Still working on fics and chipping away at them. Hunt.....might have to add a few chapters to it cause the length of the first chapter is just ugh TT0TT
I do have some one shots and shorts done/mostly done. So when I can I'll publish them.
If you follow on AO3 you probs saw me post an old, non Avatar related fic (it was prewritten I swear I'm not cheating! D:) Won't post it on here tho.
Working as fast as I can on my existing ones I swear! <3 *pushes the 18000 aus I have under the bed owo)
In previous polls, the community selected June for the event. However, in favor of giving everyone ample time to prepare their submissions Kyoshi Era Week 2026 will be hosted from August 24th through August 30th.
What works will be accepted? Everything, as long as it adheres to the rules. This means one-shots, multi-chapter fics, drabbles, artwork, video shorts, headcanons, meta-analysis, cosplay, mood boards, music, etc! Whatever you feel inspired to share!
If you want to be added to the Discord Server, send us an ask.
When sharing your work, please tag with #KyoshiEra26 and mention @kyoshi-week.
A note to everyone: Please be respectful, positive, and kind! Do not provide unsolicited criticism, and do not hate on other people’s work. Do not harass participants to hurry up or to finish their work. Do not harass participants for the nature of their work.
Onto the rules!
No AI or plagiarism. Your work must be your own.
Your submission must center around at least one character from the The Rise of Kyoshi or The Shadow of Kyoshi.
Tag your work with relevant labels, including explored themes, ship names, involved characters, settings, etc.
Include ALT text for images.
NSFW submissions are allowed, but must be appropriately tagged to be included in the collection. NSFW artwork must have a SFW preview or be marked as mature content. Submissions depicting pedophilia or sexual assault will not be shared. Works that reference these themes, but do not depict them will be accepted as long as appropriately tagged.
Submissions promoting racism, queerphobia, ablism, sexism or any other hate content will not be shared. Works that explore hate as a theme will be accepted as long as they are appropriately tagged.
It’s been a little while, but I’m coming to you with an update! Rayne – who generously offered to host this year’s event, but understandably became busy with life – has graciously handed the reins off to me, Coleyoly. I’ve been in the fandom for a minute or two, and my name might be familiar to some. It’ll be my first time hosting an event, so I beg your patience AND enthusiasm!
Let’s try to have some fun!
In previous polls, the community selected June for the event. However, in favor of giving everyone ample time to prepare their submissions Kyoshi Era Week 2026 will be hosted from August 24th through August 30th.
What works will be accepted? Everything, as long as it adheres to the rules (which will be updated very soon). This means one-shots, multi-chapter fics, drabbles, artwork, video shorts, headcanons, meta-analysis, cosplay, mood boards, music, etc! The only rule of importance right now is that your work must feature at least one character from The Rise of Kyoshi or The Shadow of Kyoshi.
Keep an eye on this blog, as I will be posting a link for prompt submissions in the coming week.
However-! To set things off on the right foot, previous Kyoshi Era Week participants and I have selected a handful of prompts which will be GUARANTEED for the event which are listed below. (To help those enthusiastic early starters and slowpokes like me!)
Starting prompts:
Scars
Fans
Training
Beaches
On a mission
Firefighter / Fire Fighter
That's all from me for now. Thanks for reading, Warriors!
Okay I cleaned ups an made a proper sheet for my sketch comms everything is still through kofi for now. But please feel free to ask questions.
Work has cut my hours so, I have alot of free time amd bills to pay. coming up so if anyone wants something for Xmas grab something in the next few days.
Pairing: Rangshi (Mostly Rangi crushing and Kyo showing signs of attraction) and also showing Kyoshi’s crush on Yun (as little as I can cause I’m biased~!)
Rating: T
Summary:
Ever wonder what Kyoshi, Rangi, and Yun were like before the whole Iceberg incident? How they first met? And so on? Aka, little episodic adventures of 14/15/16 year old Yokoyan Trio.
Canon compliant, end game pairings in the actual novel u_u
Other Sites: AO3
A/N: Hello it’s been awhile! Welp, I didn’t think I’d be uploading this till I was good and ready with my buffer! TT0TT And for a New Years Eve treat to welcome to New Year to boot???? O_O Thank you all for sticking with me! TT0TT Whether it was this fic, or another one, thank you! ;w; <3 I hope I can deliver more Rangshi next year (hopefully life doesn’t mess with me too much then ;w;)
Anyway, this chapter….it got too long so I had to split it in half uwu;; We’re also going back to the beginning and seeing it from Rangi’s side. More notes at the end. uwu7
___
The overwhelming flavor of salt and fish bit at her every sense. It invaded her nose and even the air coveted her tongue as a late spring breeze cut through the air. It was chilly in Yokoya, a small town at the very tip of a peninsula in the Earth Kingdom. Besides being near the sea, it was nothing like the Fire Nation she'd known.
Downtrodden farmers, poor crops, meager fishing boats. It all lacked the prosperity that the Fire Nation had. It wasn't really their fault, the cold waters were more treacherous than the perpetual warm waters of her home country. The colder waters also made it harder for humans, especially non-waterbenders, to deal with. The limited weather window and lack of rich volcanic ash probably didn't help their crop yield either. So it all made sense. Poor weather and location made it harder to obtain goods to trade and sell, not having a lot of goods to trade and sell made them destitute, and thus the cycle continued. And probably would continue until there was no one left in this podunk village.
But regardless, if what they had wasn't enough, they should've thought of other alternatives! Move away to more prosperous lands or acquire new skills! Or even sell their skills! They only lacked avenues because they were too stubborn to think of new paths. The only ones they could blame were themselves.
Because of this, Rangi Sei'naka had no sympathy for the Yokoyans.
Her clan was small, they didn't have a lot in terms of land, so farming was out of the question. They had to sharpen their skills until they were useful. If they weren't useful, they would fail, and then they would die. They would have amounted to nothing in the long records of history.
They would be nothing.
And so, by this logic, to Rangi the Yokoyans were nothing. So she would treat them as such.
Not that she had to deal with them. Her new duties were going to be confined to the Avatar's mansion, as she was assigned to be the Avatar's personal bodyguard! No need to deal with any riff raff.
When Rangi received word that the Avatar had been found, she was relieved. When she found out her mother and current headmistress of the Fire Nation Academy for Girls, Hei-Ran, was assigned to be his firebending master; she was thrilled, yet worried. However, when the news was followed up with the announcement that she'd be his personal bodyguard? All the worry in her vanished in an instant, like alcohol to fire. In fact, she almost combusted in pure joy!
It was a relief, not that she'd say it out loud, but she was glad she and her mother could finally escape the damn rumors that hounded them for years within the confines of the Fire Nation. Between this freedom and her finally finding a purpose… Her life felt like it was finally coming together. That it finally had meaning. That it wasn’t all for nothing.
"I trust you understand your duties," her mother said beside her. They were walking away from the air bison. Upon Master Jianzhu's letter where it was revealed the Avatar was found, he arranged one of the nearby nuns from the Western Air Temple to fetch them so they could all arrive in a timely manner.
Rangi's head was set firmly forward when she answered. "Of course, protect the Avatar at all costs." It was simple, but dire. She wouldn’t ever mess it up.
She noticed her mother's curt nod out of the corner of her eye. "Yes. But you may also have other duties in the meantime. Jianzhu will fill us in when we meet up."
Rangi fought and lost her battle to not frown. Other duties? What other duties could she possibly have that's more important than serving the Avatar?!
Her mother didn't seem bothered by her brief dip in mood. "You won't need to be on high alert all the time. The mansion will be surrounded by guards and the Avatar's Masters. You'll need something to do in your down time."
By which you mean, I'll need something to do to be useful. Rangi thought bitterly.
The duo walked up various hills that was a ways away behind the skeleton that would be called a mansion. She and her mother were to meet Master Jianzhu, Master Kelsang, and the Avatar there. It was an informal introduction, not that they could have a formal one with the mansion in a rush to be built. They were lucky to even have some bedrooms and a functional kitchen built already.
They were on the last hill when her mother spoke up again.
"Rangi…" she began. Rangi could've sworn she heard some hesitation in her mother's voice, but that couldn't be possible. Her mother never hesitated. Not with her teachings, not with her guidance. And not…even with her family… "I've heard… I've heard that the new Avatar is very similar to Kuruk."
All Rangi could do was nod. She was wondering where her mother was going with this.
"Which means he's… Well, sometimes the Avatar can be a bit…flirtatious…" Rangi frowned at that. She'd heard similar, more disparaging things said about Kuruk, but her mother had told her to ignore them. So shouldn’t she ignore this too?
Rangi shook her head. No, this and that are different. Being flirty isn't…inherently bad…right? Rangi wasn't really sure. It's not something she really had to…deal with yet. Most of her interactions, especially amongst her peers, were…well… Let's just say that the Gaijin and Zhang tribes had fought less bloodier battles…
Her mother cleared her throat. "What I mean to say is… I won't hold it against you if you fall for the Avatar."
Rangi looked at her mother like she'd grown a second head under her robes, and blinked. Was…her mother thinking of romance? Her? And the Avatar? Well, she was older now… But had it finally arrived at that point in her life where she would need to help support the clan in that way?!
Rangi allowed herself to picture the scenario for a moment, and shuddered. No. She had no time for something as frivolous as romance. She had her duties to focus on. That would be enough of an excuse, would give her the most time…to…
Plus, dating the Avatar didn’t seem like the smartest idea. Sure it had the highest status but… The cons far outweighed the pros.
"I don't think that will be a problem, mother," she said simply. "I know how to keep myself focused. I won't stray."
That, and Rangi had yet to meet a man who could woo her.
She heard her mother sigh through her nose, and it set her teeth on edge. Was…that not the right response she was supposed to give? A bead of clammy sweat rolled down the back of her neck. Maybe she ought to start thinking of her clan’s duties now too. But she wasn’t in the Fire Nation, how would she find a way to woo a potential suitor? If they weren’t the Avatar, she’d at least have to find a husband in the Fire Nation, anyone else would have people looking down on her and her family.
She could feel a newfound weight forming in her chest. She was supposed to be free when she came here, not feel trapped in another way. But before she could spiral any farther, her mother spoke again, her words quickly vacating her current dilemma and bringing forth a new one.
"Duties or not, do play nice with the boy," she drawled. "And try to make some friends."
Rangi flinched at that, then anger flooded her being. But trepidation and the need to be on her best behavior overriding her anger at her mother. Who's fault is it that I don't have any friends to begin with?!
But still… Friends? Her mother wanted her to make friends? With whom? How many people her age would be on the compound? And would they want to be friends with…her? This wasn't exactly in her wheel house.
"Friends? With who?" She tried to dryly laugh it off, to cover up her nerves. No, she was an elite soldier! An elite warrior! She’s not the type to get nervous!
Another sigh from her mother. "The Avatar is the same age as you." Ok the Avatar then. "And I believe Kelsang says he has a girl your age working here as well."
A girl? Her age? He had a daughter?! Was she an Air Nomad? Working here? Odd. Was that allowed? And she was allowed to befriend her? Someone below her station? Should she even care? Her duty was more important after all.
She had so many questions, and she hated feeling put out like this. They should've talked about this on the fly over! Well, they did talk about various things but this seems like something she needed to know now!
But before she could voice even a single complaint, they'd reached the crest of the final hill.
Master Jianzhu and Master Kelsang were standing there, they'd look the same as they usually did when they visited them. Master Kelsang with his jovial smile that instantly warmed and comforted her. He appeared to be carrying something round of some sort.
Master Jianzhu had his normal severe expression, like someone ran over his prized deer dog and was forced to keep a neutral face about it. And—
In between them was a boy. Long brown hair pulled into a ponytail, jade green eyes that dazzled in the sunlight. His long green robes swayed in the grass of the same color. He had some baby fat on his cheeks, but hints of a strong jaw line being formed. He had a crooked grin that was— Well, it was a crooked grin.
He was a boy alright. And..handsome by most people's standards?
"Hei-Ran, Rangi, this is Avatar Yun," Jianzhu announced when the duo finished their ascent.
Hei-Ran and Rangi bowed formally and introduced themselves. Yun beamed at them and bowed with his own greeting. "I'm so excited to meet you!"
He bounded over to Rangi, and took her hand in his. "I'm particularly excited to meet you. Master Jianzhu didn't mention that my bodyguard would be so beautiful."
Rangi felt a chill run down her spine as his lips pressed into the back of her hand.
Don't kill him. He's just trying to be friendly. And he's the Avatar.
