Yun awoke with a start and instantly regretted the movement when his sharp breath caused pain in his chest, his temple, his abdomen. It was only after he took in the breath- cold and sterile, tasting of bitter medicine- did he realize what he had done in the first place. He had breathed, and he had thought about it, which meant he was alive. Kyoshi had, for better or worse, spared him.

His other senses came after- first his sense of touch. Yun was laying down on his back, across some sort of bed. As far as he could tell, his armor and outer robes had been removed, leaving forearms, feet and chest bare to the elements. Someone had draped a blanket over him. It was warm.

Then came his hearing. The room was quiet enough that he could be fairly certain he was the only one in it, but he could here the muffled chatter of unfamiliar voices outside a thin wall. A soft breeze filtered through an open window, accompanied by a gentle birdsong. It was pleasant.

At last, Yun opened his eyes. He must’ve been more exhausted than he thought, because the simple act required actual effort to perform. The first thing he saw was light- pure and white and directly in his eyes, forcing him to instant shut them and blink away the surprise. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a wooden ceiling- the same wooden ceiling he had stared at each morning for years. He was back in Yokoya, back at the mansion. He was in his own room. It, somehow, hadn’t been destroyed.

As Yun propped himself up on his bed, he surveyed the room. Not much had changed since he had inhabited it, other than some areas being tidied up, most likely thanks to Kyoshi’s efforts. She had been telling the truth when she said she hadn’t been in it, because every change seemed recent and new. Other than the piles of clothes being picked up, other small changes had been made. The window next to his bed has been opened, letting in light, wind and birdsong. A small chair had been taken from the hall and placed next to his bed, so that someone- he didn’t know who, as the chair now sat empty- could watch him while he slept. The door leading to the hallway had been propped open just enough so that Yun could hear a pair of individuals conversing outside, but his voice was too weak to call out to them.

With nothing to do, Yun turned to himself. It was the practical thing to do after waking up from injury- to do a check of one’s body. Jianzhu and Amak had certainly assured he would remember the practice. Yun had all his limbs, and all his digits. His left hand was still stained black with ink, and his right wrapped in clean bandages, most likely to protect a wound. His hair had been let down, which felt strange only when Yun realized he hadn’t worn his hair down since before the incident, at least not for a long period of time. It had gotten longer since he had last checked, and now rested across his shoulders. It was darker now.

The sound of conversation outside his room lulled to a stop, and was replaced by that of heavy footsteps across the wooden floor and the creak of the door when Rangi opened it. She had healed from her injury (the one he had inflicted upon her) and was wearing a simple maroon tunic- one he had only seen her wear in the most casual of situations. She wasn’t giving him the dignity of showing up in her armor, because he, apparently, was no longer a threat. Without saying a word, Rangi stepped across what mess remained on the floor and sat down in the chair.

“Are you feeling well?” Her voice showed no emotional infliction.

“I’m feeling alright.”

“That’s good. We brought in one of the best healers in the world to heal you up. Does the name ‘Atuat’ ring a bell.”

It did. Atuat was the name of Master Amak’s older sister, who was, allegedly, her generation’s best healer. Yun had never met the woman, but apparently she had met him. It didn’t matter, though. They had more important things to talk about. “Why?” Yun’s voice was dry and hoarse on his lips, like it had been when he had taken his first life.

“Why-what?”

“Why did you spare me? Why am I alive now?”

“I didn’t spare you. Kyoshi did, for some reason.” After all, she is the Avatar. She can make those types of decisions without consequence. Even though Rangi hadn’t said them, the words hung in the air and pricked at Yun’s skin, causing palpable unease.

“So that’s it?” Yun coughed, then sputtered into a fit. Rangi stood up to force-feed him a glass of water, then returned to her chairs “That’s it? You spend almost a year hunting me down and interfere with my plans, then try to kill me, reconsider at the last moment and have me healed up and ready to go like things can go back to normal?”

“It wasn’t my choice to make.” Rangi closed her eyes. She didn’t want to look him in the eyes anymore- he wondered if it was out of shame, guilt, or because he was too much of a mess. “It was Kyoshi’s. And I have to respect her decisions, even if I don’t agree with all of them.”

“You’re saying you would’ve killed me, given the chance.”

“I’m saying I respect Kyoshi’s decision as the Avatar.”

“You know, it was once my decision you respected.”

“We all know, Yun. You don’t have to say it.”

“And what happens now? Do I get to die by public execution? Is that what I get from being in the good graces of Avatar Kyoshi?” The name felt foreign on his tongue. It was the first time he had said her real title.

Rangi sighed. “Kyoshi believes you can be rehabilitated, that you stand a chance of still having some good inside you.”

Yun couldn’t help but laugh, but was also hurt by the faith his friends had in him. At least, that one of his friends did. “You aren’t buying it, are you?”

Rangi scoffed and turned away from him. She didn’t say anything.

“You already told me you want me dead. You don’t have to sugarcoat it.”

“You tried to kill my mother, Yun. You tried to kill me.” Rangi sounded as if she was forcing out every syllable. “I can’t forgive you for what you’ve done to me, my family, and everyone I care about.”

“She deserves it. Hei-Ran, I mean.”

“Yun...”

“She tortured me, for years, for a lie that she didn’t even bother to prove. She abandoned us all- you, me, Kyoshi- just as we all needed her. She deserves to pay for her crimes.”

Rangi paused.

“Rangi, I know you. And I know you care about justice. If you’re so willing to punish me for my transgressions, the least you can do is the same to her.”

“She’s my mother, Yun.”

“And I’m your friend. There isn’t a difference between us, at least when you look at it.”

It took Rangi a moment to think over her response before she said it. “Yun, what do you want?”

“Right now? Some food would be nice.”

“Don’t play your games with me.”

Yun hesitated before replying. “It’s simple. I want what everyone does- justice from those who have wronged me. I’m just willing to go to extremes to get it.”

“You slaughtered hundreds, like animals.”

“It’s what they deserved.”

“And the innocents? The palace guards caught in the fray of everything? Did they deserve it?”

“Rangi, you’re a soldier. You know that not every life can be spared.”

“You’re the one that killed them.”

“And?”

Rangi put her hand to her temple and didn’t say a word. She sighed.

“So what’s going to happen to me next? If I’m not going to die in the near future.”

“I don’t know.” Rangi sighed. She slumped down in her chair. “Kyoshi has a plan, but she hasn’t told me yet. I think she’s consulting with her past lives before she tells anyone.” Once, he had the privilege of believing they were his past lives. Now, that dream was as far off as the sun setting in the western sky.

Rangi continued, sensing Yun’s dissatisfaction with the answer. “Knowing Kyoshi, it will probably involve giving you some sort of trial and going from there. But for now, you can rest.” She stood up, indicating that she didn’t have anything less to say. Yun couldn’t relate.

“Wait, Rangi-“ Yun wasted all his energy trying to move forward. “I need to-“

“We’ll have plenty of time to talk later.” Unfortunately. Rangi had already reached the door, threatening to leave him alone.

“I just need to know one thing.” Yun asked. “Do you actually want me dead?”

Rangi paused midway through her step. “Kyoshi spared you. I don’t know why, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” Her response did not answer his question.