Chapter 12

The courtyard soon descended into chaos as people were moving in all different directions. Kyoshi looked around to see if there were any flames threatening the courtyard, along with if she could find anybody familiar in the crowd.

She drew out her fans trying her best with all the commotion to focus on creating a controlled wind tunnel to carry the smoke’s fumes out of the courtyard. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the Fire lord was escorted out of sight.

A guard appeared at their sides relaying a message or sorts to Rangi while Kyoshi kept her focus on the air’s movement.

“Suspects were found on the east side of the palace, near the far wall.” Rangi said as Kyoshi lowered her fans. “Tell your men to focus on evacuating people out here, the fumes are toxic, we’ll handle the suspects for now.” Kyoshi said calmly, starting to run in the opposite direction of the floods of people, Rangi at her heels.

“You still think this is the spirit stuff?” Some guy called out as they made their way to the other end of the court yard. Kyoshi shook her head as if it would get rid of the thought. Spirit or not she still was responsible for keeping the peace, and this was definitely not peace.
They rush to the wall, standing at it for a moment. Waiting for any movement, anything that could lead to a problem. It was too quiet. Rangi inched closer to Kyoshi as they both produced a fiery ball in their palms to help illuminate the area.

She sensed movement ever so slightly at her feet. “They’re here” Kyoshi said just barely above a whisper.

“Avatar Kyoshi, still here are we?” The man at the front of the group asked from behind a mask. As he played with a container or sorts between his hands. More toxins Kyoshi thought to herself. “Real bold of you showing up here after the little scene from the other day” Rangi commented, taking a step in front of Kyoshi.

“So on strike three are we now?” He asked, ignoring Rangi’s comment. There was something in his voice that wasn’t only familiar to Kyoshi, but unsettling. The type that made the hairs on the back of your neck stick up.

“I’m not leaving, not while there are disturbances such as yourself still lingering around” Kyohsi said coldly. Rangi handed her a mask that she tore off a layer of her robes.

“So what is your plan here then” Kyoshi said looking down at them. As she finished speaking they rushed at them suddenly with weapons ready.

Slamming one her feet she created a platform that rose high above them. “Hiding now, are we Avatar?” He shouted.
Kyohsi found it odd that none of them used any bending abilities, maybe that’s why they were so against the spirits. Since bending and spirits were linked in a way. Maybe that’s what they were mad about. Or maybe they wanted a secret, something unpredictable.

“How about we just try talking for now?” His voice called.

“No weapons, no extras-“

“No toxins” Kyoshi cut in. “No toxins” the man cooed.

She watched as he lowered the container he was playing with. “So let’s talk”

Kyoshi flattened their platform to its original level once more. They were the only ones around, it was so quiet you could hear the other’s breath from 15 feet in front of you.

“All we need from you is to kindly leave this nation for a bit. I know you’re of earth origins, why don’t you spend some of your time performing your avatar duties there.” He suggested.

“Why are you so keen to kick me out, when I have full rights to be here as anyone else.” Kyoshi argued.

“All we are requesting is your abscess, or your surrender of course. That could also work”

“You sure have a funny way of requesting such demands” Rangi chimed in.

“Thank you truely, for your informal, and somewhat formal requests but like I said I have business here.”

“JUST GET OUT YOU DAMN WOMAN” He snapped. “Or I will take you by force”

He took her silence as the sign to go. As they began to approach them once more Kyoshi noticed one of their behavior, his movements, his expressions. He was mumbling something, ancient sounding.

“Let him come close,” Kyoshi said, pointing her fan to the man she was staring at earlier. “Why? What makes home so special?” Rangi sputtered. “I need to test something.”

As they came near the man Kyoshi had requested to see was further back. Using slabs of earth that she pulled from ground she pushed the others out of the way.

The man staggered forward. “Avatar”. He whispered hoarsely. Although it sounded like the two voices that escaped his throat.

That’s when she felt it. Like a wave crashing down upon her the two sets of chakras leaving the single organism. “Were you after power too?” She called pulling the mask down so she could speak more clearly.

Raising his hands he summoned an entire wall of fire, for the first time in a while fear struck her. Although it wasn’t the physical fire that scared her it was its creator, or the true being inside.

Her words reminded herself of Yun, and what he had said that day. He too had possessed strange abilities, stronger than the average bender.

She watched as the fire rushed her from the front, tightening her grip on her fan she pulled another rock from below using it as a shield. But it seemed too weak, as Kysoihi heard the rock begin to crumble from the other side. The more effort she put into keeping the stone up the harder it was becoming for her to breathe.

