Chapter 64

“Just a heads up, generally it’s best not to hold spiritual knowledge seekers hostage” the previous avatar warned. Referring to the night that she had caught the fox in the South Pole.

“He snitched? That was rude” Kyoshi rebutted, crossing her arms. “Wait Yancheng?”

“When I asked Kuruk why our connection struggled he said he didn’t know. I was wondering if you had any ideas” Kyoshi asked.

“You think I’m more knowledgeable than Kuruk- amazing. I’ll be telling him later-“

“Yanchen- please” Kyoshi found herself interrupting the past avatar. “I just need to know if there’s something wrong with me”

“You are not the issue child”

“I’m not a child, I might even have a child now”

The air nomad gave her a contemplating look. “It’s complicated okay, all I know is that she likes noodles, and hearing stories, and wants to stay in our house- and I want her to. But I don’t even know how things will pan out, so we’ll just see where things go okay?” Kyoshi huffed at the end of her monologue.

“Sounds like you may have a daughter,” Yanchen added, with a small smile already knowing the true. “Congratulations”

Even though it was her own past life referring to Koko as her daughter, it felt right. Hearing the words for the first time, made Kyoshi wish more than ever that things would now work out. But surely things weren’t set in stone just yet.

“But like you said, things are complicated, families, politics, and spirits alike.”

“Is this supposed to help?” Kyoshi asked, a bit skeptical. She felt like she already knew all of that.

“All things are complicated, and your relationship with us and the spirit world is no different.” The monk repeated. “Though things would probably go more smoothly if you had more faith and trust in yourself with the spiritual side of things”

Kyoshi thought for a minute, while she was well aware that she needed to be able to keep peace between both the physical and spatial world there were some things that still bothered her.

She knew her actions had caused direct damages to the spirits and hurt them. So why would they be forgiving of her. Also she had to be some sort of evil spirit watch list with all the spirits she had to take along with their human form.

Yun being one of the first.

The one she wished she could say without lying that she regretted it.

“I will try”

Yangchen gave her a kind smile in return as she faded.

Standing to stretch she looked around the room she was using. The big bedroom of the new house that had now been up for a couple of weeks.

Readjusting her gloves she headed for the door.  Jinpa had swung back around after dropping off the flying opera company, and had been staying around for about a month or so now.

He seemed happy enough to be spending some time in one place, and not chasing Kyoshi around the continents with Rangi.

“You know you can take some time off, my messes can be taxing.” Kyoshi said as she approached the monk surrounded in various scrolls, and work. “I wouldn’t blame you for wanting some time away”

But the monk only put the scroll down and smiled. “As crazy as it sounds I think I have grown the like the company”

Kyoshi couldn’t help but grin as she plopped down next to him. They were at a communal table that was built for the shared meals, and prep. Occasionally meetings when there was conflict at the dock.

“Wow and it’s only taken what a decade, if I keep this up I might just be invited to your birthday this year” She scoffed.

“Never change Kyoshi” He smiled again as he set to organizing papers, handing some over to Kyoshi to look over. “Oh and you should know, your daughters has expressed interest in learning how to read. She came by a bit earlier before heading off with Rangi and some of the other Yokoya warriors to the training area.”

Those words felt like it lit a fire in her chest once more, but something told she had to tame it for a while. “Don’t call her that out loud just yet okay?” Kyoshi replied, flashing her eyes to hit the ground. Hearing it out in the real world just felt different.

“I’m sorry did I misunderstand-“

“No I mean- it’s not your fault, it’s fine really. I guess that’s the goal, if she really wants to. But I don’t want to force anything on her” She said, releasing a held breath.

Jinpa watched with a sense of humor as Kyoshi fumbled through her words, she really hasn’t changed over the past decade.

But he had seen the way the small girl followed behind the two, the way her eyes lit up when either Kyoshi or Rangi were near. In his eyes they were already a family. Kyoshi is still just as dense as a rock.

“Well I guess it’s a good thing you turned down that break then” Kyoshi started as she read over the paper. “Seems like there’s some tension in Ba Sing Se we’ll have to deal with”

Later that night after Koto was in her room Kyoshi and Rangi had stayed up, with cups of warm tea between them.

“We could take her with us.” Kyoshi suggested blowing the steam off her cup before taking a sip.

“If that’s really what’s best, but she could also stay here with the girls again. She loves them all, and is surely comfortable.”

