The rain beat heavy on the back of Kyoshi’s head as they escaped into the storm. She cradled Kelsang’s body in her arms, praying to anything she could think of that he would live. He had to live.

The spike of earth Jianzhu had lifted had gone straight through Kelsang’s chest. The wound let out a steady flow of blood, pouring onto both his wounds and Kyoshi’s. There was nothing Kyoshi could do but cry and pray and hope that he, somehow, would live.

“Kyoshi!” Nyahitha called out, even though he was only a few feet away from her. Kyoshi looked up to study the man, only barely making out his worried features. “Kyoshi, I need you to focus. Please.”

Kyoshi nodded, though she could barely hear Nyahitha’s voice over the rain. He said something and moved Kelsang off her lap, laying him flat across Huan’s saddle. The older airbender groaned softly at the movement, a small sign of life that made Kyoshi’s heart race.

“Kyoshi.” Nyahitha repeated her name, then took her hands into his. “Kyoshi, I need you to heal him. He won’t make it if you don’t heal him.”

“But-” Kyoshi stammered. She had only healed once, and for all they knew she could’ve been dreaming. She wasn’t a healer.

“Kyoshi…” Nyahitha looked like he was going to continue, but he shook his head and put Kyoshi’s hands over Kelsang’s chest. “You’re the only waterbender we’ve got. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

Kyoshi nodded and looked between Kelsang and Nyahitha. She didn’t ask what healing qualifications a fire sage had, it would’ve taken too long to ask.

“Good.” Nyahitha murmured. “I need you to gather some water around his chest to heal the wound. We’re in no lack of water here, so it should be easy.”

“Alright.” Kyoshi shouted to be heard over the rain. She closed her eyes and tried to reach out for the fall of the rain- the water suspended in the air and colliding towards them. To her surprise, she felt it all, as within her grasp as the wind and air. Except- it was all moving. It was moving fast.

“Do I just.. Do I just stop it?” Kyoshi stammered. The water didn’t move like air did. With air, she only had to gently guide the flow. The water in her bending grip flowed slower, with more weight to it.

“Yes.” Nyahitha said. “We need- we need a bubble, of sorts.”

A bubble. That made sense. It was a move basic enough to be her first real attempt at waterbending. Kyoshi focused on the water covering her hands and trailing onto the saddle floor. It soaked all their clothes and mingled with the bloodstains in Kelsang’s robes. With a slow clench of her fists, Kyoshi gathered the water into a bubble hovering just above Kelsang’s chest.

“Good.” Nyahitha said, gently guiding Kyoshi’s hands down, bringing the bubble down with them. “I need you to maintain that bubble for me, alright?”

Kyoshi nodded, keeping the water in place even as it touched Kelsang’s exposed wound. “Ok. I can do that.”

Nyahitha nodded, moving one of Kyoshi’s hands in a circular, spiraling motion. She guided the water with it. “Healing with waterbending can be performed by using the water to guide energy through the body. Kyoshi, I need you to do that. Can you do that?”

Kyoshi opened her eyes to squint at Nyahitha and nod. “Yes. I think I can.” She had to. There wasn’t any other choice.

Nyahitha nodded and continued to guide Kyoshi’s motion. She pulled on the flow of the water, trying to alter the flow of Kelsang’s energy and repair what had been done. It was a simple, repetitive task but one so taxing she had to pour all her energy into it. At one point, Nyahitha let go of her hands, apparently confident she had gotten the hang of the task herself. Kyoshi didn’t open her eyes the entire time, sure that all she would see was rainwater and a reminder of her grief. Almost an hour of silence had passed before Kyoshi felt a hand over her shoulder, the touch stirring her from her healing.

When Kyoshi opened her eyes, she saw Nyahitha, lighting up the small space with a flame in the hand not on her shoulder. They had escaped most of the storm and were now flying through relatively clear skies. Yun had moved from the head of the saddle to central seating to watch her heal, and when Kyoshi wiped away the rain from her eyes, she could see Rangi and Hei-Ran riding Pengpeng in the distance.

