The Order of the Avatar Slayer

[Tera253]

more of our little prodigious bending buddies.
Malak's annoying in this chapter, I'm not going to lie. She's cool and all, but I really want to hit her--hard.

of course, she's not telling anyone, but she's in great pain throughout the whole chapter. and most of the time when someone is in pain they're more irritable than normal. the faceplant couldn't have helped.
so, chapter 43. enjoy more of Tera253's Order of the Avatar Slayer splurge.

CHAPTER 43: BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

It took Reyson and Maric a while to un-stick Malak from the wall. Luckily she had been trapped near the outskirts of the ruins, so running into more traps was not likely. Nonetheless, even with Maric?s waterbending force on Malak, it was slow to come off. Malak, who didn?t care how dirty and sticky she was, naturally refused to let him continue, as all it did was get her wet.

?So,? said Maric, ?where to now? I mean maybe we should get Malak cleaned up and such...?

?I agree,? said Reyson, but Malak stopped dead in er tracks and crossed her arms stubbornly.

?Mm-mm,? she said flatly, shaking her head; ?I?m not going to waste my time getting clean when I?m just gonna get dirty again.?

?Malak,? said Maric, ?don?t be ridiculous,?

?Then why won?t you both stop trying to boss me around? I?m not a baby. I?m as old as you and only a couple years off of you?

She was referring to Maric for her first statement and Reyson for her second one, since Maric was only a few minutes older than she was and Reyson only a couple of years different.

?Malak,? said Maric, ?stop this. If I was able to understand my mistake of joining The Order, then you can swallow a little bit of that stubborn pride of yours, girl.?

?I?M going back home,? said Malak, ?considering that I?m tired and still have internal pains in my gut;?

?Well you might want to wash your clothes then,? said Maric chuckling, ?as I heard that that stuff eventually will make them disintegrate.?

?Are you kidding me,? Malak exclaimed,

?Would I tell a lie about that to you, sis,? Maric said, chuckling, and Malak didn?t even answer, but she ran until she found a source of water, and began frantically trying to take it off of her. As she was frantically taking it off of her clothes, Reyson turned to Maric,

?Will that stuff really do that,? he asked,

?Nah,? Maric replied, ?and I lie to her all the time. She shouldn?t have fallen for that, but hey, it gets her clean, and whatever works, right??

?Just when I thought I?d be able to understand girls,? said Reyson, ?one comes along that breaks all trends. She doesn?t care about looking pretty or impressing anyone. I like her attitude.?

?You do,? Maric exclaimed, laughing, ?I can?t stand it. She?s too rebellious. It sort of gets annoying after a while.?

?I think I might have to agree,? Said Reyson, ?I mean, about her internal damage. I think it?s much worse than she wants to admit. Look at how she?s staggering.?

?Guuhh,? Maric groaned, ?Malak, you can be such an idiot sometimes. We all can, which is why I was the way I was before...?
Malak eventually finished, but naturally was soaking wet.

?Guess what,? said Maric, ?I lied. I just wanted you to get that stuff off. I didn?t like the smell of it.?

?You WHAT,? Malak exclaimed, ?You lied to me??

?Of course I did,? Maric laughed, ?we used to ?lie? to each other all the time, remember? I never said I wasn?t lying, I just asked you if I would tell a lie about getting clean to you. The answer is aye,?
Malak though wasn?t finished.

?You, me, bending battle; right here, right now.? She snapped,
?Alright,? said Maric, and then he turned to Reyson, ?stand back Reyson, these things *always* get ugly.?

?Alright,? said Reyson, standing back, though chuckling. He watched as the twins went at it. Maric was powerful and offensive, while Malak was swift and defensive. Reyson noticed that both twins were exceptionally good at what were called Dragmire Flips. They were named after their most famous user, Tenoko Dragmire (and as a result, they were also sometimes called Tenoko Flips).

A Dragmire Flip was an incredible series of handstands and spinning kick flips that brought up a unique waterbending style. Reyson noticed that they used their feet just as much as their hands when waterbending. Shards of ice and blasts of water were flying in every direction.

It seemed that Maric was doing most of the attacking, and Malak was blocking or dodging. She was exceptionally nimble, always light on her feet and never losing her balance. The second her feet hit the ground she had already started another flip, and so was corkscrewing and spiraling through the air at high speeds to avoid getting hit.

Maric usually intercepted her, but even when spiraling through the air, Malak would block his moves. Maric back-flipped into the air, spun around and began rapidly shooting projectiles of water at his sister, and her retaliation was a blast of water that she kicked out and retracted. It worked as a reflector, sending some of Maric?s attacks back at him. Maric intercepted some of these a 3rd time and sent them back at her. Neither one was able to hit the other. They really were waterbending prodigies.

Reyson meanwhile, felt like he was being left out of the fun. He flared up his hands and jumped between them.

?I hope you like the heat,? he warned, but the twins shut him up with blasts of water at him, knocking him aside?or so they thought. Reyson had quick reflexes and blasted himself into the air and over their attacks. Using the fire on his hands to keep himself in the air, he began spinning his legs around, shooting fireballs at the twins, who now seemed to have teamed up against Reyson, thinking they could take him down.

However, Reyson was not just a prodigy, but he was a son of the Fire Lord and Lady, and was thus a royal prodigy. He was able to use some of the skills that were harder to learn, such as lightning (though Alzar was the greatest firebender in the world, being on of the Legendary Four Benders.) and he was good at it.

Reyson seemed better than the both of them, for though he was not an expert at the Dragmire Flip, he had a roundhouse kick that could deal good damage when firebending was attached. It was this that knocked both Maric and Malak of guard. Malak blamed the bank, as she slipped and fell into the stream. Nonetheless, Reyson had them both at his mercy. He chuckled, looking at the fallen boy and his sopping wet sister.

?Game,? he said chuckling, and helped Maric up. Malak didn?t want him to help her, but she was stuck.

?Want me to leave you there,? he asked, laughing at how funny she looked trying to pull herself out,

?Aye,? Malak replied, but Reyson just laughed.

?Too bad,? he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up, ?you need to realize that just because someone wants to help you that it doesn?t make you helpless. You?re going to hurt yourself, Malak.?

Malak didn?t say anything, but followed them grudgingly home.

?So,? said Reyson to Maric, ?what made you change your mind about The Order of the Avatar Slayer??

?The story of how our parents died,? Maric replied, ?I had been told a lie. We were neutral, so buying that The Avatar Guard were the ones who attacked us was believable. We didn?t know who was who.?

?You mean it was because of that story,? Malak exclaimed, ?you weren?t there to see it??

?I actually ran, Malak,? Maric replied, ?and that was why I survived unscathed while you were nearly killed.?

?And so that was what caused all the rifts between us,? she exclaimed, ?that was it??

?Aye,? said Maric, ?and you know us. We?re opposites. When I would lie, you wouldn?t. The problem is, is that YOU never tell people anything. You could be dying and we wouldn?t know. Malak, you?re way too stubborn for your own good. If an outsider notices it (no offense, Reyson) even, then you know it?s too far.?

Malak sighed. ?I just hate being treated like I?m made of glass,? she said, ?because I?m not. I?m a waterbender, not a sculpture.?

?I know, Malak,? said Maric, ?but telling you that you can?t do everything by yourself is not unreasonable. Everyone needs help, even the Avatar.?

?I thought you hated the avatar,? said Malak,

?You can?t be in The Order and not hate the avatar,? said Maric, ?but those twisted days are over. I don?t hate the avatar anymore. Knowing what she did and my response to it...?

?Hey,? said Reyson, ?bad things happen to good people. Why do you think the Fire Lord, the Earth King and the Water Chief were killed??

The Dragmire twins remained silent the rest of the way back.

?Well,? said Reyson, ?we?re back. Sorry about all of that, Malak. And Maric, just make yourself at home here.?

?Alright,? Maric replied. He seemed friendlier to Reyson than Malak did, but then again, Malak was sort of acting hostile towards everyone lately. Using this logic, Reyson assumed that it was because she was hurting. ?When people are hurt they are less tolerant? Zeruda had told him, ?usually they just need time to rest or time to recover.

?So yeah,? said Maric, stopping to talk to Reyson, ?um, about me being part of The Order before this; surely Malak told you a little about it??

?Aye,? Reyson replied, ?and naturally they?re going to hunt you down like they do all traitors.?

?I know,? Maric replied, ?but I don?t care. I want to be on the right side; the side with my sister. Aye, I?m through with The Order.?

?Well,? said Reyson, ?you chose the right side to ?desert? to. You?ll find much more forgiveness on our side.?

?Thanks,? Maric replied, ?oh, and sorry if my sister gave you any trouble?

?Not a problem,? Reyson replied, ?and I?m sure Zeruda won?t mind either.?

Maric smiled. He was glad to be with his sister?Back Together Again.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

Zakura goes back to the spirit world! yayz!!
of course, things start out funny. I mean, who's to say that the avatar has to be boring and serious all the time?

but then we learn some heartbreaking truth about Zakura, and also the names of the avatars since Aang. (and Aang gets referenced)
so yeah, chapter 44. more of Tera's Order of the Avatar Slayer splurge.

CHAPTER 44: IT WAS ZAKURA'S WEAKNESS

Zakura woke up to find herself in a familiar setting that was not the same one she went to sleep in. she looked around and this time knew where she was.

?Alright, Lahka,? she called out, ?the joke?s old.?

?Not for me it isn?t,? said a voice, and Zakura laughed.

?But it?s not about you,? Zakura protested, ?it?s all about me. I?m the Ava?wait. Crap!?

Lahka laughed, wherever he was.

?But Zakura,? said Lahka?s voice, ?I?m the avatar too.?

?Hence the reason I shut up,? Zakura replied, ?but hey, just get your Water Tribe rear out here and enlighten me with your spiritual gibberish again. I?ll pretend to act like I understand what you?re saying.?

?You play a tough game, Avatar Zakura? said Lahka, appearing next to Zakura; ?you *almost* had me that time.?

?That?s more like it,? said Zakura, ?now enlighten me, old man.?

?Alright,? said Lahka, ?sit down, short stuff and I shall bestow upon you my spiritual gifts of spirituality.?

Both Lahka and Zakura were straining to keep from bursting out laughing. Lahka had had a good sense of humor like Zakura did; and there wasn?t a supernatural rule or anything that said the avatar couldn?t have fun every now and then. They were and are the spirit of the world in human form, which means that even with the abilities they were granted, they were human just like the rest of the world, having their own likes and dislikes, personal matters, and such.

?Whoa now,? said Zakura, ?calling me short has gone too far,?

?Calling me old has gone too far,? Lahka retorted;

?You?re 115, Lahka,? said Zakura, ?that?s 92 years older than I am;?

?You?re a head and a half shorter than I am,? said Lahka, who was actually also taller than average, ?you?re the shortest avatar since Avatar Aang, and he died at a young age if you recall.?

Zakura lowered her head.

?That was low,? she said, now fake sniffling, ?I?m... I?m hurt.?

?Ha-ha,? said Lahka, ?then it looks like I am still dominant over you.?

?Do with me what you will,? said Zakura, ?but I?ll never talk; ever!?

They both cracked up from this.

?Speak to me, avatar,? said Lahka, and then he said to himself ?I am speaking. What do you want??

?I want you to slap some sense into that woman avatar;?

?But she?s the avatar too,?

?I didn?t say slap some sense into that woman; I said slap some sense into that woman avatar. She?s a woman, and she?s an avatar.?

Zakura punched Lahka?s arm.

?And yet you still never fail to make me wonder about you, Lahka,? she said, laughing, ?where?s Wen, your predecessor??

?Now you?re speaking my language,? said Lahka, and when he said this, an airbender avatar appeared next to Lahka.

?Hello, Avatar Zakura,? said Wen, who was obviously the airbender, ?do you know yet why you are here??

?So Lahka can talk to me about how short I am,?

?Well? said Lahka, smiling slightly, ?if that were the case I would possibly throw a few words in about it too...?

?You know what, cue ball,? said Zakura, laughing, ?I don?t have to put up with this. I?m the avatar too, you know.?

?And a very talented one at that,? said Wen, ?you mastered in 7 years what took some of us up to 20 years to master. When we say that you literally have the best teachers in the world, we mean it.?

?Aye,? said Zakura, ?I?ve come to recognize that finally;

?And *that*,? said Lahka, ?is one of the reasons you are here: to applaud your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.?

?What is my weakness,? Zakura asked, ?I mean, I?m not trying to brag (though the opportunity pretty much yells at me to do so) but I haven?t found anything that I have trouble against.?

?Your weakness, avatar Zakura,? said Lahka ?is not a physical technique, attack, or anything of that sort. Your weakness is an emotion.?

?What,? Zakura exclaimed, ?like arrogance; or maybe being so freaking awesome that the world can?t take it??

?Heh,? said Lahka, ?you wish;?

?Alright,? said Zakura, ?so what is my weakness then;?

?Your weakness,? said Lahka ?is love.?

?Love,? Zakura exclaimed, ?what are you talking about,?

?it is in your reactions;? Said Lahka, ?I apologize in advance for anything this might do to you, Zakura, but we are going to take a little trip back into the past, starting with Avatar Kai, who lived over 1275 years ago.?

?I?m going to have to watch a 1275-year-long play,? Zakura exclaimed,

?No,? Wen replied, ?this is different. We are going to look at the childhoods of your past lives, and this will reveal your weakness.?

Suddenly in front of Zakura?s eyes was a tiny water tribe girl in the arms of a woman who looked almost exactly like Avatar Kai. This was baby Kai Serenes II and her mother (for Avatar Kai?s full name was Avatar Kai Serenes II)

?She had a mother who loved and cared for her every step of the way,? said Lahka, ?and now we shall move on to Avatar Kada.?

Avatar Kada was shown to Zakura was a child of about 3 years; she was playfully throwing little rocks at some of her older siblings, who were laughing and playing with her.

?She may have been orphaned,? said Lahka, ?but she had loving siblings watching her as she grew older. And now we move to Avatar Himoto.?

Avatar Himoto was shown as a girl of about 12. She was being crowned as princess of the Fire Nation, and would soon become its queen, despite her avatar status.?

?She was their heir? said Lahka somberly, watching as Zakura gazed with a straight face, ?they loved her eternally; now on to Avatar Imalek.?

Imalek was shown as a baby being raised in the Eastern Air Temple by monks and sisters who were not her real family, but such were the ways of the air nomads.

?The air nomads all had pleasant childhoods, as they were and are friendly to everyone,? Said Lahka, ?and now we shall move on to Avatar Koroda? (the same man who General Koroda would be named after several hundred yeas later)

Young Avatar Koroda was seen as a young child just learning how to hunt; being taught by his father. He was smiling as he harpooned a fish of some sort and held it up proudly;

?He was a fine hunter, taught lovingly by his father,? said Lahka, still looking at Zakura?s unchanged face. She seemed to be closing her eyes for longer intervals. ?Now we go to Avatar Fa Su?

Fa Su was raised to be a Dai Li agent before his parents learned he was the avatar. Nonetheless, hard times and the strength of The Order of the Avatar Slayer required him to fight undercover.

?He lived a happy life as a Dai Li avatar,? said Lahka, ?and reduced The Order during his later years. Here is a character that you might relate closer to, Zakura?Avatar Zuroc?

Zuroc was seen as a young girl talking to some people her age, winning them over as her friends.

?Zuroc was a very influential woman,? said Lahka, ?she won her friends by persuasion, and once they sided with her, they learned that underneath that fierce woman was a gentle and kind one. She also created the Zuroc Sensei of course.

Now though, we move on to Avatar Reyson, another air nomad.? (And after Avatar Reyson, that name became a lot more common, particularly in the Fire Nation)
Reyson?s story was similar to Imalek?s, and was just as happy.

?The Air Nomads are a loving people,? said Lahka, ?and so was Avatar Komae of the Water Tribes.?

Avatar Komae was seen as a little child socializing with various people.

?Avatar Komae was beloved by all,? Lahka commented, ?and her successor, Avatar Harami, was similar, though The Order started to appear again during his days.?

Avatar Harami was shown as a young, hard-working boy who was raised with a poor, but loving family. By this time, Zakura?s eyes had watered slightly, but she was still sitting there, gazing forward.

?Once again,? said Lahka, ?he had a loving family. Avatar Lu Xing was similar as we?ll see...?

And he was. He was from a military family, but even as a baby his father, a tough-looking general, was seen cradling him lovingly.

?Do you see the pattern, Zakura,? Lahka said, ?for now we come to Wen?s childhood, which was good like all Air Nomads? usually are.?

And it was. He was a happy boy growing up.

?And you know now, that it comes to me;? said Lahka, ?and there I am with my family.?

Lahka was in front of Zakura now, but as a baby being adored by family members and tribe members alike.

?And finally,? he said sadly, noticing Zakura was gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes, ?we come to the sad tale of Avatar Zakura Ishiko.?

Zakura was seen as a lonely child. Her other three siblings seemed to taunt her because of her bending prowess, which she longed to use but couldn?t in front of anyone. It then flipped a few years ahead to a 16-year-old Zakura using said earthbending to escape the palace and run away; never to be seen by her parents again up to this day...

This was the straw that broke the bison?s back for Zakura. She broke down crying?sobbing to be exact. If anyone but her past lives had seen this, she would have knocked them squarely out, but this was different. This was Zakura?s soft point?love?something she had never had until The Four Benders came into her life.

Love?It Was Zakura?s Weakness.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

chapter 45... a direct continuation of chapter 44... so more avatar stuffs... anyhoot, here we go...

CHAPTER 45: THE SPIRIT WORLD AGAIN
Avatar Lahka had succeeded in showing Zakura her weak point. When she was told about or shown other people who had had happy childhoods, it hit her in a sensitive point like this; Naturally, Zakura of all people would never, ever cry, except for from something like this.

?Zakura,? said Wen, ?there is something you must know: if a parent does not love their child, they will not care what they do, but may restrict them from their favorite pastimes.?

Zakura was too busy sobbing. It sounded almost unnatural because of her low voice, but here was Zakura, a fully-grown woman; a mighty, fully realized avatar with enough physical strength to knock a person out with one hit, crying like a child.

?My parents never loved me,? said Zakura through her tears, ?they never cared what I did. I could leave for days and not tell them and they wouldn?t care. There?s something I want you two to see.?

Zakura changed the scene to show her at 16. She had been to the spirit world the night before, but wasn?t aware of what it was; she thought it was just a dream. Nonetheless, it got her thinking that she might be the avatar, and in a family so deeply rooted in The Order, this naturally worried her. Would they still want to kill the avatar if the avatar was their own child? Zakura decided to find out.

Naturally, when she got her parents? attention, they sounded relatively indifferent. She then asked them the question that changed her life.

?How far would you two go to kill the avatar,? she asked them,

?We would go to that point even if it was one of our relatives,?

?Even if it he or she one of your own children,? Zakura exclaimed, her face changing into one of genuine fear; something Avatar Zakura of all people almost never showed.

?Aye,? Zao Lin, Zakura?s mother, replied, ?The avatar must be stopped at all costs. Abuse of that power would lead to single-handed world domination, and we cannot have that.?

?Isn?t that what Xin Shing is trying to do,? Zakura asked,

?If it was, why would he set us up here?? said Zhang, Zakura?s father, ?he obviously seeks for equality.?

Zakura opened her mouth to say something, but then paused, rethought it, and said something else instead.

?So you mean to say that you think one of your own children, would turn against even you two?? Zakura exclaimed, her eyes beginning to water, for at age 16, Zakura was not too much different from an average teen-aged girl; this was before her ?rough-and-tough? attitude.

?From the way you?re talking, Zakura, you?re making it sound like you?re the avatar. Is this the case??

Zakura certainly wasn?t going to say she was, even if she did know it, so she shook her head.

?I... I need to lie down.? She stammered, and did everything to keep from frantically running out of their sight.

Once she got to her room she immediately bolted it, her eyes wide, her breaths short and tense, and her heart racing. She was horrified at the malice of her own parents. What if she really was the avatar?

?I ran away that very night,? said Zakura somberly, ?the more I thought about it, the more that spirit world trip seemed less like a dream.?

?I understand your troubles, Zakura,? said a gentle voice from behind her. Zakura turned around and saw that she was surrounded by all of the avatars whose childhoods she had just seen, from Avatar Kai to herself. Kai was the one speaking.

?However, Avatar Zakura,? she said, ?There is more to the story. With trials also come blessings.

Kai continued Zakura?s story, showing a 16-year-old Zakura tearing away from the Earth Kingdom and running into a forest on the outskirts, where four familiar faces (and one not-so-familiar face) showed up; they looked about 7 years younger than Zakura remembered them (and the other face stuck in Zakura?s mind for another reason)

?Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, Zinjamyn,? she whispered, and was soon watching the story of them meeting her, and the revelation that she was in fact the avatar. The woman who told them this, a supernatural woman named Tera, had vanished after announcing this. However, the faces of The Four Benders had lit up after learning this.

?We?ve been looking for you, avatar,? said the younger Zinjamyn, ?we have long wish to pass our skills down to the next avatar;

?w-who are you,? said a slightly frightened Zakura,

?We are The Avatar Guard,? said the younger Shinon, ?we are also known as The Four Benders.?

?The Four Benders,? Zakura exclaimed, ?the greatest in the world??

?That is what they say,? Said the younger Aiku, ?but do not worry. We do not wish to harm you. We wish to be here for you.?

?For me,? said Zakura hopefully, ?you mean like friends??

?Aye,? said the younger Alzar, ?friends?and bending teachers.?
The young Zakura was left speechless.

?You are the most powerful avatar to walk the earth in thousands of years, Avatar Zakura,? said Kai ion her usual serene voice, ?you literally had the best teachers in the world. Remember to give them thanks the next time you can see them all at once. You owe it to them.?

?What do you mean,? asked Zakura, but then another avatar stepped up: a fierce-looking Fire Nation avatar?Avatar Zuroc.

?You treated them like crap,? she said flatly, ?they put up with you a lot more than I would have.?

?Keep in mind though,? said Lahka in Zakura?s defense, ?that Zakura never had a real friend in her life until they came around. She was never trying to honestly hurt them; it was just a game to her.?

?Of course,? said Zakura, ?I never did anything to them just to torment them; and aye, I admit that I treated them pretty badly.?

?That is why you just need to talk to them about it;? said Kai, ?just get them together and then follow my advice.?

?I know, I know,? Zakura sighed, ?I know I treated them badly. You don?t need to remind me of it. Do you realize how much it hurt to know just how much they cared about me? They?ve told me before. They were determined to teach me, no matter how ignorant or thingyy I was, and granted, I acknowledge that I?m thingyy and often ignorant. I don?t want to have to relive me tormenting them.?

?If this is truly the case,? said Avatar Lahka, ?then my beckoning of you to the spirit world has been a success, for you have acknowledged and overcome one of your weaknesses.

?Hey,? said Zakura, ?it doesn?t mean that I?m done bragging, because I?m awesome and have the right to brag.?

?Good,? said Lahka, chuckling, as the mood of Zakura?s environment was brightening up, ?you being humble would be like Zuroc being timid.?

?I resent that,? said Zuroc bluntly;

?And I don?t care,? Zakura laughed, ?because he?s right.?

?I?d cut off your head if I was alive,? Zuroc laughed, ?If it stood but a little higher off the ground.?

?Shut it, knife girl,? Zakura, ?please don?t tell me we?re going to get into one of THESE debates again, eh, Lahka??

?The avatars have no leader,? said Lahka, ?my word weighs only as much as everyone else?s.?

?Well my word is law, because I?m Zakura and I said so. So suck it up all of you and deal with it!?

?Heh,? said Lahka, hitting Zakura?s arm, ?you wish.?

?Right-o then,? said Zakura, ?you have learned from one of your later incarnations?never listen to an avatar.?

?That?s about right,? said Wen, chuckling, ?for remember, the avatar is only human, just like the rest of the world.?

?I know that,? Zakura replied, ?I mean, I pretty much was and am the demonstration of that.?

?We knew that a while ago,? said Lahka, hitting Zakura again,

?Wait,? said Zakura, ?I?m confuzzled. Why am I still here??

?Fine then,? said Lahka, ?just leave us like that?feel free to give us the cold shoulder.?

?If you insist,? Zakura laughed, ?I mean, being human, I too require sleep, and I think said action is beckoning to me.?

?Farewell, Avatar Zakura,? said Lahka, still chuckling, ?just remember, it is but a weakness. Trials will help you to overcome them.?

With those words, Zakura woke up. She thought of Avatar Lahka and smiled. She was also thinking about the Four Benders.

?Those benders are my family,? she thought to herself, smiling, ?Zhang and Zao Lin might be my blood family, but Alzar, Shinon, Aiku and Zinjamyn are my real family.?