Yun looked back up at her expectantly, then instantly began to sweat. He quickly straightened himself up, hands up in surrender. "Sorry, it appears I overstepped."
A vein throbbed in Rangi's forehead, but she kept her cool. She smiled and said through her teeth, "Just a tad, but I'll look past it."
It was much of a relief as it was disheartening. A relief because it meant she wasn’t at risk for falling for the Avatar.
I don't know what my mother was thinking. Me and the Avatar? As if. Dating the Avatar is probably a nightmare or, at least, really bad for my health. She could only imagine how worried sick she'd be the entire time. Yes, it was better for her to not date the Avatar.
But it still shook her. If the world's most powerful bender, and handsome boy couldn’t woo her… What could?
Don’t think about it. If and when the time comes and you haven’t found anyone… Well, an arranged marriage is always on the table. While she’d rather be with someone she loved, like how her mother and father were… Or, at the very least, someone she liked or knew… No, it didn’t matter. There were only two expectations of her in this life, protect her charge and do right by her clan. Everything else could be disregarded.
A loud, boisterous laughter rang through the air and broke her out of her thoughts. "He's the spitting image of Kuruk," Master Kelsang boomed merrily.
"Maybe a bit too much like him," Master Jianzhu said. Despite his chidding, he was fighting back a smile of his own.
Her mother coughed, and Rangi could've sworn a curve at the tips of her lips went upward!
The trio of Masters, old friends of Kuruk. Rangi wondered what they could possibly be feeling right now. This boy was once their old friend, and now it's like they have all come together once again. In a weird way, she felt like the outsider watching in on this little reunion.
A few more exchanges were made between the Masters before they turned the two teens.
"Why don't you two get to know each other?" her mother suggested.
Kelsang held up the ball in his hands. It appeared to be an old kuai ball. "Or play! Nothing like getting to know someone and having fun at the same time!"
The two teens looked at each other and shrugged. It didn't seem like they were getting shut out of anything important, just a bunch of old fogies who wanted to catch up. Rangi took the ball from Kelsang and held it with both hands. She looked at it appraisingly. Then Yun hit the ball up from underneath, it zipped past her face and lobbed over her head. She watched it arc in the air as it was caught by the boy, midair in the crook of his knee where he ran to catch it.
"Let's see how skilled you are, my dear bodyguard!" Yun laughed before letting the ball drop to the ground, and started dribbling it away with his feet.
Rangi gritted her teeth, but stopped herself from gunning after the boy. She looked back to her mother, asking for permission. Hei-Ran just nodded her head once, and Rangi was off.
Yun was kicking the ball down the plateau, he looked back and started running faster when he saw Rangi was chasing him. Rangi ran right past him and attempted to steal the ball diving after it, but he rolled it away from her.
"Ah-ah! You can't use your hands!" he grinned. "Ya gotta use your feet! Like this!" He juggled the ball in complicated patterns. Rangi realized it was similar to another Fire Nation sport, but not kuai.
"That's— This isn't how you use a kuai ball!" she complained, missing each and every attempt to steal the ball from him. She was used to keeping the ball afloat in the air and kicking it that way, not dribbling it on the ground.
"Oh? Really? What's kuai?"
Rangi lunged and missed again. Something was off, she wasn't bad at this sort of game. "Ah! Ugh, it's a game with a net—"
"So is earthbending ball!"
Rangi glared at the ground, and realized…he may have been using both his feet and earthbending to keep the ball to himself. The little cheat. "Well kuai isn't 'earthbending ball'! The net is in the air!"
Yun stopped and tilted his head to the side. "Then how do you score? Hit it up into the net?"
Another lunge. Almost got it that time!
"No! You hit it over the net, and if it lands on the ground on the opponent's side then you score a point!"
"Huh… Weird. Ah! Wait, not weird!" A shocked look hit his face briefly, as if he realized he offended her. "Sorry, Sifu said I should be more open. What I mean is— I kinda like it, you'll have to show me sometime!"
Rangi stopped her struggle. Playing kuai would be a…logistical issue. "I mean…we need more than two people."
Yun put a hand to his chin. "Well… Do we need more than three people?"
"We need four on each side minimum." Then she thought it over. "Maybe we can reduce it down to two or three on each side? I'm not sure how the rules would change— Ah! Hey!"
Yun started running off with the ball. "My bodyguard should be more attentive!"
"You're cheating!" she yelled after him. Not that it made much sense, there were no rules for him to cheat against. But it still wasn’t honorable!
"You weren't looking! Not my fault!" he beamed at her.
Rangi growled. She wasn't going to take his sneaky, underhanded tactics laying down! She sprinted after him and saw an opening. She let her toe slip past the middle of his legs and punted the damn ball into the sky. It curved in the air, and the two teens sprinted after the leather ball as if it was the world's most valuable gem.
Everything rode on who got the ball first. Honor! Glory! The ball!
The ball soared through the trees and landed in a nearby bush. Rangi practically dove into the shrub to retrieve it. Her hand clasped around the leather and she yanked it upward as she stood up.
"Hah! I got it!" she yelled in triumph, the object of both their desires raised highly above her head. "I got it! And—"
She stopped her little victory and looked around. Yun wasn't there. Her heart sank faster than an unagi diving into the deepest ocean depths. What was she thinking?! How could she take her eyes off her charge like that? How could she feel driven to winning some stupid…game? Was that what they were playing? A game with arbitrarily no rules? How could she feel competitive over something as silly as that?!
She sprinted off, backtracking from where she had been. He couldn't have gone far! Maybe he just ran off somewhere?
Her mind started to spiral. If he'd been kidnapped… Oh no…
In her panic she could feel her heart start to malfunction. Instead of consistent pumping, it hammered in her with one powerful, slow beat at a time. A sledgehammer of dread attempting to break out of her ribcage, one slow, painful swing at a time.
One.
Her eyes scanned the area frantically as she ran, the seconds that passed had been the most horrifying she'd experienced yet… And when her eyes finally fell upon the familiar green cladded boy, she almost popped with relief.
For a moment she was terrified, he was laying on the ground on his stomach. The only thing that kept her from going into a frenzy was that his head was propped up.
As she approached him, she realized they'd found the edge of the hill and it appeared he was gazing out over it. Looking at something.
"Why the hell did you run off—" she began, forgetting her station.
Yun jolted upward and grabbed her by the shoulder and put a finger to his mouth. "Shhh! Look!" he whispered, mischief in his eyes. He pointed in the direction he wanted her to follow.
Two.
Her eyes followed his finger's path. It landed on the back of a woman, or perhaps a very tall girl? She was hunched over, dressed in a maid’s uniform, picking flowers. Possibly for the mansion.
So he was…peeping on a girl? No, no, that couldn't be it. The Avatar would never do that.
"I don't get it, why are we watching a maid pick flowers?"
He tapped her shoulder excitedly. "Not just any maid, she's Master Kelsang's! She's the only other person around here that’s our age!"
Oh, it was the girl her mother hinted at earlier.
"I— Ok? Why are we whispering?" The girl was well away from them, they could just talk at a normal volume.
Yun’s face fell. "I…don't think she likes me. Ok, to be fair, I did kinda sorta scare her a bit! Not a lot! She's a bit skittish! …I think? "
Rangi gave him a dubious look. "And, so, what? You're just going to stalk her?"
"No! I— I'm trying to figure out how to befriend her!"
Rangi felt like she was in some bizzaro world. The Avatar having a hard time making friends? Oh, if he couldn't do it, then she was certainly a lost cause. Not that she cared. She did just fine without friends.
"And if I— we, befriend her, then maybe we can play kuai-whatever ball together!"
He seemed to have forgotten they needed at least one other person. Unless he planned on Master Kelsang filling the role? That could work… No, focus! Who cares about us playing kuai ball?
"Why?" Rangi couldn't understand why he'd want to hang out with a maid. Seemed below his station. He should be with only the upper elite and powerful. Cultivating his power and influence. Not skattling about with someone on the lower rung. It wouldn't be good for his image, nor could they provide any benefit to him. It was best if he just helped the weak and needy and kept moving on, to keep them at a distance. It was the more productive way of doing things.
He turned to her with the most serious expression she’d ever seen him have, at least, since she met him only minutes ago. "Because she's cute."
An uncharacteristically cold breeze blew past the duo.
Ah, mother was right. He's a womanizer.
"H—hey! Don't look at me like that! It's true! She's really cute! I mean it! You'll understand when you see her!"
Rangi rolled her eyes at him. What the hell was he talking about? "Why would I understa—"
Three.
The girl's body turned slightly as she went to grab another flower, her hair blew away as a breeze went by, revealing her face. Rangi felt her heart stop, time froze. It was only for a moment, but it felt like a shock to her system. While the girl was still fairly far away, Rangi could still make out some of the girl's graceful features. The way her long arms and hands handled the flowers with delicate care. Her long neck, which gave her a graceful and eloquent appearance. And then there was her long hair. That was almost enviable, most Fire Nationals would kill to have hair that long.
Yun had been right, she was really cute.
Her heartbeat's slow thumps had stopped and were replaced with a wild hammering. Her palms started to sweat, and she felt nauseous? Yes, nauseous in a weird giddy sort of way. Like when she was excited for the Great Harvest Spirit to visit and leave sweets under her pillow as a child, except it was amplified to a dangerous degree.
The sensation was too new to her, she was in the middle of thinking she was dying.
A hand flew to her chest plate in a panic. W—what's going on with me—
She shook her head and tried to clear it. Her eyes drifted back to Yun… Who was grinning dumbly at the maid. He had a dreamy look in his eye and—
Rangi, for some strange reason, did not like it.
"D—don't just stare at her! It's unbecoming!" she chastised, trying to push aside her own nerves. She tried to tell herself that the reason she was upset was because he was being rude. Very un-Avatarly.
Yun visibly perked up. "You're right! I should just ask her to join us!"
Rangi nodded. "Yes, good. You should ask— Wait! No!" The last thing Rangi wanted was to get closer to this girl, not when she was feeling like this!
Too late. Yun quickly turned around, cupped his hands around his mouth, and started yelling at the top of his lungs. "Kyoshi! Come up here and play ball with us!"
In an instant, the maid, Kyoshi it seemed, shot up to her feet. She quickly skittered away to a nearby exit, flowers and basket in hand, not even bothering to spare a glance back. Much to Rangi's despair and relief.
Yun's smile and hands dropped. "Aw, she ran away… Again!"
The twinge of annoyance at the Avatar's infatuation with the maid, flared up inside her again. It took all her effort to keep it mostly under control.
"Q—quit bothering someone trying to do a job, dummy!" Rangi was surprised by the words that came from her mouth. She'd just talked back to the Avatar! She'd…she'd… She'd have to do an hour of horse stance for penitence.
"Aw, don't tell me I have another all work and no play pal," Yun sulked.
Rangi could barely hear him though, her eyes were still trained on the spot she'd watched the maid vanish from.
_____
Rangi fought back a yawn. She had to look serious and in charge. Master Jianzhu was having a meeting with his personal guards and his staff. He was giving very detailed instructions: How he wanted things to run, how she and her mother would fit into everything. How she would be in charge of helping keep the schedule and other such things intact.
This must be what mother said about 'other duties.'
She tried not to be too sour about it. She was still the Avatar's bodyguard. That didn't change. She just…had… She just had more responsibilities. She was more useful! She should wear it with pride! She wasn’t worthless at all! She wasn’t nothing!
So why did it feel like she wasn't being taken seriously as a bodyguard?
No. You'll exceed expectations. No matter what they throw at you. She told herself. Time and time again she'd have to prove herself. And time and time again she succeeded. She could do it. It was no issue.
What was an issue…was that the maid— Kyoshi, her name is Kyoshi— Rangi shook her head, surprised she'd latched onto the name so quickly after hearing it once. As if her brain was ravenous to learn it and then never relinquish it.
Yes, the issue was that Kyoshi wasn't at this meeting. No matter where she looked, she could not see the tall teenage girl anywhere. And that annoyed her greatly.
She bit the inside of her cheek. She had no idea why it annoyed her. Rangi reasoned, as one does, that it was obviously because it showed that this Kyoshi lacked punctuality!
She bit the inside of her cheek again. No, maybe it wasn't the maid's fault. She cycled through the names of the ledge she was able to sneak a peep at before the meeting started. There were a lot more names on there than who was standing before her.
