Chapter 10

As the time progressed Kyoshi not so slowly became obsessed over learning all the details about chakras. She had been gathering more books from around town after the meetings. Rangi found it cute how much she became focused on it.

Though the books were starting to pile up all over the house. “You can’t possibly have really read all these books” Rangi said, picking up a book off the top of a pile. “You’d be surprised”

“When do you even have the time?” She asked, setting the book back down after flipping through it briefly. “I have my ways,” Kyoshi replied, picking up the same book Rangi had. “This one was quite interesting”

“How so?”

“It talked about the different ways air nomads had cleared blocked chakras in the past, like how they evolved overtime. What worked versus what didn’t” Kyoshi explained.

Rangi shrugged, “If reading keeps you calm, then that’s great”

“What you mean keeps me calm, I’m always calm” Kyoshi defended. Rangi couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “What’s so funny”

“How incredibly wrong you are, you’re always stressing out about one thing or the other”

“Am not, I can relax” Kyoshi huffed. “If you say so…” Rangi’s sentence trailed off as she quickly grabbed a fan from Kyoshi’s sash, taking off down the hallway.

“Rangi!” Kyosh called, taking off after her. The two sprinted down the corridors. Just as Kyoshi was about to catch up with her she slipped into a room shutting the huge door behind her. “Rangi, open up.” Kyoshi yelled, pounding on the door.

She could hear her laughter through the other side. “Rangi” She shouted once more, but as she went to pound on the door once more she regretted putting so much force behind it. Rangi had opened it at the right so that Kyoshi stumbled awkwardly through the doorway.

“Calm huh?” Rangi snickered, handing her back the fan. “You little-” She paused to look around the room, it was filled with fabric and manikins. “Rangi what’s going on here?” Kyoshi asked, wandering deeper into the room.

“I’m so honored to be selected to help create the Avatars outfit for the Fire Lord’s party tomorrow evening”

Kyoshi turned to face Rangi who was seemingly laughing to herself. “Traitor” She mouthed.

“I really think you’ll like this newer fabric, I just got it from Gaoling” the seamstress smiled while holding up a roll of emerald fabric. Kyoshi gave her a sincere smile. “It’s gorgeous”

The remainder of the morning Kyohsi spent in the room as the lady altered a robe, and dress for the event. Even though she thought this to be a waste of time, she tried to make good conversation with the sweet lady.

As Kyoshi paid the lady for her service she found Rangi leaning up against the door frame as she went to leave. “That wasn’t so hard now was it?” She asked, as they made their way down the hallway.

“You didn’t have to trick me, you know. I would have just gone if you had said there was an appointment already in place”

“No you wouldn’t have, you would have paid the lady then gone off somewhere else, without even having anything done.” Rangi argued.

The two ended up walking into a small training room. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to show you, and if you even dare laugh then you’re going right out that window” Rangi said, her tone stiffening.

Kyoshi took a couple steps back. She watched as Rangi closed her eyes, as she opened them she produced spectacular steady flames, bent under her full control. Her eyes widened, something was back on track, things were getting back on track.

“That was incredible” Kyoshi said as the flame subsided in the air. “It takes too much concentration right now, I should be able to do that without giving it a second thought,” Rangi explained, starting to rant into a spiral of disparity.

“I still thought it was amazing ”

Suddenly a man came slamming through the doorway. “Avatar Kyoshi” He called out of breath. Kyoshi’s face stiffened. “Yes”

The man was still breathing heavily, unable to produce any words, instead holding out a scroll.

“Where’s Fire Lily court?” Kyoshi asked Rangi, as she continued to read the scroll. “On the east end it’s farther back, it’s in a less wealthy part of town.” Rangi explained.

“We have to go, please inform brother Jinpa, as well as any officers on petrol to meet up there” Kyoshi ordered as her and Rangi took off.

The streets were pretty packed as they tried to weave through all the people. Even though Rangi was taking them the shortest way possible, leading them through side streets and alleyways, it didn’t seem fast enough.

“What happened again?” Rangi asked as they took a sharp right around a corner and down a side street. “There was an attack launched on a spiritual center, it didn’t state the details. Just said it was urgent”

The two came to a sudden stop as they watched the flames consume in a grand group of buildings. “Are all these buildings connected?” Kyoshi asked as she tried to tell how far the fire had spread.

“They should be, they should all connect to the center point there” Rangi pointed to a set of large double doors that were engulfed in smoke, and flames.