Zakura was pretty tired, so she ended up falling asleep rather quickly again, and remained that way until the morning. She didn?t even bother thinking about what Cheng and Taki were doing now that they were married (ironically, they were asleep), and was out like a light.

Zakura may have seen some heartbreaking event sin her life, but she didn?t mind anymore. She knew that all of the avatars before her had their own trials, and she figured that was might not matter to her might be a big deal to one of them, and this helped her shake her problems off.

She also knew that if her past lives acknowledged that she was the most powerful avatar to appear in thousands of years that with those trials also included blessings or talents. Zakura appreciated her teachers a lot more now, and also appreciated her past lives, who had given her inspiration and wisdom. She was glad that she got to go to The Spirit World Again.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

the 46th installment of "The Order of the Avatar Slayer"...

we get to meet the Foxx Family, and learn a little about them--the people who raised Sanaki.

and the Serenes Waterbenders return.

CHAPTER 46: WE AWAIT THEIR MOVE
Incidentally, the ship that Royota, Zuki, Ryuka, and their group had was pretty much to them selves. As a result, they were able to use it as their lodgings when they landed at the Order?s Northern Base. There was a small village, and they assumed that the base had to be around there somewhere. Sanaki felt everyone walking off to have a look around, including Meili. However, when her feet touched the ice, instead of shooting back onto the ship, she gasped.

?Mom,? she shouted, beckoning Zuki, ?there are rocks underneath this ice!?

And Meili was right. The village was a little ways off, but near the port where the ship had landed was a wide, open stretch of ice, and the village was tucked away in between some hills.

Zuki proved Meili?s theory about the rocks by stamping the ground with her powerful legs and feet. The shoes Zuki was wearing may not have been fit for stomping and breaking ice in, but Zuki Meisha had so much raw strength that the ice shattered, leaving a patch of bare rock, which Meili ran onto gratefully.

?Sanaki,? she said, ?come here, there?s a patch of rock over here. You can warm it up for us and then stand on it too.?

Sanaki did so grateful that she wasn?t left behind. She heated up the rock, but she was cold enough that she could only heat it enough so that they would not be uncomfortable. Zuki was just looking around at her surroundings, which, besides the ship (which was deserted) bore silence. She was amused by ?pretty colors? as she called them, which she saw in the sky. Meili and Sanaki, both blind, just smiled back at her.

Granted, the others thought that these three had stayed on the ship, so they were not expecting them to follow them. This was a good thing, as they had stumbled across more than what met the eye.

?Oh my,? Sanaki exclaimed suddenly, ?there are people directly below us. Can you feel it, Meili??

Meili paused, her ear twitching.

?Aye,? she exclaimed, ?I can hear it, and am going to do something about it. We?re going to go down there.?

?But don?t you think they might be Order members,? Sanaki asked,

?Aye,? Meili replied, ?but think of who we are: we?ve got the Two-Faced Lady, The Smash Master, and The Blind Dragon. We can take them.?

?Okie,? said Sanaki, ?just making sure; so how do we get down there??

?Mom,? said Meili, ?can Zuki bend us down into then ground right here??

?Can Zuki come with you,? she asked, still clueless as always,

?Aye,? Meili replied, ?of course. But Zuki has to be very quiet, alright??

?Okie,? Zuki replied, a huge smile spreading across her face, ?Zuki be very quiet so no one can hear her.?

Surprisingly, Zuki was very precise when instructed properly. The problem was that few people know how to properly give Zuki directions, so people, friends and foes alike, had trouble with her. However, Meili, knowing her mother better than any other person in the world, know how to properly instruct her to do what she wanted her to do, and because of Zuki?s natural obedience, it got done.

Granted, Meili never instructed her mother to do anything outside of reason, but there were times when Zuki was capable of things her daughter was not yet capable of (or in some cases, just incapable completely), and that was how and why Meili would instruct her.

Zuki lowered the three of them into what they assumed were some Order catacombs, closing their entrance behind them.

?What do you see, Zuki,? Sanaki asked, since both she and Meili were blind, and therefore could not see anything;

?What,? Zuki asked, ?Zuki doesn?t understand that??

?Call her Zuki at all times,? Meili whispered to Sanaki, ?never use the word ?you? to her, because it will confuse her.?

?Okie,? Sanaki whispered back, and Sanaki got Zuki?s attention again.

?What does Zuki see,? Sanaki asked,

?Zuki sees lots of cages in the air,? Zuki replied, ?Zuki see people sleeping in lots of them.?

?Does Zuki see any bad people coming towards us,? Meili asked,

?Zuki doesn?t see anyone moving,? Zuki replied, ?is everything Okie,?

?Aye,? Meili replied, ?it?s going to be alright, mom. We just need to find out who these people are.?

?Does Meili and Sanaki want Zuki to earthbend them up?? Zuki asked,

?Aye,? Meili replied, ?take us to the walkways.?

There were walkways that surrounded every cage, likely so guards could bring people in and out and do other such prison-type things, for this was clearly a prison. It was cold and dry in here, which means that firebenders and waterbenders would have trouble here.

Zuki bended them up to the walkways and gently stepped off them. The pitter patter of the bare feet of Meili and Sanaki made no noise, and only Sanaki, who had very keen hearing, could hear the tiny sounds from Zuki?s feet, which may have just been because she was heavier than both of the girls (which was logical, since the girls were 17 and Zuki was 38)

In the driest parts of this maze were waterbenders, and in the coldest places were the firebenders. Meili right now couldn?t really do much, as the walkways were made of wood, and the cages suspended in the air. Sanaki could hear things better than Meili, but since it was cold, her ?vision? was ?clouded? as well.

?Mom,? said Meili quietly, ?can Zuki break that cage??

?Zuki thinks so,? Zuki replied, ?Zuki will try.?

She jumped from the walkway to the bars of the cage and clung to them. The cage was swinging only slightly, and the man inside looked up. Naturally, he was probably frightened upon seeing a woman in a dress with a huge scar covering half of her face clinging to the side of his cage, and backed up. Zuki jerked one of her hands back and broke the bar. It was somewhat loud, but other than that, she was able to break the bars.

?Remind me to tell Zuki to use the walkways next time,? Meili muttered to Sanaki, for since Meili had not been specific enough, Zuki was doing the task her own way. The man turned out to be a firebender?a firebender who Sanaki seemed to recognize. This also meant that the man had not seen Zuki, but only felt the impact of Zuki attacking it.

?Dad,? Sanaki exclaimed, ?is that you,?

?Sanaki,? the man exclaimed, and though it was cold, they were able to find each other. Like Sanaki, her father was blind. In fact, with the exception of Sanaki?s mother and their 3rd eldest child, the entire Foxx family was blind.

?Dad,? Sanaki exclaimed, ?how did you get here??

?I was captured, Sanaki,? Sanaki?s father replied, ?The rest of the kids should be around here somewhere.?

?What about mom,? Sanaki asked, ?is she here too,?

?Aye,? Sanaki?s father replied, ?I assume Karitsu is close by.?
Karitsu was the name of Sanaki?s mother, and her father was named Faruko. From what Faruko told them, all of their siblings were there.

?Just show Zuki where to go,? said Meili, pointing to her mother, ?and be sure to call her Zuki when you tell her to do something.?

Faruko did so, and eventually they freed over half of the prisoners, who turned out to be Sanaki?s family and the Serenes Waterbenders. Tenoko may have assumed that they were in the Southern Water Tribe, but she was drunk and was not thinking straight that day, and would later profess that she claimed they were in the Northern Water Tribe.

Right as they were freeing Sanaki?s mother, who, like her siblings, was grateful to see that her youngest was still alive and well, Order Members appeared. However, although their group prepared to fight, they turned and ran.

?Surface battle,? said Sanaki, ?come, we need to get out of here and warn the others about this. They?ll want to know.?

They freed the remaining Serenes Waterbenders, and with a few powerful earthbending moves, Zuki had blasted them all to the surface. Night had fallen, and they were all surprised that they were able to get away with so much for so long.

Meili, and Sanaki took to the ship, and Sanaki?s family went below deck to heat things up. War was brewing.

?So that?s where they went,? Royota exclaimed, as he and the others showed up on the scene, ?and it looks like we found the Serenes Waterbenders. Those are clever children, mark my words.?

The others had accomplished their goal of finding Katara?s son Sokka, and he was amongst their ranks, standing beside his mother, who now only wondered where her daughter Katara Altina II was.

?Prepare for battle,? Karitsu shouted to them, knowing from General Royota that they were on their side and not part of The Order. There was not much preparation to do other than get into position, so that?s what they did. The blind members of the Foxx family, as well as Meili, were lining the side of the ship, aiming towards the fields. Zuki had given Meili a large supply of rocks, (and had taken some for her own) and so they were prepared.

The forces of The Order, however, were much stronger than they assumed it would be. However, it still was not very much, and the Serenes Waterbenders, this being their native environment, had an advantage. Additionally, they were incredibly talented waterbenders, so all in all, they were not very afraid of losing.

?This is it,? said Meili, ?the battle?s about to start.?

They waited as The Order got into array, for they were not going to make the first move.

?Keep your guards up,? said Iresu, ?for We Await Their Move.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

the 47th installment of "The Order of the Avatar Slayer".

one thing we do learn here is the gender of The Dark Warrior, but that's about all... hard to predict, that one is...

enjoy.

CHAPTER 47: THEY WERE FEMALE
During the days that followed Cheng and Taki?s wedding, they made their way back to Ba Sing Se and their headquarters. Tenoko had joined up with them, and reports from the Fire Nation said that Zeruda was coming with Reyson and a pair of Water Tribe twins.

?Them again,? Zakura grumbled, ?huh boy?

?Had a bad experience with them, I presume,? said Zinjamyn,

?Aye,? Zakura, ?I?ll talk about it later.?

?Alright then,? Zinjamyn shrugged, ?you know, it?s not like you have to tell us everything that goes on in your life; even the avatar has things that are her own business.?

?I know,? Zakura replied, ?but it?s not like this is a personal issue in my life; it?s just that those twins gave me a hard time a while back. I?ll explain it to you later if you remind me,

?If you insist,? Zinjamyn shrugged;

The flying bison that Mulan had taken down to the Southern Water Tribe was able to accommodate the extra travelers once they reached the Earth Kingdom. Mulan, now outside of battle, had been reunited with her baby, but in times like this, there was just no room for an infant child at war. Mulan figured that it would be best to do what most other airbenders did and have her child sent to one of the Air Temples.

Although Mulan was from the Western Air Temple, she had her baby girl sent to the Eastern Air Temple. It broke her heart to have to be parted like this and so early on, but she had pledged her life to the avatar, and was therefore a fighter, having been taught to value the greater good, which was what Mulan did.

As they were traveling north, Royota?s group was on their way to the Northern Water Tribe, so by the time they reached Ba Sing Se again, their war was about to commence. After all, Aiku and Zinjamyn?s group had been traveling quickly, and Alzar and Shinon?s group had been taking their time.

Up north though, another battle was taking place; this one an intense Water Tribe fight however, there were Order Members not just from the Water Tribes, but also from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.

There were more than expected, and they were serving their purpose well. Sokka and Katara I were both powerful waterbenders, (though not as powerful as Katara II) and they contributed well for The Avatar Guard?s prowess. Meili and Zuki aided Royota in the earthbending department, and the Foxx family and the Serenes Waterbenders took care of fire and water.

The Order didn?t have any airbenders either, as again, they were the ?smart? ones, and stayed out of most of the wars (since they also had no formal military, as they are peace-loving people), remaining neutral. Although The Order didn?t have airbenders, they had earthbenders, firebenders, waterbenders, and non-benders alike, and they were fierce.

?Son,? said Katara to Sokka as they were in the fray, ?when was the last time you saw your sister??

?I don?t recall exactly,? he said, ?taking his mother?s back, where the two waterbenders kept themselves well-defended; ?several months ago, to say the very least?

However, even they were interrupted when there was yelling from the back ranks of The Order?s Army. Everyone, Order and Avatar Guard alike, turned to see what the commotion was (except for perhaps, Sanaki, Meili, Faruko, and the blind Foxx siblings). There were huge blasts of fire and lightning going up.

?Order a forward march,? shouted one of the Order?s commanders, ?don?t let whatever that thing is kill too many of our soldiers if it can be prevented. Forward, evasive action immediately?

The cause of the fire and lightning was soon revealed as The Warrior of the Black Hand. It seemed now though, the he was fighting for The Avatar Guard.?

?Ah,? said the commander, named Idoma, ?The Dark Warrior, is it??

?Aye,? the Dark Warrior replied, ?and you foolish warmongers continue this pointless war.?

?Which side are you on, anyways,? Idoma asked suspiciously,

?I am on whichever side I choose to be for the time being,? the warrior replied, ?for you cannot defeat me.?

?Really now,? said Idoma ?is that why former Water Chief Tenoko Dragmire sent you to your watery grave? So now nearly 10 years later you come clanking back up to try and redeem yourself??

?Tenoko has true skill,? the Dark Warrior replied, ?there are few here that I see match that definition.?

During the ruckus though, Alzar and Shinon, who had been poisoned and thus bedridden, had gotten up to investigate the noise. They saw The Dark Warrior and gasped. He turned in their direction.

?Come here, you two,? the warrior said, pointing at them, and naturally, they refused. However, the Dark Warrior had other methods of persuasion for people to do what he wanted;

He pointed his fingers at them, making them crackle with lightning.

?I said,? he said, ?for you two to come here.?

They staggered off the ship, Alzar whimpering from having to step on the ice with her bare feet. Nonetheless, she had done it before, but when she was this ill, it wasn?t the best thing for her.

The Dark Warrior moved Shinon?s head so that it faced his. Shinon was a bit taller than him, but because of the way his helmet was, Shinon could not see the Dark Warrior?s eyes.

?This one has true power,? he said, ?and this one does too,? he now was doing the same thing with Alzar, but Alzar, being blind, couldn?t see his eyes either. She might have been able to feel if it was a person they knew, but since it was cold, she was ill and her feet were freezing, it was no use. The Dark Warrior let Alzar back down and told them they could return to their ship, which they gratefully but weakly did.

He then turned to the armies of The Order.

?You will leave this place,? he said, ?or you will challenge me.?

Surprisingly, most of the Order Members did. The ones that didn?t were swept away in the wake of The Dark Warrior.

?This war is madness,? The Dark Warrior said, ?and at the same time, it serves no purpose. I shall make my leave.?

He turned to Idoma, who, though he had stayed to fight The Dark Warrior (like any good commander, he wasn?t about to retreat from one person, even if he knew he was outmatched), was kept alive.

?It is neither power nor control that defines a good fighter,? he said, ?but rather, a proportional combination between the two of them. I will accept the challenge of anyone who has the potential to defeat me.?

?Even Katara Altina II?? said a voice, which belonged to Sokka, and The Dark Warrior stopped. After all, to know of a 15-year-old girl with as much power as Katara had, was common. Everyone knew about her.

?Aye,? the Dark Warrior replied, ?even her. I would like to one day see that young lady match my skills. And now I shall depart.?

However, he was stopped by Idoma of all people.

?I have one thing I would like to ask you, sir warrior,? he said, showing Fire Nation signs of respect for just this moment,

?I can answer should it be reasonable,? The Dark Warrior replied;

?Are you a man or a woman,? he asked, grinning;

?I admire that someone finally had the guts to ask me that,? The Dark Warrior laughed, ?and if it must concern you, I am female. With that said, I shall depart.?

As the hosts gasped about the newfound revelation, The Dark Warrior made huge flames on her hands and feet and blasted into the night sky, disappearing into the stars.

?You get off the hook this time,? said Idoma to Royota, raising his hands into the air, ?for we are no longer in any condition to fight. Let us retreat and we shall do so without any further harm until the next battle. If not, we shall fight to the death.?

Fortunately for The Order, The Avatar Guard had a sense of mercy, and Royota agreed to let Idoma?s warriors retreat in peace, and they kept to their word. With their victory at the Northern Water Tribe secured, they were all able to return home.

The Serenes Waterbenders were safely taken back to their peaceful village, with the assurance (from Royota and his gang) that Lehran and Altina were alright. The Foxx Family was taken back to Ba Sing Se with The Avatar Guard, but sadly, Alzar and Shinon remained ill. While they were resting (for they were getting better; they were just not anywhere near their full strength) they were thinking about what had happened and what they had learned about The Warrior of the Black Hand.

Incidentally, their thoughts were not too much different from the thoughts of their fellow members. Many of them knew for a fact that The Dark Warrior 10 or so years ago had been a man, but this one claimed to be a woman. Who was it though, was the question running through their heads.

The thought of it being Katara Altina II had for the most part died, since The Dark Warrior had been face to face with her family, which seemed to be her only concern (as Sokka alerted them) for the time being. This limited their thoughts as to who it was, as many of them had thought that it was Katara. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about that last battle and The Warrior of the Black Hand?s appearance though was not that The Warrior of the Black Hand was not Katara, but that whoever it was, that They Were Female.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

the 48th chapter... some Zakura bonding time and other shizzle... fun stuff.

more about Katara as well... I still don't get her.

CHAPTER 48: A WORD WITH YOU ALL
Katara was aware of the Dark Warrior?s sudden appearance in the Northern Water Tribe, as the news spread like wildfire, just like most news about her did. Everyone knew The Warrior of the Black Hand (AKA the Dark Warrior), and Katara was no exception.

She was spending much of her time training, as she wanted to make sure she matched the abilities of this warrior. If she lost control like she sometimes did, it could lead to her downfall. She was alone as she usually was, and what she did exactly was unknown.

However, her firebending prowess had naturally increased since her first encounter with Fire Lady Ayumi, for her power was always increasing. One thing she hadn?t shown people though was that her control had increased greatly as well. Granted, she was not as skilled as Alzar, and would likely never be at that level (for as she got better, Alzar would be improving as well), but she was able to control herself much better, and the chance of her ?blowing herself up? was lower.

She was swift and powerful?deadly, some said. Katara Altina II had become famous for her trademark red lightning?something that only a few powerful firebenders like Orzon, Zeruda, (and Zeruda?s late husband of course) Ayumi, Alzar, and The Dark Warrior knew. Zakura had the knowledge of it as well, but wasn?t quite up to par with the others in that class.

Other than the red lightning, it was Katara?s raw power and her often underestimated physical strength that made her a threat. Her physical strength was equivalent to that of a grown man, for, in order to keep her bending in check, she would have to spend much of her time doing it, and this gave her lots of exercise. Katara didn?t mind this, and so she just saw it as an added bonus.

Katara?s main weakness was that she would still wear out if she fought for too long. She was able to keep her explosions mostly in check, and could ?blow herself up? at will, which gave her the guise of a lack of control, which she had actually gotten mostly over. She would get hot easily, and this would wear her down, and she would remain uncomfortably hot for a very long time.

Katara?s ideal place to practice was the hills of the Water Tribes, as they were the coldest, and if she used her moves properly, she could go a while without getting hot or tired, and when she did get hot she was able to cool off easily enough. Nonetheless, she was a stubborn girl, and she was fixed on remaining on par with The Dark Warrior, and so that was what she spent much of her time doing.

In the meantime, everyone else was reunited: Iresu, Tenoko, Zeruda, Zakura, Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, Zinjamyn, Sokka, Katara I, Zakura, Ryuka, Maric, Malak, Reyson, Meili & her family, Sanaki and her family, Lehran, Altina, Koara, Royota, Taki, Cheng, Mulan, Kimiko, and Vigo?it was ?one big happy family?.

?No new reports from the Water Tribes,? said Tenoko to Iresu, Zeruda, Royota, Koara, Zakura, Aiku, and Zinjamyn; (Shinon and Alzar were still ill, and thus were bedridden); ?it seems we?ve moves them out of the south, and Royota?s deeds up north kept them at bay.?

?My deeds,? Royota exclaimed, ?it was The Warrior of the Black Hand who did the work up there.?

?Really now,? said Tenoko, ?the man has always left me wondering...?

?It?s not the same person,? said Royota, ?it is a woman.?

?A woman,? Tenoko exclaimed, ?that?s impossible. I defeated The Dark Warrior, and I knew that he was a man.?

?then it is as I predicted,? said Koara, ?whoever has donned The Dark Warrior's armor is a new person, and this time I suppose it just happened to be female; nothing too big.?

?So what side is she on,? Iresu asked Royota,

?She is independent,? Royota replied, ?she?s on her own side. However, she does not seem to be posing a threat for us at this moment.?

?Really now,? exclaimed Zeruda, ?no threats; For the Fire Nation is free from them at the current time as well.?

?And the Earth Kingdom as well,? said Iresu,

?Is that so,? said Tenoko, ?it almost makes me want to make something up just to put some excitement into our lives.?

?Excitement, huh,? said Zakura, ?I want to know as much as possible about Alzar and Shinon?s condition. Are they going to be alright??

?What?s this,? said Zinjamyn, chuckling, ?Zakura showing concern for once? Who are you, and what did you do to our friend Zakura??
Everyone laughed, and Zakura hit Zinjamyn on the arm.

?I meant it,? said Zakura, ?it?s something personal. I want to meet with you four after they?re better.?

Zinjamyn and Aiku took a more serious tone. They knew Zakura had a strange sense of humor, but they could tell that whatever she was talking about meant a lot to her.

?I think with a bit of proper healing they could be revitalized within a few days,? Said Aiku, ?well, ?at least enough to act like they?re all better. We?re a prideful bunch, Zakura; we?re not going to go around broadcasting our ailments. We?re like you?we try to hide them.?

?Well,? said Zakura, ?I?m in for a party of some sort. If we don?t have anything else going on, I?m pretty sure I could at least get my Water Chief friend over here to agree with me, eh, Tenoko??

?What?s the magic word,? Tenoko asked, smiling,

?The drinks are on me,? Zakura replied, grinning hugely,

?Say no more,? said Tenoko, standing up, ?meeting adjourned!?

The events following were a lot like a meet-and-greet social, and true to her word, Zakura had brought drinks. The presences of the Foxx family and the Meisha family were only welcomed gladly, and Zakura also decided that part of this would be in Cheng and Taki?s honor.

?I knew they?d be getting married,? Sanaki laughed, nudging Zakura playfully, (for it was her that Zakura recruited when she wanted a lie detector) ?they?re cute together.?

?Aren?t they,? Zakura replied, ruffling Sanaki?s hair;

Zakura eventually ran into Reyson and Maric. Maric looked at who he had bumped into and took a step back. He looked nervous.

?Oh, Avatar Zakura,? he exclaimed, ?m-my apologies.?

?What are you doing here,? Zakura asked curiously, ?oh, and you can call me Zakura. I don?t care.?

?Look,? said Maric, feeling guilty, ?I?m sorry about what happened the last time we met, alright? I... I was just confused; there were parts of the story that I was not aware of.?

?He?s on our side, by the way, avatar,? said Reyson, in his polite manner he used, ?he wouldn?t have come with us if we hadn?t trusted him.?

?I?ve changed my ways,? Maric replied firmly, ?I had a rather bad run-in with The Order when I was with them. It?s not good.?

?And you?re telling the avatar about it,? Zakura chuckled, ?to me, nothing?s good about them. I mean, they want to kill little ole? me.?

?Heh? Maric chuckled, ?you were right about the ?little? part.?
Zakura knew from Maric?s tone that he was joking, but to her, punching him for was mandatory.

?I don?t need that,? she snapped, laughing, ?so, on a different note, where?s your sister at these days? Is she alive??

?She?s hurt?badly,? Maric replied, ?and she?s not letting anyone examine her. She says she?s fine, but you can see it in the way she moves. There she is?look at her movements.?

Maric pointed over at his twin sister, who was mingling with the crowd. Zakura, Maric and Reyson watched the way she moved, and noticed that she occasionally staggered. The people she was talking with either didn?t notice or just assumed it was from a fight, as there were others with similar pains from war (Taki being a more prominent injured figure; of course, no one could tell, as she and Cheng were that couple in the corner who were making out without regard to anything else).

?Stupid girl,? Zakura grumbled, ?I knew she was worse off than she told me; kid, I?m glad you?re back on track, and glad to see that even The Order couldn?t break you two apart. Stay with us, you hear me??

Maric nodded. ?I?m never going back,? he said proudly;

?That?s what I like to hear, boy? Zakura replied, ?for obvious reasons, am I right, Reyson??

Reyson chuckled.

?Aye,? he replied, ?I mean, anything with the phrase ?avatar slayer? can?t be good for you, eh??

?Exactly, my boy,? Zakura replied, ?now you two go run along. I have some business I need to attend to.?