She noticed only the stoutly head chef was in attendance, the rest of the kitchen lot were at their stations. It must only be a meeting for the guards and the seniors and heads of staff. Which meant, Kyoshi didn't need to attend. Which meant…she could stop looking for her in the crowd. And being annoyed…
Ignoring how she felt her mood sour at the thought, it was quickly replaced by a hair raising sensation. Someone was watching her!
Rangi turned her head slowly, as to not draw attention, and her eyes finally landed on the damn culprit—
She flinched slightly, her heart stopped for a moment before it hammered violently in her chest again. The person who was staring at her was…that maid! Kyoshi! She was a ways away, but Rangi could see that the girl looked transfixed. She felt her skin heat and prickle delightfully out of nowhere. Then it flared up even more when a deep blush spread across the other girl's face.
Before Rangi could even unpack all the emotions in front of her, and maybe even the meaning behind Kyoshi's gaze, Kyoshi flinched after realizing she'd been caught. Then, in an instant, she scurried off with the basket of flowers she'd acquired.
It wasn't until her mother cleared her throat, that Rangi realized she'd been staring at the corner Kyoshi had rounded out of sight…a tad longer than she needed to.
___
Rangi hadn't even been in Yokoya for twenty-four hours yet, and she had a problem.
Kyoshi.
First, Avatar Yun brought her up (well, her mother too), and then Rangi kinda saw her twice and that made her feel weird. Then Yun kept bringing her up throughout the day as they lounged around the mansion. Then her mother mentioned to Kelsang how he should introduce the two teens to Kyoshi. AND THEN Master Kelsang had to awkwardly explain that Kyoshi essentially didn't want to.
Rangi would've taken it personally (she was taking it personally), if not for the fact Kyoshi was also snubbing the Avatar (seriously what was her issue?). She would've figured it was because Rangi was a Fire National, she'd seen how other people in the estate were looking at her. Some places had issues with foreigners, this place was no different. But again, she declined meeting the Avatar…twice apparently! And he wasn’t a Fire National. She shouldn't take it personally (she was taking it personally).
It didn't help that she had to attend to Avatar Yun's whining about her for the past two hours. All while getting her ass kicked in pai sho.
I'm good at pai sho, why is he beating me?! Why is he such a monster?!
"Kyoshi doesn't want to play pai sho with me," he sniffled. He placed a tile down that led to Rangi's section being annihilated from behind.
Ugh, the Backstabbing Lay Rock Maneuver. I should've seen it coming…
"You asked her?" Rangi knew the answer. They'd been going in the same damn circle for hours.
Why were they so obsessed with this girl? Wait, no! Rangi wasn't obsessed. It was Avatar Yun. Why was he so obsessed? Rangi was perfectly fine ignoring the other girl. Perfectly fine ignoring her occasionally passing by the window behind Yun. Perfectly fine not telling Yun she kept seeing her. Perfectly fine keeping her stolen glances to herself and–
Why the hell doesn't she want an introduction?! She thought, slamming a tile down. Yun easily took out her ships after that. Ugh, this is her fault. Now I lost my fleet because I was thinking about her! Seriously, where are her manners?!
"No, she always runs off before I can ask," he sniffled again. It was the same answer every time.
Rangi sighed and groaned. "Seriously, how long have you been trying to hang out with her?"
He was only just found, right? It couldn't have been for very long.
"I only met her, like, two days ago…" Yun pouted. "So not…that long…"
Rangi put her head in her hands. Was this what she was going to be like in two days? Oh, spirits save her.
__
Rangi was wandering the estate that night as she was finally given permission for a break. She'd just eaten a delicious meal moments prior and wanted to walk it off before bed. The meal was reminiscent of her country's cuisine. Master Jianzhu was generous enough to import stalknose mushrooms for her! Sure it wasn’t exactly like the Fire Nation, but it was as close to tasting like home as she was going to get.
It was a great meal, and a great break from the weirdness of the day. She should've been basking in her new duties, reveling in being the Avatar's bodyguard! And yet, it was apparent her services weren't needed all the time. And new, pesky, unnecessary thoughts and interactions were taking up her head and valuable time instead!
She was enjoying herself on her nighttime stroll when she heard a beautiful melody playing nearby. Someone's laughter.
The lovely sound tickled her brain, and she couldn't stop her curiosity from getting the better of her. She quickly and quietly snuck around and dove silently into a bush. From there she could see the source.
In front of her, in the distance, was Kyoshi and Kelsang. It appeared that Kyoshi was washing the dishes for the night (for a brief moment Rangi wondered if she was holding one of the dishes she used), and Kelsang was being his usual goofy self and making the girl laugh. He had a sudsy beard and was using airbending to delicately move the artistry from his face onto hers.
"Stop! You're going to get us in trouble with Auntie Mui!" Kyoshi giggled. The suds started popping all around her.
With the suds gone, Rangi could see her face a bit more clearly. Kyoshi was smiling, a crooked grin dancing on her face. Asymmetrical yet perfect in every sense. Broad and beautiful and—
Rangi slapped her cheeks together to get herself to focus.
Her head felt fuzzy, like it was going under very warm and pleasant water. She remembered something similar in her survival training in the corps. It might've been about poison or toxins. She realized she needed to evacuate that area, it wasn't good for her.
She quickly ran out of there, the sweet sound chiming after her the whole way.
____
A/N: With Rangi’s POV I want to find a balance of the Fire Nation Koolaid she's drunk and is trying to fight off/unlearn it (as well as the abuse she had to go through and her need to justify it), and her inherent desire to….be good. To go against those things.
So I feel like she's gonna flip flop a bit. And have a contradictory mindset. Which, tbf, I think there is something like that going on in RoK/SoK. Rangi wants to do good, but she has a short fuse. She wants to help people, but thinks "maybe the fire nation can help spread their prosperity" in RoK (so she's drunk some koolaid and needs some growth). She's constantly put on a pedestal by Hei and Kyo, but we know she's like…not perfect (and I love her for it!)
But yeah, I feel like she's going to be….contradictory in her thought process. Either because 1) Kyo's the exception/biased, 2) she's going through development and deprogramming, or 3) has some logical fallacies (she believes in defending the poor, but fuck Aoma cause she has beef). That kind of thing. Let's see how I can handle it TT0TT (tbh, Rangi's the one I'm most excited to write for this one, Kyoshi for lore but Rangi it's cause I wanna explore that lil topknot and how she came to change TT0TT)
The Pai Sho move name was based off of a chess move (apparently) called the "Backstabbing Lay Priest" and yes I did squeal with joy when I found out that was apparently a real move. fjskalfjdklaf I chose the rock pai sho tile because I'm on the nose (really it's because there was no monk tile or I would've named it the Backstabbing Lay Monk TT0TT)
“Why isn’t Rangi in love at first sight?” What do you mean she totes is uwu She’s just not aware of it yet owo;; I usually lean towards “Oh yeah Rangi wanted to climb her like a tree the first time she saw Kyoshi” but I also like the idea/theory that….Rangi was equally clueless about her feelings, like Kyoshi, and it’s not until Kyoshi kisses her she’s like “Oh that’s what I’ve been feeling.” I’m going to meet myself half way and have Rangi be oblivious for a BIT, but I swear she’ll understand her feelings at some point TT0TT And relatively soon I swear. I just wanna marinate in the confused gaynst ~030~
The vibe is unaware lesbian who is comphet for duty because….she’s had to repress herself her whole life cause of the FN and that place was not a good breeding ground for….positive interactions with her peers. I feel like she wasn’t in a place to have a crush, or even have one she was aware of. (considering the bullying she was subjected to, and the culture being highly focused on duty and protecting the family’s honor). I also wanna explore the FN’s homosexuality, specifically with the Se’nakas (esp when it comes to foreigners -eye emoji-). In this case, homosexuality is obvie open and normal in the FN, but considering Rangi comes from a small clan…. There could be *pressures* to “continue on the family lineage”. Maybe it’s unspoken, or Rangi just feels like it’s her “duty” as the only child of her family. Or both, but the latter def feels like Rangi. But I thought it’d add an extra layer to this, and maybe an extra layer to her keeping quiet about her crush? -thinking emoji- We’ll see where it takes us uwu;;
(sorry if I’m yapping too much, it serves as both a note for me to look back on and cause I….like to write these fics cause I wanna explore aspects of the franchise…. And this idea sailed across my way and I was like “instead of making a new fic, it could work just fine here” uwu;;)
I'm not dead uwu;; (somehow! I still chug along uwu;;)
I'm......gonna try to upload a chapter today before the new year has arrived (my time), like I did last year owo;; It's probably going to be Yokoya Days uwu;; (it was that or my Ghost AU I haven't posted yet owo I figured YD would be better than some random "new" fic uwu;;)
But yeah, i wanted to thank everyone who has stayed on this journey with me <3 And I'm sorry for going on a sudden hiatus, I got hit hard with life ;w; But I wanna stick with it and I will complete my fics, it might just take some time TT0TT
I'm going to proof read the Yokoya Days chapter and then I'll post it! o7
Let's hope next year will be filled with even more Rangshi! <3
Long story short i had a medical emergency this week and as a result I was out pretty much an entire week of work and bills are rolling in im doing PWYW sketches through kofi starting at $10 while I am recovering
Ya girl is on the struggle bus and I, wait...I just got word, I am now driving the struggle bus. We are in trouble. owo;;
Anyway, I may or may not be writing a one shot cause I need a little giggle. uwu;; I wanna say I'm about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through it. It shouldn't be long but I just wanted to do a cute little scene of Kyoshi bringing Fox home uwu;;
Oh also, Hunt's first chapter might be split into two parts (they'll ahve diff names tho, not pt 1/pt2 deal) because I can fucking control myself @_@ TT0TT Ahhhh we'll get there when we get there TT0TT
Things have been stressful for Kyoshi. First, she sang a poem and now the whole kitchen staff thinks it’s about Rangi, and is sure that there will be gossip. Then, Yun asks her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. Now Rangi’s acting strange. It’s becoming a bit much for Kyoshi’s small corner of the world.
(Canon Divergent AU- Kelsang wasn’t the one who heard the poem?….aka What if it took longer for them to realize Kyoshi was the Avatar?)
Other Sites: AO3
A/N: “It’s back?!” Nope, I just finished Hunt’s latest chapter and was like “I feel like misbehaving :3c” so because of that y'all getting a new chapter early \uwu/
Let’s see…. anything new happened since my last update here? …..….oh right, I read a new “Modern Romance novel” from Disney about Mulan. :) …..It made me realize….. I *could* make these two hornier. :)
Haha I’m over here like “Is this too much?” oh no. I know what “too much” Is now. And I’mma fix that right now uwu (maybe not this chapter or this fic, but I'm keeping it in the back of my mind jdkasljf)
____
Jianzhu’s mouth pulled to one side. “You both look dead on your feet. Haven’t you both been sleeping heavily the past few days?”
Rangi and Kyoshi had heavy circles under their eyes. They, in fact, did not get to sleep in today. Less than an hour after Rangi had snuck back to her room, someone was at each of their doors to fetch them to get cleaned up and see Jianzhu in the morning.
“Sorry, Master Jianzhu. I think I’m still recovering from the ordeal,” Kyoshi lied. Yes, Kyoshi had driven herself to exhaustion fighting off daofei in the forest. But that wasn’t why she was tired. Rangi fought to keep the satisfaction from slipping onto her face.
Jianzhu turned to look at Rangi. “And you?”
Rangi weighed her options and decided that the partial truth, while a little embarrassing, would be the best way to go about it. “I haven’t been sleeping. I’ve been staring at a wall for the past few days, reflecting on my failure.” No need to elaborate she was staring at her walls through tears, let her keep some dignity at least.
Jianzhu nodded, “I see. I’m sure you two can guess why you're both here today?”
Rangi tensed slightly. It was obvious he wanted to know what happened in the forest, but a part of her worried he knew about last night. They had no recourse if he began asking questions, no way to legitimize Kyoshi’s Avatar status without some form of embarrassment they were trying to avoid.
“You want to know my side of things?” Kyoshi asked.
“Yes, I’ve already gotten Rangi’s testimony, but I have her here in case anything you say may jog her memory.” He sat back in his seat, hands folded over his lap.
Kyoshi didn’t waste time regaling them both with her side of the story. There wasn’t much, a lot happened in a short amount of time in the heat of battle. Rangi had to fight the nausea that threatened to spill out of her. Just the thought of Kyoshi in battle and vulnerable made her woozy. She was going to need to find a way to deal with it when Kyoshi started her Avatar duties.