“Everything that is about to happen is your fault Avatar” yelled. “You are the only reason for this chaos”

She began to cough again as she crept out from the rock away from the fairly blaze. As she did so the man kept launching fiery attacks. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Rangi keeping some of the others back. She still wasn’t using any bending though. Only had to hand combat.

Continuing to maneuver around, it became harder for Kyoshi  to breath, but she saw as Rangi got knocked from the back to her knees suddenly that didn’t matter. “Rangi” She yelled pulling the ground with all her force so Rangi’s body was now at her feet. “I was fine-”

But she fell silent as Kyoshi unexpectedly fell to knees beside her. “Kyoshi” Rangi yelled, getting to her feet.

“Kurk?!” Kyoshi yelled seeing the figure in front of her. “Father glow worm” he said. “Kurk, why now?” Kyoshi asked. “Father glow worm” He repeated. “Stop saying that, he’s not a problem anymore, he went down with Yun.” Kyoshi said frantically, not thinking entirely straight.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t have dealt with it all before”

“Kurk just tell me what’s going on-”

“They’re coming and it’s all his fault, it’s all my fault”

Rangi watches as Kyoshis’s eyes flicker as if she was going back and forth between the avatar state. Kyoshi’s eyes then shut as the coughing continued. Rangi looked up to the formation of men that stood maybe 12 paces in front of them.

“Just hand her over and you can walk away”

“Stand down,” She yelled. “Or what?” They all began to charge again all at once, Rangi knew taking all of them down by hand, and protecting Kyoshi’s body was a lost cause.

“Last chance-“

It clicked. “I said stand down” Rangi yelled, as she outstretched her arm producing a massive flame that cut through the air between them. Glowing a magnificent white fiery light, hotter than any average flame.

She heard the front men yell as others fell back into the darkness.

Breathing deeply Rangi turned to Kyohsi who was still unconscious, but something else caught her eye, it was a man who had been caught in the earth from before, struggling to free himself. You’re smarter than I give you credit for Kyoshi. Rangi thought to herself.

She continued to look around, the ring leader was not in sight, she wasn’t sure when he had left, or why he had seemed so hesitant to attack himself. Rangi had the man restrained, and sent off for holding, he would be interrogated later.

By the time everything had settled down it was early in the morning byt he time they had returned to the house. “You’re pacing, you never pace.” Kyoshi said, putting the book down and beginning to stand up.

“One, how do you know? Two just sit down. I need you to just stay there while I just think.” Rangi said, rubbing her temples. “Are you mad about what happened with those guys? Cause that’s not my fault you know, that’s all Kurk” Kyoshi explained.

“I know that wasn’t your fault…” She let her sentence trail off. “It wasn’t your fault either.” Kyoshi said, standing up despite what Rangi had asked.

Rangi snapped her head around. “What? Why would you even say that?”

“I know we might not always agree, but we do think similarly. And I just want to make sure you don’t think any of it’s your fault.” She said, taking Rangi’s hands.

“But what if it is, I mean you didn’t want to go, and you could have gotten hurt and…”

“If we weren’t there they wouldn’t have known to evacuate, and I wouldn’t have gotten to talk to Kurk”

“I thought you talking to him was the cause of you literally passing out”

“He told me something that I think will be important to fixing all of this…” Kyoshi tightened her grasp on Rangi’s hands. “He said that Father glow worm was involved, now I’m not sure how entirely, or if he’s the one behind the possessions but he’s part of the picture”

That name hit Rangi’s heart like a stone, “Is there any chance Yun could have… ” She bit her lip, regretted her words. “No he’s-he’s still gone, I don’t know how Father glow worm is still a part of the picture but he is”

Kyohis watched as Rangi’s eyes glossed over. “This isn’t him”

“I understand it’s just”

“It still hurts.” Kyoshi said, her gaze softening. Tears started to fall from Rangi’s eyes, she tried to wipe them away quickly but they kept falling.

“How are you so okay?!” Rangi said frustratedly. “Rangi your just tired right now, its okay”

“No, how are you okay with this? The same thing that was responsible for taking our best friend is back and you’re fine all of the sudden?” Her breathing was fast and uneven.

“I know this won’t be easy, it won’t be for me either. But I need you Rangi, and we’re not alone. It’s just more personal for us. But we have people on our side.”

She pulled her into a warm embrace resting her chin on her head. “We will put an end to this, and make sure he causes no more suffering”

Still alive, sorry about the long wait. Thanks for reading though❤️