The fire burned on, slowly engulfing more of the surrounding buildings. She looked at Rangi who wore the same expression as her. “I need to clear the building,” Kyoshi said looking at the flames.

“And the guys? Do we know if the suspects are anywhere close by?” Rangi asked. “They can wait, we’ll clear things here first, if the authorities want to go after them first then so be it. ” Rangi nodded as the two parted ways.

Rangi had rushed around the surrounding buildings, getting everyone clear of the area as she was instructing the men on standby to start supplying water for once Kyoshi emerged from the building.

The air felt so thick in the building as she entered through a side door, Kysohi had heard some muffled voices. She tried to reach them as quickly as she could. Her mind was racing, she had to find a way to make it through. But the building was slowly collapsing around her as the flames weakened the beams.

In the less wealthier side of town the houses weren’t made out of the more flame resistant materials, allowing them to catch flame more easily.

Kyoshi located the voices, calling out to them. A mother and child she presumed. However a pile of burning collapsed material was in her path.

She asked to see if there was a window, so that the two could escape though. No luck.

Kyoshi tried to think as quickly as possible, there was no water or moisture in the air to water bend, airbending would only enrich the flames. She coughed as her lungs continued to fill with smoke.

Earth, these houses were made with earth, and wood. Mud compacted between the crevices. 

“Move as far away from my voice as possible, ” Kyoshi yelled.

After she got confirmation from the mother Kyoshi closed her eyes, focusing on all the particles of dirt that she could sense. Then in one motion she pushed it all through the floor creating and opening between her and the two on the other side.

By now Kyoshi’s lung’s felt so heavy it was as if they were stone, but stone that scorched the back of your throat. She quickly moved to the two huddled against the far wall. “Take this to protect yourself from the smoke.” Kyoshi said, handing the two her tunic.

As the three made their way down the corridor, the child in kyoshi arms, she heard another sound. “The exit is just down there to the left, hurry now, I’ll be right there.” Kyoshi reassured them as she set down the child.

Slightly stumbling back down the hallway, she kept searching for the voice. But was it in her head, no Kyoshi had to be sure.

By the time she reached the room she was sure the voice calling from her vision was so blurred she could barely focus on the door.

She tried to call out but her throat was so agitated she could barely speak. “Looks like you found me” A man said, his voice muffled from behind a mask of his own creation.

“We told you to leave” Kyoshi recognized the voice, but she couldn’t place it. As he moved to leave out a window Kyoshi went after him the best she could trying to keep focus, but ended up falling to her knees, coughing so hard, doubling over in pain.

Slowly she got back to her feet, and started to look out the window. But he lit something else a blaze, causing more smoke to fill the air, thickening even more. “I knew I should have made the first one more lethal,” He said as slid out the window.

Kyoshi felt as her body pushed into the avatar state, but it was like it didn’t make a difference. She still barely made it out the window. But the poison had done its job.

As she was out on the roof she collapsed, the lungs simply couldn’t take it anymore, her body so low on oxygen.

Rangi had confirmed that the surrounding buildings were all cleared, and the people were out when she saw a woman and child stagger out of the building Kyoshi had rushed into.

“Are you two alright?” Rangi asked, helping them further away from the building. “Yes we’re fine thank you” The woman said, coughing a bit.

It was then that Rangi looked down to see what the little girl had around her using it as a mask. Kyoshi’s tunic.

“Is she still not out yet?” Rangi asked, turning back to the building. The woman shook her head. “No she got us out then went back in, I think someone else was in there” She explained.

“Shit how long has it been?” Rangi whispered to herself. It couldn’t have been good for her to be inside with that much smoke, it even had an effect on firebenders if they inhaled too much of it.

She took off running trying to find another entrance. As if on cue she heard a loud thud from around the corner. Rangi debated going to see what it was, it was probably just rubble falling, but then a bit of her realized it could have been somebody who had just gotten out.

She changed directions, rounding the corner. To her horror there Kyoshi laid. Covered in ash, her body splayed on a pile of rubble, it looked like the roof above had collapsed, was Kyoshi on the roof? Was she trying to get out? Was she trying to save someone, or was she going after someone?

“Damit Kyoshi, damit,” Rangi said under her breath. She pressed her fingers to Kyoshi’s one wrist, she still had a pulse.

Kyoshi’s eyes fluttered slightly before closing again, followed by horse coughing. “Kyoshi, can you hear me?” Rangi called out.

Even if she did respond, Rangi’s focus shifted as another part of the building crumbled.

“Rangi have you see Kyoshi, we really need to get these flames under wraps.” Jinpa called as he rounded the corner.