Once Kyoshi was done, Jianzhu leaned back and closed his eyes. “I see.”
Rangi bowed. “It’s my fault, I accept full responsibility.”
Jianzhu opened his eyes and waved his hand at her. “That’s not why you’re here.” He stood up and began pacing around his office. “I just wanted to get an idea of what they may have been targeting, what else was stolen. That sort of thing.”
He paused in front of a piece of artwork, leaning forward just slightly to take in the minute details. “The objects you were in charge of escorting were gifts for the bureaucrats. Well, bribes really.”
Rangi tensed. She really messed up, more than she realized.
Jianzhu turned back to the two girls, and gave them a small, calm smile. “Needn’t worry, this may work out in our favor still.” He walked back over to his desk and began fiddling with various objects. “You see, people like their things. Even if it’s not theirs yet.”
He started casing the room, leisurely strolling with his hands behind his back, taking in the various art pieces hanging on his wall. “I had plans to expedite eradicating the daofei from the Earth Kingdom. However, I needed support to push it through. I want the daofei gone, the bureaucrats want their gifts. They’re oozing with motivation now.”
He stopped by a small bonsai tree, and levitated a small pebble from the planter with his earthbending. “In a way, this is allowing me to kill two birds with one stone.” He gently lowered the stone back into place. “Since a lot of them are already upholding their ends of the bargain, in regards to the original bribe. And now there’s this…”
Rangi snuck a glance towards Kyoshi, wondering what her reaction to all of this was. She was just a humble maid, not used to these types of corrupt dealings. Her work made it so she was never stationed in the shadows of these types of conversations, but maybe she had heard a thing or two?
The way Kyoshi’s face was perfectly sculpted into neutrality seemed to give Rangi some sort of answer. Kyoshi may not have been around this type of stuff as much as Rangi had been, but Kyoshi knew enough to stay silent and observe.
Her eyes flitted back over to Jianzhu as he made his way back to his desk and sat down. “Thank you for indulging me, it’s been very informative.” He folded his fingers together and rested it on the table in front of him. “You may return to your rooms for the day, but I expect you both to be at your posts tomorrow. Understood?”
___
Rangi and Kyoshi awkwardly made their way back towards Kyoshi’s room. Their footsteps were heavy with exhaustion.
“So, that was…interesting?” Rangi eyed Kyoshi.
“Was it? Just sounded like normal Earth Kingdom shenanigans to me,” Kyoshi shrugged with a smile. So she was informed on Earth Kingdom corruption…not that the Fire Nation was a gold standard in this case. They loved their bribes too. Regardless, Rangi filed it away.
The duo stopped in front of Kyoshi’s door, and the taller girl’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “So, are you going back to your room or…”
Rangi cocked an eyebrow at her. This girl really liked pushing limits it seemed. And Rangi knew she was way too lenient with her in this regard.
Kyoshi put her hands up in surrender. “I’m going to sleep, I swear!” She brought her hands back down in front of her, twisting them in worry. “I just…like…having you next to me is all.”
Then she hit Rangi with the saddest deer puppy eyes and almost made her crumble fast. But Rangi steeled herself. Instead she distracted herself, taking a step forward and fixing the front of Kyoshi’s robes.
“As much as I’d love to just sleep–” She made a hard tug and deliberately looked into Kyoshi’s eyes for a moment, “–or…not sleep.” Her eyes drifted back down and smoothed the fabric, both palms running themselves down the length of Kyoshi’s chest. She could feel her girlfriend’s heart beating erratically. “I think it’s better if we stay in our own rooms for tonight. Get some well needed rest.”
Kyoshi’s shoulders drooped and she could only imagine the sad look she had on her face. “Okay…”
Rangi bit back a smirk, hands back at the top of Kyoshi’s chest, playing with the crease of the robes. “We’re going to have a long day tomorrow, so really, we need to sleep.”
Kyoshi’s only response was to nod sadly at her. Then Rangi roughly pulled her down, in the process messing up her work, and had Kyoshi’s ear flush against her lips.
“And you’re going to have an even longer night. With me,” she breathed hotly, letting steam escape past her lips.
Kyoshi audibly swallowed, much to her satisfaction. Rangi released her girlfriend and sauntered away, not bothering to spare a glance at the wreck she just left.
____
The next day had been rough. The place was busy in general, but the real issue was that people wanted to talk and interrogate the girls.
Whatever was going on, it meant it was easier for Rangi to sneak in and gather the supplies she needed to make the special tinder balls her nation used to determine if infants were firebenders. She would’ve used this method the other night… But between needing to gather the materials and how panicked they were, and how short on time they were… She had to use other alternatives.
Many hours passed and the two girls soon found themselves sneaking out to the same mountain cave that night. It was there, as they were climbing up the mountain again, that Rangi felt comfortable explaining her plan.
“So, how exactly are you going to help me firebend? Without…you know–” Kyoshi waved her hand in the air.
Rangi raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I know.” She cleared her throat. “Actually, I was going to see if we can use a method from my nation. It allows us to see if an infant is a firebender so that… Well… Babies… Unfettered access to open flame… You know. Catch my drift?”
“Certainly caught,” Kyoshi mumbled, obviously thinking about the dangers of something like that happening. “So how do you do that?”
“Simple. I’ll heat up an area until the air is hot and dry, and then put a ball of tinder to your nose. If it lights up, you’re a firebender.” She held up the satchel she was carrying to emphasize that’s what she had in the bag.
Kyoshi nodded along. “Ok. But are you sure it’ll work?”
“Infants, Kyoshi.” She paused and narrowed her eyes good naturedly. “Then again, you are a special case. Even if it doesn’t, we’ll find a way to make it work. It’s a much safer alternative than you making open flame at the moment.”
Kyoshi coughed. “That’s fair.”
“Of course, we can try airbending and waterbending… They are certainly safer than fire.”
“Um…” Kyoshi got into a stance and thrusted her palms out. Nothing happened. “Well, airbending is out of the question…”
Rangi frowned. “I suppose we can try waterbending by the spring.”
Kyoshi sighed. “I have a feeling we’ll be met with a similar roadblock.”
The girls continued on their way, only stopping when they were near the spring. Kyoshi attempted to waterbend but nothing happened, so they continued their way into the cave. Rangi lit the same torch she left the night before, and the two sat cross legged on the floor facing each other. Rangi quickly started heating and drying a small area around them by taking deep and slow breaths.
Once the air was deemed dry enough, Rangi took out an oil scented ball and held it up to Kyoshi’s face. Nothing happened. She frowned and turned up the heat, after another minute of nothing happening she pulled away and sighed. This wasn’t working, they needed a way to tap into Kyoshi’s inner fire… Perhaps some breathing exercises?
“Quick question,” Kyoshi blurted out while Rangi was deep in thought. “Why didn’t we use this last night? Instead of…you know.”
Rangi blushed furiously and looked away. Kyoshi stared at her for a moment, then a grin slowly spread across her face.
“You just wanted to do it!”
“NO!” Rangi instantly replied, fifty shades redder.
“I knew it!” Kyoshi giggled. “Just admit it!”
“No, that’s not it!” Rangi repeated. “I– These take a minute to make, and I didn’t know where the ingredients were and– Damn it! We were short on time, and–”
Her initial intent wasn’t to do it in a cave, she really did have pure intentions. Coaching Kyoshi on making a firefist, or using the assisted dragon’s breath technique… Which she supposed she did perform the latter, just not in the most school appropriate way.
“Sure sure, just admit you wanted to keep going too,” Kyoshi smiled smugly at her.
Rangi grumbled, annoyed and embarrassed. But decided the truth would ultimately set her free.
“Fine! Maybe I wasn’t finished with you just yet!” she said in a low voice.
It was Kyoshi’s turn to go instantly red, hearing Rangi’s unfiltered desires must’ve set her off. Suddenly, the ball of tinder burst into flames.
“Oh look. It works!” Kyoshi said, coughing. Probably trying to divert attention from her own embarrassment.
“Kyoshi, you only firebending when you’re horny is not the goal here.”
“Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound like a degenerate,” Kyoshi pouted. She wasn’t even going to deny the accusation.
Rangi sighed. “I guess that means you’re a perfect fit for me. A degenerate who partially used an ‘experiment’ so we could have sex again.”
Kyoshi laughed again. “So you do admit it.”
“I admit I had pure intentions in the beginning, but I quickly got distracted by a certain someone,” Rangi smirked, letting her eyes roam over her girlfriend’s frame.
Kyoshi scooted closer to Rangi, knees now touching, and smiled at her bashfully. “Any chance you can get distracted again?”
Rangi started to feel her heart pound hard in her chest. She quickly flung the sack of tinder to the side, she didn’t need it all accidentally being set on fire.
“I don’t know, you might need to get a little closer. Then I might have no choice but to let my mind wander a bit.”
Kyoshi leaned forward, one hand resting on Rangi’s knee. “I think I can do that.”
Rangi grabbed Kyoshi by the lapels of her robe, and pulled the taller girl on top of her.
_______________________________
It took a week, but the two girls were soon able to get Kyoshi to set the tinder balls on fire without needing to do anything intimate. It took many deep breathing exercises and lots of patience, she even taught Kyoshi a few firebending forms to try to help kick start something. But what ended up tipping the scale was Kyoshi’s out of the box thinking, apparently she’d just…figured it out!
Something about using her imagination, whatever that meant, she didn’t want to explain it to Rangi. And Rangi was…just happy they figured something out, she had bigger things to worry about.
Regardless, Kyoshi was now able to make a fire fist about sixty percent of the time, and set the tinder balls on fire ninety percent of the time. They decided to put all their picken eggs into one basket with the tinder balls, since it was safer and had a higher degree of success.
Now it was time to break the news to the Masters and Yun…at least…they would later that day. First they needed to rest. It’d been a long week.
The two girls were on their way back from the mountains, a little later than they usually planned, but daybreak still hadn’t arrived. They would be fine.
At least they thought they would.
Rangi attempted to open the servant door near Kyoshi’s sleeping quarters, but it didn’t budge. She looked at Kyoshi with concern.
“We didn’t lock this, right?”
Kyoshi shook her head. They considered trying Kyoshi’s window, or even Rangi’s window, but realized they latched them both. They made their way around the estate, trying various doors and windows but they were all shut and latched… Except for one.
The main entrance.
They held their breaths as they silently opened the door and made their way through the grand opening hall into the guest hall (the only area that was open). Kyoshi gripped the fabric of Rangi’s tunic as she led the way. Just when they felt like all was well, a light flickered on, followed by various lanterns, illuminating the entire guest hall. The two girls froze as they looked around to see a bunch of stern faces watching them.
It was Yun and the Masters. They had been waiting for them.
“My, my,” Jianzhu drawled out, taking in the girls’ dirty appearance from the chair he was sitting in. “What were you two doing out so late?”
Rangi could feel Kyoshi tense by her side, but didn’t dare look at her expression. Instead her eyes drifted over to her mother’s and Kelsang. Kelsang bore a stern expression, albeit one with worry. Her mother’s was displeased? Livid? An icy knot formed at the pit of her stomach.
Rangi felt Kyoshi’s grip on her tunic tighten, she could imagine the stress on her face. Even if they blurted out she was the Avatar right now, Kyoshi would surely be too frazzled to make any flame. Rangi needed to say something! But what? She and Kyoshi were still unsure how to approach them, but it would certainly be strange to just blurt out that Kyoshi was the Avatar.
“We were just…looking around,” Rangi forced out. “I was on a night patrol–well, I guess it’s early morning now, and heard something, Kyoshi happened to hear it too so she followed me.”
Jianzhu folded his hands in front of his lap. “I see. And you’ve been hearing strange noises every night? For almost a week? Just the two of you?”
Rangi’s jaw tensed as her lie was called out. So they’d known they’d been sneaking out? How much did they know? That Kyoshi could firebend? That–
Jianzhu sighed when neither girl spoke again. “I suppose you’re wondering how we’ve known. You see, Yun brought it to our attention three nights ago–”
Rangi physically turned to stone, it was all she could do to not rip Yun apart right then and there.
You smarmy tattletaling bastard! Rangi roared in her head. Was he really bringing the adults into this?! Trying to force Rangi’s hand? Maybe even get her own mother to demand they stop their relationship at once?
Rangi’s eyes met Yun’s and she saw just a slight twitch of a smile form on his face, before going back to neutral. The bastard really was trying to split her and Kyoshi up–
Wait!
