can divert them as well.” Hanuel’s father replied before clasping his hands together and surveying the group. The team seemed smaller when compared to what they were up against. “So. Are we ready?”

Haruko joined the others in murmured affirmations and rushed nods.

“Good. Good.” The man nodded. “Because I’m pretty sure we’re almost there.”

the sleeping city

Only moments after the airship landed, Jae took Haruko by the hand and pulled her out of the vehicle. She didn’t have the time to comprehend the motion until she was already outside in the night. The air was thick with humidity, heat and emissions from the vehicles ahead and around them.

Jae didn’t stop running until they were out of sight of the airship, and by extension, any palace guards that were approaching it. They had landed in the near center of the citadel- close enough to the laboratory to run to it, but far enough that they wouldn’t draw any attention. They city above and around them seemed to be brimming with life- specifically, life that was searching for them. If Haruko looked up, she couldn’t see the stars- only the light of surveillance helicopters.

“Watch out.” Jae huffed, pulling her closer to the wall they were hiding against. It was almost too dark to tell, but Haruko was pretty sure they had landed in an ornate garden. “We’re gonna have to move carefully and work with the shadows. How’s everyone else doing?”

As Haruko’s eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed that she and Jae had been the last to leave the aircraft- Koto, Hang and Aazir were already standing in the shelter of the same wall. Their features were pale and washed-out in the dim light.

“Yeah. We’re good.” Koto nodded. She hopped in place as she spoke, no doubt from the adrenaline. “Alright, where are we supposed to be?”

“Labs. That’s on the east side of the citadel.” Hang stated and surveyed their surroundings. “I’m guessing we’re on the southernmost edge, where the ornamental gardens are. We should go… that way.”

“Alright.” Aazir nodded warily. “You sure?”

Hang hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

“The labs are new, they’ll be easy to spot.” Koto added. “Spirits willing, we won’t get lost.”

“Alright.” Haruko glanced at each of her friends. Tala’s absence was present and palpable- a vital gear in a machine that had been crudely torn out of place. She could only hope they would function without it. “Let’s go.”

As soon as she had received nods from each of her teammates, Haruko took initiative and moved from their secluded spot in the garden, to another hidden spot in the bushes, to the garden’s gate.

“You good?” Haruko turned to her brother as he and the rest of her friends filed in behind her and started to scale the wall.

“Yeah.” Aazir nodded and started to climb. Haruko followed. The sight awaiting her nearly took her breath away.

Instead of a dark, empty garden like the one she had just left, the world on the other side of the wall was like nothing she had ever seen- a bustling city plaza, alight with the golden artificial light of streetlamps and the glowing palace in front of them. There were people- most likely tourists- filling the entire square, talking and taking photos.

“This is good. We’ll be able to blend in with the crowd.” Koto said as Haruko landed on the ground next to her. She didn’t have any time to catch her breath before being pulled out onto the street.

“There- see that ugly building up ahead?” Hang pointed out a dark, concrete structure ahead of them, partially secluded by the cover of trees. “That’s our mark. The labs.”

“Wow.” Haruko jogged to keep up with her friends. She didn’t look to see if the people they were passing even noticed them- she didn’t have time to worry about the opinions of strangers. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. It just… feels wrong, you know?” Hang said. She didn’t elaborate on the subject, so Haruko dropped the subject of conversation. Instead, she took a moment to take a glimpse at the palace- a place she had only seen on the vidset until now- just like everywhere else she had been in the past six months. In front of the large building stood a gleaming, golden statue of a girl she had just seen in person a few minutes ago- Hanuel Beifong. She stood with one hand raised up, towards the heavens, and held the other by her side. Haruko didn’t have time to think about it being pulled aside.

“No time for tourism, remember?” Aazir chided as he took her by the arm. Haruko only then realized where they were- on the edge of the plaza, standing at the mouth of a dimly lit trail that led to the laboratory building. Jae had drawn his knife.

“Are we ready?” Koto- who was standing at the head of the group, closest to the laboratory- turned around to face the rest of the team. “No injuries, no worries?”

“I’m ready.” Haruko declared, then approached her friend. “We should enter through the side. They won’t be able to track us as easily that way.”

“Right.” Koto nodded, then advanced down the pathway. Haruko followed her cue and ran to the side of the building, far away from the main entrance. After sharing a brief nod with each other, she and Aazir pulled a circle-shaped hole in the concrete wall, large enough that they could all walk through it. Luckily, their makeshift entrance led to a dark, empty storage room, one which paid no second mind entering.

