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    Default Avatar:Kindling[M]{DamoniquexAshen}

    Rated M for strong language, drug/alcohol use, possible sexual themes and situations, violence, etc, etc...

    "I knew it was going to be big...but this..." Ba Sing Se....Xia had to have read about the city in a hundred histories and twice as many poems and epics...yet still it defied imagination. It didn't just make her feel small, it made her feel minuscule. The whole island on which she had been born could be sunk in the center of it's great harbor and the wake caused would barely reach the docks. The wharves and storehouses and fishmarkets that ringed that harbor seemed as if they could house everyone she had ever known with room to spare...and this was outside the outer wall that blocked the horizon as far the eye could see.

    And then she finally understood the great folly her forebears had been making excuses for for over a century, driving army upon army, generation after generation of loyal soldiers to fight and die attempting to make make just one breach in those walls or to hold even a few scant yards of farmland within them, the city proper still leagues distant. It was a saddening, realizing how much blood had spilled over nothing.

    Ba Sing Se still stood, the Earth Nation still prospered, and the Fire Nation was still rich in honor and poor in all else. She frowned, reaching up to brush away a stray lock of black hair that had escaped the carefully-arranged topknot she'd been talked into wearing. She then felt a gentle hand upon her shoulder. Tsen. If it had been anyone besides the nomad had touched her uninvited like that, she would have burned the offending hand to a charred stump.

    "Deep breaths, one step, one thought at a time. Half the city's gathered to see their Avatar. Demonstrate what you've learned, let them walk away with a tale to tell their grandchildren. A wise man once said that to be loved, one must..." The tall, tattooed man young man started, but never got any further as she whipped around and fixed him with a withering glare. Whatever words of wisdom from some long-dead guru he was about to impart, she had no doubt heard before.

    "Lets just get this over with. I'm here to find my Earthbending master, not to put on a show for a crowd of simpering peasants, looking for a savior. But I'll do my duty. I always have." She answered, as the ship slowly made for the berth that had been cleared for them at the center of the harbor, a straight shot from one of the great gates of Ba Sing Se. They were still half a mile out, but she would already hear the echoing din of a great mass of humanity murmuring as one all around them. How many people must have turned out to do her homage...ten thousand, twenty? From here, they were nothing more than a featureless mass of browns and greens.

    The captain shouted an order, and the banners were unfurled along the decks, four great silk banners, one red, one green, one blue, and one grey, bearing the emblems of each of the four nations. At the prow, a fifth was added, stark white, bearing a lotus flower in gold, the symbol having become synonymous with the office of the avatar. The crowd seemed to be making Sunset anxious too, the small, winged reptile of golden scales draped about her shoulders turning it's head up and exhaling a plume of smoke in annoyance, and she reached up to stroke his leathern wings, calming him.

    "Well, here goes nothing...." The Avatar muttered wistfully, checking herself over once more as they drew closer and closer to the docks, ensuring that her topknot was properly wound, her two deep crimson sashes were secure, her inscribed gold medallions facing out to catch the light, and her armor was polished to a mirror sheen to very nearly match the dragons scales. She drew up for her full height, glad that at least she was tall enough that few would be looking down on her, and waited as the crowds drew closer and roared louder, drowning out all other noise, and fought hard to keep her hands from trembling as the ship finally stopped, and the fore bridge dropped down to meet the waiting dock, thankfully cleared of onlookers by the honor guard waiting at the end of it.

    But everywhere else, there were people....old, young, tall, short, homely and handsome, rich and poor, a sea of the olive-skinned people of the earth kingdom in their greens and browns, perhaps one in fifty from elsewhere, lending a splash of blues and yellows....but there was very little red. Rather than dwell on that, Xia took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and rather than walk down the waiting dock, she danced, taking precise movements, sliding one foot in front of the other, stopping now and then to twirl about, flaring out the long hem of her black gi.