Rangi realized through her own heated rage. He…was acting cocky. Like he didn’t realize his whole life was a lie yet. Which meant, while they knew they were sneaking out, they didn’t follow them. They didn’t know where they went. Which meant they didn't know Kyoshi was a firebender! Was the real Avatar!
Rangi felt herself relax just a tad. Relieved she knew they didn’t have the full picture, and thus had her own cards to play.
So what did they think? And could Rangi handle it?
“–he attempted to visit the two of you, but found neither of you were in your rooms,” Jianzhu continued.
Rangi pressed her tongue to her teeth, hard. Had he walked into Kyoshi’s room? She could’ve sworn they made sure to lock it each time. Did he see the mark on her ceiling? How would they explain that? No, it’s simple, they could say Kyoshi made it–but– They were trying to avoid letting them all know about their relationship. Maybe they could lie and say Kyoshi sneezed late one night and came running to Rangi? No, that might not work, Yun had been keeping tabs on who was going in and out of Rangi’s room for awhile–
That’s it! His weird earthbending seismic sense or whatever hooey! That’s how he was able to tell Kyoshi wasn’t in her room without opening it! So it was very possible they hadn’t seen the mark yet!
Unless…he did open it and saw the burn mark… And thinks I did it? It was also possible, Yun was aware of her and Kyoshi. He could put two and two together. He’d still be wrong, but that didn’t matter.
Then a horrible thought ruptured into her mind. If it was seismic sense, and he came in the dead of night to talk with Kyoshi… How long had that been going on? Her last conversation didn’t indicate he’d seen anything near their room, but what if… What if this was some new horror?
What if he had decided to do this the night she and Rangi had become completely intimate?
She could feel bile sneaking its way up her throat, from the stress of it all. The lack of privacy. The complete and utter intrusion. She swallowed and forced it back down. No, she’d have to wait until later to confront this possible nightmare.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but I can’t have two of my employees running off in secret to do… Spirits know what!”
So they didn’t know anything. Nothing concrete, or they were keeping it close to their chest. Maybe they were insinuating something salacious? Regardless, Rangi wouldn’t fall into their trap.
“I apologize, I wasn’t aware we were both under curfew,” Rangi replied calmly, attempting to not let her voice become monotone nor disrespectful. “And I apologize for lying just a second ago, I didn’t think us meeting outside the estate would cause this much of an uproar.”
Jianzhu slammed his fist on the armrest of his chair. “Of course it would cause an uproar!” he bellowed. “Sneaking in and out of the estate? It’s a huge security issue! I’m disappointed in you, you should know better!”
He looked like he wanted to say more but stopped himself after one of her mother’s pointed glares. Rangi figured she was in for a hurting later. Fire Nation lectures were the worst…
“I’m sorry, we should’ve revealed that sooner–”
“Yes you should have! Now tell me, how did you do it?”
Wait, they don’t know? Yun really didn’t get all his turtle ducks in a row for this intervention did he?
Well for one, we scale the wall. I’m agile enough to get up there on my own, and strong enough to pull or push Kyoshi up. Something in Rangi’s gut made her weary about revealing the real security issue.
She decided a half truth was in order. “We timed it when the guards were swapping out and went out the main gate.”
While they had timed the guards, it was more when they were cleared to jump down from the wall’s roof, not through the gate itself. But they didn’t need to know that…yet.
Jianzhu frowned. “Then I will beef up security then.”
“Understood.” Rangi bowed. “If that’s all, may we go back to our–”
“You may not.”
Rangi sighed internally. “I understand, what more is there to discuss?”
Jianzhu folded his hands on his lap, and stared her down. “What were you two doing off the estate?”
Of course. Of course that was the real issue.
What the hell do you want me to say? ‘Well it’s as you all have assumed. Yes, we were out screwing in the middle of the woods. Me and Kyoshi, the Avatar. Having sexual relations. Oh, did I mention I was banging the Avatar? Yeah, it seems you guys got that little detail wrong. Oh no, trust me, I was surprised too! So I decided to help train her so we could reveal that she really is actually the Avatar without having to, at bare minimum, make out in front of you all–’ LIKE HELL I’D SAY ANY OF THAT!
Rangi took a deep breath.
“I don’t see why that’s anyone’s business, nor an issue.”
Jianzhu’s knuckles cracked as his fingers pressed together. “Of course it’s an issue! Yun and I are in the middle of intense diplomatic relations! Ones that cross borders, ones that could save lives! We need to know who can and cannot be trusted in this estate! We–”
Jianzhu went off into a rant of all that was at stake. All the dealings that were common knowledge within the estate.
Right, those dealings with all those officials they’ve been talking about for almost a month straight, maybe even before they faced Tagaka? Rangi had been so caught up with her feelings for Kyoshi, the stress of Yun, and Kyoshi being the actual damn Avatar! She’d completely forgotten about it. Something about making sure the Southern Water Tribe got a loan from the Earth Kingdom? Plans to help curve daofei issues across the Earth Kingdom? And other such dire plans. There were too many to keep track of.
Unfortunately, it was very possible those dealings would go up in smoke the second that Kyoshi was revealed to be the real Avatar. They would have to start everything at square one.
But that would be for Jianzhu to figure out. This was his fuck up to begin with after all. Him and all the other Earth Sages.
She was here, right under his nose the whole time. Rangi thought, remembering the horror stories Auntie Mui revealed to her about Kyoshi’s upbringing. Him, my mother, and Master Kelsang. Some friends they were to Avatar Kuruk. Shouldn’t they have instantly realized she was his reincarnation the second they laid eyes on her?!
She forced the thought from her head. She’d have to address it later. Right now? She’d have to come up with something, until Kyoshi calmed down enough to firebend.
“What’s in the bag?” Jianzhu asked, eyeing Rangi’s satchel.
Rangi frowned and pulled the strap off of her, then threw it at his feet. “A waterskin. You know, for when we’re thirsty.”
All of the tinderballs had been burnt up earlier. There may be a scented oil in the bag, but it smelt of pine. There may be little tinder scraps, but they were in the woods, nothing to raise an alarm at.
Jianzhu picked up the pack and rummaged through it, indeed, that was all there was. He stared straight into Rangi’s eyes, cold and hard. A slight shiver went down her spine as she was reminded of a two headed viper snake.
“Who did you meet?” he asked, cold and slow.
“Jianzhu!” Kelsang and her mother both shouted at him.
Jianzhu held his hand up to them, eyes not leaving Rangi’s. “This is beyond someone sneaking out past curfew, this is about the security of the Four Nations.”
He stood up, bringing himself to this full height and began to walk towards them. “Now tell me.” He bent down and got in Rangi’s face. “Who did you meet?”
Rangi’s jaw tensed. Out of her peripheral, she could see Yun’s stunned look. The idiot didn’t even calculate that Jianzhu would react this way. She understood why he would, and couldn’t find it in her to hold it against him. But this wasn’t a turn of events she could foresee, at least…not until the moment the lights came on. But that still wasn't enough time to come up with a plan!
Rangi had no idea what to say. “We–”
“I’m so sorry it’s my fault!” Kyoshi suddenly announced, stepping in front of Rangi and bowing.
“Ah– Wha– Kyoshi!” Rangi exclaimed. What was she doing? They were going to assume the worst with how she phrased that! Was she planning to firebend now? Or reveal their relationship?
“Kyoshi, what are you saying?” Kelsang said, looking worried.
“Hm?” Jianzhu looked down at her. “What is it, girl? You can tell me. Did I not tell all of the staff they could come to me with any grievances?”
Rangi felt her spine tingle. She remembered when he did that. And the chaos and firings that happened not long after. He was trying to root out spider snakes then too.
Kyoshi stood up but kept her eyes fixated on the floor, hands fidgeting. “I… I needed Rangi’s help…”
“And that was?” His eyes seemed to sharpen, a predator ready to strike. “What were you two doing together?”
“It’s because I– Because I’m–” she stuttered, she was pale and clammy and sweating. Then she bowed deeply again. “Because I wanted help with training!”
Rangi could feel the tension in the air come to a halt, a strange stillness hung over everyone.
“T…training?” Even Jianzhu was taken aback slightly.
“Yes!”
“Why?”
Kyoshi stood up, her face filled with resolve. “I wanted to take Yun’s offer seriously! I wanted to become an Avatar’s companion! To be his other bodyguard, like Rangi.”
Rangi couldn’t stop her eyes from bulging out of her head. That wasn't what they talked about!
The tension in the room broke, relief flooding everyone’s features but Rangi and Yun’s. Yun had the biggest, shit eating grin anyone could ever see. It only grew more smug when he locked eyes with his rival. He took her shocked expression as a revelation that she wasn’t expecting Kyoshi to say yes to his offer. Which was partially true. But there was so much more to it. So many layers of betrayal.
“I won't do it if you don't want me to!” The voice of Kyoshi from not even two weeks ago echoed in her head. “I just want you–no, us to be happy. So, if you don’t want me to become a companion, I won’t do it.”
Rangi could feel a sore ball forming at the base of her throat, making it difficult to swallow or speak. Her heart began to ache, it felt like her chest was caving in. It was getting harder to breathe.
So that was a lie?
Jianzhu raised his eyebrow at Kyoshi. “Rangi seems a little put out by your answer.”
“I didn’t tell her my real reason,” Kyoshi informed. Sneaking a glance at Rangi, pleading. But pleading for what? “I only told her I wanted to improve my bending under the pretense I wanted to better myself. Not because I wanted to take Yun’s offer seriously.”
Rangi’s eyes met Kyoshi’s, her eyes shining with hurt while Kyoshi’s seemed to resonate something akin to understanding. Rangi didn’t understand the sudden change. If it was just to delay until later that day or… Well… It didn’t matter.
Maybe this was fate getting back at Rangi? For wanting too much? For not being good enough?
She tore her gaze away from Kyoshi's and looked at the floor. Steeling her features.
“Yeah,” Rangi finally replied, voice hoarse. “I thought she was training to stand up to those bullies in Yokoya…”
“And we snuck out because we weren’t sure if you all would approve of our late night training excursions,” Kyoshi continued to clarify. “But night time was the only time we had free time and… Well… My earthbending is a little wonky, as Kelsang could testify… So we needed to go somewhere far away so no one would hear or get hurt…”
“Her earthbending is… Well, it makes sense she would want to practice away from the mansion,” Kelsang said, coming to Kyoshi’s defense.
Jianzhu sized them both up. Something in their demeanor must’ve seemed like they were telling the full truth. “I see. Well, we’ll discuss the offer later today. As well as…your nightly arrangements.”
He turned to his pupil and friends. “I think it’s best we all head to our quarters, it’s been a long night.”
Rangi didn’t waste a second, she instantly started storming off to her room, distinctly aware Kyoshi wasn’t calling after her.
As she moved, she could feel a familiar heat billowing behind her. Her mother was following, yet she didn’t demand her to stop. Nor did she make any attempts to talk with her. Rangi made it all the way to the door to her room, slammed it shut, locked it…and did breathing exercises. So that she didn’t burn the mansion down.
_____
A/N: I know I know. You probably have a few things going through your head right now. “Salty! Why don’t they just reveal she’s the Avatar now!” I want DRAMA! TT0TT I want melodrama! I want melon drama! Melon lord drama! \uwu/ (wait I’m losing the plot here! *cough* anyway) Them both having to keep their mouths shut while sneaking around and trying to train? Too juicy to pass up! (plus Rangi’s paranoia/issues ramping up? I can’t just drop it sadly TT0TT)
And now y’all realized why I started “Fork in the Road” jklasdjflka So I can explore Kyoshi being found out RIGHT THEN. uwu With a bit more of an absurd comical beat but…well..hsfjlkasdjf C’mon! Finding the Avatar because of a little sexcapade??? What isn’t a little bit funny about that? TT0TT I’m sure there will be some drama there too (my ass wavers between drama and comedy like a fucking pendulum I know u_u).
“How did Kyoshi just figure it out?” We’ll get a little glimpse into her mind, trust fjkdslajfaj
“I’m sorry, how does ‘Modern Mulan Disney novel’ mean horny?” Y’all should read “A girl worth fighting for” :) Then you’ll understand :)
The Hunt for Kyoshi: Chapter 16: Kyoshi- The End of the Line
Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (plus whoever appears in Rok)
Pairing: Rangshi
Summary:
“What are we going to do?” She asked steely, still not looking up from the ground. She was ready to uphold her duty, or at least, what remained of it. “We need you to capture Kyoshi,” Jianzhu instructed. “Capture?” “Yes, we need to set an example of an Avatar murderer,” Jianzhu responded, oh so matter of factly again.