The storage room was oppressively dark, musty, and densely packed with filing cabinets and loose stacks of files. Haruko nearly tripped over a pile of paper before making it to the door.

After sparing a glance at her four teammates, Haruko peered out the door window. The hall outside was brightly lit with yellow-white fluorescent lights, the color of the glow so intense, she couldn’t tell if the tile on the floor matched or if it was just the lights.

“So. We’re in the labs, now what?” She whispered.

“Underground. We need to get underground.” Hang pressed her hand to her forehead.

“Is there anyone out there?” Koto whispered.

Haruko turned back to the window. The hall seemed empty. “I don’t think so.”

“Good.” Koto nodded. “New plan. We’re going to go out and find a stairwell to the basement. After that, we’ll figure out where to go next.”

“Alright.” Haruko returned the nod, then opened the door as quietly as she could. The hallway was empty, as she suspected- hauntingly so. She glanced around. “I don’t see a-”

“Intruders!” Someone shouted- a voice she didn’t recognize. They had been spotted. Haruko pulled up a wall of stone in the direction the voice had come from and sprinted down the hallway. She was relieved to hear her friend's footsteps following her.

Haruko turned the corner and stopped in her tracks, caught off guard by the sight of a group of uniformed guards.

“Haruko- over here!” Jae pulled her aside by the collar of her shirt, so quickly she couldn’t tell where she was going until he let her go. Jae had pulled her into a dim stairwell, where the rest of their group had congregated. The minute she was let loose, Aazir blocked off the already-closed door with a wall of stone.

“We need to get down.” He brushed past Haruko and started to descend the stairwell. “That will hold them for a bit, but not for long.

“Right.” Haruko nodded, and exchanged a glance with each of her friends, before swallowing her fears and heading down herself.

To Haruko’s surprise, the stairwell led to a damp, dark cave a world apart from the bleak sterility of the lab environment above ground. Even in the dim light provided by the glowing crystals lining the corridor, she could make out the intricacies of the pillars and the ornate carvings lining the walls. While the building above them may have been built within her lifetime, Haruko was certain the hall she stood in now predated her by centuries, maybe even millenia.

“Let’s keep moving.” Hang took Haruko by the arm and pulled her further down the corridor. “We probably shouldn’t stay in one place for long.”

“Right.” Haruko nodded, jogging to keep pace with her friends. “Is this… the place?”

“I think we’re in the old city, beneath Ba Sing Se,” Koto explained, gazing around their surroundings. “This is where Hanuel said they should be, I just don’t know-”

“They’re that way.” Hang said as she pulled Haruko and the rest of the group into a side hallway.

“I wonder where all the guards are…” Aazir muttered.

“Maybe the Beifong’s diversion is working.” Jae replied. He didn’t have time to elaborate before stopping in front of a dead end.

Hang pressed her hand to the wall. “I’m pretty sure they’re behind this.”

“Alright.” Haruko said as she bypassed her friend and pulled down the earthen wall, creating another opening. Beyond the wall, in the dim, greenish light, she could just make out the figures of hundreds of airbenders.

a star in the night

Hanuel could feel her entire body tense as she watched Koto and her friends disappear into the dead of night. Despite the lies she kept telling herself, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their plan, no matter how well-thought out it was, would fail. The feeling was probably warranted. The odds were stacked up against them.

“Are you doing alright, Hanuel?” Hanuel’s mother, Jade, asked as she approached her daughter. “You seem worried.”

“Yeah.” Hanuel nodded to shake away her worries. She glanced at the rest of her family- all standing in their silver armor, ready for a fight. “When do you think the authorities are going to notice us?”

“I’m not sure.” Jade looked out across the field. It was too dark to really see anything beyond the light cast from their open airship.

“Do you…. Think Aunt Naoki and Grandma Opal and Tashi are there?”

Jade hesitated. “I… don’t know. I don’t think the odds are in our favor in that regard.”

They were there. They were all there- every airbender Hanuel had ever met, save for two teenage girls. It seemed like the thing that only happened in movers and comics.

Before Hanuel could say anything else, she was interrupted by her aunt Ahn, approaching her and her mother.

“Jade, a word?” Hanuel’s stoic aunt tapped her sister-in-law on the shoulder. Jade nodded and bid temporary farewell to her daughter before following Ahn to the other side of the airship’s dock. Not wanting to be alone, Hanuel approached her father and grandfather.