    On the third step, she threw a hand out over her hand, summoning a ribbon of flame that surrounded her like a halo of red and orange. After the next step, she swept an open palm over the water, calling up a powerful gust of wind that ruffled the cloaks and hair of those watching from the bank, eliciting awed gasps, but no cheers, not yet. They were too enraptured. Three more steps and she made a gentle pushing-and-pulling motion at the water, making waves upon the bay to one side of the dock while the waters on the other remained calm and still. Several more steps brought her close enough to the quay to feel the stones that cobbled the long thoroughfare leading from the docks to the great gate, and she let the ribbon of flame die and threw up two fists, pausing for a moment, gathering her concentration.

    Earthbending required strength. Mental, Physical. The will to force change upon an immovable object, her instructors had taught her. She gritted her teeth and tensed her muscles, as if lifting an invisible weight, a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead as a pillar of stone rose up to each side of her, slowly but surely, and bowed together at the top, forming an arch through which the Avatar passed, head held high, careful not to let her utter exhaustion show. From her shoulder, Sunset took wing, letting out a piercing cry and flying a wide circuit over the heads of the crowd before lighting atop the arch, preening.

    Finally, the Avatar opened her eyes. Before her stood a half-dozen notables, dressed richly in green and gold, hats of various heights, shapes, and ornamentation denoting their rank. One, who's cap was almost plain, fell to his knees first in a low bow. Then another, and another, each prostrated themselves before her until only one was left, an older man who's cap was tallest and woven wholly of cloth-of-gold and decorated with emeralds, who only nodded once in recognition. Avatar Feng nodded back.

    And then came the cheering, a deafening din that seemed to go for eons without end.
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  2. #2
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    In all of his years making deliveries from Omashu to Ba Sing Se, never had Cai seen the city this crowded. He balanced three tall boxes in his thick arms, and between those and the people packed like tasty sardines, he was having a hard time seeing where he was going. He stopped and set his boxes on the ground, then fished into his jacket to pull out a map. Cai knew Ba Sing Se well, or so he thought. With every street overcrowded like this, he couldn't even remember how far he had come from those outer walls.

    He started off with his boxes again, and the few minutes walk to their destination took him half an hour. Once his packages were delivered, he accepted his payment from the large clothing company that had hired him, and he looked around. He hadn't heard anything about the city, so he wondered what was drawing such crowds. Ba Sing Se was a city for all nations, but he was surprised at how many blues and whites he saw in the crowds. There were even the deep reds of the Fire Nation here. Before heading back to his family, he wanted to know what was going on.

    It didn't take long for the earthbender to overhear talk of Avatar Feng. Apparently the girl was visiting Ba Sing Se. Some gossipers said she was looking for an earthbending mentor; others suggested she was looking for a nice young man to court. Cai wasn't much interested in seeing celebrities, but a part of him wondered if he might be able to help. He'd been born earthbending; it came naturally to him. His practice never came in the form of any deep study; rather, he'd practiced by playing with the neighborhood kids and tormenting his brother, the nonbender. What would Remus think if he'd come home with news of the Avatar? What would he think of his baby brother, Caius Mercator the Avatar's Earthbending Tutor?

    Cai was a large man, big-boned and big-muscled, and he found that the people gathered to see the Avatar weren't too willing to let someone like him slip towards the Avatar. Still, he was persistent, and he found himself standing only several feet from the tall woman. He'd never seen Avatar Feng in person, had only seen pictures, but he found that she had a fiery charm to her. Cai looked around him, at the thousands of Earth Kingdom citizens gathered. Why would the Avatar ever want to talk with him? It was a stupid hope, thinking he'd be able to help, but as he watched her bend her earthen arch, he thought he maybe had something to offer.

    ---

    Lake Laogi marked the last landmark before the great city of Ba Sing Se. Aoki looked out at the bugs fluttering about the water, and she thought of the wildlife she so dearly missed from her home up north. She'd not been back to the North Pole in years, but she could still remember watching the otter penguins with her sister and telling stories of the terrifying dolphin piranha. Here in the Earth Kingdom, so far from home, she was happy to see the different animals, their strange behaviors and their vibrant colors. After watching a bumble fly for a few minutes, the young girl took a small journal out of her satchel and started sketching it. When she was satisfied with her drawing, she packed her pencils and book and started out for the great city.