Zakura went looking for Alzar and Shinon, and although she was able to name the people in the crowds, she found that Zinjamyn, Aiku, Alzar, Shinon, and Koara were missing from that list. She wound up finding them in the back room. They were all standing; Shinon looked slightly tired but at least was on his feet. Alzar was slouched, and behind her was Koara, who was massaging her shoulders.

?Ah, there you are,? said Koara, smiling, ?these kids will be alright; the poison is gone, but they?ll be tired a few days. I just need to relax Alzar a bit more and my work will be through.?

?So,? said Zakura, ?my request spread around??

?Of course,? said Aiku, chuckling slightly, ?Zinj and I heard it at the meeting a few hours ago.?

?Alright then,? said Zakura, smiling, ?once Koara?s done doing whatever she?s doing with Alzar I?ll tell you what this is all about. I just want A Word with You All.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

more Zakura-4Benders fluff/bonding whatever etc.

chapter 49. Order. Avatar Slayer.

CHAPTER 49: YOU ALL ARE MY REAL FAMILY
Koara finished up with Alzar a few minutes later, and then she calmly stepped out of the room, closing the door. She didn?t mind being ?kicked out?; for she knew that Zakura had something important to say.

The Four Benders were sitting down, and they looked at Zakura (Alzar was facing in her direction at least. her eyes, which no longer served her any sensory purpose, were wandering like they usually did);

?Well,? said Aiku calmly, ?you said you wanted to talk to us, and here we are. Whatever you want to say, you feel free to say it.?

?Though if you?re gonna dislocate our jaws, perhaps you should be merciful to Alzar and Shinon for a day or two,? Zinjamyn added, chuckling slightly, and the others, even Alzar did too;

?Nah,? said Zakura, ?it?s not that. It?s just something I learned in the spirit world a few nights ago. I learned about my family, and who they were.?

?You didn?t know your family,? Shinon exclaimed,

?No,? Zakura replied, ?I learned something different. I learned who my blood family was, and who my real family was.?

?Ah,? said Zinjamyn, ?and what did you discover??

?I discovered,? said Zakura sincerely, ?that my real family has 4 other members, and that they?re standing in front of me. You four were the first real family I ever had. No matter how badly I treated you, you were always like parents trying to teach a rebellious child.?

?You weren?t necessarily rebellious,? said Alzar, you were just really thingyy. You learned too fast for our liking. We were prideful too, you see, and to see you learn and mater our moves in half the time it took us to learn them sort of made us jealous, but at the same time it made us proud. It meant that not only were you an excellent learner, but that we were also good teachers. A good learner and a bad teacher will not result in much.?

?I know,? said Zakura, ?and again, I feel really bad for the way I treated you. I gave you all no respect. I?m sorry.?

?Our wisdom was not meant to be taken in with absolute surety,? said Aiku, ?But rather, we wanted someone there to question it to find things wrong with it so we could correct those wrongs.?

?When we were young master benders, we were determined that we were going to hunt down the avatar so we could teach him.? Said Zinjamyn, ?aye, we thought it would be another male avatar, seeing as the last 4 were. We?re sorry about that.?

Zakura chuckled, ?people say I?m manly enough anyways,? she said, flexing her arm, ?it?s not a big deal.?

?But aye,? said Shinon, ?we had devoted our lives to teaching the next avatar, and even when you came along and seemed to be ignoring us when we tried teaching you, we stuck to it. We were not about to let our lifelong goal slip away just because the woman we were teaching was a bit rebellious. No, we stuck to it because we wanted to teach you.?

?And I wanted to learn,? said Zakura, ?and now that I look back, I don?t really have an excuse for why I acted the way I did.?

?Well,? it was several yeas ago,? said Alzar, ?and even ?stubborn Lady Alzar? has gotten over it.?

?I?m sorry, Alzar,? said Zakura apologetically, ?you easily got the worst of it. And then I found out you were blind and...?

Zakura didn?t finis. She shut her eyes, feeling really guilty, as this was still a sensitive subject for Alzar as well.

Alzar shut her eyes as well.

?It was deep, Zakura,? she said quietly, ?to be reminded of that horrid mistake again by someone laughing and shoving it in my face... I... I can forgive you for it, but I can?t really forget it... it hurt, Zakura. It cut me to the bone.?

Zakura stopped, and looked genuinely serious.

?How so,? she asked curiously,

?It made her cry,? said Shinon, ?and you know Alzar; she hates crying in public. Just to hear the way she told me that story again (though the four of us were there); it brought me to tears as well. It?s powerful, Zakura. You should ask her to tell it to you one day.?

?And I will if you ask,? Alzar added, ?it?s just... it?s my weakness.?

?Everyone?s got a weakness, Alzar,? said Zakura, ?the fact that you?re even able to use your heat sense in the Water Tribes means that that?s not even your weakness anymore. I believe that the five of us here are limited to emotional weaknesses. Physical ones seem a bit beyond the worlds? greatest benders.?

?That?s about true,? said Zinjamyn, ?except there is one thing we?ve learned: we cannot be apart for very long. For some reason, it just doesn?t sit very well with us. If one of us died, the other three would be devastated.?

?Wow,? said Zakura, ?that?s... really??

?Aye,? Aiku replied, ?and if you died...?

?Then all our work would have been in vain,? said Alzar, ?we?d feel like we lost our purpose for living in this world.?

?We?ve dedicated our lives to you, Zakura,? said Zinjamyn, ?that is why despite the 6-9-year age difference that naturally still applies today, we were submitting to you. We were your teachers, but you were our leader. We loved you, Zakura. Aye, your arrogance sometimes bothered us, but we honestly loved and cared for you. Why else do you think we were so tolerant of all of that??

?But why,? said Zakura, ?what did I ever do to deserve you all putting up with me? Was it just that you were set to teach me, or...??

?Because? said Shinon, ?we realized that underneath all the taunting and arrogance, there was a young woman who was missing family love from her life. We could see it in the way you behaved. We could tell from subtle references we made that it bothered you, and figured it was your weak point. But Alzar sensed it was strong?strong enough to make you lose the will to do anything.?

?How did you know,? Zakura asked,

?It just took time and being around you extensively,? Alzar replied, ?we saw it, but we had respect for you. We didn?t want our swift learner to drop because of that.?

?So why so much respect for me, when I gave you all next to none;? Zakura asked, ?I mean, didn?t you all just want to attack me??

?There were times,? said Shinon, ?but we resisted. We knew what you had been through and knew that if we went against you that you?d break. You needed a family and we figured we?d take it upon ourselves to fulfill that role.?

?we enjoyed teaching you,? said Aiku, ?when actual bending was involved you were such a nice person to be around, we enjoyed how much you loved it?we enjoyed you giving us sleepless nights because you wanted to learn more all the time.?

?For a woman who doesn?t seem to care about being the avatar, you seemed to enjoy the abilities you were granted with,? said Alzar, ?you were practicing all the time. It made us proud.?

?There was not really a reason for us not to love you after seeing how eager you were to pick up a new move,? said Zinjamyn, ?you were always ready; didn?t give us a time of rest. We?d create a move, and you?d be all over us trying to find out what it was and how you could learn it. It made us proud, Avatar Zakura.?

?So basically,? said Aiku, ?at first we were nice to you so you?d stay with us, but then we realized that you had sort of molded yourself into our seemingly impenetrable ?clique?. We cared about you, we wanted to always be there for you, just like a family was and is.?

?And one day we?ll be able to look back and say ?you know the avatar? She was our greatest student ever. She is an amazing learner, and is probably the greatest avatar to ever live.?

?How do you think I got that way,? said Zakura, ?for me to be the best, I had to have had the best teachers ever. The other avatars I?ve spoken to have called you four by that title.?

?Really now,? said Zinjamyn chuckling, ?I guess that?s just something we can add to our bragging rights list.?

?Ha-ha,? said Zakura, laughing, ?I?M the arrogant one around here, so back off; know your place.?

?We do,? said Shinon, as all 5 of them were chuckling, ?we are The Four Benders; teachers of Princess Zakura Ishiko?Earth Kingdom Avatar.?

?Heh,? Zakura replied, chuckling, ?very good; very good. But aye, the point of this was to say that I?m sorry for how badly I?ve treated you all in the past. I owe you all so much; you gave me the two things in life I wanted: bending skills and a family. I can die happy now.?

?Just don?t die too soon,? said Alzar, laughing, ?otherwise my jaw might feel the need to get dislocated, and who will be there to do it??

?I can rectify that right now if you want,? said Zakura, laughing and holding up a fist.

?Eh, maybe later,? said Alzar, ?at least let me recover first.?

?Alright,? said Zakura, and they all laughed, ?just this once.?

?We?re glad to see you?ve matured,? said Zinjamyn, ?it makes you all that much more a part of the family.?

?Aye,? said Zakura, ?I?m glad you all are always here for me. I?m glad that I know who my family is?You All Are My Real Family?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

haha chapter 50, and I still dunno when I'm gonna see the ending.

This chapter also reveals a little bit about our favorite couple's past...
and of course, has come Cheng/Taki fluff, and an explicit version. enjoy.

CHAPTER 50: THE OTHER PERSON'S ORIGINS
Cheng and Taki had migrated back to one of the back rooms. Ironically, they were still fully dressed, Cheng in his suit and Taki in her wedding dress. They were sitting on the bed that they likely planned to sleep in, and were just talking.

?Do you think we ran through all of that too fast,? Cheng asked, ?I mean, we don?t know very much about each other even...?

?Maybe we did,? Taki replied, ?but I wouldn?t take it back for the world. Perhaps we should use this time between wars to tell each other a little about ourselves? I mean, I assume that whatever circumstances you were raised under made you an honorable man. I mean, there were times when I almost played easy to get just to see what you?d do, and you impressed me each time. That meant a lot to me.?

?I?m glad,? Cheng replied, ?because I couldn?t bear to know that I had let down the woman of my dreams.?

He kissed Taki on the lips for several seconds and then pulled back. Their make-out session would be later.

Taki smiled. ?So,? she said, ?what is your background??

?My background is just the background of an average man,? Cheng replied, but Taki put her soft, smooth hand over his lips.?

?Don?t say it like that, Cheng-Cheng,? she said, ?you?re no ordinary man, let alone any ordinary soldier. You?re much different.?

Cheng laughed and then clasped Taki?s hand between his. Taki?s hands weren?t tiny, (being the powerful earthbender she was) but Cheng?s were still larger, as men are naturally usually larger than women.

?I was an only child,? Cheng replied, ?my parents were part of the Order at one time, and then they fell away after realizing how atrocious their deeds had been. They used to be worse than they are now. Now they have more subtle ways of doing their deeds.

Anyways, my parents joined The Avatar Guard and then supposedly fell away from them too. Truth told though, they still support The Avatar Guard if you ask them what side they?re on. Right now though, the Order thinks they?re neutral.

I wanted to join the military, and since my parents seemed neutral, they said I should join The Order. It was part of an agreement. If they sent their son into their forces, they would be reconciled.?

?That sounds selfish,? said Taki bluntly,

?It does sort of seem selfish,? said Cheng, ?but if it was a choice between me serving The Order or my parents getting killed, I?d choose the former. I loved my parents. I got a letter form them saying that Fire Lady Zeruda found them on her way here and she gave them passage to the Secret Service Southern Base in the Southern Water Tribe. They?re safe and happy, especially knowing that I am as well.?

?Ah,? said Taki, ?that?s good to know that your parents still are alive and caring for you.?

?And what about you, sweetie,? Cheng asked, ?are your parents alive??

?Aye? said Taki, ?I think so. I haven?t seen them since I left home at 10 to go to Kyoshi Island. It should be obvious what I did there.?
Cheng chuckled, ?my wife?s got real skill,? he said, ?and I love her.?

?You don?t think I would have married a man who I didn?t think had skill either, did you? My Cheng-Cheng has skill too. It makes me happy. He can protect me when I get hurt.?

Cheng smiled and embraced her again.

?So what happened with your parents?? Cheng asked,

?Well,? said Taki, ?they sent me there to train, ?coz they thought I should have lots of talents. They knew I was a good earthbender, but also knew I liked playing with knives, and that I liked the Kyoshi Warriors. Unfortunately, I heard part of that idea that I wasn?t supposed to hear. Luckily they never found out I knew.?

?Oh,? Cheng exclaimed, ?what was that??

?They wanted me to fight for The Order of the Avatar Slayer.? Taki replied, ?and I may not have known what that was, but when I heard ?avatar? and ?slayer? together, I knew it couldn?t be good, despite my bloodlust. I could never fight the avatar, especially now that I know who she is and everything.?

?Even after she?s walked in on us before and made fun of us;? Cheng asked, ?I mean, I kind of got over it, but did you? You got it worse from than I did.?

?Aye,? Taki replied, ?it?s just her nature. And seeing as I show off my legs enough anyways (to you only now unless Zakura intervenes) that it?s not a big deal.?

?Alright,? said Cheng, ?as long as you?re making yourself happy and not just trying to please me. So... what happened with your parents??

?Well,? said Taki, ?after my 7 years of special training at Kyoshi Island, I was 17 and old enough to be off on my own, so I did. I had some decent money on me, so I was usually dressing up rather fancy. I remind myself of that Zuki woman... I looked fancy, but could own anyone with earthbending. People called me ?that earthbender woman who?s always wearing a dress?.

And it was right too. When I wasn?t in my Kyoshi uniform I was decked out all fancy. That aside though, I didn?t want to be part of The Order, and so I decided to take up another hobby, this one involving earthbending, and thus, my Earth Rumble career was born.?

?So what do your parents think of you now?? Cheng asked,

?They probably hate me,? Taki replied, ?and since you?re not part of The Order (didn?t you betray them too?) They?d probably hate you too.?

?Well,? said Cheng, ?would you ever want to see them again??

?Not really,? Taki replied, ?I could care less. Maybe I?d go just to shove my deeds in their faces, but other than that, I could care less. I?d much rather be with my Cheng-Cheng and make my own family with him.?

Cheng laughed, and picked up Taki and cradled her like a baby, ?you?ll always be my little Taki,? he said, smiling at her, his nose an inch from hers; ?for time and all eternity.?

Taki smiled, ?I?m glad to know that your parents are alright though,? she said, ?what you think they?d think of me??

?Well,? said Cheng, ?my father always made jokes about me and women; he?d probably say that I?d be lifting up your dress or something.?

Taki blushed slightly, knowing some of the things they did would probably get Cheng?s father even more suspicious. Of course, they were married, so it wasn?t like doing certain things together was all that inappropriate (at least as long as it was private)

?On that note,? said Taki, ?we?re married! I?m happy!?

She put her arms around Cheng again and Cheng stood up, gazing into the eyes of his wife, who was curled up in his arms, smiling up at him.

?And we need to take a honeymoon,? said Cheng, and Taki?s eyes lit up; ?I?ll take my little Taki-girl somewhere where it will just be me and her?no one else around, and all the time in the world at our disposal.?

?Oh Cheng-Cheng you?re such a sweetheart,? she said lovingly, and kissed him on the cheek. Cheng moved his head a bit so that their lips met.

?I?d only be this much of a sweetheart to the woman who would treat me the same way, Taki,? he said, ?only a woman like you is worthy of ?sweetheart-Cheng-Cheng?

Taki giggled. ?You?re asking for it now, Cheng-Cheng,? she said, still giggling her cheeks turning a cute shade of pink

?Oh am I,? Cheng exclaimed, ?how fast can you react??

Miraculously, Cheng had quick reflexes, for Taki was not able to react in time to what Cheng did next. The next thing Taki knew, she was on the bed underneath Cheng, getting showered with kisses from him and giggling intensely. Naturally, this caused a certain woman who also happened to be an avatar to walk by and peek in. She saw the scene (and luckily for them they were fully clothed) and
laughed. She even gave a wolf-whistle. Cheng and Taki both looked towards her.

?Aye,? said Taki, ?we?re married. If you want to go broadcast that to the rest of the world, feel free. We?d enjoy that favor as well.?

Zakura laughed, ?Just don?t be too loud,? she warned, ?there are children in here, and I?m not sure that they?d like to know what those two people in that one room are doing.?

She was clearly referring to them, and Cheng and Taki both laughed.
?You?re crazy; you know that,? Cheng laughed, ?I still can?t believe you pulled so many strings in our relationship.?

?Is that a bad thing,? Zakura asked,

?Well,? said Taki, ?It?s a bit embarrassing when I think about it, but no, all in all I thank you for it.?

?As do I,? said Cheng, ?it was amazing how well we work together.?

?I know,? said Zakura, ?which is why I did it. You don?t think I go telling everyone that I had a lot to do with your relationship, did you??

?Well,? they both stammered, ?we actually thought you did,?

?Well,? said Zakura, ?the temptation was there, mark my words, but I resisted. You two are too cute together for me to let that secret out. So don?t? worry. Your secret is safe with me.?

?Honestly,? said Taki sincerely,

?As surely as I am Princess Zakura Ishiko?Earth Kingdom Avatar;? Zakura replied, ?Now go have fun.?

She closed the door, and Cheng and Taki both smiled at each other. They both had thoughts on their mind, but mostly each other. They also liked the new insight that they knew The Other Person?s Origins.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

the 51st chapter of my series.

CHAPTER 51: MICHIKO, FUKUDA, AND KATARA
One thing Katara never knew about practicing when she was in The Northern Water Tribe was that she was being watched. She never thought that anyone would find her out where she was, but there was one person who did; a mysterious man by the name of Fukuda.

He was the Water Chief set up by Xin Shing, and his wife?s name was Michiko. They supported The Order, but almost seemed neutral. However, they had heard Ayumi?s bad stories about Katara, and so Fukuda called upon his wife to execute a deadly technique known chiefly by the female world leaders. Similarly, just like it was easier for a woman to learn this technique, they were also more vulnerable to it than men.

Katara was blasting fire and lightning at the sky and in every direction, trying to gain control over it, and for a girl her age, she was doing quite well. She was muttering something to herself, and Fukuda had returned to the base and warned Michiko of it.

?She seems obsessed with The Dark Warrior,? he told her, ?the one some know as The Warrior of the Black Hand.?

?But didn?t he die,? Michiko asked, ?for I recall former Chief Tenoko being the one to send him to his watery grave,?

?Aye,? Fukuda replied, ?but the armor was recovered by the Fire Nation and taken to the palace. Lady Ayumi and Lord Orzon also say that he has returned. This time though, it is a woman impersonating him.?

?A woman,? Michiko exclaimed, ?but does anyone know of the identity of this woman, or do we have no leads??

?We have nothing,? Fukuda replied, ?no one does. It had been theorized that it was Katara Altina II, but after the glorious loss we faced at The Dark Warrior?s hand at the Northern Base, that was all but disproved.?

?And why is that,? Michiko asked,

?Because her family was there,? Fukuda replied, ?and that?s the only thing she?s professed to ever care about. The problem with that girl is that she doesn?t realize just how many people know her.?

?But you said she seemed obsessed with The Dark Warrior,? said Michiko, ?you said she was muttering something about ?keeping up? with her.?

?She was,? Fukuda replied, ?but what is your point??

?My point is,? said Michiko, grinning, ?is that might be a lead as to who this woman is. In fact, I think I know from the facts I?ve deducted, and here is who I think it is, and why...?

Michiko whispered the name of the woman to Fukuda and then silently explained her reasoning.

?In that case,? said Fukuda, ?Katara will have to be taken here and interrogated about the subject. If she knows that much...?

?Aye,? Michiko replied, ?and then we can reveal the identity of the Warrior of the Black Hand. It?s about time we find out who she is.?

?Indeed,? said Fukuda, ?either way, she?s a threat.?

?You don?t suppose that it could have involved the Nagishima family any further, do you,? Michiko asked, ?for it was Izuka Nagishima who was The Dark Warrior previous to this time.?

Izuka Nagishima was one a distant relative of Kimiko?s, not necessarily known for his good works. He had, however, been confirmed to be killed by Chief Tenoko, so finding him was impossible.?

?no,? said Fukuda, ?the last Nagishima that might pose a threat to us is one by the name of Kimiko; but the last I heard from her she was a timid little girl too scared to even speak. There is no possible way that she of all people could be connected to The Dark Warrior.?

?Reports from the Fire Nation said that Kimiko disappeared though,? said Michiko, ?and The Order hasn?t seen her proper since that time?or rather no one has lived to tell the tale perhaps??

?So are you saying that this is the young lady you claim to be The Dark Warrior now,? Fukuda asked,

?Not at all,? Michiko replied, ?I?d put her at #2 though. The Nagishima family was powerful members of The Avatar Guard. I don?t think their little daughter Kimiko was any different.?

?Alright then,? said Fukuda, ?and now perhaps I can tell you where Katara Altina II is so we can retrieve her??

?Aye,? Michiko replied, ?but you must remember that she is dangerous. It?s not going to be easy to waltz up to her and make her sleep.?

However, that was soon re-thought, as a huge explosion was heard from the northwest towards the icy fields where Katara blasted off most of her energy so she wouldn?t get too hot;

?I likely stand corrected,? said Michiko, ?and now I shall go.?

Michiko found a barely conscious Katara lying in the snow and ice. She was warm, despite her surroundings being cold, and despite her being dressed in her usual Fire Nation attire,

?Come, child,? said Michiko sweetly, lifting her up to her feet, ?let?s take you back where it?s warm and safe.?

?Who are you,? said Katara groggily, as she was still mostly out of it,

?I am Michiko, Chief of the Water Tribes,? Michiko replied, ?and you, my lady, are about to be mine.?

With this, Michiko slipped behind Katara and put one hand over her mouth and her other arm around Katara?s neck, lifting her a few inches off the ground. Katara thrashed for a moment, but Michiko was unmoved and unafraid of Katara, for Katara was helpless at this point.

?Relax, girl,? she said in an enigmatic tone, ?just sleep...?

She struck a pressure point on Katara?s neck with her fingers, and Katara went unconscious. Michiko hoisted Katara over her shoulder and returned to the Northern Base quickly enough where she met up with Fukuda. She set the unconscious Katara down on a table used for Chi Healing, and left her there for the time being.

?So this is the girl,? said Fukuda, ?the legendary Katara Altina II.?

?So what did you want with her,? Michiko asked, ?does she have something of significance; Perhaps knowledge??

?She has power,? said Fukuda, ?which is why she is famous; and?oh? What is this??

Something black slipped out of one of Katara?s pockets. It was a coin with a Black Hand emblem. It had no face value, but The Dark Warrior was notorious for having them, and gave them only to his (or in this case, her) greatest challengers.

?So she HAS met The Dark Warrior,? Fukuda remarked,

?Or perhaps she is the one who now carries his coins,? said Michiko, ?perhaps she has more.?

?The Dark Warrior always carried them with his armor,? said Fukuda, ?so there?s no way of telling if this girl is or isn?t our target.?

?So why exactly did you seek her,? Michiko asked, ?do you plan to question her; or was there another purpose?

?This was what I was seeking,? said Fukuda, twirling the coin between his fingers, ?this will be significant in the long run?

?But what for,? Michiko asked, ?The Order,?

?Perhaps the end of this war,? Fukuda replied, ?after all, The Dark Warrior wants it over, and this girl does too if the reports from Katara?s combat tactics hold true.?

?But who would win,? said Michiko, ?what side are we even on??

?We?re technically on The Order?s side,? Fukuda replied, ?but then again, ?falling away? like Katara here did could come in handy.?

Katara, however, had enough chi energy in her that she did not remain unconscious for long. She sat up, as Fukuda and Michiko had not bothered to tie her down.

?Where am I,? she asked bluntly,

?you are in the Northern Base of The Order of the Avatar Slayer,? Michiko replied, ?I am Water Chief Michiko and this is my husband Water Chief Fukuda.?

?Why are you keeping me here?? she asked,

?We?re not,? Fukuda replied mysteriously, ?after all, look at your arms and legs. There are no bonds on them. You?re free to walk out that door whenever you feel like leaving.?

?Alright then,? Katara replied, standing up, ?farewell.?

?Farewell,? Michiko replied enigmatically, as Katara left.

?Wow that was weird,? Katara thought to her self, ?so that?s the Water Chief and his wife that Xin Shing set up? They?re probably creepier than Ayumi is evil; and that says something.?

She did not end up noticing the absence of her Black Hand coin, and so she made her way back to the Northern Water Tribe Capital.
Here she bided her time thinking about various things and scheming in others. The operation she was about to go down with was going to be risky, and she acknowledged that.

?The Dark Warrior,? she muttered, ?she better not let me down.?

Incidentally, Fukuda and Michiko knew a lot more about The Warrior of the Black Hand than would seem normal. However, it was impossible that it was one of them, as they were waterbenders, and The Warrior of the Black Hand was seen and known to be a firebender, and, like Katara, was able to wield red lightning.