“I mean, it’s weird, isn’t it?” Seok asked, not noticing Hanuel approaching him yet. “The guards should’ve noticed us by now.”

“Now that you mention it, it is a bit strange…” Bolin muttered. His heavy brow furrowed. “Maybe the kids ended up catching unwanted attention.”

“I hope not. I don’t doubt that they’re a skilled team, but it would take a lot to survive against the Earth Confederacy’s forces, especially here at the capital.” Seok turned to face Hanuel. “Oh, Hanuel. How are you doing?”

“I’m… alright.” Hanuel said. It was a lie, only in part. “So… no guard sightings or anything here?”

Seok shook his head. “No Red Lotus either… if they’re even coming. It seems unlikely that they’d come through this garden specifically, but who knows.”

The conversation fell silent.

“Uh, about the Red Lotus.” Hanuel looked away from her family as she spoke. “I know that they’re like, evil guys and whatever, but do we even know what they want? From what Koto and Hang said, it seemed like their goals actually align with ours more than we’re against them.”

Neither her father nor her grandfather replied. Seok glanced at Bolin.

“Hanuel, do you know the name Zahrun Saeed?” The older man asked, his voice laced with caution and fear, as if the name he spoke would arise a great spirit of evil.

She did. “Yeah, I’ve heard the name being tossed around for a while but no one’s actually told me who he is.” She paused. “Though, I think Mikah ran into him in the Fire Nation.” Yet another of her friends, being trapped underneath the very ground she stood on. Hanuel muttered a silent prayer that her companion was safe.

Bolin grabbed Hanuel by the shoulder. “Wait- Mikah saw Zahrun Saeed in the Fire Nation?”

“Uh, yeah, I think?” Hanuel brushed her bangs out of her face. “He was trying to help the Fire Lord and was ambushed by a pair of men- he said one of them called himself Zahrun Saeed.”

“Hanuel, did Mikah tell you if this man- Zahrun- had a scar of any kind, across his face? Or a sword?” Seok asked.

“Uh, yeah, I think.” Hanuel glanced between her father and grandfather. “Why? Who’s Zahrun Saeed? Cause you’ve all made it pretty clear he’s important?”

“That’s not important right now.” Bolin shook his head. “Zahrun Saeed- he’s not supposed to be alive. We received reports of his death ten years ago.”

“What?!” Hanuel stepped away from her family. She didn’t get the chance to elaborate or ask any real questions before she saw them- three silhouettes on the walls of the garden, watching them. It couldn’t be the guards- the guards would’ve already ambushed them, loudly. And they weren’t Dai Li.

“The Red Lotus-” Hanuel stepped backwards. “The Red Lotus are here.”

Almost as soon as she had said the words, one of the figures leaped off the wall and stepped into the light. Hanuel only had a moment to study their features- warm, dark skin, curly hair tied up into a messy bun, piercing golden eyes and a face she remembered but couldn’t place- before they dropped into a low stance and created a sweeping arc of fire in front of them.

Instinctively, Hanuel ducked below the reach of the flame and ran, as fast as she could, to behind her enemy. They were the same size as her- both in build and height- and seemed about the same age. She couldn’t tell where she had seen them before- she hadn’t had that many encounters with the Red Lotus before.

The person turned around on their heels and glanced over her- for only a second- before shooting a jet of flame at her. Hanuel picked herself up before she could get hit by the flame and, with her upward movement, pulled a wall of stone up to both shield herself and provide material to bend with. The person leapt over the wall on jets of flame created under their feet, and in the light of their own flame, Hanuel recognized them.

They were Tala- Koto’s friend that had been missing.

“You’re a part of the Red Lotus?” Hanuel stammered as she gathered herself and tried not to trip over shrubbery.

“What?” Tala snarled. “What do you think?”

“Right.” Hanuel inhaled. “Should’ve guessed that.” She flexed her fingers and pulled the shards of metal from her armbands, forming them into blades.

Taking her cue, Tala lunged at her, bringing sweeping whips of flame with them. Hanuel dodged the fire and thrust her blade at the firebender’s shoulder. They recoiled in time to avoid being stabbed, but not to save themself from tripping up on the ground she ruptured beneath her feet.

“No spark left, huh?” Hanuel panted as she looked down on her opponent. Tala was wounded- they clutched their side in pain. She hadn’t meant to actually hurt them.