But as Rangi looked up at Kyoshi’s face she already knew that there was no way they were leaving without Koto for their little excursion. “You said it’s mostly diplomatic right, no blood feuds”

She shook her head. “No blood, just politics”

“From your experience those two tend to go hand in hand” Rangi rebuttaled taking a sip from her own glass.

“I’m positive this will all be fine, nothing but a little field trip” Kyoshi reassured her, tracing the rim of her cup.

“A field trip?”

Kyoshi smiled. “Plus who are we to leave her alone, I know there will probably be times she’ll have to say back with Shona or Seline but for now-” She took a second to down the rest of the warm beverage. “For now can we show her that we won’t just always pick up and leave without her?”

All Rangi could do was nod, as she took Kyoshi and her cups to place on the night stand. She wondered if Kyoshi ever thought that her parents would have come back to get her. If she ever hung onto that hope, or when she possibly let it go. 

“You won’t be like them, Kysohi I promise” Rangi spoke out suddenly, she had been taking any recent opportunity to reassure her.

She smiled, as suddenly their door was quietly pushed open. Koko quietly tiptoeing in and situating herself and her plush next to Rangi who opened the cover for her.

“Goodnight Koko” Rangi said, as she adjusted beside Kyoshi under the covers.

“Night Mami”

Only one of the three of them breathed for a moment. Kyoshi turned to give Rangi the dopeyest smile, as Rangi remained a statue.

Koko had said it so effortlessly. So naturally. Rangi found herself smiling now. Maybe their little family was pulling together after all. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to leave her alone again.

They all headed to Ba Sing Se with Jinpa the next morning. Koko tried to reach out of the saddle to pet the clouds on multiple occasions, nearly giving Rangi a heart attack.

Until Kyoshi finally was able to bend a cloud over to them, letting their daughter wave her hands through the mist. Looking a little upset when she realized that they weren’t actually as fluffy they looked.

As Rangi watched Koko and Kyoshi play with the clouds, something dawned on her. Spirits, there’s two of them now.

That seemed to be the start of it all, they traveled all across the nations together over the next months. Jiinpa often watched her during the day. Which he secretly really enjoyed, along with taking it upon himself to teach Koko how to read.

The first time Kyoshi and Rangi had returned to Jinpa teaching Koko how to write her own name, a ping of nostalgia ran through Kyoshi’s chest.

It had remained her when Keaslang taught her her own name for the first time. How he helped her hold the brush right, and how much ink to use for a single stroke. Uncle Jinpa was definitely becoming one of the girl’s favorite people.

Months into their travel they were all sitting across from each other on the flood with food placed between them. Kyoshi starts to tell Koko of the fox that recently paid a visit- Lek.

It had been raining all day, but despite that when Kyoshi had first gotten back from the daily meetings Koko had been persistent in Kyoshi taking her out to splash in the puddles. Now the two of them were both wrapped in a towel as they ate. 

A hawk landed on the windowsill with a letter tethered to its leg. Rangi had spotted her name in the tag and went to retrieve it. As she opened it, she stilled, brows furrowing.

“Something wrong?”

Rangi looked up from the scroll briefly before pushing herself up. “I just need to check on something”

Kyoshi and Jinpa shared a look as the fire bender left, and ducked outside. One of them would have to find some answers.

“I’ll just be a moment then” Kyoshi said as she now stood going after the fire bender.

She found Rangi on the far corner of the porch staring out in infront of her, almost like the rain had personally offended her.

“What’s the matter, love” Kyoshi spoke softly as she approached her from the side.

Rangi’s jaw tightened, trying to decide how to place her words.

A couple beats of silence paced between them, as Rangi tried to put her thoughts into sentences. Kyoshi just sat down beside her listening to the rhythmic pattering of the rain.

“I had always wanted to die an honorable death” Rangi finally spoke up.

“The death of a warrior?” Kyoshi confirmed, ignoring the randomness of the statement.

“The death of a warrior” Rangi repeated, still looking out at the rain falling in front of them.

Kyoshi swore she heard a sniffle as the firebender leaned over and onto her shoulder.

“It seems that I may have let that go.” Rangi whispered as she passed the note over to Kyoshi.

From the fire nation army, addressed to Lieutenant Rangi of the Senik’a clan. A note saying that she needed to return to make notable contributions to her nation, or else her retirement would be forced along with a resignation.

“You know this doesn’t affect us right?” Kyoshi said as she tucked the paper away.