Kyoshi immediately turned down to Kelsang- she had broken the bubble of water she had been using to heal and was unsure if she could reform it. “Is he-”

“He’s alright.” Nyahitha whispered. The rain was quiet enough that Kyoshi could actually hear him. “He’s asleep now. You did well. He’ll be proud of you when he wakes up.”

“Th-thank you.” Kyoshi nodded and wiped away water from her eyes. She didn’t know if it was rainwater or tears.

Yun cleared his throat. “Nyahitha.....”

The Sage turned around to face Yun. “What is it?”

“Kyoshi waterbent. She was bending water for a full hour.”

“... She was.” Nyahitha said. His words hit Kyoshi like the sting of a whip. She had waterbent. In the moment it had felt like nothing, a necessary extension of her power to save her father. She hadn’t needed to think about it then, but she did now.

“What’s that mean?” Yun asked, his eyes darting between Nyahitha and Kyoshi.

“I- I don’t know.” Nyahitha confessed. “Well, I do know. But it’s better if we tell the others later.” He let the question sit for a moment. Kyoshi had a bad feeling that she knew what truth Nyahitha did, and it only made her feel worse. If she was the Avatar, well- she didn’t want to think about what that meant. To her relief, Nyahitha seemed as content as she did, because the Sage soon got to his feet.

“Speaking of the others, we need to get them over here.” Nyahitha braced himself on the wall of the saddle. Kyoshi would’ve told him that standing up on a bison saddle was a bad idea, but she suspected he already knew. “There’s been a change of plans.”

At Nyahitha’s call, whichever firebender was flying Pengpeng directed the bison closer to Huan. Kyoshi adjusted Kelsang’s sleeping body so that she could better see the others, and waved at Rangi when she saw her at the front of the saddle. She should’ve known it would’ve been her, she had been the one to teach Rangi how to fly a bison.

“Is Kelsang alright?” Hei-ran shouted over the rain as she leaned towards Huan. She looked like she might fall off, into the frigid ocean below.

“He’s fine, for now.” Nyahitha cupped his hands around his mouth to reply. “Thanks to Kyoshi.”

Rangi’s mother nodded. It took a moment for the truth to set in. “What?”

“Kyoshi managed to waterbend-heal him to stability.” Yun shouted. Even at such a volume, he couldn’t keep the disdain out of his voice.

Another moment of silence passed.

“Oh.” Hei-ran replied. “And- and you all saw her do this?”

“I taught her how.” Nyahitha called back.

“Uh, what are we going to do about this?” Rangi turned around to better face the rest of the group, including her mother. She shot a worried glance at Kyoshi, and Kyoshi wished that she could give her friend a warm embrace.

“We’re going to go to the Southern Water Tribe and figure it out there.” Nyahitha declared. “Kelsang still needs healing, and we’re going to find more waterbenders there than in the Air Temples.”

Kyoshi leaned back against a grain sack, giving into the back pain caused by sitting up so long. They had only just started their journey and had taken their first detour.

Hei-ran seemed to relax at the change of plans, or at least show relief that they had a plan to speak of. She sat back down in Pengpeng’s saddle and adjusted her rain soaked robes. “Alright. Southern Water Tribe it is.”

Someone in the Southern Water Tribe must’ve seen their bison approaching, because they were greeted by a party of healers almost immediately after landing. They worked quickly, taking Kelsang away from Kyoshi’s arms only moments after she had climbed down with him. She didn’t have a chance to ask where the healers were taking her father before she was ushered away by a pair of tribesmen, taking her into the women’s ward of the local hospital. Kyoshi could barely make sense of the twists and turns of the building’s hallways, only seeing a blur of blue and white. They led her into a small room of her own- furnished with a bed and a bowl of healing water. It was warmer inside than it was outdoors, but it was still the South Pole. Kyoshi was colder than she had ever been before, but she figured her soaking wet robes factored into her shivering.