Tala’s brow furrowed. Before Hanuel could properly react, they opened their mouth and spat flames at her and the area around them. Hanuel only just managed to dodge the blast, but the foliage of the garden wasn’t as lucky. Half the bushes had been set ablaze.

As she got to her feet, Hanuel glanced across the rest of the garden. Her family members were engaged in battle with who she assumed to be the other members of the Red Lotus- a male waterbender and a female firebender. Neither of them fit Mikah’s description of Zahrun Saeed.

“You-” Tala shouted, calling Hanuel’s attention back to them. Their once- clear voice had deepened to a husk. “Where are you keeping the airbenders?!”

“I’m not keeping the- I’m not with them!” Hanuel put her hand over the chest. She studied the worry in Tala’s face and felt it mirrored on her own.

“Liar!” Tala shouted, then stepped forward. Hanuel pulled up the ground underneath them, causing them to fall forward. Within moments, they caught their balance and resumed a bending stance, though not a firebending one. Tala held their hands open and positioned them as if they were an airbender- were they the Avatar?

Instead of guiding the air around them, Tala’s spiraling movements created a vortex of flame that encircled Hanuel. She could feel the heat crawling up her skin- she could even feel her hair catching aflame. In her panic, Hanuel grabbed ahold of her hair and cut it off, with nothing but her makeshift, metal bent blade.

As they watched Hanuel desperately try to save herself, Tala assumed another stance- that of a lighting bender. Hanuel realized all too late that she had left herself defenseless. At the sound like a cracking whip, a bolt of white lighting spread from Tala’s fingertips- reaching all-too-fast towards her. They hadn’t aimed at her heart, but her metallic armor.

Hanuel couldn’t do anything to save herself. Within a moment, she was writing in pain on her floor. Her skin burned. She could only barely look up at Tala- illuminated by the light coming from the airship behind them- and watch as they looked her over, then turned away into the night.

ultraviolet

The minute she realized what was standing before her, Haruko rushed into the cave to free what airbenders she could. Only when she sat down in front of one of them did she realize she didn’t have a plan to liberate the nomads from the metal cuffs that bound them.

“Are you- are you here to help us?” The airbender- a young boy, maybe eleven or twelve- asked. Haruko was forced to nod.

“Yeah.” She glanced back at the opening, where her friends were following her and attending to the other airbenders closest to the door. “Yeah, I’m here to help. What’s your name?”

“I’m- I’m Sonam.” The boy whimpered. Haruko recognized the name- she was sure Koto had mentioned having a cousin or student or friend named Sonam before. Koto probably knew every person in the room, by name.

“Alright, Sonam.” Haruko nodded, helping him up. He wasn’t tethered to the floor in any way, only by the restraints over his hands, no doubt to prevent him from airbending. “I need you to head over to the big hole in the wall and wait until theres some adults there. Me and my friends are gonna get you all out of here, ok?”

Sonam replied with a nod and scurried off in the direction Haruko had pointed out. After glancing to make sure he had reached the destination, she turned to the next-closest person- a young adult man with partially shaved hair and tan skin, sporting more bruises and wounds than anyone in his vicinity.

“Are you ok?” Haruko bent down to appraise the man. She almost fell backwards when she recognized his face- he was Kelsang, Koto’s older brother. “Kelsang? Are you alright?”

“Haruko?” Kelsang blinked to consciousness. “What are you- did they get you too? Where’s Koto?”

“Koto’s alright, we’re here to help you.” Haruko put her hand over the man’s shoulder, then moved to help lift him up. “I’m going to lead you over to our exit route- there will be people there to help you.”

“Get- get the kids.” Kelsang grumbled as Haruko supported his weight. “And the elders. They need the help.”

“No offense, but I think you need as much help as you can get.” Haruko replied as she dragged Kelsang to the exit, where Sonam and a group of other airbenders and acolytes stood. After leaving him in their care, she turned back to the crowds. There were so many left.

“Haruko!” Jae called from behind her. Haruko turned to face her friend and saw the worry spread across his face.

“Jae, what’s wrong?”

“My sister- I can’t find her.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know where she is. Do you think-”

“Hey, calm down.” Haruko rested her hand on Jae’s shoulder. She hoped the gesture would be reassuring. “She’s gotta be somewhere here. We’ll find her.”

“Right.” Jae nodded. “We’ll find her.”