Katara did not spend as long in the Northern Water Tribe as she had planned, for she decided to head south, which meant a stop in Ba Sing Se first. She was hoping to run into The Avatar Guard at some point, as there were some things she wanted to get from them.

Katara was famous not only because of her power, but also because of enigmatic demeanor and subtle appearance. She was actually a lot like Fukuda and Michiko?often mistrusted and she seemed to be on her own side, or rather, serving a higher cause.

These three had much mystery enshrouding them, and that meant that getting anything out of them was difficult. It took true effort to get a secret out of Michiko, Fukuda, and Katara.

~Azula~

[Renori Fa]

Ah, after reading this, I realize I have a lot to learn when I do my character interactions

:P


Great work!

[Tera253]

ah... character interactions... I love working with those...
and thanks.

Kimiko is an interesting character to say the least... just when we thought we understood her, she reveals something new about herself...

and this was actually one of my good titles for once. yayz!

anyways, here's chapter 52. enjoy.

CHAPTER 52: EVERYONE HAS A DARK SIDE
Since there had never really been a time for the members of The Avatar Guard to properly tell a little about themselves to each other, they figured that this ?Great Story Time? might as well be now when they had no tasks at hand [save finding Katara Altina II, which no one in the world had been able to properly do because of how evasive the young girl was], and so they did.

The person whose story the people wanted to hear the most was the story of what had happened to Kimiko. Naturally, she was not very comfortable with people asking her so many questions; some of which also involved her stunt with the flaming dragon at the Southern Water Tribe. Lehran though, came to her rescue.

?Don?t pester her if she doesn?t want to talk,? he said, ?she?s not as outgoing as some of us, and neither am I. I would like it if you gave her the respect that you give me.?

This actually plucked up Kimiko?s courage.

?If you want to hear the story,? she said in a quiet and enigmatic tone, ?then sit down and listen closely.?

Incidentally, everyone did, including The Four Benders, The Secret Service, and even Cheng and Taki. Cheng did not even know what exactly Kimiko went through while she was in prison, as it had been a few weeks between the time her family was killed and the time Cheng saved her.

?Those who knew me before the incident knew me as a powerful young lady who was not afraid to speak her mind,? she said, ?and up until a few days shy of my 18th birthday, I lived up to that.

That was when it happened. They took my family and slew them before my own eyes. It was a moment that could have devastated even the strongest person. I know someone in this room who can relate.?

She glanced over at Zakura, who looked shocked.

?What do you know about me,? she asked suspiciously,

?Many things,? said Kimiko, still retaining her mysterious tone, ?but don?t worry, Zakura; do you really think I would be turning against you, or would try to make you feel bad in any way??

?If anything,? said Zakura, ?I?d be more worried about me doing it to you.?

?Good, good,? said Kimiko, ?then nothing is out of the ordinary.?

?Then carry on,? said Zakura bluntly,

?Alright then,? Kimiko replied, ?well, after knowing that it was my loud mouth that provoked them to kill my parents and older brother, I wasn?t about to talk to anyone there again. I wasn?t afraid of them, but rather, was afraid to talk to them. I never did, and so they thought they had succeeded in breaking me. However, there is still the spirit of Nagishima fury that course through my body. The day I meet Feng again is the day that one of us will be left begging and screaming for mercy.?

?So what exactly happened,? Cheng asked, having known Kimiko longer than the rest of them, yet he was still curious;

?Anytime I was alone I would do things,? Kimiko replied, ?none of the prison guard ever knew that I was preparing for the day where Feng and I would face each other again on the field of battle...?

?So how?s our little prisoner,? Feng asked leering at the seemingly sobbing Kimiko in her cell. Naturally, Kimiko didn?t answer. She turned her head the opposite way.

?Now, now, don?t be sad,? he said, ?Surely you will be able to become stronger than us one day and break out.?

This caused the other guards in the area to laugh as well. However, Kimiko said nothing yet again.

?Why don?t you speak,? he said, sounding slightly impatient, ?or have you become so scared of existing that you think we?ll kill you if you talk??

Kimiko?s face was hidden in the shadows, and she still wasn?t facing them. Her burn that had formed on her left eye was still forming into a scar, and so it still hurt. As a result, Kimiko gently put one of her also burned hands against it.

?Speak,? snapped Feng impatiently, ?or suffer!?

The next thing Kimiko knew her palms and soles were burned. It was nothing permanent, but it was something they would do to her regularly, and it was the reason they were so red when Cheng rescued her. However, after they threw her head first back into her cell and disappeared for the evening, Kimiko was not crying. She was laughing.

?the tougher the scrape, the brighter I shine,? she muttered to herself, glancing up at her tiny window, where moonlight was pouring in; she had learned that phrase from her parents, who had learned it from an aged waterbender named Koara Lombardi (and this was the selfsame Koara who was a 93-year-old woman that was part of their group).

Kimiko was much, much tougher than she looked. She was skinny because she wasn?t very well-fed in the prison, but she was strong. She?d often put herself to sleep hanging from the bars on top of her cell. She?d sometimes hang from her feet. Using this and her own body weight, she would lift, and thus train.

She would also keep her spiritual energy up by bending whenever the guards were not around [as that would result in severe punishment]. She was a prodigy, and knew how to redirect lightning like she had been taught by her parents. She?d shoot a blast of lightning at some of the metal bars, which would deflect it back towards her, where she would either absorb it or reflect it again, and the noise it caused would always cause guards to come.

No one in the prison knew that this little scar-faced girl could wield lightning, and so when she feigned sleep upon their arrival to investigate the crackling noise, they never suspected her. Sometimes others got punished for her deeds, but in prison, it was everyone for them selves, and Kimiko didn?t even know anyone in there, as she was by herself.

This used a lot of her energy though, and so Kimiko was often, if not always, tired upon inspection. This usually resulted in punishment, but like with all other punishment, she infuriated the guards (mostly Feng) by not screaming or yelling or ever saying anything. Proud Kimiko was not about to lose her last will to live to these barbarians who had killed her family. She had sworn on their graves that she would avenge them or be killed trying, which was why she was here.

The only downside to Kimiko?s plan was that she had no idea of how to escape, but that was where Cheng came in. he took care of that problem for her by going through what he did to free her.

?And here I am,? said Kimiko, ?I still don?t like talking to people, but I don?t mind fighting them. After all, who here knows about Izuka Nagishima??

?Aye,? said Tenoko, ?that was the name of the former Dark Warrior; whom I defeated. I presume he was related to you??

?Aye,? Kimiko replied, ?I don?t exactly remember how, but it?s not like he was a good person, so it wasn?t like I missed him. But that?s not my point. My point it; is that I?m a lot like him. It?s part of the Nagishima bloodline.?

?Who are you,? exclaimed Ryuka in disbelief. If he of all people was surprised, then this was something big.

?I?m just Kimiko Nagishima,? Kimiko replied, ?I serve The Avatar Guard and will fight The Order until the day I die.?

?Are you sure you?re alright,? Lehran asked, ?you just seem... different.?

?Everybody has a dark side, Lehran,? said Zakura darkly, ?even Avatar Kai Serenes II did. Some people don?t show their dark sides as often, but she had one, and from what the other avatars tell me, it was feared and respected. Even you have one, Lehran.?

?I do,? Lehran exclaimed, and Zakura?s response was snatching up little Altina, who was running around. She held her up and put a knife to her throat, where she began panicking.

Lehran?s hair stood on end. Zakura looked like she was really ready to do what he thought she was going to do.

?LET... HER... GO...? Lehran said sharply in a tone that even startled Zakura. Naturally, Zakura, who was just proving a point, did, and even comforted Altina, and soon the little girl was happily running around again, oblivious to what just happened.

?That?s your dark side, Lehran,? said Zakura, ?I was just proving a point. I would never want to hurt your little sister.?

Lehran was still breathing quickly. Koara put her arm around him.

?Relax, Lehran,? she said, ?it?s just part of who we as people are. It doesn?t make you any less of a Serenes than before. All of them, even Kai, were notoriously difficult to anger, but if you set them off...?

She paused and shuddered. She may have never done that, but she knew the consequences that came from making a Serenes mad. They were the type of people who were not designed to get angry similar to how Zuki Meisha was not designed to cry.

?So that?s my story folks,? said Kimiko darkly, ?so now you know a little more about me. I am not fearless. People are my fear.?

?I see,? Royota commented, ?thank you for the story.?

?You?re welcome,? said Kimiko, ?it wasn?t a terribly big deal now that I think about it. It just made me stronger.?

?Stronger,? Katara I exclaimed, ?how is that,?

?Because, I revealed who I was,? said Kimiko in response, ?I mean, everyone has a Dark Side.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

my reign of good titles is gone again of course, but no big deal, it never lasts. anyhoot, chapter 53. Turns out Tenoko's got some lost family... and we learn who the old Warrior of the Black Hand is...

so have fun.

CHAPTER 53: HE WAS A GOOD MAN
?Everyone has a dark side, eh,? said Tenoko, ?and also, everyone has some sort of dark story to tell. Gather around, folks, and I will relive to you all the story of my fight against The Dark Warrior, and perhaps also the sad tale of the destruction of my beloved family.?

?You had children,? Zeruda exclaimed, ?you never told us that when you joined us in The Secret Service.?

?They were killed with my husband,? said Tenoko, ?or rather, there is actually a much larger mystery behind that, which I will get into later. I haven?t had enough to drink to tell that story, so right now I?m going to explain what exactly I know about Katara.?

?Katara,? Sokka exclaimed, ?my mother, or my sister??

?Your sister,? said Tenoko, ?or rather, I am going to explain my relationship between me and The Dark Warrior.?

?Wait,? Katara I exclaimed, ?why did you use my daughter?s name??

?Because that is who I believe this new Dark Warrior is,? Tenoko replied straightforwardly, and everyone gasped.

?Though I have no proof,? said Tenoko, ?so it is unimportant. I?ve been wrong before, anyways, so now; the story.?

Everyone seemed to still be in a state of disbelief at Tenoko?s logic about Katara II being The Warrior of the Black Hand,

?The Dark Warrior was formerly a man by the name of Izuka Nagishima. Young Kimiko brought his name up, I believe. Anyways, like she said, he wasn?t the friendliest person out there, but his purpose is the same as the current Dark Warrior: he hated the war, and was independent of sides.?

?So where did that name come from,? Zakura asked, ?The Warrior of the Black Hand?, and ?The Dark Warrior?, eh??

?Likely from his armor,? Tenoko replied, ?and there are likely other reasons, but since the man is gone there are no ways of finding out. He?d switch sides, sometimes fighting for The Order and other times fighting for The Avatar Guard. I believe that The Warrior of the Black Hand also appeared during the Northern Water Tribe Raid during the time when your people were captured, am I correct, Lehran??

?I am not sure,? Lehran replied, ?for I did not see her.?

?I did,? said Koara, ?I nearly was able to bloodbend him as well. Of course, I suppose I should say ?her? now, since we know that The Dark Warrior is female. Nonetheless, aye, she was there.?

?Her purpose remains unchanged from that of Izuka, ?said Tenoko, ?he fights to devastate both sides, for he wanted to end the war. Granted, it was folly this early, but with the rising of more benders such as the legendary Four that sit in front of us, it is more likely now.?

Shinon, Aiku, and Zinjamyn felt and saw everyone?s eyes dart towards them when Tenoko mentioned ?Four Benders?, for it was of them which she spoke. Alzar could feel them looking mostly at her, and was even able to tell that some people were looking at her eyes.

?Anyways,? said Tenoko, ?it was about 10 years or so ago that he came looking for me. His favorite places to go were the Water Tribes, but it seemed that this time he was on a mission to remove the figures of authority from the world, and that he was going to start with me.

?Hello,? said Tenoko, as she encountered the black-clad man, ?may I help you with something??

?Aye,? he replied, ?I am here to end the war. It will begin with me taking your life. You may attempt to defend yourself if you wish.?

?So be it,? said Tenoko, still keeping calm and still with her game face on;

The Dark Warrior led Tenoko to an open icy field not too far from the village. He made motions to Tenoko.

?Do the honors,? she said, ?I do not want anyone to interrupt this fight.?

?That sounds like a logical idea,? Tenoko replied, ?for aye, if there is anyone who would be receiving aid from this fight, it would be me.?

?Precisely,? The Dark Warrior replied, ?and I seek not to be overwhelmed by petty attacks, but rather will die when one person of true power is able to finally defeat me.?

?I see then,? said Tenoko, ?which is why I shall fulfill your demand.?
Tenoko raised a wall of ice that cut them off from the village, but left the ocean open to them. It was thick, but Tenoko?s precise skill with it made it look like glass.

?And now we fight, Tenoko Dragmire? said The Dark Warrior, ?and you shall remember the name of Izuka Nagishima.?

?Aye,? said Tenoko, pulling out a coin with a black hand on it?a token from The Dark Warrior, meaning that he had labeled her as a threat previous to this meeting; ?I suppose time will tell.?

Huge blasts of fire and water were going everywhere. Naturally this drew crowds behind the ice, but neither Izuka nor Tenoko minded. They were locked in fierce combat. Izuka?s fighting style was fierce, powerful, and offensive, while Tenoko?s was calm, defensive and just as powerful. Huge bursts of fire shot towards the Water Chief, who was then 35 [and today, at 43, her skills had remained at the same level, if they haven?t increased any]

Tenoko?s style of waterbending was more unique, as it involved a lot of self-created flip-kicks and jabs that she used as defensive maneuvers. The Four Benders picked up some of their skills from unique benders such as Tenoko, and their styles of bending had since become so unique that they were and are considered ?the best?.

Fireball after fireball came soaring at Tenoko, but her flips and kicks and water shields prevented them from making their mark on the former Water Chief. Additionally, the large braces she wore on her arms and hands and the huge boots she wore on her feet also were designed for Tenoko?s style, as her large hands and feet were able to spread water out into a larger surface area, thus defending her better.

Tenoko knew just how much water she would need to prevent Izuka?s fireballs from penetrating her defenses. The flips and kicks, which after this fight became known notoriously as ?Dragmire flips? (or ?Tenoko flips?, since Tenoko was the one to create them) were serving her well. However, Izuka was not finished. He put some distance between himself and Tenoko, and then swirled his fingers in the air. Tenoko heard a crackling sound and knew at once what this was.

To her surprise though, she was wrong. It was not just lightning, but it was red lightning, a bending technique first seen used by an ancient Fire Nation family: Fire Lord Saza and Fire Lady Sanaki. Its original creator was this selfsame Sanaki Li Chan, who then passed it on to her husband Saza. The technique of red lightning had been in their family ever since.

Though only the most prodigious descendants of Sanaki Li Chan (such as Alzar) were able to wield it. Ironically, Sanaki Foxx was the only member of her family who could use it (though she acknowledged that she was not yet very skilled at it, and knew that she needed to practice, and therefore would and does), despite her being the youngest and smallest member of her family, all of whom were great firebenders.

Izuka was still trying to calculate what Tenoko?s tactics were. Just when he thought he had figured out that she did for one of her tactics, her tactics would change. This was actually what eventually led Tenoko to victory. She did a sudden diversion from almost pure defense to pure offense. Izuka had never seen such a rapid diversion, and as a direct result, he was not ready for her.

Additionally, his lacks of defenses meant that all he could do was launch overwhelmingly powerful attacks at her and hope they hit. Some did, but Tenoko seemed to be disregarding pain at the moment. She blasted him through the icy wall and glided on the ice towards the ocean, keeping him sliding backwards. Izuka was near the edge about to fall into the depths (and sink from his heavy armor) and he knew that she had defeated him after their long battle.

?Ah,? he said, removing his helmet and smiling up at her, ?perfection, Chief Tenoko Dragmire. You have more skill than I do, and therefore, you have defeated me. I shall depart from here, and you shall take my icon as a symbol of your victory over me.?

Izuka handed Tenoko a gold coin inscribed with the words ?War destroys even the greatest of us all? on the edge. On the front it showed a mini-map of the world, and on the back it showed the emblems of The Four Nations. It was actually rather beautiful; though Tenoko was surprised he hadn?t marked it in any way.

She was about to ask him about it, but before she could, Izuka had jumped into the depths of the water, never to be seen again.

?The Fire Nation recovered his body and armor a few weeks later,? said Tenoko, ?and then the armor disappeared. As for that coin, I still have it right here. I keep it with me at all times.?

Tenoko showed them the brilliant coin, still shining, the inscription on the edge still clear as ever.

?War destorys even the greatest of us all,? said Tenoko, ?remember that.?

?So that was it,? said Zakura, ?that was your story of how you defeated The Dark Warrior, eh??

?Aye,? Tenoko replied, ?he wanted someone skilled enough to defeat him in battle to take him down, and I happened to be his first choice.?

She paused and turned to Kimiko.

?I?m not sure what they say, about Izuka Nagishima,? she told him, ?but all in all, in my opinion, He Was a Good Man.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

finally, Malak gets some sense knocked into her...

chapter 54 of my series... Maric and Malak and Reyson all over again, fun stuff.

so ya. too lazy to elaborate.

CHAPTER 54: SHE REALLY DOES CARE
While the older members of The Avatar Guard were talking, Reyson and Maric had ?teamed up? to try and find Malak. They found her eventually (as their base was only so big), and she was heading into a room by herself. Reyson paused and looked at Maric.

?What do you think she?s doing,? he asked,

?Well,? said Maric, ?if I know my sister, I?d probably say she?s going to get some sleep. She looked exhausted.?

?She?s badly wounded,? said Reyson, ?but she refused to let any of us analyze it further.?

?You really care a lot about her, don?t you,? Maric asked,

?Aye,? Reyson replied, ?I do. She?s a nice girl when she doesn?t have an attitude. I just want to be able to break through to her and let her see that. She was really nice when we first met.?

?I see,? said Maric, mumbling something to him self, ?well if she does what she always used to do, then I can assume she?s getting dressed for bed. I think you should wait out here for a while.?

?Alright,? said Reyson, who seemed okay with this, ?tell me how it goes.?

?Alright then,? said Maric, and he slipped inside.

He was right. Malak had undressed to her undergarments and was about ready to crawl into bed. However, this was not before Maric noticed that her stomach from her chest to her waist was a dark purple. There were also several purple marks on her legs and even some on her bare feet. Malak?s face was one of surprise and anger.

?What are you doing in here,? she exclaimed, ?I was getting dressed,?

?Malak, please,? Maric laughed, ?don?t use that on me. We?re twins. We?ve seen each other more than anyone else. That?s not my point though. I?m not about to let you go anywhere till you tell me what these are, and more importantly, what that is.?

Maric knew the right answer, and therefore just wanted to see what Malak?s answer would be. She sighed.

?Let me get some clothes on,? said Malak

?No,? Maric replied, putting on a light, ?look at your self, Malak; bruises of that caliber are wrong in too many ways. What did you do, smash yourself against a rock??

Malak paused and sat down on her bed. She sighed again and closed her eyes. In the light, her bruises looked even nastier than before, even against her dark Water Tribe skin.

?I was held hostage,? Malak replied, ?you heard the story. They beat me, Maric; they beat me. What was I supposed to do? Fall onto my face and let them trample all over me? No, I was going to stand my ground.?

?I understand that you?re hurt, Malak,? Maric replied, ?but that?s no reason to get mad at me, and more importantly, no reason to get mad at Prince Reyson. You can get mad at me all you want. I ditched you and joined The Order. Reyson has only been trying to help you.?

?How do you know,? Malak asked, ?you weren?t with him until a few days ago. You don?t know what he did??

?Alright then,? said Maric, ?what did he do to you that was so bad? If he did anything that made you uncomfortable tell me and I?ll rectify the problem with a little bit of water and some power.?

Malak paused. She knew that Maric was right and that Reyson had in fact only been trying to help her.

?Well,? said Maric, smirking like a triumphant sibling does, ?I?m waiting.?

?Fine,? Malak spat, ?he didn?t do anything. Just leave me alone now.?

She got up and tried to push Maric to the door, but Maric wouldn?t let her. He grabbed her by her wrists and led her back to the bed where he sat her down.

?Let me go,? Malak snapped, ?and get out of here so I can get dressed and go to bed. I?m tired. Leave me alone!?

?Malak,? Maric snapped in retaliation, ?get a grip on yourself, girl! You?re mad because you?re hurt. There is only so much that a person can do for his or herself. Learn that, live with it, and DEAL WITH IT.?

?I?m not hurt!? Malak shouted, ?I?m tired. Now get out of here!?
Malak stood up and began forcibly pushing Maric towards the door. However, Maric, to prove a point, spun around and nailed Malak powerfully in her stomach, right where she had been bruised and broken before. Malak wailed in pain and fell to her knees crying.

?What did you do that for,? she shouted, her eyes watering, ?ay... you jerk, Maric. Stop bugging me and LEAVE ME ALONE.?

?I was proving a point,? said Maric, ?you?ve probably broken something, Malak. You?re hurt, and you?re hurt badly. Face it.?

?No,? Malak replied, ?I?m not going to bend to your will after what you just did to me; never!?

?Then prove me wrong,? said Maric bluntly, ?stand up if you can.?

Malak tried to stand up, but the pain in her chest was so intense from Maric?s punch that she couldn?t, and she fell back down crying from the pain again. She was clearly very frustrated and very hurt.

?Did Reyson ever ask you about how you felt?? he asked her,

?No,? Malak replied, sniffling and wiping tears from her face, ?no one did. That?s why I never got any help.?

Maric bent down and lifted his sister?s chin up so that he was looking directly into his eyes.

?I said,? said Maric, ?did he ever ask you about it.?

Once again, Maric knew the answer (thanks to Reyson, who unlike Malak, was telling the truth) and so was waiting for it. He knew that his sister lied to him sometimes just like he lied to her sometimes. However, to Maric, Reyson had a clean record of telling the truth, so he believed him without question every time.

?Aye,? Malak cried, ?alright? Just... just stop this; please??

?Someone needs to try and heal you then,? Maric declared, ?because you?re badly hurt, sis. I can tell that?s why you have an attitude.?

?I...? Malak sniffled, ?I don?t wanna...?

?Why not,? Maric asked, ?what?s the matter with you??

?It makes me feel like a burden,? Malak replied, ?like I?m just getting in the way; like I?m helpless; useless.?

?Malak,? said Maric, ?for the 68th time, it doesn?t make you worthless, or make anyone think less of you. You?re only human. It?s going to happen to everyone at one time or another. Here, I bet Reyson could explain it better. You want to throw something on and I?ll go get him??

Malak passed, seemingly being deep in thought. She tried to stand up, but cringed in pain again.

?Just put me back on the bed,? she said, ?I... I really don?t want to move more than I have to. That hurt, Maric; guuhh... ooh...?

?I know it did, sis,? said Maric, hoisting his twin sister up and setting her gently onto her bed, so she was sitting down dangling her feet off the side, ?but you?re just as stubborn as I am; or Tenoko for that matter.?

?Tenoko,? Malak exclaimed, ?Aye, that woman?s a stubborn one. I overheard her stubbornly saying that Katara Altina II was The Dark Warrior. No one seems to believe her.?

?Do you,? said Maric, ?or is this for another time,?

?I?ll talk about it later,? said Malak, ?just get Reyson;?

?You sure you?re fine like that,? Maric asked, indicating Malak being in her undergarments, but Malak nodded. Maric had this fleeting impression that she was doing it just to get a reaction from Reyson, and sure enough, upon his entrance, he was a bit shocked as well.

?Whoa,? he said, ?um, did I come at a bad time??

?No,? Malak replied calmly, ?it?s... its fine.?

?You really do like to make people feel awkward, don?t you,? he said, though was slightly chuckling; as this Malak seemed much more softened than the one he had met previously;

Malak said nothing.

?Malak,? said Reyson, ?what your brother is saying is, is that everyone is going to eventually need help. No one is perfect, not even the avatar. There are still good people in this world who don?t mind helping others. Usually in your case, help comes to you instead of the other way around. Consider yourself lucky.?

?But it makes me feel so helpless,? Malak complained, ?like I can?t do anything myself.?

?Malak, you?re being too hard on yourself; both your body and your spirit. You need to just rest. Let someone like your brother or Koara Lombardi come and fix you up. I guarantee they wouldn?t mind.?

?I can do it myself,? she said, but cringed again from the pain, and she had only moved one of her arms;

?You need to lie down, Malak,? said Reyson, gently running one of his hands through her hair, ?just relax. Let your troubles slip away in your sleep. I?m not telling you this because I want to sound like a parent to you. I?m telling you this, Malak, because I honestly care about you.?

?Why though,? Malak asked, ?I mean, what did I do that got you interested in me and my well-being??