The healers- a pair of Water Tribe women a few years older than Kyoshi but much shorter than her- kept asking Kyoshi questions, thankfully only about how she felt. They didn’t ask about where she was running from or what had happened and how Kelsang was already partially healed when he had arrived despite none of them being waterbenders. They let her secret stay kept for only a moment longer.

After helping Kyoshi change into a simple, blue indoor tunic, the healers helped her lay down on the warm bed before applying cool healing water to numb her extremities. They told how lucky she was that she hadn’t ended up more injured, and Kyoshi told them about the old trick airbending masters used to maintain the temperature of the air around them. The women laughed and left the room, telling Kyoshi that they’d check up with her soon. Kyoshi fell asleep before she could hear the door close behind them.

The sound of a door opening woke Kyoshi. For a moment she panicked- she didn’t know where she was at first. The room was colder than it ever had gotten at the mansion in Yokoya, and the open window cast harsher, bluer light that refracted in the ice-brick walls. At some in her rest, someone had layered blankets over her sleeping body, keeping her warm but unable to move.

As soon as she had gathered enough consciousness to do so, Kyoshi turned to her visitor. A short, middle-aged water-tribe woman with braided hair stood in the doorway, still talking to whoever she had walked with. Once she had noticed Kyoshi’s staring, though, she made a hasty goodbye and walked fully into the room.

By the time the woman had crossed the room, Kyoshi had pulled most of the fur-lined quilts off her upper torso to sit up. The woman laughed- a hearty, piercing sound- when she got to the bed. “You regained your strength quickly. That day-long nap did you well.”

Kyoshi nodded awkwardly and adjusted the fit of her collar. “Yeah. Uh, I’m-”

“Nun Kyoshi.” The woman answered, offering her hand for Kyoshi to shake it. “I’ve heard from the others about you and your group. I’m Atuat, and I’ve been patching up you and your friends.”

“Thank you.” Kyoshi took Atuat’s hand and put both of hers around it, instead of shaking it. “My- my father, Monk Kelsang. Is he-”

“Monk Kelsang is fine.” Atuat smiled reassuringly. “Thanks to my work, mostly. You all are lucky I was here.” When Kyoshi replied with a blank stare, she explained. “I’m from the northern tribe, but I was visiting a friend here.”

“I’m grateful for it.” Kyoshi smiled. In a world full of disasters, it was relieving to have one positive coincidence.

“Though it’s a bit strange…” The doctor continued. “When I got to your father, Kelsang, he had already been healed to the point of near-stability. It was sloppy work, but still recognizable as healing by waterbending- I, of anyone, should know.”

Kyoshi’s heart started beating so fast the sound echoed in her skull.

Atuat looked Kyoshi in the eye. “And none of you are waterbenders. It’s a mystery.”

“Y-yeah.” Kyoshi stammered. She looked at her hands. “It’s a mystery.”

The tension in Kyoshi’s voice must’ve been palpable, because Atuat reacted to it. “Enough about that, though. Your friends want to talk, they’ve been waiting for you. Are you feeling well enough to walk?”

Kyoshi nodded and pulled the rest of her blankets away from her, exposing her legs and feet to the frigid air. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

Atuat led Kyoshi through the same twisting hospital hallways she had been guided through upon arrival, though they seemed less like a labyrinth and more like normal halls now that she was rested and clear-minded. Within the time of a few minutes, they arrived at a door indistinguishable from every other door in the building.

“Your friends are in there.” Atuat opened the door but didn’t go inside herself. Before Kyoshi had fully entered the space, she felt a touch on her arm. “Good luck.” Atuat smiled dryly.

The room itself was a small parlor, lit with oil-lamps dim enough that Kyoshi couldn’t make out the titles of the books on the walls. Her companions- save for Kelsang- were all seated across the room, sitting in various chairs. The only exception was Nyahitha, who stood near the lamps, as if his very presence was keeping them lit.