(Canon Divergent AU- “What if Rangi wasn’t there when Kyoshi ran away, and Rangi had to hunt her down?)
Other Sites: AO3
A/N: Good news, I found my shoe! Haha just dropped it over there… But now I’m missing the other one. DX Ugh! I’ll go find it, I’ll see you at the end. ;;>w>
Quick notes: Hanabi Village is made up, but the Su Oku River is a river in Avatar.
Noren: Cloth door that hangs in Japanese stalls and shops.
__________
“For the last time!” Kyoshi exclaimed to her companions, arms in the air to exemplify her point. Anything to keep her hands from scratching at the damn makeup. And the accursed sun wasn’t helping matters! “She wasn’t attacking me! We were having a moment!”
The group dodged various people. This place was way too crowded...
“Yeaaaaaah,” Kirima drawled out. “I’ve seen your ‘moments’ up close and personal. Pardon me for worrying about you getting a flame fist sent straight through your noggin’!”
Wong and Lek nodded in agreement with Kirima’s statement, and Kyoshi could only sigh. It’d been almost two weeks since the incident, but they were no sooner to believing her than…well…any other truth she’d already told them that they’d ignored since she met them.
Her team won’t listen to her. Rangi won’t listen to her. Maybe Pengpeng would listen to her? No, she would…but she wouldn’t be able to talk back.
“I believe you dear,” Lao Ge said, patting her arm.
Lao Ge would listen to her, but he was as useful as a silent flying bison most days. Pengpeng would provide much better advice…
It was fine, she was getting used to this routine. It was better if she set her mind to more pleasant things. Such as when she’d get to see Rangi again. Or the feel of Rangi’s lips on hers. Or the weight and warmth of her body pressed against Kyoshi’s…
A cough from Lek took Kyoshi out of reverie, and she looked…anywhere else, and fanned herself. She felt herself getting a tad heated. No words needed to be said, her face definitely showed she was thinking of Rangi. It would probably be best if she saved those kinds of thoughts when she was alone.
Looking past her fantasies, she did have more dire thoughts to think about. One being…that she was confident, it was a fool’s confidence but confidence nevertheless, that she could win Rangi over the next time she saw her. Kyoshi had no idea why she thought this, but the feeling resided deep in her gut. A fact ready to burst out. Something about how Rangi was acting, right before Kyoshi was taken away… There was just...something.
That or she could just kidnap Rangi. The Flying Opera Company (along with Rangi) might have some choice words aimed at her, but Kyoshi needed a firebending teacher. But most importantly? She needed her best friend safe.
Kidnapping a bending master, wonder if that’s ever been done before? Didn’t seem very ‘Avatar-like’ and only a screw up thing that Kyoshi would do. But she couldn’t help but wonder nevertheless.
I mean she did it to me first, it’s only fair. Right? She joked to herself.
“Ow!” Kyoshi exclaimed, feeling someone bump into her shoulder roughly. She looked up to see a large, tattooed man stumbling by. His arm was wrapped in heavy bandages. The way he was crouched over, it looked like he was holding a medium size bag of money. “Hey–”
“S–sorry!” he exclaimed as he scurried away with various other men, all equally injured.
“Why that little–” Wong grumbled. “You ought to challenge him to a lei tai for that!”
“Lei tai? The hell is a lei–” Kyoshi began.
“Aw, who cares? He apologized,” Lek yawned, interrupting her. “Probably hurt his pride more by apologizing than any lei tai challenge.”
Kirima pushed Wong’s shoulder. “Come on, no need to cause a commotion. Let’s move along. We have supplies to gather.”
Wong continued to grumble, not happy with the slight against Kyoshi, but followed the group all the same. It seemed they didn’t notice the bag of money he was carrying, they would’ve certainly raised a bigger ruckus if they had. Kyoshi considered telling them, but decided against it. Whatever they would’ve done, would’ve made them have to move out of this village that much faster. And she didn’t want that.
They were in Hanabi Village, a small village located near the Su Oku River. It was one of many resort villages along the long river. The group decided to raid rest (it was to raid) in the village, because they were tired. Yes.
They also wanted an easy going place for Kyoshi to practice her shoplifting. Ok, what they really wanted was a nice place to steal from for a while as they rested, a place that was far enough from Rangi. Kill two bird cats with one stone and all.
And considering Rangi’s track record…she was about due to show up and give Kyoshi a good sock or two.
Yet, despite Kyoshi finding every excuse to delay their travels, Rangi still hadn't shown her face. She reached for the hairpin she had pinned into her clothes with worry. She’d forgotten to give it back to Rangi, and in fact thought she’d lost it in the scuffle to get away from the shirshu, but she unconsciously shoved it into her pocket without realizing. Thankfully.
I’m lucky I didn’t accidentally stab my other leg with it. She grimaced to herself. Thank the spirits for baggy pants.
Her thoughts wandered back to how long it was taking Rangi to catch up, and shook her head. No, she always showed up when you least expected it! You know what Auntie Mui says, ‘A watched pot never boils!’ I just need to wait and be patient, we’ll run into each other eventually. Her fist tightened around the pin. After all, she promised.
A hand on her elbow brought her out of her spiral. It was Lao Ge.
“Come, girl. We have work to do,” he gave her a not-so toothy grin.
____
The duo were once again filching through various scrolls and books. Kyoshi was looking for anything on bending, as per usual, and anything valuable to pawn off.
“Did it help?” Lao Ge asked her as he flipped through a book before putting it back on the shelf.
Kyoshi frowned. “Did ‘what’ help?”
Lao Ge hummed. “Well, ‘what’ is a few things.”
Kyoshi sighed. Talking to this man was always an endeavor. “Well, I’m not even sure even one thing about what you’re talking about.”
Lao Ge returned her sigh and stopped what he was doing. He looked at his student with a tired and disappointed look. “You really haven’t noticed anything? Haven’t picked up on a damn thing?”
“I’ve had a lot on my mind and plate! Sue me!” Kyoshi frowned at him.
Give me a break. I’m trying to improve my earthbending and fighting skills. Trying, and failing, to firebend at all, and trying to get my friend to not kill me. As well as learn all the other stuff you all are teaching me. She’d learn so much in the past few weeks, he could give her some credit.
Yet Lao Ge looked at her, absolutely gutted. “And here I am, doing all of that for you…and you don’t even acknowledge it?”
Kyoshi blinked at him, confused. “Doing…what?”
Lao Ge put his head in his hands and let out a choked sound, causing Kyoshi to scramble. Did she just…make an immortal assassin cry?!
“I–I’m sorry, Sifu!” Kyoshi instantly at his side, hands hovering over the elderly man. “I really do appreciate all your lessons! You’ve taught me so much that I can’t even begin to express my gratitude! I just…don’t know which specific lessons you are talking about.”
Lao Ge’s head shot up instantly, no tears on his face. He rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking about my lessons, child. I’m talking about the fire scroll and your girl!”
Kyoshi just blinked at him, her brain stuttering to a stop. “How…did you know I used that technique on Rangi?” Rangi’s firebending malfunctioning wasn’t something she included in her time in the cave. To be honest, with the exception of escaping shirshu and wolfbats, she’d censored her story heavily. There was no need for her gang to know what the feel and taste of her best friend’s mouth was like after all…
A small bark of laughter fell from Lao Ge’s lips. “Please, child. Anyone with eyes and a brainstem could see she was falling apart at the seams. That usually doesn’t spell good news for firebenders.”
“I–I thought you wanted me to learn that for–for me! To fix my firebending!”
Lao Ge raised a hand and teetered it side to side. “Eh, it was a fifty-fifty shot. Either you fixed your own firebending, or you overcame your issues to save your girl.” Kyoshi’s mouth hung open at an angle. Lao Ge spoke one more time with a smirk. “Maybe even some…reciprocity would also happen?”
Kyoshi felt her cheeks heated up at the insinuation, but was quickly startled by the intensity of heat building up inside and around her. “Ah!”
She quickly patted at her shoulders, the feel of steam rolling off of them. What was happening?
Lao Ge bursted out laughing. “And it looks like I was right! On all accounts!”
Kyoshi felt herself heat up more with embarrassment, and kept patting herself down. “Wait, so you knew– Does that mean you knew she would kidnap me?!” His weird actions were starting to make sense. Making her stay behind, the knowing looks and hints…
Lao Ge’s only response was to whistle innocently.
This time, Kyoshi heated up with anger, and steam started pouring so much, it looked like a cloud landed on the ground. “Ah! I–I don’t get it? What’s happening to me?”
Lao Ge grabbed her by the elbow and started dragging her away from the bookstore, laughing the whole way. “Let’s not set the books on fire.”
“But– Am I firebendin– How?!”
They walked out onto the main road and made their way down it, passing by people. “I noticed your chakras and chi paths looked better. Chakras were opened and closed like normal. Even the chi pathways weren’t in a knot anymore. Whatever your girl did to you, worked.”
Upon the second round of insinuations, Kyoshi knew her face had become redder than a Fire Nation palace carpet, it was so strong that a pink hue was sure to seep through her white bone makeup. The steam seemed to increase as the color brightened, and Lao Ge quickly pulled them into an alley.
“O–okay! Fine! I kissed– She kissed– We kissed! But that was all!”
Lao Ge playfully batted his eyelashes (if he had any) at her. “That’s all that was needed.” He laughed as a cloud of steam pooled around them. “Did the action not remind you of anything? Oh, I’ll stop being cryptic, you’re too dense to see the truth at the moment. The fire scroll, girl!”
Kyoshi remembered the scroll. And the kiss…and made the connection. “Do they normally do that in the Fire Nation–”
Lao Ge saved her the effort of asking the embarrassing question. “No, no. I doubt it. It’s just a happy coincidence that CPR has a similarity with, well…”
She clutched at her head, she’d stop steaming but the world was spinning slightly. “But how–” She worked it through in her head. Rangi had been able to firebend at least once since she woke up. Kyoshi did feel something knock loose. Was that it? “But what about the spiritual stuff you said–”
He waved his hand dismissively. “You said the first time you firebent was when you fought the Gravedigger, no? Perhaps you bent it because you realized your life was in danger? Perhaps that was your trigger all along, survival.” He put his hands behind his back and paced a bit. “I wonder if that’s how it’s always been for you… Maybe you’ve always firebent without knowing in dire situations? I am surprised an orphan abandoned so young was capable of surviving the cold winters of Yokoya.”
Kyoshi’s eyes widened. She never realized that. Most people would’ve died of hypothermia with the amount of exposure she had been in contact with… Between this and…Jianzhu… She had to be in a specific type of danger to trigger it…
Maybe that’s why she couldn’t firebend in front of Hei-Ran? Or maybe it was the act of firebending that felt like a threat to her livelihood?
“But what about with Rangi? I firebent for her!” It’d only been a little, but it was still firebending! It reignited Rangi’s fire, so it had to count for something!
Lao Ge stroked his beard as he thought. “Maybe that mentality… Maybe that’s the same thing you felt when your girl’s life was in danger too? You felt in danger if you lost her?”
The same kind of instinct? Yes, it was the same kind of panic. Kyoshi did feel like her life would be over if Rangi died… Maybe the crazy old man was onto something?
Lao Ge continued. “After that? I’m not sure, but you do seem more relaxed. I’m guessing more things happened in that cave? Hm?”
Kyoshi’s cheeks didn’t heat up this time. She remembered her last few moments with Rangi, the calmness. “I think…I think she’d join me… If I asked her again…”
Lao Ge nodded to himself. “A calmer spirit, that must be–”
Kyoshi didn’t listen to him, she was too focused– too determined, on getting Rangi to join. Her obstacles she’d still have to face for that to happen. She balled her fists in resolution. “No, she definitely would, especially if I can firebend now!”
Lao Ge tapped his chin, amused. “That’ll go over well with the rest of the team.”
“I don’t care! She’s coming with us!”
He put his hands up in surrender. “It’s not me who you need to convince, girl.”
Kyoshi dropped her hostility. He was right, she was getting worked up for no reason. “So which was it? Which way fixed me?”
“Does it matter? You got your bending back!”
“Doesn’t mat– You aren’t even going to preach spiritualism?! What kind of spiritual Sifu are you?!”
“The spiritual side is the answer, the practical side is the answer, neither are, both are! Pick your poison, girl!” he laughed. “Find yourself, don’t find yourself. That’s up to you! There, happy?”