?I don?t know,? said Reyson, ?it?s just that I... I feel different around you. Around your brother I feel like a close friend, but around you it feels... different. I just feel like I want to be with you?to comfort you when you?re feeling down; just to give you reassurance. I don?t know exactly; I probably sound really stupid right now.?

?No, you...? Malak stammered, ?You?re alright. But aye, you?re right. I... I just need some rest. Thanks for that talk, Reyson. It... It meant a lot more than I thought it would.?

Malak gently kissed Reyson?s cheek, and before he could respond, she had curled up in bed. He left the room without a word, and found Maric waiting outside for him.

?Well,? he asked, ?how did it go??

?It went well,? Reyson replied, ?and I think She Really Does Care.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

more of our little prodigious bending buddies.

and looks like someone's got a little crush. haha...

anyways, chapter 55. enjoy.

CHAPTER 55: HE HAD REACHED HER
Malak ended up sleeping through the night. Maric eventually came in, and being a waterbending prodigy like he was, he went to work on his sister. Granted, there were people in the base with much more skill than him, but it was the thought of a brother healing his twin sister that he figured Malak would like the best.

He was surprised to find that the entire time he was busy, Malak remained asleep. As he was finishing up and preparing to leave the room, there was a knock on the door.

?Who is it,? Maric asked calmly,

?Reyson,? the voice replied, ?is it alright if I come in??

?Aye,? Maric replied; considering that Malak hadn?t cared about being seen by Reyson in her underthings last night, he figured that she wouldn?t care if she was asleep.

?How is she,? Reyson asked, sitting down on the bed beside Maric,

?She?s fine,? Maric replied, ?it?s a nasty mark though. She must have gotten pummeled really badly.?

?Ah,? Reyson replied, ?that?s what I assumed. Of course, when she was with me it?s not like she was dressed like that though.?

?Of course not,? Maric replied, ?but yet one thing makes me wonder: why was she fine with being seen like this in front of you??

?I?m not sure,? Reyson replied, ?I mean: I take it she doesn?t go like this out in public, does she??

Maric chuckled, ?I?m surprised she doesn?t, being the rebel she is,? he said, ?I mean if you tell her something done in normal culture, she?ll generally aim to do the opposite.?

?Really now,? Reyson exclaimed,

?Well,? said Maric, ?mostly. Still though, that makes me wonder... hey Malak, in common culture, people wear clothes.?

He paused and then imitated Malak.

?Well in that case...? he said and then imitated Malak reducing her clothing level to what it was now and running off. This stunt even made Reyson laugh. Siblings made fun of each other all the time anyways.

?You think she?d do that,? Reyson asked,

?Doubtful,? Maric replied, ?I mean, if she hasn?t figured that out in 14 years, I think she knows better.?

?I should hope so,? said Reyson chuckling, ?but then that leaves me with that question again: why was she okay with me coming in like that??

?Well,? said Maric, ?according to the Dragmire Twin logic, she?s okay only around people she?s comfortable with being around. Therefore, one can logically assume that she?s comfortable with being around you or perhaps, something a little more.?

?What are you saying?? Reyson asked,

?Are you really that na?ve,? Maric chuckled,

?No,? Reyson replied, elbowing Maric, ?but... that??

?Aye,? Maric replied, ?long story short, I think she has a crush on you, Reyson. And as her brother, I say get her out of my hair.?

Reyson and Maric both laughed, as they knew Maric wasn?t being serious. Reyson did question Maric?s first statement though.

?You seriously think she likes me?? he asked,

?I?d safely assume she does,? said Maric in response, ?but like I?ve said before, we?re opposites. I mean, heck, I?m a guy and she?s a girl. That should say something from the start. Anyways, it?s true though. I?m fine around people; she likes being by herself. She?s shy, I?m not.?

?So if I wanted to approach her properly, what would I do?? Reyson asked, ?I don?t like making people uncomfortable.?

?I wouldn?t know,? Maric replied, ?I mean, I?m her brother, and I?ve been literally at her side nearly all my life, so she?s never been edgy around me. I?ve always been able to just turn to her and talk.?

?Ah,? Reyson remarked, ?that?s true. Add another mark on the ?dumb Reyson? list.?

?Heh,? Maric chuckled, ?just say what you mean, and mean what you say when you talk to her and you should be fine. I don?t understand girls any more than you do.?

?Alright then,? Reyson replied, ?I mean: I really care about her. I want her to be happy, especially when she?s around me.?

?She?ll like that,? Maric replied, ?just keep treating her nicely and it?ll only be a matter of time before you see results.?

?Alright then? said Reyson, standing up, ?I?m glad she?s going to be fine too. With hits as nasty as those, it had me worried.?

?One thing we have noticed,? Said Maric, ?about the Dragmire name, is that like Tenoko, we?re made of some pretty durable stuff. It would actually lead me to believe that we ARE in fact related to her, but the last time we saw her she didn?t seem to recognize us at all, and so...?

?I understand,? Reyson replied, ?but now I suppose I should leave you two here. I mean, even if she was comfortable with me here, I think at this point she deserves a little privacy from me.?

?Alright,? Maric replied, ?I?ll see you later.?

Reyson stepped out and closed the door. A few minutes later, Malak stirred and woke up.

?Guuhh,? she groaned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes ?where am I??

?The same place you last were, sis,? Maric chuckled, ?oh, and Reyson stepped out a few minutes ago. He seemed really concerned about how well you were doing.?

?He,? Malak stammered, ?he did??

?Aye,? Maric replied, ?I think he has the same crush on you that you have on him. And as your brother, I can say those sorts of things because that?s what siblings do to each other.?

?Stop it,? said Malak, hitting her brother?s arm,

?Just admit it,? said Maric, ?I mean: we?re living under the same roof as Zakura. Word of this is going to spread like wildfire.?

Maric didn?t have to know Zakura too well to know that she did that sort of thing. He caught on quickly.

?So are you feeling better,? he asked her,

?Aye,? Malak replied, looking down at her stomach. Maric had done a pretty good job at clearing the bruises, and Malak felt much better as a result of this; they both were prodigious waterbenders and good healers as a result. Maric took his time to make sure he was accurate instead of efficient, especially with this being his twin sister.

?so Malak,? said Maric again, ?I mean, I know I was kind of nudging you about this a few seconds ago, but in all honesty, what do you think of Reyson? I mean: this is me asking. He didn?t ask me to do this.?

?I...? Malak stammered, ?I find myself comfortable around him; like he really is trying to always be there for me. He one time told me that he hated doing things that made people around him uncomfortable. I really admire that about him.?

?Do you want me to tell you a little secret,? he asked, grinning,

?Alright,? Malak replied, ?what is it??

?Well,? said Maric in response, ?I think he has a similar crush on you. Oh, but you look tired. I?ll tell you more about it later.?

Maric got up and headed towards the door. Naturally Malak wasn?t going to let him do that. She got up and latched onto his arm, trying to pull him back to her bed.

?Shouldn?t you get dressed, Malak,? he laughed, putting his hand on the doorknob, ?I mean, I?m going to open the door here...?

?No you?re not,? Malak snapped, dragging him backwards, ?you?re going to talk to me about Reyson.?

Maric laughed, ?Fine, fine, you win.? he said, letting her take her back to her bed. Instead of crawling back into it though she sat on the side of it beside him. She turned to face him.

?What did he say,? Malak asked, ?tell me exactly what he said.?

?He said,? said Maric, ?that he wanted you to be happy, especially when you were around him.?

Malak sighed dreamily. ?He?s such a gentleman,? she said, but then she sort of snapped to her senses and realized that Maric had just heard that, and more importantly, the dreamy way she had said it.

?Well,? said Maric, laughing, ?I?m not the one to judge another guy, so I?ll let you say what you?d like. I?ll see you around, alright??

?Alright,? Malak replied, still a brilliant shade of pink from what she had just said; she watched Maric leave and then she lay down again.

Shortly afterwards, she figured she wasn?t going to be able to go back to sleep, so she got back into her clothes and stepped out. She wanted to talk to Reyson now, and so she spent the next few minutes ?hunting him down?. She eventually found him in another bedroom, though he wasn?t undressing for bed or anything.

?Oh,? he exclaimed as the door opened, ?hello, Malak. Are you feeling better now??

?Aye,? Malak replied, ?I?m fine. I just wanted to talk about something.?

?Feel free to,? said Reyson, ?if you ever just want to talk, I?m almost always open, so...?

?I just wanted to say,? Said Malak, who was clearly nervous, ?I... I feel comfortable around you. I feel like you?re there for me?to protect me, even if and when I don?t want help.?

?I am,? said Reyson, ?I mean: I know you hate people helping you, but I just feel like it?s a duty. Sorry if I make you upset.?

?No, it?s...? Malak stammered, ?I don?t know... it?s hard to explain.?

?You look tired,? Reyson remarked, ?maybe you should try to go to sleep a little more and then come back. I?ll probably still be up by then.?

?Alright,? Malak replied, ?I... alright; I?ll go.?

This also surprised Reyson, as he didn?t expect her to actually do what he told her to.

Reyson didn?t realize it, but He Had Reached Her.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

this chapter reveals a little about Tenoko's past, and the story of her mysterious children who disappeared... who are they? who were they?

that'll be revealed in its own due time. this is chapter 56 though, and it doesn't happen here...

CHAPTER 56: IT IS BECAUSE OF HATRED
Just like Maric, Malak, ad Reyson were having their discussion while Tenoko was speaking to some of the others, Tenoko?s conversation and story were not over.

?Hmm,? she said, ?it seems that I?m not quite tired yet. I suppose I can fill you all in about the mystery of the Dragmire children... that is: if any of you are interested.?

?Well,? said Iresu, ?considering that this is something that you?ve never even told us before, I believe that we all would like to hear it.?
Everyone else who was present (Zakura, Ryuka, The Four Benders, Zeruda, Vigo, Mulan, Sanaki, Koara, Lehran, [Altina], Kimiko, Sokka, Katara I, [Tenoko, Iresu], and Royota) instantly agreed with Iresu, and therefore, Tenoko consented.

?The story of my twin children is something that is still disputed in the Water Tribes to this day.? She said, ?Granted, it?s not a huge dispute, but the story of what exactly happened is still not very clear. The ones who could tell it: my husband and whoever invaded the Water Tribe Palace that day; are all dead.

The twins were a few months old on the night they disappeared. I was actually on business in the Southern Water Tribe curing the day of the invasion. As a result of being on the opposite side of the world during that time, it was a few days before I learned what had happened.

The moment I found out, I abandoned everything I was doing and went straight up to the site of the incident. They had confirmed the death of my beloved husband, but they said evidence of my little babies was not found. The two little graves that sit beside the one of my husband are empty. My little Kemet and Komae were never found.?

?Kemet and Komae,? Iresu remarked, ?I take it that those were the names of your children then??

?Aye,? Tenoko replied, ?and they were dear to me. To see my family torn apart like that, all in the course of a single night; it devastated me. It was actually the reason I started drinking. It took my mind away from knowing that my family was gone. It helped me remain stable.?

?You know it?ll end up hurting you in the long run? Royota remarked, ?am I correct, or...??

?Aye,? Tenoko replied, ?perhaps. But anyways, once I was able to let it go, I became happier. Granted, it still hurts me when I think of it, but I?m not going to dwell upon it, especially knowing that the ones who caused me this trouble are dead.?

?So how many years ago did this happen,? Zeruda asked, ?I mean: if your children were alive, how old would they be??

?It happened about 14 years ago,? Tenoko replied, ?so Kemet and Komae would be almost 15 if they were still alive.?

Suddenly, Vigo did something to get attention (being unable to speak, he wasn?t able to call out). He ended up conveying the message (through earthbending and other acting means) that he actually theorized that Maric and Malak were Tenoko?s missing children. By his logic, Maric?s real name was Kemet, and Malak?s real name was Komae.

He finished his little act by communicating the message that he noticed that they had the same eye color?a unique shade of blue?as Tenoko.

?I?ve noticed that,? Tenoko replied, ?but I met them one time in the Northern Water Tribe before; but they didn?t look familiar.

?Well of course they wouldn?t look familiar,? said Sanaki, ?I mean, I might be blind, but even I know that people grow up. If you haven?t seen them ion 14 years they?d have plenty of time to change in appearance.?

?That?s true,? Tenoko replied, ?and I?m not trying to deny them being related to me. There?s no way to disprove it, but conversely, there?s no way to prove it. I was just saying that usually a mother is capable of recognizing her children, no matter how long they?ve been apart.?

?I know,? said Sanaki, ?and I wasn?t trying to argue your logic. I was just making that comment. Vigo did have a point.?

(Sanaki knew what Vigo was ?saying? because various people around him would try to guess what he was trying to say and he?d nod or shake his head depending on if they were right or wrong. Sanaki was able to tell when Vigo shook his head or nodded)

Vigo simply shrugged, implying that it was just a thought.

?No harm done,? Tenoko replied, and Vigo nodded.

?And that was the story,? said Tenoko, ?shortly afterwards I ran into The Warrior of the Black Hand; and luckily for me I was over my little reign of depression and wasn?t getting hammered every afternoon. I?ve already told that story, and from there I eventually joined The Avatar Guard Secret Service with Iresu and Zeruda.

?It was several months before we found you,? said Zeruda, ?I mean: I found Iresu about 3 or 4 months after I heard the news of what had happened with you at the Northern Water Tribe, but it was about 1 or 2 more months before we found and recruited you. What were you doing in the meantime? I mean: Iresu and I were looking for you.?

?I told you that part already,? Tenoko replied, ?I had a gang life in the Water Tribe Underground. It?s like The Underground here in Ba Sing Se, only it?s in the Southern Water Tribe.?

?Really now,? said Iresu,? we thought you were joking about that. You were pretty madly drunk when we found you.?

?You expected otherwise?? Tenoko exclaimed laughing, ?but no, it?s true. I did have a gang life, and did a lot of things that would make the law not look too happily down on me. Granted, I was no longer Tribe Chief, so in my eyes it wasn?t a big deal. I got into illegal bending tournaments... often times the loser was killed.?

?Hmm,? said a voice from behind them, ?that sounds like the story of a typical day in the life of Zakura Ishiko.?

?Aye,? Tenoko chuckled, ?I remember seeing you under the alias of ?Zak? in my travels. It?s a good thing you were from the same organization that I was; otherwise I?d be in for a load of trouble?and pain.?

Zakura laughed. ?I served under you, you drunken fool,? she said, laughing, ?spirits; how much were you drinking??

?Do you really want to know the answer to that?? Tenoko asked;
Zakura paused. ?Eh, I probably don?t,? she replied, and they laughed.

?Well, folks,? said Tenoko, ?my gang life is personal business, so buzz off. If anyone else wants to tell a story, feel free. I?m all fresh out.?

?Tenoko,? said Zakura, ?I?m the avatar. If I want you to tell me something, I have my ways of getting it out of people. I think offering you a bottle of this after hours would probably get you talking.?

Zakura held up a bottle of something with a very high alcohol content that Tenoko eyed closely. She stowed it away and continued sitting there, waiting for the next story.?

?why don?t you tell us a little about your life, Princess;? Tenoko chuckled, ?surely living with parents who are part of the group trying to kill you had to have had some interesting sparks.?

?Don?t call me ?princess? or I?ll knock your block off,? Zakura snapped, chuckling, ?my story though? There?s not much to tell. A lot of it...?
Zakura paused, closing her eyes.

The real reason she didn?t want to tell about her past with her family was because it brought back great and terrible memories, and was mostly sad. As for her title of ?princess?, Zakura didn?t want it any more than she wanted Xin Shing to capture her. Nonetheless, she used it to her advantage when she could (but in reality, Zakura used anything to her advantage whenever she could) and was actually considering something big this time involving her family.

?Oh dear,? Sanaki said with a tone of concern, noticing a disruption in Zakura?s heat patterns that came from her sudden change of emotion. ?I... I don?t think we should ask her about it.?

The others were quick to notice Zakura?s rapid change.

?Eh,? she said, standing up, tilting her hat to cover her eyes, ?I?ll be right back. I... I just need to do something.?

She stood up and went into one of the back rooms. Aiku, Shinon, and Zinjamyn looked at each other (and to Alzar, but since she was blind she couldn?t look back at them) and nodded.

?I think we know what?s wrong,? said Aiku to the others, ?we?ll be right back too. We?re going to go find her.?

?It?s understandable,? said Royota, and incidentally, none of the people here seemed to mind Zakura?s rude disappearance, ?everyone has something that they don?t like talking about.?
Incidentally though, after The Four Benders left, the others got to talking about Zakura.

?I never knew that was such a touchy subject for her,? said Tenoko, ?I mean, she never faltered like that before when I was with her?ever.?

?Sometimes the past can be a painful thing,? said Royota, ?this war was all caused by hatred: this same hatred which now torments our young friend, the avatar?Zakura Ishiko.

It was hatred that broke apart the families of many of us here. It is hatred that causes The Warrior of the Black Hand to fight against it?hatred of the war is clearly why she takes either side. This world is in an ongoing civil war all because of hatred and discrimination. This is the reason we?re fighting against each other as a house divided: brother against brother and sister against sister. It Is Because Of Hatred.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

Zakura's a bit sensitive on one particular subject...

but yeah, she shares it here.
chapter 57. Order. Avatar Slayer. enjoy it.

CHAPTER 57: SHE WAS HAPPY AGAIN
Naturally, the Four Benders were not surprised to find that Zakura had put a lot of distance between her and the others. She was on one of the 2nd floor bedrooms, whilst the other had been in the 1st floor main lounge. They figured that this was something serious.
Alzar paused just outside one of the doors. She crouched down and put her hand on the door.

?She?s in here,? she whispered, raising her eyebrows, ?whatever Tenoko said must have hit her hard.?

?We can?t blame Tenoko for it though,? Aiku remarked, ?how was she supposed to know that that would affect Zakura that much? In fact, why DOES it affect her that way??

?I?m not sure about you all,? said Alzar, gently pushing the door open, ?but I?m going to find out.?

Alzar slipped in and sensed Zakura sitting on the bed, her head hanging and her arms crossed. Zakura sensed Alzar?s presence.

?What do you want,? she asked, and she clearly sounded upset;

?Zak,? said Alzar, ?remember who we are.?

Zakura did not respond to this, so Alzar continued.

?I just came in to find out what?s wrong,? she said, ?the others are just outside the door.?

Zakura stood up. ?What others,? she snapped. There was clearly something else that was annoying her;

?Shin, Ike, and Zinj, of course,? Alzar replied, ?what; did you really think I?d drag everyone here to see you? No, it was just a consensus between us four.? She paused and turned to the door. ?Get in here, you three.?

Aiku, Shinon, and Zinjamyn stepped in.

?Zakura,? said Zinjamyn in his usual calm tone, ?tell us what?s wrong.?

?It?s the same thing that?s ?wrong? every time I get upset,? Zakura replied, punching her palm, ?it?s about my past, and the fact that I hate it.?

?That was something we always found interesting about you,? said Shinon with a hint of enigma, ?you would always avoid talking about that subject at all costs. We respected that, but after Alz sensed such a dramatic change of emotions that suddenly, it just brings us to wonder: what was it about? Why does it do this to you??

?That?s none of your business,? Zakura replied stiffly,

?Zak,? said Alzar, who was most likely the most stubborn of the four, ?if we?ve respected you for this long, what makes you think we?re suddenly turning on you now? We want to help you, Zak. Swallow whatever it is that?s holding you back and tell us what?s wrong.?

Zakura made a sudden grasping movement towards Alzar?s throat, but she jumped out of the way.

?It?s that fact that my own flesh and blood has made me out to be a monster,? Zakura replied stiffly, ?they know by now who I am?what I have become?I am the nemesis of their organization. King Zhang and Queen Zao Lin are my parents, and they want me dead.?

?Don?t take your anger out on us though, Zak,? Aiku warned, ?like Alzar said: we?re only here to help you.?

?How did you behave when you were around your parents,? Shinon asked, for he, like the other three, was curious as to what Zakura?s past was like; ?I mean: there?s so much about you that we never thought we should ask about; and yet to see you like this...?

?It makes us sad, Zak,? said Zinjamyn, ?you honestly mean a lot more to us than even we were aware of. We don?t want to see the woman we spent so many years bonding with and teaching stress herself out like this. We want to help, Zakura.?

Zakura said nothing.

?Have you ever talked to anyone about this,? Shinon asked, ?this sounds like this is some sort of mental weakness or something.?

?Aye,? Zakura replied, ?that?s what it is. It was in a trip to the spirit world that I learned that. Avatar Lahka told me it was my weakness.?

?I see,? said Aiku, moving Zakura?s hat to behind her back and running his fingers through her hair. Unlike that of her family (though this was likely because of how she treated herself) Zakura?s hair was coarse and scraggly like Katara II?s. If Zakura were in a happier mood, Aiku would have made a remark about Zakura being short, but he figured that this was not the right time for it.

?It?s my own family,? said Zakura, ?and that?s what makes me so... so angry; so confused. Why did it have to be them? What insanity could drive them to hate their own child like that??

?How did you behave when you were with them,? Alzar asked,

?It was actually back in a time when I was generally obedient,? Zakura replied, ?the only reason they really got after me was because I was an earthbender. I never really gave them a reason to hate me, unless bending is a legitimate reason.?

The 4 Benders took Zakura?s word for it, and she was in fact being truthful. It was just the hatred that The Order of the Avatar Slayer had towards the Avatar Guard and the avatar himself (though that ?himself? became ?herself? once Lahka died) that made them hate Zakura. Surprisingly, this was before they knew she was the avatar. If they had known while she still lived with them, they would have ended her life then and there. Zakura didn?t even find out she was the avatar until shortly after her 16th birthday.

?It makes me mad,? said Zakura again, ?to think that I?m the cause of all this war; and not even for anything I?ve done. It?s because of the mere fact that I exist; that I?m the avatar.?

?Exactly,? said Alzar, ?you?re the avatar. And you don?t seem to have any weaknesses in that department. If you do it?s our flaws in our teaching methods. We wanted to make sure you were the best. That was why we dedicated our lives to making sure you turned out well.?

?I still don?t understand why you would do that,? said Zakura, ?I mean: there I was; just an everyday earth kingdom girl; and then I get thrown into a world where they say ?you?re the next avatar? and it turns my life around. Then you four appear and befriend me for no reason. I never fully understood it. Why did you do what you did??

?Because even I could see what you were like deep down,? Alzar replied, smiling, ?you needed a friend, Zakura. We figured we could also help with that while we taught you the elements.?

?But why,? Zakura asked, ?why did you continue to put up with my crap and lack of respect? Why did you decide to dedicate your lives to me learning your skills??

?Because we wanted to be able to look one day and say ?we taught Zakura Ishiko; the greatest avatar to ever live.? Shinon replied, ?She was not just a learner, but she was also like a sister to us.?

?Face it, Zak-Zak,? said Zinjamyn, ?you?re part of us now.?

?You know what,? said Zakura, ?I think I?m going to hit you for that.?
However, Zinjamyn was able to bend back and avoid Zakura?s uppercut, and when people dodged it, Zakura let up. She only tried it once before doing it again. She?d wait a while before her next strike.

?You know what,? said Zakura, smiling, ?I think you?re right in more ways than one. I don?t think I?d be able to manage very well without you four here for me. I want to be able to look back and say ?you know The Legendary Four Benders? They were my teachers?.? She paused for a moments before she continued.

?They were also my family,? she said, opening her arms and bringing the four of them in an embrace, ?and I love them.?

Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, and Zinjamyn all smiled upon seeing the happiness return to Zakura?s emotions

?Then we have succeeded,? said Aiku, ?remember Zakura: if there?s anything that troubles you?anything at all, no matter how ridiculous it may sound; just come fine us. We?re here for you, no matter what the circumstances are. Always remember that, Zakura, and you?ll be alright. You?re not going to lose this war; you have friends everywhere that are willing to die for the freedom of this world, and for your survival.?

?Thank you,? said Zakura, her eyes watering only slightly (for neither Alzar, Shinon, Zinjamyn, nor Aiku thought they should mention this, as they were not in the mood for a dislocated jaw at the current time);

The next morning was another typical day, with the exception of Cheng encountering Zakura when she was alone.

?What do ya need,? Zakura asked, chuckling, ?an extra set of clothes for Taki because you took them off and lost them??

?Um, no;? Cheng replied, ?I was just going to ask you something.?

?Well,? said Zakura shrugging, ?fire away.?

?What?s the prettiest place you?ve ever been?? he asked,

?Ah,? she said, ?taking your girl out somewhere special, I wager??

?Aye,? Cheng replied, by now knowing that telling Zakura the truth was the best way to get her off your back, ?and I figured since you?ve already done so much for us that another favor wouldn?t hurt, right??