When Kyoshi closed the heavy door behind her, Rangi tore her attention from the wooden table and jumped to her feet. Before Kyoshi could react to the sudden motion, she was enveloped into a hug.

“Rangi!” Kyoshi exclaimed, returning the embrace. “You’re alright!”

Rangi stepped away from the hug and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sharp noise of a chair’s movement. Hei-Ran had stood up to greet them both.

“Kyoshi, why don’t you sit down.” The headmistress gestured to the table. Kyoshi nodded and took a seat next to Yun. She didn’t make eye contact with him, wanting to avoid the inevitable for as long as possible. He wasn’t the Avatar, and she had a terrible idea of who it might actually be.

“Nyahitha, sit down.” Hei-Ran said sternly, in the tone of voice Kyoshi suspected was used only for wayward students and, apparently, disgraced fire sages. “The rage you’re brewing is going to burn down the entire tribe.”

“Don’t scold me.” Nyahitha crossed his arms. “Don’t speak to me like I’m your child.”

Kyoshi instinctively sent a glance at Hei-Ran’s actual child before returning her attention to the brewing argument.

Hei-Ran put her hand over her forehead. “Then stop acting like a child.”

“I’m not acting like a child.”

“I can’t believe I forgot how immature you are… how were you ever eligible to be the high sage?”

“I’m not immature! You’re the one bringing up things that stopped being relevant thirteen years ago! Why do you keep bringing up my past?”

“Because your terrible decisions ruined Kuruk and now we’re here.” Hei-Ran barked. Judging by the pallid look on Nyahitha’s face, she had crossed a line.

Nyahitha closed his eyes and tried to assume a calm stance, but the intensity of the lantern-light around him betrayed his emotions. “You ruined Kuruk when you abandoned him.”

“Nyahitha…” Hei-Ran sighed, burying her eyes in her hand. “You know I didn’t love him, not like that.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Nyahitha scoffed, fixating his gaze into the fire to avoid looking at Hei-Ran. Kyoshi turned to Rangi, only to see her emotions reflected on the other girl’s face.

Yun was the first to break the silence. “Nyahitha… what’s happening.”

“Right, everybody’s looking to me for answers.” Nyahitha ran his hands through his hair.

“You are the spiritual expert here.” Rangi added dryly. Nyahitha sent her a glare to shut her up, one she only returned.

“We only have bad news.” Nyahitha explained. He braced himself over the table. “I don’t know how else to preface this. Kyoshi... Kyoshi is the Avatar.”

A silence fell over the room. By now, they had all figured it out in their own right, but it had taken someone else to utter the words for the truth to really set in. She was the Avatar. She was the Avatar. It was impossible.

Yun buried his hands in his face and started to sob. Kyoshi put her hand over his shoulder, but couldn’t say anything to support him.

“What’s- what’s going to happen next?” Rangi dared to ask. “Waterbending? We are in the right nation.”

Kyoshi took in a breath to still the shaking of her body. “I think- I think we should figure out how, first.” She didn’t add how it was just because she wanted to avoid the harsh truth for only a moment longer.

“Right.” Hei-Ran nodded. “The cycle doesn’t go air-water-air, so there has to be some reason behind this. We’ll figure it out.”

“How?” Yun asked. His voice was weak.

Hei-Ran paused before answering. “It’s complicated, but I think I know where we can start- solving the mystery of Kuruk’s death.”

While Kyoshi knew about Yun’s-her- past life, she had never learnt much about his final days. Kelsang never brought it up, and Kyoshi suspected that he simply didn’t like reconciling about his friend’s untimely demise. It wasn’t until she had moved to Yokoya did she learn from Rangi and Yun that the previous Avatar had mysteriously disappeared years ago only to be pronounced dead with no exact death date. Everyone said that it was, without a doubt, a murder, but the perpetrator had never been identified.

“Kuruk’s death…” Nyahitha repeated. “That’s… that’s a fair starting point. Does this mean-”

Hei-Ran took a deep breath. “Yes. This means we’re going to have to find Uki.”