Kyoshi sighed. Maybe he was right? It didn’t matter what reason it was. She could firebend now. Maybe she could even bend water and air too? Oh, she could be so lucky. But unlocking just one element was a big step for her.
“Let’s head back to the other’s, check our haul for the day,” Lao Ge suggested, and the duo walked off to the main square.
____
The main square was packed. So many people were buying and selling various goods, moving large items, gathering and eating foods by stalls. With this many people, maybe there was a local festival about to take place? If there was, the weather was good for it. Nice, sunny, warm, not a cloud in the sky.
That being said, it was hot, Kyoshi felt like a fish in a barrel with how squished she got passing by people.
“I think they’re this way,” Lao Ge yelled over his shoulder. He must’ve been using some type of earthbending technique to track them in this mess.
Kyoshi was quickly losing the elderly man in the crowd, even with her superior height, there’s not much she can do if smaller people got swallowed whole! She tried to fight her way through the crowd, she had to be careful. Yes she was bigger, yes she was stronger, but she still had to look out for her long legs so that she didn’t trip! Let alone not hurt someone in the process!
As she stumbled past a few stalls, avoiding people carrying large equipment, she completely lost sight of Lao Ge. Her head whipped around trying to find his fuzzy white hair. A handful of men, carrying a large beam made their way through again, and as she was about to turn her head away she saw it. The flash of fiery red in the middle of a forest.
Kyoshi’s eyes shot back to it and zeroed in. The large beam in front of her obscured the head, but she could tell the outfit was Fire Nation. As a few more people passed by she was able to see the key defining feature, a broken shoulder on the armor.
Rangi! She knew she’d be here! It was always a matter of time, she really knew how to surprise Kyoshi.
The people passed by again, and Kyoshi looked left and right, trying to figure out how to get around the men with the beam. She pushed past a few people but Rangi had moved. She quickly made her way to where she last saw her.
Kyoshi wondered if she should call out to her, but would Rangi be able to hear her in this crowd? Just as she was considering it, she saw the flash of red again. Rangi was by a stall with blue noren hanging down, she appeared to be waiting in line.
Kyoshi surged through the crowd, not caring who she bumped into, a wide grin on her face. She was going to surprise her friend, self-preservation be damned. She was confident Rangi wouldn’t attack her. At least, not when there were this many people around. Maybe she could get her to calmly eat at the noodle shop together?
She pushed her way to the front of the shop and reached her hand out. Grabbing Rangi’s shoulder as she lifted the noren.
“Rangi–” The name froze on Kyoshi’s lips, and her smile of joy calcified on her face.
The person in front of her, the person in Rangi’s armor, was not Rangi. Instead it was an older man with a neatly groomed beard who stared back at her.
“W–who are you? Unhand me!” The man spoke with a high pitched voice.
Kyoshi looked at him, confused. But slowly that confusion turned to dread…then to anger. Her hand on the shoulder, the same one with the damaged shoulder, curled in tightly, crushing the soft flesh beneath. The man squealed in pain as Kyoshi dragged his ass out of the stall.
“Who are you?!” she screamed. She increased the intensity of her grip, and he curled in on himself. He was certainly no soldier that was certain.
“I– Ah! I should be asking you that!”
Another man entered the picture, he put his hand on Kyoshi and attempted…something. Whatever it was didn’t work, she had a full head and a half on him, and she was as solid as a mountain. “Hey! Leave my friend alone!”
Kyoshi ignored him and gave another squeeze.
“Where did you get this armor?!”
“I– I bought it!” So he was playing dress up.
“What do you mean ‘bought’?!” Rangi would never have sold her heirloom armor. This man must’ve stolen it.
But then…what happened to Rangi?
Kyoshi’s fear and anger turned white hot. “Who sold it to you?! Was it the owner? A Fire National? A girl?”
“N–no! A group of Earth Kingdom men sold it to us!”
Kyoshi stopped squeezing, stopped…everything entirely. Breathing, blinking, existing. White hot anger gone, a pure cold dread swept through her like a white out. Her hand remained clamped, frozen.
“What?” she barely forced out, voice rough. Her face darkened, and it felt like the world was darkening around her. A weird fuzzy ringing tolled in her ears, and she could feel something cold hitting her in small spurts she brushed it aside.
“Yeah!” The other man came forward, he was wet, Kyoshi could barely see him. She felt her vision tunneling, but he looked the same kind of upper classed groomed as the one she had in her clutches. “This guy’s collects armor, and these men said they’d obtained a genuine Fire Nation one–”
“I know it’s dirty, but I just had to wear it! I’m a bit of a military fanatic and–well– b–but if you want it I’m willing to part with it! Just, please, release my arm?”
Kyoshi attempted to get air in her lungs, she had more questions, she needed answers. But she could feel her visions splotching. Dark and white seeping at the edges. She felt herself sprinting towards a cliff, about to ask the question she needed an answer to, but feared the answer all the same.
“T–the original owner, what happened to the original owner? How did they get it?!”
“O–original? Um, I think they said the soldier passed, they found their body in the–”
Kyoshi didn’t hear the rest, the fuzzy noise in her grew so loud it was howling. The cold splotches she felt came down faster, and her vision started to go white and–
Then it all went black.
__
“You really didn’t have to give me anything,” Kyoshi said, embarrassed as she looked at the neatly packaged box.
“Please, I have to give it to you now.” Rangi made a motion to her hair, the new hairpin glinted in the garden sunlight. “I’ve been dragging my feet, but now’s as good a time as any.”
Somehow, the fact that Rangi had planned this gift well in advance made Kyoshi feel even more nervous. But she couldn’t refuse it now, not when she’d already given Rangi a present of her own!
Kyoshi looked down at the package and gulped. It was a small red box with a green bow. It looked perfectly symmetrical, like Rangi had measured out the exact length and placement for the ribbon.
Typical Rangi, always a perfectionist. She suppressed a giggle.
It was so visually pleasing she didn’t want to mess it up, but alas she must. She unleashed the bow (it was a very nice quality ribbon, she’d need to find a place for it somewhere), then lifted the lid. Kyoshi’s eyes widened as she stared at a long, gold dyed tassel.
She gently pulled it out, enamoured. The movement caused the air around her to slightly shift, and the scent of the tassel to waft up to her. It was flowery, smelled just like Rangi. A shiver fought its way up her spine. How long had Rangi had this? For it to leave her scent on it, strongly too might she add. She mentally shook herself out of her stupor and went back to admiring the gift.
The pad of her thumb ran down the side of it, it was plush and soft and very high quality.
Rangi was right, better quality tassels did exist.
“What do you think?” Rangi asked.
Kyoshi’s eyes quickly went to her friend’s. Rangi looked how she normally did, but there was uncertainty in her eyes. Wariness.
“I love it!” Kyoshi spoke quickly and truthfully. She wanted to assuage any worries Rangi may have had.
The tension instantly left Rangi’s eyes, and she gave herself a self satisfied smirk.
“Of course you would, I know how to pick a gift.” She took the present out of the box, and looped it around Kyoshi’s shoulders. The action made the flowery scent even more apparent as it tingled her nose. It made her head swim. “It is a military tassel, but I thought the color would look lovely on you. I was right, as usual.”
She took a step back to admire her present and presentee. Rangi looked really pleased with herself.
Kyoshi raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Military? So they give these to freshly graduated recruits now? Was it for graduation?” If it was, Kyoshi wasn’t sure if she should have it then…
Rangi’s face softened slightly, a hint of sadness to it. So small it was easy to miss. “It’s…mine, but I want to give it to you.”
There was something in her voice that told a bigger story, one she wasn’t telling. “Rangi, if this is important to you then– Maybe I shouldn’t–”
Rangi waved her hand side to side, the pinnacle of nonchalance, the sadness disappearing instantaneously like it was never there. “No, I want you to have it for a reason. It’s because it’s important to me, I know you’ll take great care of it, plus it looks great on you. Gold really is your color.”
Kyoshi wanted to press further, she felt like there was something Rangi wasn’t telling her… But, Rangi seemed really happy and proud about giving her the present…
So she decided to concede. Instead, the two girls spent the rest of their lunch break talking about various things going on around the estate. They split up just before their break was over, so Kyoshi could put her new present in her room. She didn’t want it to get lost or damaged or dirty while she worked.
She walked through the door and placed the empty gift box and ribbon on a nearby table and closed the door. She breathed a sigh of relief, stretching and enjoying the small moment to herself before she had to go back to work. The action caused the tassel's scent to waft up to her nose yet again, and, once again, distracted her.
Kyoshi’s hands found the object and twirled it between her fingers. The faint breeze generated caused the scent to spread. It made her head spin again, and the softness of the tassel was also intoxicating. She couldn’t help but wonder what it’d feel like near her face…
Kyoshi gave into her desire, and pressed the soft tassel up to her lips and breathed deeply. It really did smell like Rangi. And the way the tassel pressed so softly against her lips, it almost felt like a kis—
Kyoshi quickly wrenched the object away when the thought entered her mind. Shocked at what she just thought. She bracketed herself against the door, unable to hold up the weight of her own personal transgression.
Why did I think that? She pressed a fist to her forehead. She’s your friend don’t– I shouldn’t think those types of things.
She stayed like that until she recovered from her intrusive thought, and buried it deep down inside. She went over to her little self and placed the tassel down, she made a note to clean her room that weekend. Kyoshi was going to take good care of her new present.
—-
Kyoshi woke up like she was being vaulted from an abyss. She looked around, disorientated, head throbbing and a lump accompanying it (she should be used to this by now).
“Rangi!” she called out, feeling the lump on her head. A sure sign her friend had been nearby.
But as she looked around, she realized she was no longer in Hanabi Village. She was on the back of Pengpeng’s saddle high in the sky, and it was just her and Lao Ge.
“I– Wha—what? What’s going on? Where’s–” She shook her head, trying to reorient herself. “Where are those men? The ones with Rangi’s armor?!”
Lao Ge put a hand up and spoke in a calm voice that put her on edge. “Back at the village.”
Kyoshi felt her temper flare up. “What?! You just let them– Did–did you at least get the armor back?”
“Why would we do that? Mug a guy, a wealthy guy, in broad daylight? With hundreds of witnesses?” He spoke with a tone that felt patronizing. ‘Think reasonably!’ it screamed.
“Because it’s not his!”
Lao Ge raised an eyebrow. “So it’s, what, yours?”
Kyoshi’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. From the insinuation. “No I– I want to bring it back to where it rightfully belongs! To Rangi!”
Lao Ge just gave her a measured stare. It didn’t calm Kyoshi’s nerves. She needed to change the subject.
“W–where are the others?”
Lao Ge just nodded his head to the side, Kyoshi got up, shaky, and looked over the saddle. She saw the remaining trio milling about on the ground. They weren’t in the village anymore, instead they were near some giant…canyon?
“Is this… The Great Divide?” Kyoshi stared out into the distance, shocked.
It was one of the greatest wonders of the world, and for a moment Kyoshi looked upon it in awe. Then confusion set in.
“Why are we here? Why are Wong, Lek, and Kirima down there and we’re up here?”
“I promised them I’d drop you on your head if you ‘glowed up’ again,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Kyoshi snapped her head towards him.
He laughed and waved his hand in the air. “No, no. I actually had them get out, then hijacked the bison before they could get back on. I’m pretty sure they’re mad that I did that.”
Kyoshi ignored whatever he was talking about, there was only one thing he said that actually caught her attention. “What do you mean, ‘glowed up?’”
Lao Ge didn’t look at her, instead he picked at his long nails and frayed clothes. “I believe you may have entered the Avatar State, dear. But only for a moment.”
“What?!” Her eyes widened and her legs threatened to give out beneath her. She leaned against the saddle, trying to remain upright, but failing.
He motioned for her to sit down, or really, stay seated, calm as ever.
“Oh, hush. Calm down. I knocked you out before you started floating or whatever you Avatars do in that state. But the others saw your eyes, and the weather happened to turn bad right at that moment.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “You just ruined that little village’s ‘Sun Festival’ by bringing a whole thunderstorm right on top of them. They’re taking it as a bad omen.”
Kyoshi rubbed her forehead. She remembered howling, it must’ve been the wind. And the wet hitting her must’ve been rain– Did she really summon it? Without realizing it?
“I– So–”
“So when we go down there, we may need to ease them into explaining to them that you are the Avatar.”
Ok, she could do that. It was going to be a big leap, but she could do that.