    Avatar Feng was coming to the Earth Kingdom capital today. Aoki had heard as much as she was traveling, and she was shocked to realize, in all her time wandering the world, she had never been to Ba Sing Se. She took her time walking towards the walls, knowing the city would be teeming with travelers from all over the world. Aoki didn't care who she would have to push through; notes on Avatar Feng would be invaluable in her collection of logs for her sister.

    It took her a long time to get to the Avatar, but once she was there, she was surprised at how similar she looked to Avatar Feng. Aoki was darker, and her hair was longer, but they were just two normal girls. She wondered what would have happened if their places had been switched, if Aoki had been born the Avatar. What a ridiculous thought, she scolded herself. She wasn't even a bender; she'd have no idea how to master all of the elements. Besides, Aoki's history was one of war, one of oppression and destruction. What would this world leader ever know about that?

    Journal and pen in hand, Aoki was writing furiously as she watched the Avatar bend the four elements. She noticed how faulty her waterbending was, and she wondered what the Avatar's plan was. Would Feng travel south after this in search of a waterbending tutor? Absently, she thought of all the elders of her own tribe who would have gladly aided the Avatar, all the elders that were now dead and gone. If only the Avatar could have seen the Northern Water Tribe in all its glory, if only she could have seen the exact way of waterbending that could never be replicated by their southern neighbors. Aoki shook her head, and as she remained in the crowd, she scribbled into her notebook furiously, writing to a girl she wished could be here with her.

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    Once the fanfare finally died down, Xia found herself standing in a clearing in the mass of humanity, only solemn ranks of Palace Guards keeping the crowd from pressing in to attempt to touch her, shake her hand, take pictures and ask questions. It was all so...different here, than her life before, first behind the high walls of her families manse, and then sequestered away on Crescent Island, where none but the Fire Sages and their guests paid call. Even her infrequent visits to the Royal Caldera in her homeland had gone nothing like this....the common people were allowed to come out to greet her, of course...but only from their knees, bowing in solemn ranks, with the dignified air of a religious observance.

    Her retinue had filed off of the ship to stand behind her. Tsen, his garb and tattoo's marking him easily for an air nomad, an honor guard of White Lotus sentries in their blue-and-white armor, Elder Sage Lang in his crimson-and-gold robes, and a handsome young man, his hair tied up an a formal topknot reminiscent of her own, and topped with the Golden Flame of the royal family, Prince Kito, a younger cousin to the Fire Lord, who was already beginning to share pleasantries with the Earth Nobles who had come to greet them, eliciting a frown from the Avatar.

    Xia was quite familiar with Kito, and he failed to impress her in the slightest. He would come to Crescent Island at least once a year, bearing gifts of jewelry and dresses, books and baubles, and seat himself beside her at meals and train alongside her in the yard, prattling on and on about life at court, his many automobiles and vast library that she doubted he spent much time in. After two years of beating around the bush she'd wheedled the obvious truth from him, that he wanted...or at least, had been ordered to want, her hand in marriage.

    This proposal was accompanied by pretty praises of her beauty and grace that anyone who knew Xia in the slightest would also know simply were true. She'd answered that she'd be willing to entertain the idea.....if he could demonstrate his ability to serve as her lord husband and protector in the old way, by Agni Kai, to first burn. He had been a fool to accept the challenge, a middling firebender at best, and he still bore an ugly scar across one shoulder as a token of her esteem. While the other notables entertained him, their leader of the tallest hat, was interested only in her.

    "Avatar Feng, Ba Sing Se, and all the earth nation, gives you welcome. I am the grand Senescal of the court, Jon Li San. The gates have been opened, and the home of our beloved Avatar Song, your predecessor, has been opened for you use, and servants provided to you. It would please the court greatly if you could take up the seat he left waiting for your upon our councils..." The man stated in gentle tones, exceedingly gracious, but his eyes were hard as they looked her up and down, clearly judging her worth. This visit was more than a spectacle for the public, it was an important test, she knew.