“Oh Rava what has she done now?” He asked, “It doesn’t matter, just help me get her away from this building.”

“I hope this does the job” Kyoshi said as she placed the new clay duck on the table along with the other relics.

“It’s perfect, thank you for taking the time to come back out here to replace it. After Kelsang took all the relics out to the earth kingdom villages it will be good to have them all back after all these years.” The monk said admiring the new clay figure.

“I’m sorry I had it for so long, and accidently destroyed it. I really should have done it the last time I was here. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“All is forgiven, and by crafting it yourself I’m sure it will still hold the spiritual pull to future avatars.”

Kyoshi smiled as she looked out the window, she saw Rangi and Jinpa in a courtyard. Rangi caught her glance, giving her a soft smile in return.

“How did Kelsang get a hold of all the relics in the first place?” Kyoshi asked, turning once more to face the monks. “Why are you looking for ideas?” The monk teased.

“Of course not!” Kyoshi replied defensively. “I would never take any of the relics, now considering that I just replaced one”

“I was only kidding”

Kyoshi beamed once more, before her glance refocused on the newly formed clay turtle. “Something the matter?” The one monk asked, her voice was so soft, so soothing. Like the breeze fluttering through leaves on a tree branch.

She took a step back, now focusing her attention on her hands, looking at the scars that ran up her hands and forearms like tree roots.

“I just wonder how things would have been if he were still here.” Kyoshi admitted.

“It’s normal to miss people, especially ones that we once held close.” She paused for a moment. “But we believe that nobody is truly gone, you just carry with you in a different way. You can’t let their absence drag you down, if you can use it to push you further-“

“That’s what they would have wanted”

She nodded.

“That’s what he have wanted”

The two were able to get her to a station they had gotten set up for any fire victims. “Is that supposed to be the Avatar?” one of the officials said looking over at Kyoshi who was barely conscious.

“Can she still put it out?” He asked, barely acknowledging her condition. “Are you that thick headed, no she’s not putting it out, find some other way to do it” Rangi snapped.

“But I thought that was her job.”

“She did her damn job by getting everyone safely out of the building” Rangi replied, harsher toned than before. “You can’t tell me with most of this nation’s population consisting of fire benders that you haven’t had to deal with a fire before.”

“Oh course we have, but it takes a lot of resources, if Avatar Kyoshi could just…”

“For the love of Rava. She’s out of commission at the moment, so are you going to find a way to deal with this, or do I have to do your job too?”

Yes, yes she did, and did a good job at it too. She was able to really get enough people to help put out the flames, preventing it from spreading any further throughout the town.

As the fire subsided, Rangi rushed back to the tent to see that Kyoshi was no longer there. “Where the hell did Kyohsi- I swear if one of you guys let her go after those guys-” She felt a hand rest on her shoulder. “I had her sent to the infirmary.” Jinpa said calmly.

A sigh of relief left Rangi’s body. “Thank you Jinpa, sorry… for snapping. But you and I know that if given the chance she would have gotten right up and rushed out there.”

“Why do you think I sent her there before you got back? She was almost fully conscious again. She probably would have rushed back as soon as someone turned their back.”

Rangi sat perched on a chair in the corner, watching Kyoshi breath, it sounded painful at times. As Kyoshi’s opened once more it was followed by a long coughing fit. Rangi rushed right at her side.

“Just try and breathe,” Rangi said softly, although it felt awkward. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. A part of her wanted to ask her what she was thinking, staying in that smoke for so long, as for the other part. She just wanted her to be okay.

As the coughing subsided, one of the healers walked in the room. “We didn’t see any severe damage,” He said, opening a notebook. “We’ll probably just keep you here over night, just to be sure”

“Thank you,” Kyoshi replied quietly. He bowed slightly before leaving the room once more.

Rangi turned back to Kyoshi, who was already one step ahead of her. “What was I thinking?” She croaked faintly.

“Of course, what were you thinking? Being in that smoke for that long isn’t good for anybody” Rangi began.

“It wasn’t normal smoke”

“What do you mean it wasn’t normal smoke the guys set the place on fire, that’s that. It got larger and spread to the connecting buildings” Rangi explained, recalling the information she had gathered. Kyoshi shook her head.

“It was meant for me”

Thank you for reading, and also for over 500 views, that means a lot❤️
I’ll try and have the next chapter out as soon as I can, also if you have any ideas for the event at the palace feel free to let me know, I’d love to start taking some suggestions❤️