As Jae disappeared back into the crowd, Haruko spun around to locate the rest of her friends. Aazir was standing guard at their exit with Kelsang, Soman and the other airbenders they had already evacuated, while Hang was escorting a group of small children to the exit. Haruko caught herself searching for Tala’s red vest amidst the fray, then caught herself. Tala wasn’t here. The only one that remained unaccounted for was Koto.

Haruko soon found her airbender friend deeper within the cave-like room, huddled near a group of hunched figures. As she neared them, Haruko could decipher that they were her parents, wounded and weathered from the battle they had fought on Air Temple Island and the trip that brought them here.

“Haruko.” Koto stood up to greet Koto and led her over to Kai, then helped her father up and draped him over her shoulders. “They’re injured badly. I need you to get him to the exit.”

“Alright.” Haruko nodded. “Aazir’s over there now, and there’s uninjured airbenders and acolytes who might be able to help him.”

“I hope so.” Koto muttered. “I hope so. I’ll stay here with Mom- she’s more injured, we can take her over once you get back.”

Haruko nodded and turned to the exit, taking Kai with her. From what she could tell, he was just as injured as his son.

“It’s nice to see you again, Haruko.” Kai coughed as Haruko left him by the exit and the other airbenders. “Wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Yeah, me too.” Haruko nodded, then glanced behind her. “You stay here- Koto and I will be back with Jinora soon.”

Kai nodded. “Good luck.”

Before Haruko could turn around, an unnatural, low noise reverberated through the corridor, one she recognized as the sound of heavy stone being moved by earthbending. There was no other sound like it.

Despite the feeling of fear spreading through her body and the rapid beat of her heart telling her to run, Haruko forced herself to turn around. For the airbenders around her, she had to turn and face whatever threat had appeared.

It was a group of men, on the other side of the corridor. Their presence had been announced by the unceremonious, cracking lighting of the fluorescent lights Haruko only then noticed were bolted to the ceiling. Dressed in plasticy white cloaks and masks that covered their entire faces, the men who fanned out into a singular line formation were the white ghosts of the dead that were rumored to haunt the driest regions of the deserts. They had to be. There wasn’t any other explanation for the pure terror they sowed in Haruko’s heart. She felt her hand moving to her chest, where her father’s amulet hung on a cord of leather. If anything were to protect her against this evil, it would be the sweat and blood of her ancestors, carved into the bone she wore over her heart.

The line parted in the center, splitting into two snakes. In the opening they had created entered a man, dressed in finery of rich green, black, and silver. He had hung a disk-shaped hat, like those worn by farmers or soldiers in history books- over his neck, but hadn’t rested it on his head, as if he was taking a break from his work in the sun. The metallic accents of his uniform reflected every glint of the sickly, fluorescent light-the same light that illuminated the man’s sweat-drenched face. In his left hand, he held a secure briefcase. He held the other towards the sky he could not see.

“Airbenders, Acolytes, esteemed guests of Prime Minister Mira,” The man announced. His voice- wretched and horrible- rang out among the now-silent corridor. He commanded all the presence and attention he needed. Haruko was petrified. “I am your Minister of War, Qiang, and have been working effortlessly to bring our world into the modern age with the power of technology. At long last, we have accomplished our goal and changed the course of time forever. And tonight, we will witness history!”

His declaration was not met by applause, but murmurs of fear. Qiang, unphased by the event, turned to the white-cloaked men on either side of him and handed one of them his briefcase. He stepped back into the shadows he had emerged from and let the line of white spirits reconnect. The man with the suitcase opened it and presented it to his companion. After a moment of hesitation, the second white-cloaked man reached into the briefcase and produced a metallic sphere. Haruko couldn’t see it’s details from so far away, only it’s surface. In the yellowish, artificial light, it seemed like the man was holding a ball of light itself, like a miniature sun contained entirely within his palm.

It was the bomb. It had to be the bomb. Hanuel had described them as small spheres, the size of an apple. Haruko knew it was the bomb. And she didn’t move.

The bomb produced a shrill, crying shriek as the man tossed it into the center of the room. He had ignited it. “RUN!” Haruko shouted, with all her might, as she fled from impact. She pulled up the earth behind her in an effort to shield herself from the blast. Anything to help would be inevitable, she knew.

The energy blast was violet and deafening, so close to her that it obliterated every sensation in her body. Haruko thought it would tear her off the ground, unmercifully ripping her from her roots like a gardener to a weed. It only lasted seconds before she was tossed onto the ground.