?Sounds logical,? Zakura replied, ?as for the place, take her west just across the river from the village west of Fengtai. You might have to take back roads to avoid The Order, but trust me, it?s worth it.?

?Alright then,? said Cheng, smiling, ?thanks.?

?You?re welcome,? Zakura replied, smiling back as Cheng left, presumably to tell Taki. Normally she might have made something up, but she was in a much better mood, and this lifted the spirits of most of the base. They were all glad that She Was Happy Again.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

Chang and Taki set off...

and of course this means more fluff, and a possible explicit version if I get around to writing it.

anyways, the 58th installment of my series. enjoy.

CHAPTER 58: THEY WERE GOING TO FIGHT
Cheng and Taki set off early the next morning to the place Zakura told them about for their honeymoon. Incidentally, on their way out, they were stopped by Royota.

?There are lots of Order Kyoshi Warriors in that area,? he warned, ?It is theorized that The Order has a base there. I am not trying to tell you this to deter you two from going to such a beautiful place, but rather, warning you to be wary, keep your guard up, and be prepared to fight if the situation arises.

?We?ll do that,? Cheng said, smiling at Royota. He was dressed in a red and gold Fire Nation suit, and Taki was clad in a white dress with elaborate green patterns running across it. However, they had a bag with food and other necessities; and among these necessities were both Cheng and Taki?s uniforms and weapons; Cheng being a Fire Nation Soldier and Taki being a Kyoshi Warrior.

?Farewell,? said Royota, ?Zakura says for you two to be safe.?

?We will be,? Taki replied; and with that, the newly married couple left the base. It was still very early in the morning. The sun hadn?t even come up yet. Using more money from Zakura, they boarded the monorail for Fengtai and would go from there. Once they boarded, Cheng decided to inspect their things just to make sure nothing was slipped in by anyone, as there were dodgy people in this world obviously; and there was a huge war going on.

Ironically, Cheng found something out of place right off the bat. It was a note, written in nice handwriting that was clearly done by a female (though some people like Zakura and Katara II [the latter of which was completely illiterate, and therefore could neither read nor write, except her name] has scraggly handwriting that was illegible enough to pass of as a man?s sometimes).

?What?s this,? he exclaimed, and read it aloud.

?This I will remember when the rest of life is through: the greatest thing I?ve ever done is simply loving you.? ~Taki~

Cheng looked over at Taki, who was sitting next to him [of course]; she looked tired. When she noticed he had read what she wrote, she smiled.

?I love you,? she whispered, and kissed his cheek before gently resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

?I love you too, sweetie,? Cheng replied, kissing her in return. She gently put her arms around him and fell asleep her head still on his shoulder.

Cheng eventually fell asleep as well, and the two of them slept until they reached the small village west of Fengtai. It was still early in the morning, but it was just starting to get brighter. They remained asleep though, and it took one of the guards, and older man, to wake them up.

He was clearly an order member, for he roughly nudged Cheng awake by lightly hitting his [upper] chest.

?Oy,? he said, ?get your girly-friend up and get your selves off the train. We?re at your stop, boy.? He was about to nudge Taki in the same manner as he had done to Cheng, but Cheng stopped him.

?Excuse me,? said Cheng crossly, ?that?s my wife. Don?t you dare lay a hand on her like that or you?ll be answering to me.?

Cheng made a fireball in his hand, and the guard backed away. He was most likely not a bender or a very weak one.

?Start a fight and you?ll be hauled off to prison, boy? he said, ?the law?s the law, regardless of whether or not you?re married.?

?Then don?t touch my wife, and you?ll be alright.? Cheng replied, gently rousing Taki. These were his last words to the guard, and they got off the train without any further hassle. He had gotten defensive because the guard had hit Cheng?s chest [not painfully; just enough to wake him up] and was about to hit Taki in the same area before Cheng had intercepted it. As they stepped off, Taki rubbed her eyes. She was still exhausted; and unlike Cheng, she didn?t get an afternoon nap like he had.

?What happened,? she asked, not quite back in the real world,

?nothing, honey,? Cheng replied, still leading her by the hand west and towards the outside of the village, which was mostly overrun by Order members?as this was Ju Long?s village.

?Who was that man you were yelling at,? she asked, still also leaning on him for support. Her steps were slightly awkward and she seemed dizzy;

?He was a man who tried to touch my wife in a way that I wasn?t going to allow,? Cheng replied, still slightly cross that the man had had the nerve to attempt what he did, ?but don?t worry: he didn?t, and nothing happened while we slept.?

?Except my dress is missing,? Taki replied, and Cheng looked down, shocked at the absurdity of what Taki had just told him. However, when he looked down, he saw it was still on her body, covering her legs like it was supposed to. Taki giggled.

?Just kidding,? she said, ?it?ll only go missing when you and I are alone.?

Cheng laughed. ?Are you awake yet??

?Aye,? Taki replied, ?but don?t let go of my hand.?

Cheng didn?t, but when Taki tried to walk without leaning on Cheng, she nearly fell over. Her eyes were closed, and Cheng could tell from how slow her body was moving [and from how slow her heartbeat was, for he had pressed her up against him] that she was still worn out. He hoisted her up and continued towards his destination, carrying his wife and their things.

He was a strong man, and Taki was light, so this was relatively easy. They made it out of the village and continued until they reached the river, which was only a short distance away. They looked around, but could not see any signs of a way across. The land on the other side looked greener than the land they were on, and so Cheng knew they were getting close. Taki woke up again by this time.

?What?s the matter, Cheng-Cheng?? she asked gently,

?There?s no way across, Cheng replied, ?we might just have to swim across this thing. You think we can do it??

Taki giggled, ?Aye,? she replied, ?it?ll wake me up too.?

?I?m gonna toss you in then,? Cheng laughed, looking at the river; it was slow moving, and probably only about 5 or 6 feet deep at best, and so there was little or no danger.

Taki giggled. Cheng tossed her up towards the river and she came down, her dress fluttering like a parachute. Cheng let out a wolf-whistle when he saw this. When Taki hit the water, it was still billowing. Cheng did a cannonball in after her, and a few minutes later they were laughing on the opposite bank of the river, soaked from head to toe [though the white material of Taki?s dress was not see-through]. They smiled and looked at each other.

?Wait,? said Cheng, ?we left our things on the other side,?

?That?s fine,? Taki giggled, and she was now awake for the time being, ?I?ll take care of that.?

Taki moved her foot only slightly, and the mass of earth that their bag was on zipped across the river until it hit the opposite bank.

?Why didn?t you just earthbend us across then,? Cheng exclaimed, chuckling at Taki?s cleverness,

?Because that way was much more fun,? Taki replied, hugging Cheng, ?and it woke me up. I couldn?t earthbend us in a straight line if I was half-asleep, you know what I mean??

?True,? Cheng replied, ?but oh well. Let?s get to our destination and set up camp. Then we?ll be able to get some more rest.?

Cheng took Taki?s hand and the soaking wet couple made their way deeper into the beautiful forest. They found a gorgeous spot where they could clearly see the beautiful sunrise, and set up camp there. It was very quiet and serene here. When Cheng and Taki weren?t moving or talking, the only thing they could hear was the sound of the other person breathing.

?This feels strange,? said Taki, ?I mean, I wonder why a place like this is so quiet. It?s almost eerie.?

?I was thinking the same thing,? said Cheng, ?this place seems like its being watched?or that something?or someone?has been here.?

?Maybe we?re just tired,? said Taki, ?I mean: if you recall, I was barely able to think straight before the river.?

?That?s true,? said Cheng, ?perhaps making out will solve the problem.?

?Aye? Taki replied, laughing, ?It answers everything.?

And so that was what they did. Unfortunately for them, they had literally walked right into the area where The Order?s Kyoshi Warrior base was. They were so busy locking lips that they did not notice that swarms of Order Kyoshi Warriors and Fire Nation soldiers had surrounded them. They were rolling on the ground for a while passionately kissing until Taki suddenly jerked back.

?Cheng,? she gasped, picking up something off the ground, ?look at this,?

It was an old knife, as if there had been a fight here before.
Cheng gasped. ?If there was a fight here before,? he said, ?then...?

?It?s about time you two blithering idiots figured it out,? said a voice. Cheng and Taki looked up and saw the squadron of Kyoshi Warriors and Fire Nation soldiers all around them. ?We?ve been watching and closing in on you for the past 35 minutes.?

Cheng and Taki said nothing at first. Suddenly though, they both instantly (and literally) flipped up, landed and stood back to back, Cheng in a firebending stance and Taki in an earthbending stance. They were surrounded, but They Were Going to Fight.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

the ending of this chapter is funny. Cheng and Taki are awesome. period.

anyways, the 59th chapter of The Order of the Avatar Slayer...

CHAPTER 59: A BLOW TO THEIR PRIDE
?So you two think you can actually challenge an entire army,? the Kyoshi leader exclaimed, ?look at you two; there?s just no way that that?s going to happen.?

?except,? said Taki, ?not only is it going to happen, but we?re going to get out of here alive, since unlike all of you blokes, we?ve actually had decent training. I?ll personally make sure I cut your little frame into pieces myself, girl.?

?Well; well; well;? said the Kyoshi Warrior leader, finally able to connect where she had seen Taki?s face before, ?if it isn?t our old friend Taki Masahiro; we wondered where you ran off to.?

?That?s Taki Alesha to you, girl,? Taki replied with a witty tone, ?You see, I actually have life skills to. I was able to find myself a man.?

?So we gathered,? said a male voice; they turned slightly to see that it was the leader of the Fire Soldier division;

?Alesha,? he exclaimed, ?Cheng Alesha: the man who betrayed us as well; Wow; traitor and traitor attract, huh??

?Precisely,? Cheng replied proudly, ?we decided to betray The Order because we know which side is going to win the war; and it certainly isn?t The Order if they have losers like you two commanding their armies.?

?Cheng Alesha and Taki Masahiro,? the man replied, laughing again, ?and so I suppose little miss avatar taught you a thing or two??

?More than that,? Taki replied, ?she taught us how to get a life. That?s why we?re married and you?re not.?

?It?s also why we?re going to be alive after this is all said and done and you?re not,? Cheng added, and the two of them leered.

The Kyoshi Warrior aimed a blow at Taki, but Taki?s reflexes were too quick, and she ducked.

?Ready when you are,? said Cheng to his enemies, but he was actually talking to Taki, who caught his gist and nodded. They both jumped up and hit the ground, Cheng sending a huge blast of flame outwards and Taki sending out a fault line, which blasted a hole in the enemy ranks. Using this to their advantage, Cheng and Taki tore past them in an attempt to put some distance between them.

This was going to be a game of hide-and-seek-and-snipe if things went the way Cheng and Taki hoped. Luckily, both of them were swift, lithe, and nimble, for they did not have as much clothing, let alone armor, as the Fire Nation and Kyoshi Warriors, who were dressed in the thick clothing of their uniforms. They took off into the trees, neither one letting the other out of his or her sight.

From The Order?s point of view, Cheng and Taki had all but disappeared. Naturally, they split into decent-sized groups and spread out to cover more ground, generally throwing attacks out whenever they thought they saw something move.

Cheng and Taki had retreated into a tree by this time, though they wished that they could have had a little more to cover themselves with; be it more clothing or some armor. Nevertheless, they were getting passed by, and so they smirked.

?Shall we,? Taki whispered, looking at Cheng

?Aye,? Cheng replied, and made a fireball on his hand, which she shaped into something thin and sharp. Taki jerked her hand upward, bringing a rock in the form of several knives up. They were going to snipe their enemies from their location until they noticed.

The Order of the Avatar Slayer might have heavily outnumbered The Avatar Guard, but compared to the experience that some of the veteran members of The Avatar Guard had, The Order were simply amateurs. Additionally, those who were able to join The Avatar Guard?s core force had become very powerful because of the training that they were able to put themselves through, since they had The Four Benders, who were always willing to teach anyone something new.

Cheng and Taki were able to direct their projectiles in such a manner that it made them look like they were coming from all sides. Nonetheless, eventually they were found, and so they jumped. Water, earth and fire from The Order?s armies and attacks came out flying at them, and they had to jump, flip, dodge, or out-bend their enemies to avoid taking a hit, something that they had both so far been successful at doing.

[The Kyoshi Warriors were sometimes benders as well, and had all nationalities (The Avatar Guard had a few airbending Kyoshi Warriors, but since the Air Nomads had chosen to stay out of the war as much as possible, these were rare), and so to see a Kyoshi Warrior who was a waterbender, and earthbender or a firebender was not uncommon.]

Cheng and Taki seemed to complement each other when it came to their fighting styles. It might have been because they always trained together, and learned to play off of each other?s moves, but whatever it was, it was proving to be effective against the much less experienced Fire Nation Soldiers and Kyoshi Warriors. They both may not have been very high-ranked by official standards and ranks, but they were among some of the best fighters of their kind.

Cheng and Taki were both on a roll, though they figured that by now they were lost, as they had no idea where their camp was. Every time an attack was thrown at them, they countered it, as countering had become their specialty. This was also why they were the ones to flee, and the ones to take the defensive.

The enemy soldiers, most of which just seemed like people The Order had recruited by telling them to join the war, were not aware of their destructive skills until too late. This only intensified after Cheng and Taki were able to respectively get hold of a steel sword and a pair of brass Kyoshi fans. Taki smirked, and as they waited to be found again, she began sharpening the fans she had found even more than they were. They weren?t as razor-sharp as hers were, and the sword the Cheng got was not as sharp as the one he had, but they improvised nonetheless.

?Play time?s over,? they both said simultaneously, jumping out right as they were about to be seen anyways. Brandishing their weapons, they charged, also shooting rocks and flames in every direction with no regard to what they were hitting. Having no other allies except each other had that one advantage.

They had taken the offensive, since with the combined might of their now excellent bending skills and their already incredible weapon skills, The Order?s armies were no match. Granted, these were not the best armies The Order had, [they were about average] but the fact that these two elite warriors were holding their ground was amazing.

They eventually killed off enough of them that they began to retreat. Cheng and Taki?s new targets were the Fire Soldier leader and the Kyoshi leader respectively. They eventually came across them, as they had been looking for Cheng and Taki as well.

?Well,? said Taki, giggling, ?it?s just us now. Shall we dance??

These two were much more experienced than their soldiers, but Cheng and Taki still outdid them. Their constant leering and positive, calm attitudes helped anger their opponents, who began strategizing less and trying to go berserk more.

Fire and earth was flying both ways, Cheng and Taki frantically but cheerily dodging them or trying to counter the attacks. When all was said and done, Taki suddenly spun around and using the brass Kyoshi fans she had acquired and one swift fell stroke from them, she had removed the head of her enemy.

Cheng, Taki, and the Fire Solider leader all stopped and looked. However, in that split-second of pausing, Cheng spun his sword and around and whacked off the head of his enemy as well.

?Well,? he said, ?I guess that?s that. Let?s go find our stuff.?

?Alright then,? Taki replied, taking Cheng?s hand. Neither of them had taken any blows, and they had killed a good couple hundred or so enemies. They cleaned the blood off them selves in a nearby stream and then made their way back to their camp, which they eventually found.

Back at the base a day or two later, Zakura was reading a central Earth Kingdom war report to herself when she suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.

?What?s the matter,? Iresu, Zeruda, and Tenoko asked her, all of whom had been nearby and wondered why a war report made her laugh.

?Get this,? said Zakura, reading aloud, ?according to our Zuroc Sensei near the small village west of Fengtai; they report that The Order reports losing over half of the their 84th and 106th divisions to a strange couple running around in their underthings. This couple was identified as the Order traitors Cheng Alesha and Taki Masahiro, who apparently are now married.?

This even got Iresu and Zeruda laughing. Granted, only Zakura knew even half of what Cheng and Taki did during their alone time, but everyone in the base knew that they were crazy for each other, and that finding them in their underthings should a person barge into their room would not be an uncommon occurrence.

?Ha-ha,? Tenoko said, also laughing hysterically, ?That was probably one heck of a humiliating defeat for The Order. I mean: to lose almost 2 whole divisions of their armies to a crazy skin-showing couple like them; that?s gotta be a serious blow to their pride.?

?You know it,? Zakura replied, also laughing, ?maybe that was why I was so interested in them... they must have complemented each other well, like they did when they trained. Still, that sucks for The Order. That had to have been one heck of A Blow To their Pride.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

The battle begins...

this is not the epic final battle though. no, that takes place in the Fire Nation, and right now our heroes are in the Earth Kingdom.

anyways, here's chapter 60. The Dark Warrior reveals herself next chapter.

CHAPTER 60: NOW WE MUST FIGHT
Zakura had decided that they should march westward and invade The Order?s Kyoshi Warrior base and massacre as many of them as they could before they got out and attacked. The many Zuroc Sensei that were the scouts and reporters for The Avatar Guard said that they were actually planning an invasion of Fengtai.

?We can meet up with Cheng and Taki if we intercept them before they reach Fengtai,? said Ryuka, ?they will likely expect something though, what with the likes of Zhin and Tu-Sung on their sides. The Order has some cunning people as well.?

?Zhin and Tu-Sung are indeed expecting us,? said a voice, and they turned to see a Zuroc Sensei behind them. It was a female, and she removed her hood. It was Zeruda.

?You never told us you were a Zuroc Sensei,? said Tenoko,

?The purpose of a Zuroc Sensei,? said Zeruda ?is to be like Avatar Zuroc?to only be seen when desired.?

?I see,? said Iresu, ?so what do you know about Zhin and Tu-Sung,?

?Everything,? Zeruda replied; ?from the rumors of The Warrior of the Black Hand being present to the division numbers that will be at that spot. Tenoko, I would advise you to deploy the 38th, 32nd, and 41st divisions of your troops. This is going to be a large scale battle that might enable us to acquire The Order?s Kyoshi Warrior base should we succeed.?

?I?ve contacted my forces through various means,? said Tenoko, ?and have also included Divisions 42, 30, and 31.?

?30 and 31,? Zeruda exclaimed, ?how were you able to get news to them so swiftly?

?Let?s just say that I have connections in several places,? Tenoko replied, chuckling, ?surely you as a Zuroc Sensei would understand, correct??

?Aye,? Zeruda replied, ?I suppose all that matters is that the job gets done. Iresu, have you done anything regarding your troops??

?Aye,? Iresu replied, ?I was able to even nab my brother?s veteran
groups, divisions 66 and 67. With them are also the 63rd, 64th, and 65th as well.?

?Very good,? said Zeruda, ?and The Secret Service has done its job. Now, Avatar, the rest is up to you and your gang.?

?Really now,? said Ryuka, a smirk spreading across his face, ?I surely would have thought that you, Zeruda, a Zuroc Sensei would have thought of this piece a little sooner.?

?What are you talking about,? Zeruda exclaimed,

?Two glorious words, folks,? said Ryuka proudly, ?Division 79.?

?Now you?re speaking our language,? said Iresu, Zeruda, and Tenoko simultaneously; even The Four Benders grinned.

?I guess I was wrong about you, Ryuka,? said Alzar, ?you really are working for the betterment of The Avatar Guard.?

?Of course,? Ryuka replied, ?just don?t catch me on an off day and I won?t jump down your throat. I mean: about that one time?I have nothing to say. I have no excuse and all that I shall say on the matter is that I apologize. That is all.?

Alzar smiled, ?so there is some good in the iron man,? she said, chuckling, and true to his word, Ryuka said nothing, but he did smile slightly.

?So,? said Ryuka, looking at everyone around him, ?how long do you think it?ll take you clowns to pack up and get over there?? everyone laughed.

The next day, everyone was ready. The Foxx Family and the Meisha family (except for Zuki, Meili, and Sanaki) stayed back and were going to watch over the base. Zuki would have also stayed, but, curious to see where Meili was going, she wound up following her, and therefore wound up with the group.

They didn?t mind her, because Zuki was unquestionably obedient if she understood a person?s instructions. Since Meili was an expert at communicating with Zuki (only falling short of Zuki?s husband Cho Ling) Zuki was not hard to manage like Iresu had suspected. (She had only suspected it because she first saw Zuki in The Underground when Meili had freed her.)

By nightfall they wound up finding a little camp, where Cheng and Taki were (luckily) not doing anything private (at the moment).

?What ho,? Taki exclaimed upon seeing all her friends appear, ?were you expecting to catch Cheng and I in the act or something??

Zakura laughed. ?I might have been,? she said, smirking, ?but no, in reality, we came because The Order knows that we?re coming for them. They are going to be setting up heavy defenses around this area and are likely going to try and have some close in around us.?

?So you led us to a battlefield,? Cheng exclaimed,

?Aye, pretty much,? Zakura replied straightforwardly. Times have changed. It wasn?t like this when I came here. But aye, trust me, I wouldn?t have sent you two here if I had known. Anyways, I heard about your conquest; nice job.?

?Thanks,? said Taki, looking around at their company. Everyone that Taki and Cheng had befriended at the base was present.

?We plan to march on them tomorrow,? said Ryuka, who as the formulator of this operation, ?sorry that it had to be this abrupt. Surely you two understand it though.?

?Of course,? Taki replied, ?it just seems so sudden.?

?Well,? said Zeruda, ?the Order must have been keeping this under impossibly tight wraps for word of it to have not gotten out sooner. Nonetheless, here we are, and now we must fight.?

Naturally, they all knew that it would be a short night, and so even Cheng and Taki went to sleep. The only ones up were Zakura, Iresu, Zeruda, and Royota. Royota glanced at Zakura, trying to decode her expression, but to no avail.

?What are you thinking about,? he asked, curious to know, and determined to find out, despite Zakura?s stubbornness. Surprisingly though, he didn?t even have to use any nudging.

?Just this war,? Zakura replied, ?surely we were seen by at least one Order Zuroc Sensei, so they?ll know that I?m here. They may not know which of us the avatar is; but they?ll know that the avatar is here. I wonder how this will affect who comes with them,?

?You worry that your family will appear here?? Iresu asked,

?Aye,? Zakura replied, ?would I fight them?or rather, would I have the strength to fight them if they threatened me or my friends??

?Whatever happens out there tomorrow,? said Zeruda, ?just remember, that you have friends willing to die for you and the cause which we as a group support. We support you, avatar Zakura?to the day we die.?

?And of course, it?s not like I?m sitting on my butt while my followers do all the work,? Zakura replied, chuckling, ?no, I fight for my friends.?

?Of course,? Iresu chuckled, ?you may not think this, but you?re an honorable woman, Zakura. There are many people who look up to you and not just because you?re the avatar.?

?Hmm,? Zakura said, shrugging, ?I suppose you?re right. But anyway, I?m gonna go get me some shut-eye. Good night, y?all;?

The next morning, Zakura noticed several Avatar Guard members who looked distinctly different than what they usually did. Everyone was decked out for battle: Malak and Maric looked like young Water Tribe Warriors; Sanaki looked like a bright red Zuroc Sensei; Meili and Vigo looked like Earth Kingdom warriors; Kimiko looked almost like a warrior princess of old; clad in red and gold.

A surprising site though was an aged Kyoshi Warrior. Zakura had to actually ask if she knew her before the woman revealed her self.

?It?s Koara, you nut,? the Kyoshi warrior said, laughing, ?Once a Kyoshi Warrior, always a Kyoshi Warrior. My days are far from finished. I?m going to fight until the day I die.?

Zakura laughed. ?I never understood you, grandma,? she said, laughing [though Koara was not Zakura?s grandma?Zakura was simply making that statement directed at Koara?s age];

Another unusual site was Mulan. Her hair was done in a bizarre spiraling pattern that Zeruda commented reminded her of Yang.

?Yang,? Mulan exclaimed, ?who?s that??

?Xin Shing?s wife,? Zeruda replied, ?you?ll know her if you see her.?
Of course, Mulan was not emulating Yang?s style; rather, it was a hairstyle that female Airbenders donned when they went to war. Mulan also had braces on her arms, and was wearing baggy pants instead of her robe. She had braces around her shins as well, and a thick belt with a large Air Nomad insignia on it. Her arms, head, and feet were bare.

Other than Tenoko being barefoot for some unexplainable reason [Zakura did note that she saw her drinking the previous evening] everyone else was in their everyday clothes. Of course, Cheng, Royota, Lehran, Taki, and Zakura to an extent wore warrior?s clothes all the time anyways, so basically the only ones who were not ?dressed for war? were The Four Benders.

The Avatar Guard met up with their armies and marched towards The Order of the Avatar Slayer?s Kyoshi Warrior base, as it was called. This was going to be a huge battle, with hundreds of casualties likely on both sides. Zakura?s thoughts were occupied with her family, and Sokka and Katara I were talking about The Dark Warrior. This also occupied Zakura?s mind. This was going to be huge.