Sniffling, Rangi leaned in closer. “Am I a horrible daughter if I’m happy the letter came?”

Kyoshi’s eyebrows rose, this was not the way she saw this conversation going. “You want to retire?”

“Not from being a body guard never in a thousand lifetimes would I consider that” Rangi said quickly sitting up now.

“But the fire nation’s army, they were my family for so long. They still are but what we have here…” She let her sentence trail off in the rain.

“I would have to be away so much to maintain my position. A position I worked so hard for years, decades to achieve” It sounded like she was trying to convince herself of the words more than Kyoshi.

“What would my mother think?” Rangi finally asked herself, letting her head drop. “If I let all that fall through the cracks”

“Are you happy Rangi?” Kyoshi’s question cut through the fire bender’s thoughts as she finally turned to face her.

“I can still fight, I could train others, create strategies, I could live like that again…” She started to ramble.

“But are you happy Rangi”

“I wouldn’t die an honorable death” The words sounded strained coming from her throat.

“But what if you’re happy” Kyoshi said again, this time though as a fact.

“We’ll show Koko the world, and bring Uncle Jinpa along for the ride.” She started, wrapping an arm around her wife. “You can witness my diplomatic greatness, and help when I get tempted by short angry men who piss us off.”

“We’ll help Yokoya island grow, and see all the girls. Koko will grow beside them all as well.” Kyoshi smiled. “And we’ll spar to make sure one’s going too soft”

“You’ll win one of these days ” Rangi replies half-heartedly.

“And one day we’ll visit Senik’a island, and you can claim all that you’ve worked so hard to create.” Kyoshi finished.

“I always vowed that I would never throw away my career for a husband and family. “

“Well you only have one of those so far so I don’t think you’re doing your younger self a disservice.” Kyoshi corrected.

“But if you want to stay in the army I’ll still be here. Koko and I can move in with your mother for all I care and I can figure things out from there.”

“And if I don’t want an honorable death now,” Rangi finally admits. “What if I want to be with you in our bed, I want it to be warm and in my sleep. I don’t want to die at the hands of another in cold blood.”

“I just want to die in your arms”

Kysohi feels a tear move down her face. “Calm down, no one’s dying right now” Kyoshi tried to pull herself together as she pushed the thoughts from her head. “But that’s okay love, I know you’ve made your mother proud. You’ve accomplished many things, and I’m sure there will be many more to come.” She planted a gental kiss on the fire bender’s forehead.

“You will never fail to amaze me, never Rangi”

Rangi glanced back out to see the rain failing in front of them. “And we’ll still go on adventures?”

“Continuously, Jinpa referees to me as the Avatar as chaos in his notes so I don’t you’ll be bored if things keep going as they are now”

“Avatar of chaos” Rangi chuckled to herself. “I came up with that”

Kyoshi’s eyes widened. “You told him that, I’ve seen it in his notes for years”

Rangi shrugged. “Guess it stuck, not my fault”

From outside they could hear Koko and Jinpa laughing, before the pattering of smaller feet approached them, a small head peaking out of the door.

“Are you okay Mami?” Koko now waited in the doorway.

“Yes, just fine.” She reached out for Koko to join her and Kyoshi.

“I think we’ll be heading to the fire nation next, there may be some retirement festivities that we need to attend to”

The girl’s eyes went wide, “A party?”

Rangi nodded, “Something like that”

Just like that Koko took off back inside to tell Jinpa of the party she knew nothing about. “Uncle Jinpa, Mami said-” the door shut behind her and Rangi wanted as Kyoshi’s eyes fell slightly.

“Thank you love-” Rangi said, taking Kyoshi’s hand.

Kyoshi just smiled as she looked out in front of her.

“You know you’ve done nothing wrong, she’ll say something more to you eventually.” Rangi reassured her.

But Kyoshi just looked back over to her wife. “I’m fine honestly. I’m glad she feels that comfortable with you,”

The rain in front of them started to lighten up, the droplets hitting the puddles softer now.

“Beisdes I know what we have, nothing can change that now” Kyoshi spoke once more pushing herself up, then offering a hand to Rangi. “Come on, it would be unfair to have Jinap babysit all evening.”

I’m alive, I really don’t have any excuses at this point. My bad on the late posting, maybe I’ll pick it as school’s started and I’m more likely to procrastinate my homework. Who knows, I certainly don’t.

Anyways as always thanks for reading <333