She was still alive. Haruko picked herself up to view a massacre- at least, what she thought was one. Bloody, wounded bodies were spread around her, all affected from the blast. She was grateful to see that some of them were stirring.

Haruko stood up to assess the damage, or to run. Her gaze settled on the white-gowned men, and the one who had set off the bomb. He stood, with his hand still raised to the sky, perfectly still. Then, he lowered his arm. He moved it back to the briefcase. He picked up another bomb and raised it to position.

This time, Haruko didn’t run. She stood as still as the bomb screamed, then fell into place, then ignited.

Spirits, it was beautiful. Like seeing the birth of the universe, or the creation of a star. Haruko felt both like she was anchored to the ground and that she was being ripped out of it. Despite her will, she stood.

She raised her arms in front of her, to shield her eyes from the light. It was bright- as bright as her dreams and the light that threatened to overtake her.

Haruko inhaled, and gave into the light.

epilogue

In her office on the fourth floor of the palace, Mira was safe- pleasantly distanced from the testing of her weapons and what havoc they would inevitably cause. To her pleasure and relief, Qiang, the fool he was, had volunteered to deliver his glorious message to its unwilling audience. She was grateful for his enthusiasm- it would prevent her from having to do it herself. It wasn't out of laziness, she told herself, but practicality. Here, in the secluded confines of her office, she was safe from the bombs and the fray they would inevitably cause. Here, she could monitor the event from a safe distance. That's what she told herself.

It was a dark, cold office she found herself in. She had chosen it to be that way, designed it, even, with the help of her most trusted architect, but she had thought herself inmune to the effect of fear it caused. It was her office, after all. She couldn't fear her own workspace.

She was wrong. The room was terrifying. From the shadows cast by the simple movements of the outside world behind her, to the chill of the air conditioning that hummed above her head, it was horrendous. Mira couldn't do anything about it, so she returned to her work- the array of files and paperwork strewn across her desk, illuminated by the golden-yellow of her desk light. Yes. She was filing paperwork. About the Avatar. Mira detested paperwork, but this was the type of thing too classified to send to her secretary. Some things had to be done by the head of state herself.

A sharp, echoing clatter broke the still silence of the evening. Outside Mira's door, metal hit the ground, followed by the thud of a body. Her heart raced as she realized just what that meant. There were people outside her door. People that weren't supposed to be there.

Mira stood up to ready herself for her guests. As she did so, she fished around her desk drawers for her dagger. She hadn't used it in ages and barely recalled it's proper form, but it felt natural in her hand. She was better with it than with nothing.

The door opened a second before Mira was expecting it to, revealing the intruders. There were two of them- half the number of the guards stationed outside her door- dressed in loose cloaks of beige and tan. Even in the dim light, Mira could make out their features enough to discern that they were both of Si Wong origin, a woman and a man. The latter had donned a mask.

"Stay out here and guard the hall." The man turned to his companion. "I'll make this brief." Mira had the sinking feeling she knew what he was referring to.

The woman nodded. "Alright. You better make good on your word. I won't survive if I have to fight by myself."

"Don't worry, I won't do that to you." The man chuckled. He pat his companion on the shoulder and stepped fully into the room, and into the light of the Mira's window.

Mira froze. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The man laughed, and, instead of freezing, approached her desk. Mira couldn't find the nerve to move as he pulled out the chair and sat in it. He rested his boot-clad feet on her desk and pulled up his mask to reveal a face Mira thought she'd never see in person.

The man had a square jaw and a roughly symmetrical face, save for his nose which had probably been broken multiple times prior. He had a thick beard and heavy brow, but bright, olive green eyes with a spark behind them. He was younger than she was, and may have been considered handsome if it wasn't for the scar.

Oh, the scar. Across the man's face had been carved a deep, grotesque scar running from his hairline, over his brow and eye, down over his nose and finally crossing over his lip and disappearing into his facial hair. Try as she might, Mira couldn't look at anything but it. She had only heard of one person with a scar like that.

"Zahrun Saeed." She growled, forcing anger over the fear in her voice.

"Well, I'm glad you've heard of me. Spares the introductions." Zahrun smiled. "I, of course, know you. Our glorious leader. Say, how does it feel?"

"What?"