    Avatar Song had spent much of his life in the Earth Kingdom, his own nation, attempting to set the chaos and anarchy left behind by Kuvira's regime to rights, and the Earth Court had taken eagerly to claiming they acted with the counsel and consent of the Avatar when making their sweeping changes...most of which gathered more and more power for themselves. Wu had lived and died with only the title of 'Earth Prince', never bestowed the authority of king, and his successors had never been granted royal style either.

    They still appeared on holidays and religious rituals, but their role was ceremonial. The Court, composed of Thirty Nobles, Five Generals, and a dozen 'elected' Commoners, most often guild-masters, made all decisions of import. This man was their leader, and he wanted to know if the new Avatar stood with them, or against them. Xia met his gaze gladly, he smoke grey eyes boring into his piercing greens, unblinking, refusing to back down, and composed her answer.

    "While it pleases me to know you so honor late Avatar Song's memory, I must remind you that this visit is just that, a visit. Whatever seat he left me must remain empty for the nonce, as I have yet to take up my mantle as full avatar. I will remain long enough to sate my curiosities about Ba Sing Se, and select an appropriate Eartbending instructor...strangely, none of those the White Lotus sent for from Crescent Island were fit to make the journey...." She stated, her voice full of courtesy but for a hard edge behind it, especially when it came to that last statement. This visit had been thrust upon them by the Court, she knew well, for every notable earthbending master had returned excuses, either age and infirmity, pressing business, or family emergencies that would prevent them from coming to her. And now she knew why. The Senescal too her refusal with all the grace he could muster, through his expression hardened some as he looked left to right at the crowds, knowing that talk that he had been balked would be on every street by sundown.

    "The Court understands your needs, Avatar Feng, and serves at your pleasure....but if I may impress upon you, the Earth Nation needs it's Avatar. Certain....difficulties have arisen that only the bridge between man and spirit may set to rights." He answered, hoping that perhaps attempting to appeal to her sense of duty would work where flattery had not....and it may have worked, if Tsen hadn't taken the time to step up beside her, looking down at the Seneschal, whom he over-topped by nearly a foot even counting the mans ridiculous hat, with impassive grey eyes.

    "All the world needs it's Avatar, Seneschal, fully trained and properly prepared to face whatever difficulties present themselves. It has been a long voyage, and our party is weary....if you would kindly lead the way..." He stated, extending an arm towards the gates standing open before them, and the Seneschal knew better than to press the issue...at least in such a public place, and escorted by the Palace Guards and Lotus Sentries, the much-expanded party made it's way through the great outer walls, it's gatehouse so thick it was felt more like passing through a tunnel than a doorway.
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    In the short time Cai spent watching the Avatar, he thought she was nothing like her predecessors. She reminded him a bit of Korra, of her disregard for authority in her youth, but Feng was different, built with a feisty spirit and a motivation to get what she wanted. He didn't like how the Earth Kingdom nobles seemed to hail her as a god, but it seemed everyone was doing that. Cai was no Avatar, but he thought how exhausting it must have been, being looked up to by everyone, but just being one person.

    He noticed the fellow traveling with her, an airbender by the looks of him. Was he her tutor? He could see no one else with them, so he imagined she was searching for two tutors still. It wasn't long before the crowds were being made to disperse, however, and the Avatar was heading off with her friend. Cai paused, now at a loss for what to do. He could return home, reunite with his brother and tell him about the crowds he'd met in Ba Sing Se and the Avatar he'd caught a glimpse of. He was sure his brother's girlfriend would like to hear more about the spirited girl. But Cai was under no obligation to return just yet, his task having been completed, and his curiosity was getting the best of him. Even if he didn't think it possible, he wanted to stick around Ba Sing Se, spend a night in the capital, and see if he could offer anything to the Fire Nation native.

    ---

    Aoki slipped her journal back into her satchel and turned her pale blue eyes back to the woman of the hour. She had written pages now in her neat penmanship, but she found herself wanting more. Avatar Feng had certainly traveled the world, or at least a bit of it. Aoki wondered where she had gone, what she had seen, what she would be able to tell her. Her mind started wandering again, and she wondered how hard it would be to get an audience with the Avatar. So close to her, Aoki figured she would likely not get a chance again, so she started to move.

