Chapter 59

All Rangi could think about that night was Kyoshi’s suggestion to tell their little group about them. She had seemed so confident that everything would be fine.

We’ve been lucky so far. Rangi thought, turning over once more. It’s not like we’ve exactly been subtle during our time back here. 

She blinked up at the ceiling of the tent, as Kyoshi’s arm moved to rest across her chest. Even in her sleep she seemed to want to comfort Rangi.

Spinning the ring around her finger she felt over where the red stone was embedded.

Rangi always has it tied into her armor during the day, and wore it while she slept or when it was just the two of them. Similarly to how Kyoshi had her’s on a necklace beneath her tunics.

Maybe I should just let Kyoshi go out and say it. It’s not like I’m ashamed.

She went ahead and took Kyoshi’s sleeping hand in her’s. Just scared. 

Beside her Kyoshi started moving slightly, tossing like she was trying to hit a battle stance. Rangi just rolled over once more, rubbing her thumb against Kyoshi’s cheek until the uneasy expression faded.

She’s probably beating herself up over the connections to her past lives. Rangi thought. That will surely resolve in time… hopefully.

She must have dozed off at some point because the next thing she knew Kyoshi was getting out of the mess of blankets.

Rangi just squinted up at her in the limited daylight, non verbally asking where she was off too.

“I was going to try meditating this morning, see if anyone will talk to me” Kyoshi whispered, her smile weak. But regardless she planted a kiss on the fire bender’s forehead before standing.

“Wait” Rangi called.

Kyoshi paused, looking back down at her.

“You can tell people if you’d like, I’m-I’m okay with it if you think it is.”

A brighter, more genuine smile crossed Kyoshi’s face, before she left the tent.

I should probably get up too then. The fire bender thought stretching as she sat in the blankets.

As she stood she looked around the tent, Kyoshi really was worrying about this connection thing then.

Likely before Rangi had woken up she had tidied the whole, their clothes in neat piles, Rangi’s armor sitting in line perfectly, letters in a neat stack. Even Koko’s pile of stuff she had brought, and had been gathering was well organized.

The least I could do is make the bed then.

When Rangi emerged from the tent she smiled slightly as the early sunlight hit her skin. Rolling her shoulders as she made her way to the group fire where most people gather for meals.

She had decided against her armor this early, maybe it was a sign of comfort. Or even trust, that she felt like she could soften her guard for something as simple as morning pleasantries.

“You never said you were married” Nora said as she passed a cup to Rangi as she joined the group that sat around the fire sipping morning tea.

Rangi smiled, so Kyoshi had told them. The way that Nora had approached it, told her that Kyoshi was right too.

“For about three years now” Rangi replied, taking a sip of her tea. There was reason to trust these people. They had trusted Kyoshi, and even her to some degree, to help protect their new home. Even worked together now to help rebuild it.

“Who is he?” Seline asked.

The fuck?

Rangi nearly choked on her tea, struggling with the hot cup as she tried to swallow fully. Kyoshi didn’t tell them?

She glanced down looking for a spot to place her cup, when she noticed something, she had never tied the ring back into her armor this morning. I’m losing my edge.

Before Rangi could reply Kyoshi returned from wherever the hell she was trying to meditate from, her little shadow in her wake.

“Good morning” She called complexity oblivious to the conversion.

“Well Rangi?”

The focus went back onto her, and there were no words in her head to start to explain.

“Do you know who Rangi is married to then?” Seline asked Kyoshi when Rangi didn’t answer quickly enough, everyone seemed very interested in her reply.

Part of this was likely Rangi’s fault, she had told the others little about herself. But then again was there really anything to tell, besides it easy to fade into the background when you’re accompanying the Avatar.

“Me the last I checked,” Kyoshi replied calmly, and with a doopy crooked smile.

Rangi rubbed her temples, that’s how she decided to answer?

Nonetheless no matter how stupid Rangi thought that answer sounded, the group looked a little shocked. Well some of them, while others smiled probably already having guessed the situation.

Kyoshi sat down beside Rangi who still seemed shell shocked, and tugged at her necklace until it came free from under her clothes displaying her ring.

“I hope you don’t mind keeping this here though” Kyoshi said carefully.

“We never even knew the Avatar was seeing anyone, let alone married.”

“You would have thought that there would have news of a wedding like that” The responses started streaming in all at once,

“We were careful,” Rangi said, growing slightly uneasy. They had never told so many people all at once like this before.

Some of the women gave confused looks, while others nodded.

“It’s hurt her in the past,” Rangi said, thinking back to the balanced nation. Those men had used her love against them. Used Rangi as leverage to Kyoshi to bend to their will.

“I’m glad we got to tell you all, you have earned a great deal of my trust” Rangi paused. “But please, help me protect her.”

The group all froze at the fire bender’s words, none of them had ever seen this side of Rangi. They all know she was protective, sure, it came with the territory of being a bodyguard. But there was raw emotion embedded in Rangi’s steady words as well.

It was not like she was pleading for them to comply for the sake of the hypothetical. No, something had happened before, and even though the other women had no clue what. Its presence remained.

Kyoshi sat awkwardly beside her, “I can protect myself you know” She said in a hushed tone to her wife.

