Chapter 35

A couple of days pass and they have everything in place to set off. They had picked out the town they would use to stake out in and gather any additional information. Then they would leave to close the portal, and with Kenna’s help Kyoshi was almost positive she could close it. Considering they get it weak enough first.

They planned to leave early the next morning. Both Rangi and Kyoshi were rushing around before they took off. But here they now were an hour away from their departure time and Jinpa still couldn’t tell who was more on edge.

They had everything packed, so Kyoshi had rushed back inside to do her makeup and grab some last things.

She applied the pale base and red eye makeup all she had to was the black eyeliner. The first time the line was crooked, Kyoshi wiped it off semi frantically before trying again, and again. With her hands were shaking she must have tried to paint the liner on 20 times before she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Kyoshi looked up to see Rangi’s unimpressed look in the mirror. “It’s fine.” Kyoshi said shortly, as she tried again. Her hands were even shakier than before as she drew another squiggly line.

Kyoshi left out a huff and she wiped it off roughly again, starting the process over again. As she tried to bring the brush up once more to try again, Rangi caught her wrist mid air. “Would you like some help?”

Kyoshi turned around to look at Rangi face to face. She was sure that she would have had something to say about her doing her makeup, she always did. Kyoshi could only guess what she had to say this time.

But she didn’t say anything as she sat down in front of Kyoshi, the makeup brush in hand. Before long the silence started to annoy Kyoshi as she twisted the rag in her hands.

“You are not going to say anything?” Kyoshi asked impatiently, looking down at the rag.

“Do you want to be pestered with questions right now?” Rangi replied as she tilted Kyoshi’s chin down. “I don’t know. But it looks like you have something to say.”

Rangi sighed, “I guess I was just thinking”

Kyoshi frowned, “About what? You probably think this is a waste of time before we leave, don’t you?”

The fire bender gave her an unimpressed look as she tilted Kyoshi’s head more to the side. “I don’t think it’s a waste of time, but I still can’t help to wonder why?”

“Why what?”

Rangi rolled her eyes, Kyoshi was really gonna make her say it. “Why you always wear the makeup. I’ve been asking for years and you’ve never given me a clear answer. I think you can be plenty scary without it, I mean like you can freeze someone’s lungs in seconds. ” She took a breath.

“I also don’t think it’s because of your parents, but that was just my impression. Is it because of the flying opera company? I guess I could see that-” Rangi had stopped her sentence short as she caught Kyoshi’s gaze. Perhaps she had over analyzed.

“That all?” Kyoshi asked, trying to take her brush back from Rangi and place it with the others.

Rangi nodded as she watched Kyoshi look over the finished eyeliner in the mirror.

“Why does it matter so much?”

“That’s not an answer, that was another question, rocks for brain” Rangi interrupted. Kyoshi only laughed.

The fire bender crossed her arms, they were literally about to leave for a mission that could determine the fate of the fire nation and Kyoshi was dancing around the subject without a care in the world. Like they had all the time in the world.

But Rangi knew better, she knew that Kyoshi now wouldn’t budge unless she answered first, so she caved.

“Because…” Rangi took a breath. This sounds so embarrassing. “Because I like your freckles, and your stupid face. And I guess I miss them when you wear it so often” Rangi huffed finally.

“I know” Kyoshi smirked as she turned around to look at Rangi face to face once more.

Rangi’s eyes went wide, before she wacked Kyoshi in the shoulder. “Then why would you keep doing it? Do you really like messing with me that much?” She asked, pretty much demanding the answer.

But Kyoshi only laughed softly again as she stood, spirits she’s acting so smug. Rangi thought.

“Because then they’re only for you” Kyoshi replied as she planted a kiss on the fire bender’s head. Rangi’s face went red.

“For me?” She managed to say as she thought about what Kyoshi had said.

Kyoshi nodded. “Plus, I guess it makes me feel stronger than I really am.”

“Oh you’re plenty strong I’m sure of it” Rangi replied.