    So small in stature, Aoki was able to slip past the crowds with ease. The Avatar was starting off somewhere with her entourage, but Aoki had to reach her before then. Her body was being jostled by the larger people in the crowds, but she remained stable on her feet, ducking and sashaying around the people in her way. Adrenaline started pumping through her. Little Aoki of the Northern Water Tribe, a tiny, shy nomad; she was seeking the Avatar. Determined, she knew she'd get her answers, she'd get something to write about that would make Ami proud.

    The crowds started dying away, and finally Feng was walking off with just a few people now. Taking her chance, Aoki burst forward in a graceful step, but she overshot and stumbled only slightly before catching herself. "Avatar Feng!" she called, now only a few paces behind her. "Hi, hi." Huffing the tiniest bit, Aoki waved to the fellow foreigner and offered her a sincere grin. "I was part of the crowd just now, my name is Aoki. I was watching you, and I thought maybe, in addition to finding an earthbending mentor here in Ba Sing Se, you'd also be interested in, well, a waterbending tutor too?"

    What was she doing? Aoki's satchel was filled to the brim with scrolls, and she knew many of them contained ancient techniques of waterbending. She had a scroll for everything, it seemed, but she especially enjoyed collecting those on waterbending, on the hows and whys of her nation's power. True she hadn't mastered bending herself, but she was convinced she knew more about waterbending than most esteemed waterbenders. She at least knew more than Feng did, and she was sure she could make a great tutor. Besides, if she got close to the Avatar, she'd be able to hear countless travel stories to log in her books. Maybe this wasn't such a crazy idea after all.

    She burrowed her hands into the pockets of her fluffy blue overcoat and tried another smile again. As she cocked her head, her dark hair fell out of place from her ear, and she pushed it back again. "Sorry if I'm intruding," she said to her whole party. "I just thought I could maybe help, if you wanted."
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    The stranger sneaking up behind them took their guards, ironically, off-guard. The had been too busy keeping there eyes out for weapons and on the larger men in the crowd, allowing the small girl to slip far closer than she should have ever been allowed...but she didn't come too close. Tsen seemed to see her with eyes in the back of his head, and whipped around with startling speed, freeing his air staff and thrusting it towards the newcomer who named herself as 'Aoki'.

    The Palace and Lotus Guards noticed the commotion, and immediately turned their attention upon her...one of the Lotus Men, a young Firebender, as denoted by his red sash startled too easily and acted on instinct, taking up a fighting stance and throwing out a burst of flame before he noticed who it might be. Their orders had told them to be ready for an assassination attempt...there were still threats in the world, Equalists and Kuvira loyalists, and this one had taken their warnings to heart.

    Thankfully, others in their party had more level hands and faster reflexes. While Xia was not far behind, it was the Fire Sage, elderly Master Lang, still fleet of foot, who saved them all from an unfortunate accident and possible riot, raising up one hand almost lazily, closing two fingers, and snuffing out the flame as he would a candle. Before any more of the guards could advance, Xia herself stepped between them and the girl, who clearly seemed rattled by the experience.

    But what the Avatar couldn't understand was why the girl hadn't taken a martial pose and negated the threat herself. The still green waters of the bay were all around them, and she had claimed knowledge of Waterbending just moments before. But instead she had done nothing. This Aoki confused her...and also intrigued her. It took a bold soul to approach any Feng so brazenly, much less the Avatar herself. Xia studied the girls garb...it was soft fur, dyed water tribe blue. But not the deep shade of the south, but an ice-blue, nearly white. Northern. The Northern Water Tribe had ceased to exist as a true nation before Xia had even been born...and she felt a twinge of regret at the thoughts that recognition had brought to mind...but she couldn't quite place where it came from. If anyone was paying close attention, they would have seen her eyes flare with unnatural light for just an instant then, before they returned to the smoky grey they had always been.