?Scared a little, Zakura?? Tenoko asked,

?Why are you barefoot,? Zakura asked, changing the subject. She wasn?t scared, but she was a little nervous, but only because she was not keen on her family?s reaction if they saw her again;

?I don?t know,? Tenoko shrugged, ?I just felt like it. So, about this battle, what do you think??

?I?m not sure,? Zakura replied, still marching, ?but there?s no turning back now. Now We Must Fight.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

this chapter is awesome. period.

oh, and there's a turning point: The Warrior of the Black Hand reveals herself.

so here's chapter 61. I hope you like it.

CHAPTER 61: YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME
It was not long before the armies of The Order and The Avatar Guard were facing each other in opposite sides of the battlefield. Both sides were observing the opposite side to see who exactly was there.

?Mercy above,? Maric exclaimed, accidentally tightening his grip on his nervous sister?s hand, ?it?s her.?

He pointed to a distant figure in The Order?s ranks. It was Ayumi, and with her was Orzon.

?Hmm,? said Tenoko, who was standing on a boulder next to Zakura, and they were looking out over the armies to see The Order?s ranks.

?Looks like I?ll be meeting some old friends again; and Zak, you might not want to look now, but that looks like your family if I?ve ever seen them.?

?You?ve seen my family before,? Zakura exclaimed,

?No,? said Tenoko, ?but they look just like you?sort of.?

Zakura gasped. ?It is them,? she exclaimed, ?this could become ugly.?

The Order seemed just as prepared as The Avatar Guard. Also in their ranks were Ju Long, Zhin, Tu-Sung, an airbender that was most likely Yang, Orzon, Ayumi, Zhang, Zao Lin, Michiko, Fukuda, and
several others that various members of The Avatar Guard recognized. In fact, the only prominent figure that no one saw there was Xin Shing.

?Shinon,? Alzar snapped, grabbing his arm and pointing off in the distance,

?it?s them?the ones who poisoned us?Jing Tao; Ya Zhu!?

Shinon looked where Alzar was pointing (Alzar?s sense was how she singled them out in the first place) and just like she said, it was the couple responsible for poisoning Alzar and Shinon before their trip to the North Pole.

Naturally, Alzar was fuming, and Shinon wasn?t looking very much happier. The burning desire for revenge from various members of both groups meeting old rivals and enemies only heated things up, and moments later, the battle started and both sides collided in an epic sense of warfare.

Many of the warriors were benders, and so water, earth, and fire were everywhere. There were also several airbenders as well, including some that were part of The Order. However, for the most part, the airbenders had stayed out of this entire war. The battle raged; elements and weapons colliding, blood being spilt and everything. The only thing that would be stopping this war would be the elimination of enough people on one side?or so they thought.

A sudden, huge burst of red lightning struck right in front of a spot where Yang, Orzon and Ayumi were about to collide with Royota, Tenoko and Zakura. Everyone turned to see who had shot the bolt of lightning. To the surprise of some, [others had expected this] it was The Warrior of the Black Hand. The battle did not just stop, it ceased. No one knew who her next target would be.

Yang seemed to be leading The Order, while Zakura was leading The Avatar Guard of course. As a result, the Dark Warrior was walking towards them. They brought their guards up, but The Dark Warrior did not look like she was going to attack. She stepped up to them and put her hands out.

?If any of you value your lives you will cease this fighting immediately.? She said, ?Otherwise, you might be next.?

Her fingers crackled when she said this, and she awaited their reactions. Zakura, Royota, and Tenoko did not need to say anything, for Yang took over. She seemed to have a sinister demeanor just like that of her husband Xin Shing. She did have a hairstyle similar to Mulan?s warrior hairdo, and her clothing was similar as well. Her eyes and face though, were much more malicious than Mulan?s.

?So,? she said, ?The Warrior of the Black Hand thinks she can just waltz in and put an end to this war with a few bolts of lightning? Don?t make me laugh, girl; you never had a chance against the likes of us, or even against the likes of that woman.?

She pointed at Zakura, but Zakura felt like this was a slander to her, so she spoke up;

?really now, woman,? said Zakura, ?that?s the first truthful statement that you?ve said all day. After all: no one stands a chance against the avatar herself.?

Zakura?s identity was out. Incidentally, her family was close by, and they watched as she proved her identity.

?Zakura,? said Zao Lin in a seductive tone, ?it was you the whole time then; to think that this whole war is simply against my rebellious child??

?You have no right to call me mother,? Zakura said sternly, ?not after your only goal in life has been to kill me.?

?You only aid The Order?s fears,? said Zhang, ?you are the arrogant type who WOULD abuse your power; my own daughter; the avatar...?

?Like I said to your wife,? said Zakura harshly, ?you have no right to call me father. As for abusing my powers; who?s to say that I won?t? That?s why I actually have people here that know how I operate. You two, failed the most miserably at it. Luckily, I serve a higher authority.?

?You do,? Yang exclaimed, but she wasn?t the only one; Royota and Tenoko had both said the exact same thing.

?That business is my own.?

?Hmm,? the Dark Warrior remarked, putting her fingers on her helmet where her chin would be if she took it off, ?you too then??

?Aye,? Zakura replied, ?and in all honesty, I want this war over just as much as you do.?

Yang, however, was through with the small talk. However, The Dark Warrior opposed this.

?Keep your trap shut, woman,? she snapped, ?I?m not finished.?

?Ha,? Yang laughed, ?you really think I would listen to you?the woman who is too scared to show her face, and so instead she hides behind the face of a once great figure? Ha; you are too much of a coward to do anything else but abuse your powers.?

?Don?t,? said The Dark Warrior, pulling off her helmet, ?you call me a coward ever again, woman.?

The revelation of The Dark Warrior?s identity came as a huge shock to everyone. Some people in fact were horrified when they saw her face. Katara I and Sokka were among them.

The Dark Warrior was none other than Katara Altina II. Her scraggly dark brown hair, distinct, golden eyes and stony face were unmistakable.

?Now tell me,? she said, still retaining the firmness in her low voice that she had had under her helmet, ?can any of you imagine what it would be like to have more power than you could believe? Or perhaps what it would be like to have to consistently train and gain control to always get better, knowing that a failure to do so would result in said power consuming you alive in a slow and painful death? Now imagine that the person who you loved and cared for the most; the person who could best help you with that problem; getting ripped from you at a young age, and that it happened suddenly and without reason.?

?That?s amusing,? Yang shrugged, ?what?s your point??

?My point is,? said Katara ?is that this war is futile. Fighting will get you all as people nowhere.?

?And do you really think that any of us are going to listen to a little girl like you??

Katara laughed. ?Woman,? she said, ?you have just stumbled right into my trap. Why else do you think I donned the armor of The Dark Warrior? I wanted to be feared. Most people wouldn?t fear a 15-year-old girl. However, a notorious figure like The Warrior of the Black Hand would be feared, especially since I could imitate him very well.

I did some research in the Fire Nation Palace about him; learned who he was, what he did, and how he moved and acted. I?ll give credit to Orzon and Ayumi for letting me stay with them for that.?
Ayumi actually looked furious. It was likely that she felt insulted that she had been outdone like that by a 15-year-old girl. Nonetheless, Katara continued.

?With that all said, just remember: I serve neither The Avatar Guard nor The Order of the Avatar Slayer. I will also warn that whichever side is not fighting for a good cause will eventually lose everything. In the meantime, I?m going to sit this fight out. I?ll always be one step ahead of you all, for I am The Warrior of the Black Hand. Farewell.?

?Who said we were through here,? Yang asked her,

?I did,? Katara replied, ?so I suggest you can it before I shoot some lightning oat you. The only one I?m not going to kill is Orzon. Now with that said, I?m gone. Farewell.?

Katara went about 300 yards away from the battle onto a hill and sat down to ?watch? the battle. A few moments after she had left, they all started fighting again.

?What?s wrong, Ayumi,? Tenoko leered, as these two fought, ?are you mad that you just got done in by a 15-year-old girl??

Ayumi was mad, but she wasn?t letting Tenoko?s taunts throw her fighting style off. She was swift and powerful. She kept Tenoko on her feet, but seemed to be aiming for Tenoko?s bare feet in hope of burning them. Nonetheless, even at 43, Tenoko was still very fast.

Katara continued to watch the fight, and she actually began smirking. She really was always one step ahead of everyone else, and once all was said and done, she would come back and explain how. Her mission though, was clear. Like Zakura, she too served a higher authority, and the fact that no one knew very much about her would work to her advantage. She laughed.

?Times have changed,? she muttered, likely referring to herself gaining control over her power, ?and You Know Nothing About Me.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

chapter 62... things are going swell...

Ayumi is a very fun character to write about. the way she operates is just so... so unusual...

enjoy this one. more stuff about her and Tenoko get revealed here.

CHAPTER 62: AYUMI AND TENOKO
The battle raged on, neither said gaining the upper hand, and common soldiers getting cut down on both sides. The more prominent figures were still locked in fierce combat. Ayumi and the barefoot Tenoko were among one of the focal points of the battle, the fierce firebender waging an all-out barrage of attacks on the calm [and possibly slightly drunken] waterbender.

Even clad in her billowing Fire Lady?s robes, Ayumi was still mercilessly swift, her long, black hair and billowing robes making her look slightly more imposing, especially when she jumped?something she did quite often.

Tenoko has some unorthodox waterbending styles similar to Maric and Malak, her Dragmire Flips serving her well.

Ayumi was fiercely shooting fire of all colors at Tenoko who spiraled, flipped, dodged, blocked or countered them to avoid taking damage.

?Are we through practicing,? Tenoko asked off-handedly, ?I mean: you?ve been trying to hit me for quite some time now??

?Perhaps you should try fighting me,? said Ayumi, and she actually ceased her attacks and stood there. An unfortunate Avatar Guard soldier or two thought that she would be easy picking because of this, and learned the hard way that she wasn?t.

?Look at yourself,? said Ayumi, noting Tenoko?s awkward gangling stance, ?it?s no wonder we were able to drive you out. Though your children seem to be able to hold their grounds as well as you do.?

?What are you talking about, woman,? Tenoko exclaimed, starting to fight back, ?I might be drunk, but I?m not stupid.?

Ayumi laughed a genuine laugh. Her sinister demeanor made it sound ominous. ?You of all people don?t even know? Think of it, you idiot: why do you think those kids have the same last name as you??

?Maric and Malak,? Tenoko exclaimed, ?what are you leading to??

?come, come, foolish child,? said Ayumi, ceasing her fighting, blocking Tenoko?s last few moves and then taking her hand, leading her away from the fray, ?surely you of all people would know the story of your own children? I guess I was wrong.?

Once they were far away enough from the battle to know that there wouldn?t be random people trying to attack them, Ayumi sat down beside Tenoko, her soft, pale hand still clasped over Tenoko?s darker hand, which was covered by the fingerless gloves she wore. Tenoko curled her toes in the grass and seemed to be relaxing.

?Good, good,? said Ayumi, ?calm down; don?t let the heat of this battle get to you in the head. You never know who might be plotting against you. Anyways, those kids... Maric and Malak are their names apparently, are yours. Maybe it comes from being the leader of a Nation?something you failed miserably at.

Anyways, I knew the name of the family that found your babies in the Water Tribe Palace. They?ve been done in by Michiko?s men, but obviously the kids survived. They?ve got your eyes, Tenoko?and your moves.

Perhaps if you spent more time looking up current events when they?re, um, current?and stopped being a blithering drunkard, you?d be aware that your own children have been right under your very nose for over 14 years. Tenoko, I even know what you originally named them.?

?So what?s your point,? Tenoko asked, unfazed by Ayumi?s insults,

?My point is,? said Ayumi ?is that you are an idiot. If you were smarter you?d probably realize that this is a trap.?

?No it isn?t,? said Tenoko, looking right into Ayumi?s eyes, ?and do you know how I know that: because instead of spending my time in the affairs of others, I actually went into the world and made a name for myself. I left fate in charge of my children if they were alive, and it seems that it?s done well in raising them.?

?Hmph? Ayumi shrugged, ?I thought a mother was supposed to at least recognize her own children. I guess you proved me wrong again, Tenoko Dragmire. You were always full of surprises.?

?You never fail to impress me, Lady Ayumi Zhaoka,? said Tenoko, ?it?s amazing how respected you are. Tell me, is it fear or extortion that is the drive of your followers??

Ayumi smirked, ?that would be my little secret, wouldn?t it??

?Aye,? Tenoko replied, ?similar to that time when Katara burned your clothes off down to your underthings the first time you fought??
Ayumi went red, both from anger and embarrassment, and looked ready to strike suddenly at Tenoko, who just chuckled.

?Nothing?s changed, my good friend,? Tenoko replied, getting her hand out of Ayumi?s and patting her back, ?we?re still the same rivals we were since childhood. I?m glad to see you still don?t ever deny things that you know to be true. I admire that, Fire Lady.?

?So I get showed up by a 15-year-old girl and you go 14 years without knowing your children were under your nose,? said Ayumi, chuckling, ?I guess an old score gets settled then.?

?I suppose so,? Tenoko chuckled, ?things are always interesting with you around, Lady Ayumi. It?s a pity you were always against the avatar.?

?I suppose it?s a flaw,? said Ayumi, shrugging and attempting to stand up, but Tenoko pulled her back down.

?Come, sit,? she said, ?why must you leave so soon? You got me interested. My little Kemet and Komae are named Maric and Malak. What else do you know about my little babies??

Ayumi?s smile widened. ?I see your tactic, Chief Tenoko Dragmire,? she said, ?You are turning my trap against me. Very well; if you wish to capture me, then so be it. Perhaps though we should continue fighting before I feign defeat though?it would look more believable.?

Tenoko laughed. ?You never fail to amuse me, Ayumi,? she said, ?even when I was 18 and you were 24; you were still my strong rival, always just a little more powerful than I was.?

There was in fact a 6-year age difference between these two; therefore, if Tenoko was 43, Ayumi was 49.

?Are you going to let me stand now,? Ayumi asked, ?or am I going to have to suffer the humiliation of you pulling my robe off first??

Tenoko laughed, and Ayumi did as well.

?I suppose if you wanted it off I could arrange that,? Tenoko laughed, ?after all, you seem to like it loose; but no. I had no intention of pulling it off. You can get up whenever you want. You?re the Fire Lady. I?m no one but an old Water Tribe chief that?s too drunk to even know my own children when they walk up to me.?

?Then as a leader I command you to continue fighting me, especially if you ever do plan on capturing me. After all, I?m not going to go down without a fight.?

?Ayumi, please,? said Tenoko, laughing, ?you?ve always ousted me power-wise. Why should this be any different? If anything I?ll be at your mercy.?

?I guess we shall see,? said Ayumi, getting into position and then striking,

?Indeed,? said Tenoko, blocking her attack and lashing towards Ayumi?s ankles with her water whips. She jumped made a fireball on her fist that she sent crashing down at the ground towards Tenoko?s feet. It sent a wave of fire towards her that crept over the ground, but Tenoko jumped over it, swinging her whip to extinguish the flames.

She then turned them into huge projectiles, which she launched at Ayumi. Ayumi flipped over one, but lost her footing on the other, falling backwards, cursing at her mistake. Tenoko immediately was over her, her hands covered in ice spikes.

?You went easy, on me,? said Tenoko, smirking, pointing one of her ice-spiked hands at Ayumi?s face; the other at her heart;

?You don?t know that,? Ayumi replied, ?after all, how could I have feigned that fall? That hurt. You know me, Tenoko. If I didn?t even deny that humiliating moment with Katara, why would I try to deny this??

?Hmm,? Tenoko said, thinking, not letting Ayumi get a chance to pull a fast one; ?you bring a good point up. I guess you leave me no choice...?

Tenoko suddenly dropped her ice spikes, letting them melt into water over Ayumi?s face and chest, soaking her. That was a brief distraction, and it gave Tenoko enough time to slip her hands around Ayumi?s neck, passing her out.

?Dethroning the Fire Lady should not have been this easy,? he thought to herself, hoisting Ayumi?s unconscious form over her shoulders. Tenoko was a stealthy woman, and was able to slip even past Orzon, who Tenoko noticed was looking around for his wife. Tenoko took Ayumi back to the Avatar Guard?s base camp and chained her down at her neck, so that thrashing would cut into her throat. She then left and returned to the battlefield.

Unfortunately for Tenoko, Iresu had seen her and Ayumi talking, and so she stopped Tenoko as well, though she was earthbending against her enemies, and was very skilled.

?That would be my business now, wouldn?t it,? Tenoko replied after Ayumi asked what she had been doing, ?don?t you worry about it. Let?s finish this fight.?

?Where is Ayumi?? Iresu asked,

?Around,? Tenoko replied, blasting ice spikes at an unfortunate Order soldier, ?what, am I her keeper??

?never mind,? said Iresu, still blasting rocks and slabs of earth outwards, her stance constantly changing, ?just fight...?

?Of course,? Tenoko replied, and she joined the fight again, which seemed to be slowing down.

Tenoko had known Ayumi for many years, and naturally, Ayumi had known Tenoko for many years. These two were rivals in a way, but ironically, were also friends to a degree. Tenoko did not know how Ayumi knew about her children, and Ayumi did not know how Tenoko knew about her rift with Katara. Nonetheless, these mysteries were all part of the games played by Ayumi and Tenoko.

~Azula~

[Tera253]

a new revelation for Maric and Malak that they don't take very well... chapter 63. here it is.

This battle was pretty fun to write... with all the REyson ownage... and Sanaki ownage too.

CHAPTER 63: WE'VE GOT A BATTLE TO WIN
Granted, there was still plenty of action during the time Tenoko and Ayumi had gone off. Reyson found himself in a hard situation surrounded by rouge Order earthbenders. He may not have had very much actual combat experience, but he had had plenty of training.

?What?s this,? one of them exclaimed, ?looks like we found ourselves the little prince Lord Xin Shing spoke of.?

Zeruda had done well in keeping Reyson?s existence a secret from The Order, but after recent events and Zakura?s new policy regarding younger benders, she decided to let him use his own judgment.

One thing was certain: Reyson was no coward. He may have had a sheltered life, but he had his own policies and life lessons.

?When the time comes, just act,? he thought to himself, and then he thought of Malak and Maric, who he saw not very far away, locked in fierce combat against other enemies.

?You have me surrounded,? said Reyson, ?but prince Reyson is not about to step down and accept defeat. You?ll have to take me down kicking and screaming, for I am the rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne.?

?We?ll see about that, pretty boy? said one of the earthbenders: a gruff looking female who reminded Reyson slightly of Zakura, though Zakura?s face was friendlier looking.

?Pretty boy, huh,? said Reyson, shrugging and taking a step backwards, ?if I recall, pretty boys don?t do this,?

His reaction was a huge blast of lightning that knocked two of the earthbenders off their feet and left them unconscious. Reyson used this gap to make a break for it, but one of them made a rock jut out of the ground to trip him on the way. They thought he was down, but he wasn?t. Reyson, right as he fell, put his hands out, landed on them, and using the momentum from his fall, he pushed himself into a handstand.

?Gotcha,? he laughed, doing the splits in the air for a second [just to show off] before flipping back onto his feet.

The earthbenders however, were joined by several firebenders, and so Reyson was outnumbered about 13 to 1. They were determined to take him down, since they knew that he was the rightful heir to the throne and wanted that possibility of him acquiring it when he was older removed.

Reyson was a swift boy, and was very nimble like his mother. Zeruda, being a Zuroc Sensei, had taught Reyson many of her moves, and therefore he was quick, nimble, and light on his feet. He had also adopted some of the moves used in the Dragmire Flips, and was using them to his advantage, spiraling through the air and actually making his enemies take a step or two backwards.

The only reason these warriors were being intimidated by a 16-year-old boy was because they knew that he was a prodigy, and in this day and age a prodigious bender was always marked as highly dangerous. However, they were not about to let him overtake them; they were just more wary around him. After all, there were very few people fighting who were under the age of 18 (more like under the age of 21) and so they figured that if there was a bender in his or her teen years on the battlefield, that they were prodigies.

Repeated blasts of earth and fire came flying at Reyson, but he was able to nimbly avoid many of them, sometimes reflecting the fireballs, other times using the walls of earth as platform to jump onto and then off of as they passed.

However, all it would take would be one misstep and they would hit him, what with all the attacks they were throwing at him, and sure enough, that time came. He was painfully hit in the middle of his chest on his left side, causing him to stagger. He fell onto one of his knees, trying to recover his breath.

Immediately, his enemies closed in around him, but they didn?t know that they had closed in on two people, not one. A little red blur had shot into the fray right as the earthbenders and firebender surrounded Reyson. He looked up to see that it was Sanaki, and she had taken a fighting stance, planting her bare feet firmly on the ground.

?You?re not going to hurt him,? she said, and her cute, tiny voice made them laugh at her.

?Awww,? said one of the men, ?does the little girl want to play with her boyfriend??

Ironically, Sanaki was a year older than Reyson, but her small size made her look younger sometimes. Nonetheless, it was clear that she was well-developed despite her size. She was just short and thin.

?I?m 17, thank you,? she said, ?and he?s not my boyfriend; just a good friend I?ve made in the past. Now get out of our way. Otherwise you?re going to have to go home knowing you just got beaten by a blind girl.?

?Luckily,? said a seductive voice in the crowd, which happened to belong to a single waterbender, ?I know how you blind folk work.?

Immediately he shot icy blasts at Sanaki?s hands and feet, not only rooting her to the ground but also hindering her ?sight?. Reyson was still too short on breath to attack [for firebending was based on breathing] and so they seemed helpless.

However, this was Sanaki. She always had another trick up her sleeve. She acknowledged this as well.

?Think,? said Sanaki, ?with clothes as baggy as mien, you?d think that I?d have a trick up my sleeve. Well, I do. I was once called a Blind Dragon. Here is why.?

Sanaki spewed fire from her mouth at her enemies, and then at her hands and feet, freeing them from the icy grip which they had been locked in moments before. With her hands and feet free, she took a deep breath again and pointed two of her fingers at the waterbender.

?Prepare to either die or get out of my way,? she said, hoping that her move would work like she had trained so hard for,

Reyson stood up and watched Sanaki. She was blasted backwards a few feet, (and wasn?t hurt, but was massaging her rear on which she had landed) but not before she had shot a bolt of red lightning at her opponents, taking them down.

Sanaki Foxx was also a prodigy, and she, like Alzar, Reyson, Zeruda, Ayumi, Orzon, and Katara, was able to wield red lightning. It was only naturally learned by literal descendants of the legendary Sanaki Li Chan, and since Sanaki Foxx was the only one in her family who had ever been able to use it, she understood at once why she had been named Sanaki after she had first discovered she could wield it.

?I am a literal descendant of the great Sanaki Li Chan,? said Sanaki proudly, ?and you failed to heed my warning.?

She turned to Reyson and helped him up.

?Let?s get out of here,? she said, and took off to a safer place on the battlefield [where they wouldn?t get surrounded].

In the meantime, Maric and Malak were showing their enemies just what they were able to do when teamed up. They were fighting Michiko and Fukuda, and, like Ayumi, they knew of the twins? relationship to Tenoko.

?You know that blithering drunken Water Chief,? Michiko asked, seductively, as she and Fukuda walked around the twins who were both back-to-back, ?well, she?s your real mother.?

?What,? Malak gasped, ?Tenoko??

?I spoke clearly,? said Michiko gently, does this fact bother you??

?Tenoko...? Maric exclaimed, ?She?s the one who gave birth to us??

?Think,? said Fukuda, ?if she was any dumber she wouldn?t even remember her own name. She obviously didn?t love you two enough, for she didn?t even recognize her own children.?

?She?s not our mom,? Malak shouted back, her eyes watering; she was clearly not able to accept the sad truth about Tenoko not recognizing them, ?we don?t even know her.?

?You don?t have to know her for her to be the one to bear you,? said Michiko, ?why else do you all have the same eyes?the same moves; the same waterbending talent, even the same NAME??

Neither Maric nor Malak said anything, but Malak looked ready to cry.

?Face it,? said Michiko, ?she could care less about you. I doubt she even knows what I just told you. She doesn?t know or care who you are.?

?That?s not true!? Malak bellowed, tears flowing down her face, ?you lie, you treacherous monster!?

However, by this time, Tenoko had returned to the battlefield, and contrary to what Michiko had said, she did know this, and she was not about to let this slide.

?Don?t you dare lay a finger on my children,? she bellowed, smashing through any obstacle that got between her and the 4 waterbenders.

?Ah,? said Fukuda, smirking, ?the drunken idiot herself arrives.?

?You can call me whatever you want,? said Tenoko stiffly, ?but DO NOT EVER say or think for one moment that I did not love or did not care about my children.?

Since Fukuda and Michiko could not effectively surround Maric and Malak [since two people can?t surround anyone], Tenoko was able to joint them with no difficulty.