“I think I’ll have to prove that one” Kyoshi said as she started making her way around the room.

Rangi looked out of the window, the sun was nearly above the horizon, they should really get going. She looked over to Kyoshi who was now frantically looking around the room. Spirits how nervous can one person be? She thought. Rangi hadn’t seen Kyoshi this anxious about a mission in a long time. Did she really doubt that she could do it?

“Looking for something?” Rangi asked as she went to open a drawer.

“Gloves, where are my gloves?” She exclaimed as she shuffled to the other side of the room.

Rangi had known exactly where they were, taking them out of the drawer and walking up to the frantic avatar. “Here”

Kyoshi took them with a thankful smile before she looked at them closer. “Why did you know where they were, did you do something?” Kyoshi asked accusingly.

Rangi just shrugged as she wanted Kyosho turn them over, before she caught sight of what the firebender had actually done.

On the gloves’ ring ringer there was a hand stitched band of golden thread resembling the one she wore on her finger. Kyoshi felt a smile creep across her face before looking over at Rangi who simply smiled back. “Thank you”

Kenna had met the group out front. She had seemed excited to go, eager to help in any way. Rangi was grateful for this, it was always a plus to have a new team member who pulled their weight.

The only small problem Rangi sensed was the tension between Kenna and Kirima. Kirima did not seem to like Kenna in the slightest. And not like when Rangi had joined the group, Kirima hadn’t even given Kenna a nickname which Rangi felt was a bad sign.

“She can’t even heal,” Kirima muttered as they walked. Rangi frowned, she did not want the whole trip to be like this. Not to mention it would probably start to stress Kyoshi out too. Which nobody needed.

“And you can’t spirit bend, get over it” the fire bender snapped back. Kirima shot her a sour look but then just proceeded on their way.

Hours passed, by the time the sun was setting they were within view of the town. Nothing looked out of the ordinary as
they go closer.

Around the time they had finally made it into town, the sun was just barely peeking above the horizon, and that’s when they all noticed something weird.

“Where is everyone?”

Wong walked out in front of the group looking further ahead and down some allies. There appeared to be nobody here. Kyoshi had sworn not too long ago she could hear people moving about the town, or the normal town chatter that you would expect from a distance. But the road was completely deserted.

“This is sort of creepy actually,” Kirima muttered. “For once I agree with you.” Rangi whispered back. They weren’t entirely sure why they were whispering, if there wasn’t really anyone here why would it matter? But it felt wrong to do anything else.

The group wandered deeper into the town, it looked like it was lived in. Not like it was deserted for very long. Something then caught Kyoshi’s eye, there seemed to be faint light coming from the bottom of the doors, so people were home.

Quietly Kyoshi guestered over to the door, signaling for Rangi to follow her. She had barely knocked once when the door creaked open, a hushed scared voice calling out from behind it.

“We’re sorry we’ll keep it down” He whispered apologetically.

“Why?” Kyoshi found herself asking. The question seemed to have given the man more confidence as he opened the door more. “You’re not a part of the balanced army?” He asked.

She shook her head, immediately she saw some tension release from the man’s shoulders. “Come in then, and hurry.”

The small group was ushered into the house, the door being shut and locked behind them.

Kyoshi looked around the room, there was a small family. Two kids playing on the ground and a wary looking nothing in a chair watching carefully over them.

“So you’re not with the army?” the wife called from her chair. It was Rangi who spoke up this time.

“No, we’re here to try and resolve the issue with them as a matter of fact.”

“So who are then?” The man asked as he went to sit down.

Kyoshi took a breath, before answering. “I’m Kyoshi, and these are my comrades. I assure you we are only here to help.”

“Avatar Kyoshi?”

“The one and only” Kirima commented.

A small smile fell on the man’s lips. “Then you may actually be able to help us”

Hehehehe I’m alive, my anatomy final killed me but I’m alive again. With my classes almost over I should be able to write more, and there is some exciting stuff coming up! Anyways hope you enjoyed, and have a great day!!!