…however, there was still one thing that she needed answering before she descended, and it seemed like he’d been avoiding answering it until now.
“Lao Ge, where’s Rangi?”
Lao Ge’s face dropped, blank and neutral. But when he spoke, he was serious. “If the gang we cornered, the ones that sold the armor to that man, are to be believed… She should be down there…somewhere.” He ended his statement with a nod towards the canyon.
A chill ran down Kyoshi’s spine as she sank to the saddle floor. She tried to get it together as they descended back down. Tried to keep it together as the rest of the Flying Opera Company re-boarded. But she could feel her anxiety slowly eating away at her.
“Lao Ge! You old bastard! Don’t ditch us like that again!” Lek complained.
“Why I never! And here I was, ready to make a noble sacrifice in case she blew up again!” Lao Ge said, acting indignant and keeping the reins out of arm’s reach of the boy. He started navigating Pengpeng to their next destination despite Lek’s protests.
“Can it you two! Kyoshi, what the hell happened back there!” Kirima was quick to interrogate. Not giving Kyoshi time to breathe.
“Your eyes started to glow, and weird things started to happen… But most of it stopped once you got knocked out,” Wong continued.
Kyoshi looked blankly at the saddle floor. Her voice shook with nerves, but not for what she was about to say. “I’m the Avatar.” She heard the sound of flesh slapping together, and could’ve sworn she saw Lao Ge running a palm down his face.
“Seriously, if you wanted to shake the guy down about the armor, we could’ve– Ah… What?” Kirima, seemingly having jumped to conclusions on what was going on, stopped in her tracks. “What did you say?”
Kyoshi didn’t bother to pick her head up. “I’m the Avatar.”
There was a long silence, then a peal of laughter rippled through the air. Lek was on the floor of the saddle, thumbing his fists.
“Haha, Avatar? You?!” A strangled noise came from the boy as he choked on his own laughter. “Oh, good one! As if you were the Ava…tar…”
His laughter and pounding stopped as he looked around the sullen saddle.
“W–why isn’t anyone else laughing?” He stood up and looked at everyone. “Come on! Her? The Avatar? She can barely bend a damn rock! There’s not way she–”
“Lek…you didn’t see her eyes…” Wong said softly, seriously considering Kyoshi’s words.
“Oh what about her friggin’ eyes? They look just like Jesa’s, what’s so bad–”
“They were glowing, Lek,” Kirima bit out, then turned to him. Serious. “Human eyes don’t just glow!”
“M–maybe it was the trick of the light?” Lek countered sheepishly. Then he turned towards Kyoshi. “Bend another element then! Go on! If you’re the Avatar it should be easy!”
But Kyoshi didn’t budge. Instead, she pulled her knees up to her chest and held herself in place. It was the only thing keeping her together. She didn’t feel any warmth in her. No fire. If she bent anything right now, it either wouldn’t work or it’d blow up in everyone’s face.
Lek approached her demanding that she bend something else, but Kyoshi ignored him.
She’s down there. Rangi’s down there. Maybe she’s stuck? She laughed humorously in her head. She’s going to feel real stupid when I come flying down and save her ass.
The group flew along the edge of the cavern. Lao Ge stated it was the southern most edge of the canyon.
Rangi really didn’t make it that far? She really left the cave and got stuck again? Kyoshi gripped her knees tighter. Stuck in two rocky terrains, she’s going to be sick of all the earth, rocks and…Earth Kingdom-ness of it all, huh?
“Hey! I see something!” Lek shouted. He pointed towards the bottom of the canyon. “Let’s go down and– Hey! Wait! What the hell are you doing old man?”
Lao Ge didn’t descend where Lek pointed, instead he went a bit farther into the canyon before allowing Pengpeng to dip downward. “I know, I have my reasons,” he said calmly.
Pengpeng landed with a soft thud. Everyone but Kyoshi and Lao Ge started to get out before a voice rang out.
“Ah-ah, Kyoshi, get out. Just you, everyone else stay in the bison,” Lao Ge announced. Kyoshi finally picked her head up to see him giving her a meaningful look.
“Fat chance!” Lek barked.
“I’m with Lek, the place is probably crawling with canyon crawlers!” Kirima clicked her teeth in agitation, taking in her surroundings to see if she could see one of the creatures.
“I don’t want our baby sister to get eaten,” Wong said, looking over at Kyoshi warmly.
Lao Ge sighed. “She’ll be fine, we can help her from up in the sky.” The group was about to protest when he held his hand up. “If she’s the Avatar… Let’s just say it’s best to keep our distance… Just in case.”
Another meaningful look.
He’s afraid I’m going to ‘glow up’ again…
“It’s fine, I’ll only be out there for a minute,” Kyoshi said, getting up.
“No, nuh-huh, I don’t like it,” Kirima said, blocking Kyoshi from exiting the saddle.
Kyoshi gently pushed her away. “It’ll be fine. I’ll just run over…” She looked up at Lao Ge, who nodded in the direction she should go. “Over there, grab Rangi, and we can get the hell out of here.”
Kirima visibly worried the inside of her cheek before fully stepping aside for Kyoshi. Kyoshi swung her legs over the saddle, and slid down Pengpeng’s side, then marched in Lao Ge’s direction without looking back. Her gaze was fixed firmly on the ground as she ran through scenarios in her head.
Would Rangi attack like usual? Maybe she wouldn’t and she’d be as calm as Kyoshi had last seen her?
Then the worry started to set in. How long had Rangi been down here? Was she starving? Dehydrated? The thoughts started to spiral as she picked up her pace, but she didn’t pick her gaze up to see in the distance. The unknown was more comforting than any confirmation.
She tried to put her mind at ease, Rangi was capable. She had been throwing herself all across the Earth Kingdom to get to Kyoshi, there’s no way a little canyon would cause her any issues. There’s no way she–
“What took you so long, you big dummy?” Rangi’s voice seemed to echo in her head.
Kyoshi picked her head up, a big, relieved smile on her face, “Rang–”
The smell hit her at the same time she saw the scene in front of her. Blood, flesh, feathers, torn clothes. Whatever happened down here had been a massacre.
Kyoshi felt the air leave her body as she took in the scene. There was so much blood, old too. It coated the whole area. There was a scattering of supplies, including familiar Fire Nation Robes, lots of them torn to bits. Random bouts of flesh littered the area, feathers as well. One rotting meat pile looked like the leg of an ostrich horse. But it was hard to tell with no bodies in the area.
She kept making shaky steps towards the center of the carnage, hoping to find…some type of remains that weren’t taken by the canyon crawlers, when her foot hit something hard. She looked down to see a familiar rucksack. The blood drained from her body as she recalled seeing this same rucksack on Rangi’s shoulders time and time again.
Kyoshi sank to her knees, not caring about the hissing and scuttling that was slowly approaching all around her. She opened the sack and rifled through it, pulling out the largest object her hand brushed against. It was Jesa’s journal.
Then Kyoshi’s vision went white.
_______
Kyoshi tried not to be too startled when a piece of paper slipped under her door. She tried not to be too confused when she read said note. It was Yun inviting her to eat watermelon with him, Kelsang, and Rangi.
Nothing out of the usual, but… Kyoshi couldn’t remember how she got here…
Nevertheless, she snuck her way to the back of the mansion so she could share a delicious treat with her and her loved ones. It was hard, there were so many people in the mansion she had to use every trick in the book lest she face Auntie Mui’s wrath. But in the end she found her way to the giant tree in the back.
As she approached, she realized…no one was there? The watermelon, neatly sliced in a crate, was placed under the tree, but there was no one there to share it with.
“What took you so long, you big dummy?” A raspy voice from above called down to her.
Kyoshi looked up to see Rangi sitting leisurely on a tree branch, glaring disapprovingly down at her. Then she jumped down, landing softly in front of Kyoshi. Kyoshi smiled at her and was about to make a joke when Rangi turned and walked towards the crate to grab a slice of watermelon. The action felt off, cold and detached, nothing like how Rangi usually was. But Kyoshi followed her friend’s lead and grabbed a slice of watermelon for herself and proceeded to relax against the tree.
“What about Yun and Kelsang?” Kyoshi asked, if she was late they were even more late! But Rangi wasn’t giving them any gripe.
“They’re not coming,” she said simply, spitting out a seed. Auntie Mui was going to have their hides later if she found them.
Kyoshi looked at her surprised. “They aren’t? Why? Isn’t Yun the one who slid the note under my door?”
Rangi just shrugged.
Kyoshi let out an exasperated noise. “Well, where are they?”
“Down by the ocean,” Rangi said simply. “A lot of people are there.”
Kyoshi looked at her confused. “Well, duh, there’s a town there.”
Rangi shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do– Oh, forget it, let’s just go get them!” Kyoshi turned to make her way to the path to the village, stepping out from under the tree’s shade and into the light.
“I wouldn’t go there, it’s not your time yet,” Rangi said, voice devoid of all emotion. Her face was obscured by the tree’s shadow. It was uncannily dark under the tree now, despite the time of day.
“I don’t… What do you–” Kyoshi ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head in confusion. She had a headache coming on, starting right behind her eyes. She didn’t know what cryptic crap Rangi was spouting, but it set her on edge. “Are you going down there?”
Rangi didn’t answer.
“Well, maybe I want to go down there?” Kyoshi wasn’t sure if she did, but blood was pounding in her ears and her emotions were starting to go all over the place.
She was about to turn and walk away when Rangi was suddenly in front of her, right at the edge of light and shadow. Head bent down so Kyoshi couldn’t see her features.
“I wouldn’t do that,” she said ominously, raising her pointer finger in the air. “You still have things you need to do.”
Rangi picked her head up, but her face was obscured by blackened shadow, only the white and bronze of her eyes pierced through the darkness.
She poked Kyoshi in the chest. A simple poke, but Kyoshi gasped as if she’d been stabbed.
“So wake up, and get the bastard that took everything from you.”
_____
Something stabbing her in the chest brought Kyoshi out of her strange dreamlike state. Through the bright haze her hand made its way to her lapels and she clasped at the object. She looked down to see Rangi’s hairpin sticking into her chest. As if chastising her for losing control of herself.
Kyoshi grasped at the object and pulled it out and cradled it with both hands, her sobs coming out hard, but the energy around her started to dissipate. She realized she was trapped in an air bubble and as everything died down, so did the sphere of protection.
When she looked around at the canyon she saw decimation. Anything that wasn’t within a few feet of her in that air bubble was destroyed around her. She’d carved out scars into earth and increased the south eastern side of the canyon by a decent amount.
The sky was dark, with light peaking out over the eastern horizon. How long had she been in that rampage? Hours? Days? Weeks?
Looking down at her feet, Rangi’s rucksack and Jesa’s Journal had been close enough to escape her fury. Perhaps a small blessing in disguise…
There was a thump behind her, the sound of a sky bison landing. It must’ve been the Flying Opera Company… Lao Ge had been smart to keep their distance from her.
She looked down at Rangi’s hairpin one more time, reinvigorating her promise. She would not leave any loose ends. Not so long as her heart was beating.
Kyoshi stood up, back to her team, facing the rising sun as it peaked over the new, fresh canyon edge. “When I joined, you all were wondering why I came running to you… Well…here’s my real answer.”
She turned to face the daofei, her last lifeline. Tears silently streaming down her face, a look of cold, calm rage radiating throughout her features. “I have someone I need to kill.”
End Arc 1: The Chase
Next, Arc 2: The Companion
________
__________
A/N: -Throwing rocks up at something- You won’t believe this! My shoe is up in a tree! And! Argh! Wait? There we go! Got it! Sorry, had to throw things up there, was waiting for it to DROP! :3c -grabs shoes and puts them on- Great! You know, I was told these are fantastic running shoes and-
-sprints off before you can kill me- ε=ε=ε=ε=ε=(ง՞0՞)ว
-yelling over my shoulder as I run- HEY YOU ALL SAID I WAS BEING TOO MEAN TO RANGI! SO IT’S KYOSHI’S TURN NOW!
Anyway, sorry I’m late for the angst train! I gotta get on before I miss it! =w=/ I’ll see you at the next stop for Arc 2~! Which will be a some point….after a hiatus TT0TT (I’m sorrrrrrrrry I fear the next chapter is going to be WELL OVER 10k, so it’ll take a good while. ;w; it’s a projection but I don’t see it being under at all TT0TT)
turnnoffyourmind
titsay
baratheonpilled
jacobvanloon
origamiaround
vaporwave
discoholicmusic
romaincrisis