?Your mom?s here for you,? said Tenoko, embracing the two of them, ?and she?s not going anywhere without you.?

However, though sometimes it was hard to tell, Tenoko had her guard up, for she expected an attack from the Order?s Water Tribe Chief and/or his wife.

Malak was still sniffling when Tenoko stood the two of them up.
?On your feet, Kemet, Komae,? she said,

?What did you call us?? the twins exclaimed,

?My bad,? Tenoko replied, ?those were the names I gave you before The Order ripped you two away from me 14 years ago. I suppose those can be your middle names now. I?ll leave that up to you two. Right now though, let?s fight. We?ve got a Battle to Win.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

This used to be my motto, and therefore I love it.

Zakura meets her sisters and parents. things get interesting.

and then Ayumi is discovered. fun fun...

all this and more in the 64th chapter of the series...

CHAPTER 64: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Tenoko gave the twins their needed boost of confidence, and they were able to get back up and fight again. Meanwhile though, there was another family having issues. Zakura was facing her parents and her two younger sisters in a 4-on-1. Her sisters may not have been benders, but they were swift and powerful warriors just like Zakura?s elder brother had been before he had lost his life to the hands of The Avatar Guard. Because of this, Zakura?s sympathy for him was limited.

?Kyomi, Kaoru,? said Zakura, chuckling, ?you two have grown a bit since I last saw you. Yasuda would be proud.?

The four children of the Ishiko family, from eldest to youngest were Yasuda, Zakura, Kyomi, and Kaoru. Yasuda, the eldest child and the only son, was deceased; Zakura was 23, Kyomi was 21, and Kaoru was 19.

?What in blazes happened to you,? Kaoru asked, looking at Zakura with a sense of haughty disgust. Zakura had not been as muscular as she was now when she had left home, and her choice of clothing was far from the high-class appearance that her parents and siblings had.

?I became awesome,? Zakura replied, her arrogance kicking in. she had no respect for her family, since they were, after all, trying to kill her; I had to. I?m the avatar.?

?I never thought that my sister would be the cause of a whole war,? Kyomi remarked, ?but then again, you were always an unpredictable one. Yasuda was right about you.?

?Duh,? Zakura replied, ?that?s why I was scared. Wouldn?t you be scared if you found out that you were the person that your family was trying to kill when you were only 7 years old??

?If you knew,? said Kaoru, ?how then did you keep it hidden so well? You were never one to keep a secret unless it was important. Surely you didn?t know of it at that age.?

?I did not,? said Zakura, still warding off the huge earthen walls and boulders her parents were launching at her, and blocking the attacks from her sisters, ?I didn?t learn it for sure until I was 16. There was no way for me to prove it, since I didn?t even get anyone to teach me earthbending until The Four Benders came along.?

?The Four Benders, huh? Zhang remarked, launching another rock which Zakura smashed with her fist again, ?admirable people; pity they had to waste their lives away for the likes of the avatar?the fools.?

?Hey,? Zakura snapped, using some swift bending skills to get right up to her father?s face. She grabbed him by the throat, and the others paused as well, not wanting to give Zakura a reason to attack.

?You can insult me all you want,? she snapped, ?but do not insult the honor of the four greatest benders to ever live.?

Zakura let him go and the moment she did, she was surrounded by a barrage of attacks, even from Zhang, who had wasted no time in snapping back and continuing to attack.

Zhang and Zao Lin were amazing earthbenders, which might have explained why they were mad at Zakura. She was their least favorite child for personal reasons, and to know that she was the only bender out of their children likely angered them. Nonetheless, they had no good reason for disliking Zakura other than that she was the avatar, but at this point, Zakura didn?t care either.

?you do realize that I am not trying to kill you,? said Zakura after merciless barrages of rocks and knives and swipes of the blades of her sisters, ?for if I was, I would not only be lowering myself to your pitiful level, but I also would have invoked the avatar state don?t you think??

?Use your excuses,? Kyomi leered, ?kill us if you want to,?

?that?s the thing,? said Zakura, locking Kyomi?s feet to the ground with ice, so that Zhang and Zao Lin could not undo her work ,?I don?t want to kill you.?

Kyomi was met with a swift kick to the face that [naturally] shattered the ice around her feet and sent her flying several feet away where she landed unconscious. Zakura knew that her sister wasn?t going to die from it, and so she had no sympathy.

This process was soon about to repeat itself on an angered Kaoru. She was angry that Zakura had just taken down Kyomi, and she tried to retaliate. However, Kaoru, a non-bender, was no match for Zakura, a fully-realized avatar. Even if bending was not an issue, the Ishiko family stood no change against Zakura, who was also stronger than most men, despite her short size.

Once Kaoru and Kyomi were down and out, Zhang and Zao Lin decided to make sure they were alright.

?We?ll finish this later,? Zao Lin warned, ?prepare your self.?

And with that they vanished with Zakura?s sisters into the fray.
In the meantime, Vigo was side-by-side with Mulan, and the two of them were dueling against Ju Long and Yang. Mulan soon learned about Vigo?s inability to speak, and thus she tried her best to communicate with him. Her airbending skills had increased several-fold since she had last seen her ex-husband, and she figured that if he was going to challenge her that she would accept the challenge.

He actually engaged Vigo in combat, and Mulan took that as her cue to not only help Vigo but also keep Ju Long and Yang at bay. Ju Long noticed Mulan rather quickly as a result.

?So,? he said, ?here we are, meeting on the field of battle?

?Aye,? Mulan replied, ?imagine the look on our baby girl?s face if she saw her mother and father fighting to the death on this forsaken battlefield?

Ju Long said nothing.

?I suppose by turning against me and threatening not only my life, but the life of our unborn child, that I must fight you,? Mulan continued, ?and if that is what it shall take, then that is what we shall do.?

?Ha,? Yang scoffed, ?save the small talk. This kid knows how to fight.?

She pointed at Vigo, but did so at just the right time to get a slab of earth jammed at her face. She was knocked back, but quickly recovered her stance. She took to the skies but Vigo wasn?t blind. He shot rocks up towards the heavens at her, some making their mark.

Her retaliation was fierce, tearing winds that were almost like ice cold knives slicing through Vigo?s body. Nonetheless, Vigo was a master earthbender, and it would take a lot more than cutting winds to move the stubborn boy. Vigo was a defensive fighter, and so instead of waiting his energy attacking, he was hoping to wear out his opponent by blocking her moves instead of counterattacking. Some moves though he did counter to his advantage, but this was rare.

In the meantime, Katara?s face has spread into a grin as she watched the fighters on both side reduce in numbers and in energy.

?You are all playing right into my hands,? she said, smirking, ?just like I predicted. I don?t even need The Dark Warrior to make things go my way. Like I warned you all?I?m always one step ahead of you.?

Of course, no one was there to hear her, but she didn?t mind. Things were playing out exactly as she had hoped. However, she had left out one crucial part of her operation?her family; and as the battle started to die down, The Order pulling a premature retreat for seemingly no reason, they finally noticed her. She had since discarded her black armor, and was just clad in her everyday Fire Nation attire.

Katara soon found herself being swept off her feet by her brother, her mother right behind them. The Avatar Guard seemed to be celebrating a victory. The Order must have had something else in mind for abandoning their base this quickly, but at the moment they were going to worry about thing such as casualties and leave the planning to the strategists.

Katara?s mother was in tears.

?That...? she exclaimed, ?That was you the whole time; all that destruction... Why, Katara... why;?

?I hate this war,? Katara cried, ?Do you realize what it?s done to me?what it?s made me become??

?Katara,? said Sokka, who had always been Katara?s ?voice of reason? before they were separated, ?just calm down. We?re here for you again. This was a heavy blow on The Order; losing one of their bases like this. This war won?t last much longer.?

Katara said nothing. She knew that she was going to get pestered with questions if she went with The Avatar Guard. She sighed.

?I don?t want to talk about what I did,? she said, ?I just want to be alone.?

?Well,? said Sokka, ?we have a whole big Order base that?s probably big enough for you to fine a place to be by yourself. Just relax, Katara. It?s over for now.?

But it was far from over. The Avatar Guard was surprised to find that The Order?s Base had been stripped of anything other than things used by the public, so in essence, instead of finding The Order?s plans or such, all they had was a semi-clone of their base in Ba Sing Se. additionally, there was the issue of a certain Fire Lady who was chained down at the camp. She was conscious again, but had not moved since Tenoko had captured her and chained her down.

?You,? Zakura exclaimed upon seeing her,

?Aye,? Ayumi replied, ?me. What?s your point??

?What are you doing here??

?You think I chained myself down? I was captured, you idiot.?

?Surely you?re not that pathetic; or are you??

?Wouldn?t you like to know, Little Miss Avatar,? Ayumi leered, ?I thought your gang would have taught you by now?Expect The Unexpected.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

Katara vs. Ayumi in a game of wit...

and Ryuka gets owned. there's an explicit version of this, 'coz things got pretty... eh... between those two.

just when we thought Ayumi was understandable... anyhoot, chapter 65.

CHAPTER 65: THE TWO MASTERMINDS
Naturally Ayumi was chained down and heavily watched over. However, she made no resistance during any of this, and was laughing. Either she had been driven insane, or was playing a nasty game with The Avatar Guard. Whatever she was doing, they learned that The Order did not know what it was, for they sent word to Fire Lord Orzon and the rest of The Order telling of Ayumi?s capture, and they actually offered ransom for her release. Whatever Ayumi was doing, she was in it by herself. No one was able to figure her out.

?What in blazes does she think she?s doing,? Zhin exclaimed, as once she had caught word of it, even her tactical genius could not deduct what Ayumi was up to,

?Wouldn?t we all like to know,? said Orzon, who clearly seemed the most, bothered by this, as it was his wife that was taken.

Naturally, Ayumi refused to tell The Avatar Guard anything.

?What,? she said, laughing, ?are you going to kill me; torture me? Perhaps kill or torture someone I love? I have no soul, remember??

?You pull some amusing shenanigans, Ayumi,? said Tenoko, laughing, ?But I have no idea what you?re planning with this one,?

?Which just proves that I?m one step ahead of all of you,? she said, laughing, ?do what you want with me. You?ll never get the secret out.?

Most members of The Avatar Guard knew better than to try and challenge Ayumi, and so most of them just stayed away. However, there were two people who were willing to take the challenge. First was Ryuka. Ayumi was chained down onto some sort of large table so she was lying on her back looking up. She was completely calm, and seemed very relaxed, as if she could fall asleep if she wanted.

?Ah,? said Ayumi, smiling, ?Ryuka is it??

?Aye,? Ryuka replied, ?you are quite the annoyance; you know that??

?Aye,? Ayumi replied, ?of course, this is coming from the man who does not even have a nationality.?

?What are you talking about,? Ryuka exclaimed,

?I spoke clearly,? Ayumi replied, ?neither of your parents were benders; one was from the Earth Kingdom, the other from the Fire Nation. You were born on the seas, and since you?re not a bender, you technically have no nationality either.?

Ryuka said nothing at first. ?What?s your point?? he asked,

?My point is,? said Ayumi ?is that you?re inferior. Do you not see it clearly? Non-benders are always inferior.?

A series of strange events followed this moment, and summed up, Ayumi?s theory was proved, as she did a series of things that made him feel dizzy.

Nonetheless, she sealed her victory. She slid next to him and gently slid her shoes off, and removed the headpiece from her hair. She set them in Ryuka?s hands and grinned.

?Tokens of your defeat,? she said, smirking; she went towards a bed that was in a corner and laid down there, her back to Ryuka.

The bed was nowhere near as nice as the ones she was used to, but apparently Ayumi was tougher than she looked. Nonetheless, Ryuka was through here. He placed Ayumi?s shoes on the floor next to her bed and put her headpiece on the nearby nightstand. He felt dizzy, and he too wanted to lie down.

?Dang, that woman?s a freak,? he muttered to himself, ?for all I can see, she?s here just to drive us crazy.?

For the most part, he was right. This seemed to be Ayumi?s intention. They were not going to let her go, for if they did that she would become a dangerous opponent on the battlefield, but when they kept her cooped up, she drove them all crazy through various means, never causing any true harm. There was only one person left for the job?Katara Altina II?the young woman who was always a step ahead of everyone else.

?So what,? said Katara, stepping in to see Ayumi; she was still lying on the bed, her back to Katara; ?are you just here to annoy us??

?Aye, that about sums it up,? Ayumi replied, ?it should have been obvious. I mean: did any of you honestly expect that I was going to bend to your wills once I was captured??

?Of course not,? Katara replied, ?and so naturally, either we can keep you here and let you try to annoy us, or we can set you free, make The Order happy, and meet you back on the battlefield.?

?So now do you see the double standard,? said Ayumi, still curled up comfortably, and she still had not looked at Katara,

?Aye,? Katara replied, sitting down, kicking her boots off and putting her bare feet on the table; she began fiddling with her fingerless gloves and the gold-colored braces she wore ?you?re also trying to find information about The Avatar Guard while you?re here.?

?Hmm,? Ayumi remarked, rolling over and throwing her long, black hair behind her again, ?you really are smarter than you look,?

?Of course, it?s not up to me to decide,? Katara shrugged, ?I am neither against The Order nor for them. I serve a higher authority.?

?You would not join your family,? Ayumi asked, ?after all of that searching you would abandon that quest for a higher cause??

?Aye,? Katara replied, ?my higher cause involved me finding my family as well. After all, even with all my grand schemes and always being one step ahead of the rest of the world, I?m still just a 15-year-old girl, and with emotions as unstable as mine, I had to satisfy my desire to see my family again, and so I did. I thought of everything, including an unstable teenage girl?s emotions.?

?And did you ever think of your fame,? Ayumi asked her, sitting up, ?and where it came from? People knew you not only for your power, but also for the mystery surrounding you. Your name has a distinct reputation, Katara Altina II, as does mine. The reasons are the only difference.?

?You?re a cunning woman, Ayumi,? said Katara; her bangs covered her eyes, and she was not looking at what Ayumi was doing. Incidentally, all she was doing was getting her shoes back on, straightening her robe, and doing up her hair again.

?Where are you going,? Katara asked,

?Nowhere,? Ayumi replied, ?I have nowhere to go. None of you will even let me out of this room for some fresh air, so I?m stuck here.?

?Alright then,? Katara shrugged, ?whatever floats your boat.?

Eventually Ayumi was able to get out of the room, but no one let her near any of the exits of the base. They were harsh when dealing with her, but she made no resistance, and when they moved her, she just went with the flow. She seemed to bide her time just idly wandering around the place. It was ironic that the Fire Lady was the only one who was restricted in the area; nonetheless, Ayumi was not bothered at all by her captivity. In fact, she seemed accustomed to it.

Ayumi was bothersome to The Avatar Guard, but only because they could not figure out what she was doing, or why she found wandering around to be so entertaining. She never actually caused any harm. She only spoke when spoken to, and when she did, it was usually just the truthful answer to a suspicious question. The only one who did not seem bothered by her was Katara II, and she and Tenoko were not afraid to converse with Ayumi as if they were acquaintances instead of rivals.

?What is she doing,? Zakura asked Tenoko, ?she?s clearly not innocent.?

?I never said she was, and believe it to be false as much as you do,? Tenoko replied, ?she is likely just lonely and bored. She seems to like having someone to talk to.?

?So why do you and Katara give her what she wants,? she asked,

?Because Ayumi is an interesting woman to converse with,? Tenoko replied, ?so trust me, Zak; do you really think that I would talk with her just to humor her? I?m on your side still. I only talk to her because it gives me something to do while we wait for The Order to complete their plans of trying to retake this base and likely liberate Ayumi.?

Ayumi was wandering by during this time, and she had stopped when she heard her name.

?Beat it,? said Zakura, ?this is none of your business.?

?On the contrary,? Ayumi replied, ?anything involving my name is my business. Also, being the Fire Lady also brings most Fire Nation affairs under the category of ?my business?; am I right??

?Normally you would be,? Zakura replied, ?but here, you?re just another ordinary person. You have no authority here.?

?Alright then,? said Ayumi, looking upwards, ?I can live with that.?
And with that, she simply walked off, still retaining her royal stride.

?She?s up to something, Tenoko,? Zakura warned, ?surely you have noticed it by now?it?s undeniable.?

?Of course,? Tenoko replied, ?but like you, I don?t know what it is. Ayumi Zhaoka is acting more normal than I thought was possible for her.?

?We need to find out what she?s up to,? said Zakura, ?and I say this to you because you?re one of the two people she?ll talk to, and Katara Altina II is on her own side.?

?I understand,? Tenoko replied, ?and I?ll do my best. What we really need though is a way to convince Katara to go up against her in a battle of wits. She?s a very smart kid.?

?Aye,? said Zakura, smirking, ?that would be an interesting performance: a battle of The Two Masterminds.?

~Azula~

[Tera253]

the 66th installment of my series...

Ayumi's schemes start to unfold, but what they are exactly is still not quite clear. either way, this could spell trouble for The Avatar Guard.

CHAPTER 66:A FATAL MISTAKE
The Avatar Guard remained at what was formerly The Order?s Kyoshi Warrior base, figuring that a huge place like this would be one that they would want to try and reclaim. However, after a week of nothing, not even any more offers in exchange for Ayumi?s freedom, they figured that The Order had something else in mind.

Ayumi knew this part of their strategy, but the only time she ever opened her mouth was when she wanted to talk to someone, or when she wanted to be released. During that week she had started complaining. Apparently she thought that she would be rescued.

As a result, and probably to torment her, they let Katara II be the one to watch over her. She was able to because of her power. Katara I and Sokka were uneasy about this, but Katara II accepted the job, seeing it as a good way to get revenge for their earlier meetings.

Unlike Ayumi had been with Katara though, Katara was not determined to kill Ayumi. She was just there to shut her up when she complained.

Eventually The Avatar Guard figured that if The Order was not going to come to them that they would have to go to The Order. After all, for all The Avatar Guard knew, they could be in Ba Sing Se scouring the area for the Avatar Guard?s main base.

?They know of our location obviously,? said Ryuka to the others; they were preparing to move out. They had chained Ayumi?s hands behind her back, blindfolded her and had put another chain around her head that went into her mouth, so that she was biting down on it and couldn?t talk. She stood there grumbling and seemed to be trying vainly to escape.

?Do you realize that with Fire Nation Soldiers and Kyoshi Warriors, the two generally most powerful military units that they could very well have taken over the walls??

?Surely they could not take over Ba Sing Se with that few people though,? said Zakura, ?it just couldn?t be done, let alone this soon.?

?Who said they had to take over,? Ryuka asked, ?all they would have to do is claim the walls and be able to hold them. But aye, they certainly haven?t taken it over yet, but they certainly could have taken parts of the walls to bar the likes of us out.?

?So do you want to know what we do,? said a raspy voice; they turned to see Katara, donned in her black armor, her helmet in her hand; ?we send former members of The Order in, and they?ll be the ones to let us in.?

?What are you talking about,? Cheng and Taki both asked, for they figured Katara was talking about them, and she was. During the time between the battle and now, she had obtained as much information about The Avatar Guard as possible.

Though she was not on The Avatar Guard?s side necessarily, she figured that they were ?The side with the good cause? and so she was going to for the time being help them try to end the war. Additionally, her family was on this site, and although she had not quite re-bonded with them yet, she was not going to turn against them.

Katara looked at Chang and Taki and smirked.

?You two,? she said, ?you two are traitors to The Order. Moreover, the fact that you happen to be a Fire Soldier and a Kyoshi Warrior makes the plan perfect. All you need to do is slap these Order crests on your chests and they?d let you in.?

?How do you know this,? Zakura asked,

?She?s been in The Order obviously,? said Maric, ?and I can second her statement. I?ve been there too. I know what they do.?

?But do you have any of these crests,? Royota asked her, and Katara smirked. She turned to where Ayumi was bound and walked over to her. Reaching into Ayumi?s pocket, she whipped out a handful of Order Emblems. These were used to distinguish friend from foe during battles so when things got hectic that allies would not kill each other, since soldiers and warriors from all nations were on both sides.

Ayumi glared at Katara as she did this. She growled.

?Who do you think you are,? she snapped, though it was sort of hard to tell what she had said because of the chain in her mouth,

?I?m Katara Altina II:? Katara replied, ?and I will always be one step ahead of everyone else.?

?Really now,? Ayumi asked, and even some of the Avatar Guard members looked at her oddly.

?Of course,? Katara replied, ?when you have more power than you?re able to handle, you HAVE to stay one step ahead of everyone else.?

She paused and looked around. She then handed an Order Emblem to Taki, and one to Cheng.

?With these and your uniforms,? she said, ?you?ll be invincible.?

Cheng and Taki smirked. Of course, Taki?s makeup and headgear made her look like just another Kyoshi Warrior, and of course Cheng?s helmet would cover his face, so they were set.

?So,? said Katara, turning to Ryuka, ?does this plan sit well with you all, or do I need to shut up and sit down??

?If they?re fine with it,? said Ryuka, ?then all systems go,?

?Aye,? Zakura added, ?their opinion matters the most right now.?

?Well,? said Taki, giggling, ?we had a fun time ripping them apart and totally humiliating them last time, didn?t we, Cheng-Cheng??
Cheng laughed and nodded.

?Aye,? he replied, ?aye we did.?

?In that case,? said Katara, putting her helmet back on, ?we must be on our way immediately.?

Cheng and Taki did not bother to ask questions. The fact that they would not have to be separated might have helped this.

The rest of The Avatar Guard left the next day, most of the armies moving out with them. There were a few that remained at the base to hold it incase of a decent-sized invasion, and they figured that with Cheng, who specialized against Fire Nation soldiers and Taki, who specialized against Kyoshi Warriors, [and The Dark Warrior, The Avatar, and The Four Benders] that they?d do alright.

Ayumi did not seem to enjoy being held captive by Ryuka, who had remained at the base to watch over her. They would have had Katara be the one to do it, but she was playing her part as The Dark Warrior. Other than her, Ryuka was the only one who could handle her without her driving them insane and wanting to kill her.

?Try and kiss me again and I?ll slice your mouth off,? Ryuka warned, brandishing a knife like he usually just did for show anyways. Ayumi just sighed through her chains and sat down on the bed again. This surprised Ryuka, as once again, she seemed to have changed.

This was just part of Ayumi?s sympathy game though, and eventually, after some wistful sighing, Ryuka?s sympathetic side gave in, and he unchained her hands and mouth.

?Come on,? Ryuka shrugged, looking at Ayumi?s longing face, ?you?re not being treated badly.?

?I never said I was,? Ayumi replied, ?I just want to go home; home to the Fire Nation; home into the welcoming arms of my husband.?
Ryuka scoffed, ?that?s not the message you gave to me the last time we met,? he said, ?surely you could care less.?

?Honestly,? said Ayumi, sounding insulted, ?you do now know a game of the mind when it is slapped into your face.?

?Perhaps you gave me the wrong impression,? said Ryuka, ?either way; it is not something that I will be forgetting.?

Ayumi sighed. Being surrounded by an entire mass of people who all hated her was not doing too well on her by this time stressed emotional status, and she really did want to go home. Having nothing else to wear, she simply removed her headpiece and her shoes and then crawled into the bed in the corner, curling up, her face away from Ryuka, who was sitting where Katara II usually did, his feet on the table.

Ayumi lay there thinking about her friends, though evil they were. She was also thinking about her husband, Orzon, and how, although they were both cruel and merciless to most other people, they were kind and loving almost exclusively to each other.

?I miss him,? Ayumi whispered, and Ryuka heard her, ?I miss his touch. I long again to feel the warmth of him putting his arm around me; the warmth of his lips pressing against mine; feeling his heartbeat when we embrace each other; the warmth of his body around mine when I sleep... I miss the warm voice of my Orzon.?

?Who are you? Ryuka asked off-handedly, ?you?re... different.?

?I am Fire Lady Ayumi,? Ayumi whispered again, ?the wife of Fire Lord Orzon. Regardless of how we treated the rest of the world, we always loved each other?truly; always and forever.?

?Eh,? Ryuka shrugged, his sympathy for this woman limited for obvious reasons, ?whatever.?

Ayumi did not respond, but she was thankful that Ryuka did not turn around. Though tears had been running down her face when she was talking about how much she missed Orzon [it had been sincere], she had thought of her answer on how to escape. Now she was grinning.

?I am the 4th greatest firebender in the world,? she thought to herself, placing herself beneath Alzar and Katara II, two world-known masters, and also beneath Orzon, but above Zeruda; ?no mere Avatar Guard minions, not even their strategist, will be able to keep me now. Zakura, by leaving me with the people you did, you just made A Fatal Mistake.?

~Azula~