"How does it feel to have so much blood on your hands? I mean, do you sleep knowing the tears of all those children salt the earth? I know I wouldn't be able to."

"I should be asking you that. You're a criminal- you're a terrorist! A serial killer!"

"Ah- but I didn't ruin the lives of millions with only the words from my mouth. One man can do a lot with a sword and a dream, but you and me both know you can do more with the right paperwork. And it seems to me that you've filed yours correctly." He glanced down at the files adorning the desk. "Huh. A false Avatar. That'll make a mess if it ever surfaces."

"What do you want?" Mira sat back down in her own chair. She kept her knife in her hand.

"You know what I want." Zahrun smiled. He put his hand to his belt- to his scabbard- and pulled out his sword. Mira had never seen a blade like it before- at least in person. Si Wong blades, unlike their more-common counterparts, were curved, supposedly to accommodate the slashing techniques used in the specific style of swordplay used in the desert. Zahrun's blade was bronze, and glinted in the pale light. The blade itself had been inscribed with a message Mira couldn't read- one written in the language of the desert itself.

"Admiring the craftsmanship?" Zahrun lifted an eyebrow. He had caught her gaze. "Yep. It's a family artifact, given to me by my father all those years ago. He probably got it from his father, and so on and so forth. Our people make a big deal out of inheritance and all that. My father's dead now, of course, but I'd figure you'd already know that. You did massacre our people and all."

Mira furrowed her brow. "What do you want?"

"I already said this. You know what I want." Zahrun repeated his previous sentiment slowly. He rested his sword on the desk, but didn't move his hand from it's hilt. "I don't owe you, of all people, an explanation of my actions. You know what you did."

"What I did?!" Mira put her hand over her chest. She would not loose her dignity, even if it was infront of a sand-born criminal about to take her very life.

"Yes. What you did." A smile grew across Zahrun's face. "No matter how much power you hold or how many tireless hours you spend cleaning up the evidence of your transgressions, the earth remembers your crimes. And, tonight, it's sent me to bring justice unto you for them."

Mira's heart lurched. The truth set in. "You're- you're going to-". She couldn't move. Zahrun had warped the earth underneath her feet as they had spoken, anchoring her in her place.

"Yep." Zahrun smiled. He stood up and brought his blade with him. "Now, let's make this brief. I've got a promise to keep."

Koto's heart didn't stop racing until she had reboarded the Beifong's airship and was miles from the ground below and the catastrophe she had encountered.

So much had happened. And she didn't even know what most of it was.

As Koto watched the glowing rings of the city slowly shrink on the horizon, she tried to review what had happened in the caves. She had seen her family there. She had tried to save them.

And then the soldiers had come. And they had brought their bombs. That's when Koto's memory began to get fuzzy.

Somehow, she had been able to shield her mother and some of the others from the first blast. The second blast didn't reach them. It took Koto too long to figure out why.

There, she had seen Haruko, her eyes and tattoos alight with a power she barely comprehended, her hands extended as if she might catch the light itself. She didn't know what had happened next. She might've hit her head.

The next thing Koto remembered was a blur. She remembered screaming- the tears of her people and her enemies all at once. She remembered being wounded, and being ushered away into the crowds. She remembered seeing her friends bleed, and seeing her own blood coating her hands.

And she remembered the silence that had followed as their airship took flight. A deafening, chilling silence, as they were left to find what had happened.

"We're headed to Republic City." Hanuel announced. Koto had barely noticed the girl's presence beside her. "There are healers there that will be able to help."

Koto didn't reply. She couldn't bring herself to actually turn to Hanuel, but stared at her reflection in the glass. Somehow, her hair had been jaggedly cut so it rested above her shoulders. She, like all of them, was wounded- she had withstood a shock of lightning. Koto tried not to think about who could've inflicted it.

"How's Haruko doing?" Koto asked. At some point, she had collapsed into unconsciousness. Parts of her skin had been burnt off.

"She's stable now, I've heard. Still asleep. Mikah says she might be out for a while. The... episode of the Avatar State she induced took a toll on her body. Whatever it was she did, it took a lot of energy." Hanuel paused. "So. Haruko's the Avatar."

Koto inhaled. "Yeah."

"Yeah." Hanuel repeated. "And... I'm assuming you've known all this time."

Koto closed her eyes. She wished she cry. Spirits, she wished she could cry and show Hanuel anything, any indication of how regretful she was now. Instead, all she could do was nod.

"Ok. I figured you did"