“Fine I’ll leave your sorry ass behind next time you get yourself stuck” Rangi quipped back.

“They fight like an old couple,” Nova whispered to the woman next to her. “How did we miss this?”

“That went about as good as I would have imagined.” Rangi whispered once the group had resumed talking about whatever else there was to be said over tea.

“Told you so”

Rangi just rolled her eyes, as she stood. “Where’s your shadow?” She asked, looking around, noticing how she hadn’t seen Koko in some time.

There was some embedded desire in her chest that she had to make sure the kid was okay even if she was constantly moving around, and weaving in and out of places.

“So is she your kid then, a little family?” Another woman asked innocently.

Neither Kysohi or Rangi could find any words at the moment. Koko definitely enjoyed their company, and had been staying with them since the mansion burned.

Rangi told her stories of Kyoshi when they were younger, and Kyoshi played with her along the shore.

They had assumed she was abandoned, or she could have run away too. There was so much stirred up under Chin, who was to say.

It’s not like Koko ever told them, even though she had spoken more since Kyoshi first met her they never really learned what happened. 

“She has a place with us as long as she wants it, I feel bad about all the people whose lives were uprooted by Chin because I wasn’t fast enough.” Kyoshi responded. “And sadly that included children as well”

People had seemed content with the Avatar’s answer. It did make sense after all, and all the people here knew Kyoshi for her kindness of opening her home to others in need.

But did the response sit right in her chest too?

“I should be able to get more information from Gaoling, the governor has extensive connections that could probably tell us if anything of Chin’s attempt remains,” Kyoshi said pointing at a map that night at dinner.

“We can leave tomorrow then” Rangi replied.

Kyoshi nodded, “A group of boats came into our port today day so we could a ride first thing tomorrow”

“We’re boating out of here?” The fire bender asked, tensely.

“Is there an issue, you’ve been on boats before.”

Rangi just looked at the ground, “No it’s fine. I just don’t like small boats” She replied defensively.

They packed to leave in the morning, falling into a familiar routine. The two had traveled so much together that packing seemed to be second nature at this point.

But Kyoshi had decided to leave their tent pitched, in case Koko wanted to stay there at times or just somewhere she could have all her stuff.

“I hope that we have a good start on the houses by the time you return” Nora said as they stood before the port early the next morning.

“Please feel no pressure, it will be a lot of work,” Kyoshi replied.

“It will be worth it, I don’t think anyone is leaving anytime soon” She smiled back.

“You guys will watch her right?” Kyoshi asked, watching Koko talk to Rangi.

“We will ensure she’s safe here” Nora replied. “Everyone loves her, so there’s no reason to worry”

Right, everything is fine here, besides it not like she’s actually our kid. Kyoshi shook her head at the thought. Anyways, who’s to say things would be safer with us anyways.

“You ready to get going?” Rangi called, picking up her bag from Kyoshi’s side.

She nodded before crouching down to look eye to eye with Koko. “You going be okay here kid?”

Koko gave a firm nod, but her hands were bunched in little fists.

“Could you do me a favor then?” Kysohi asked, starting to rummage through her own bag. “Could you want my turtle duck for me? We’ll be busy while we’re gone and don’t want him to get lonely.”  She said pulling out a little turtle duck plush she had made from one of the tunics Rangi had deemed unwearable due to the amount of holes. But it still had plenty of usable fabric to make use of, this little craft being one of them.

Koko reached out slowly at first, before snacking it quickly and pulling it into her chest.

Kyoshi smiled, as she stood brushing the dirt from her knees. “We’ll be back, promise” She said ruffling the kid’s hair.

“Shall we?” She then said to Rangi, picking up her bag and heading across the newly made dock to the small boat.

Kyoshi handed the captain a small bag of gold coins, before getting situated alongside Rangi. Soon they headed out to water, waving to their friends on the dock.

“They’ll be okay right?” Kyoshi asked quietly.

“They’ll be just fine, you literally created an island for them” Rangi started, bumping her knee against Kyoshi’s. “Besides I trained them, they can all hold their own just fine.”

Kyoshi smiled, turning to look into the waves. They will be fine.

About an hour had passed and the sun was now directly over their head shining brightly. When Kyoshi looked back beside her, Rangi was sitting with her head in her hands.

“You okay?”

When the firender looked up, she looked so pale and distorted Kyoshi thought she would surely fall over. “Rangi?”

“I’m fine” She mumbled miserably.

“You look like the wind could knock you over” Kyoshi pointed out.

“I told you I didn’t like small boats”

“You said you didn’t like them, not that you got sea sick” Kysohi pointed out, in a way that would have had Rangi rolling her eyes if it didn’t make her want to hurl. “I mean seriously you look like-“

“If you say one more smart ass comment, I will puke on you first” Rangi snapped.

“Lovely, you look lovely today” Kyoshi corrected.

Okay confession time, I really thought that after I wrote Chin’s demise that there would only be a couple more chapters and then wrap this thing up. I already have the last chapters pretty much written… However I love seeing your comments, and that you guys like story so I decided to continue so… THE SHOW GOES ON

A side note about Kyoshi and Rangi’s current relationship with Koko, it’s building. Not done yet but will happen in time, there has to be trust, and time spent around each other before a happy family can form 🙂