    "Aoki...forgive my young guards....enthusiasm, to protect me..." She trailed off, giving the Lotus boy, she wouldn't deign to even call him a man yet, a withering look, before turning back to the Water Tribe girl "...you claim some knowledge of Waterbending? I had intended to seek a teacher at the South Pole, and you seem quite young yourself, but perhaps you know some things I won't find there. Healing, perhaps?" She asked, having settled on that as the simplest explanation for Aoki's failure to defend herself. It was said that before difficulties had befallen them, the Northern Tribe trained men as fighters and women as healers, and kept the two domains apart.
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  6. #6
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    This was a bad idea. Aoki saw from the corner of her eye a blast of fire coming for her, shot from one of the people traveling with Avatar Feng. She froze, unflinching, and only when the flame was extinguished was she able to breathe again. Memories flooded back to her, memories of her family members, of melted ice, of unanswered smoke signals. She'd been just a baby, yet any fire she'd ever seen since leaving her family sent a chill down her spine. This girl was very protected, she realized. Had attempts on her life been made before? What kind of enemies would someone like Feng make? Swallowing the lump in her throat, Aoki tried to smile again, all aware of the glares now all trained at her, of the weapons that were moments away from being at her throat.

    At the suggestion of healing, Aoki quickly dove into her satchel. "Many scrolls on my tribe's healing practices were destroyed with them," she admitted sheepishly, "but I was fortunate enough to find several authentic manuals on it. Like... this." She pulled out a long scroll and unraveled just a bit of it. Etched into the yellowed parchment were pictures and words of a complex bending practice. She traced her fingers along it, though she had memorized every single stroke of ink upon it. "Or, if you're looking for even more complex arts, I've tons of scrolls on bloodbending too, and even scrolls from the South too." She stashed the scroll back in her satchel. There was a pride in her eyes. Finally, her collection meant something to someone, or so she hoped.

    She looked back to Feng's eyes, a question in her own. "Of course, not all waterbending secrets can be captured in writing," she mumbled with a shrug. "I bring with me a dead form of waterbending knowledge. All of the benders from my tribe are, of course, unaccounted for in the present day, so I serve as the single vessel with all their techniques. I have no doubt you'd be able to find someone competent from the Southern Water Tribe. They're a lovely people, and you'd undoubtedly find someone to click with, but you'll have trouble finding anyone able to teach the waterbending I know."

    There were so many doubts rushing through her head, but the adrenaline was drowning them all out. Sure she knew all the waterbending she was talking about, but Aoki looked absently to her hands. They were incapable of doing much, had inherited the monotony of her mother and father, but she hoped she'd be able to help regardless. Looking back at Feng, she thought of her childhood, of the friend who had ratted her out the firebenders. She's a waterbender too, I saw it! The words were shrill even now, those of a trusted person's abandonment. I saw it with my own eyes. She... hadn't been wrong, of course, but Aoki was not a bender, and she had to stand by that.

    ---

    Further into the crowd, Cai noticed the small disturbance following Feng. Some girl was talking to her, a water tribe girl. He lingered awkwardly, wondering what this new girl's intentions were. Avatar Feng had plenty of protectors, but Cai could never turn away from someone who needed help, so he waited patiently to see where this was all going.
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    The way the smaller woman's deep blue eyes widened as she faced the flame sent shivers down Xia's spine, dredging up memories that were not her own. She knew that look, abject terror and helplessness...while Feng had never been helpless, at least physically, many of her past lives had...Korra, especially had left more than her fair share of trauma for her to inherit.

    This talk of scrolls definitely intrigued her. While the Fire Sages and the White Lotus had provided her with many and more of the writings of long-dead masters, their collection was still hopelessly incomplete, especially when it came to Northern-style waterbending...Xia would have killed to get her hands on a complete copy of 'The Dance of Blizzards', or 'Annals of the Tides', and the Avatar studied the offered parchment curiously, her expression softening, and she was about to invite the scribe to join her into the city, when a word struck her like a slap in the face. Bloodbending.

    In that instant, Feng's eyes flashed again with blue light, and she moved towards the girl, taking several halting, uneven steps, as if she were drunk, or sleepwalking. She thrust her arms out towards Aoki, but it seemed as if she couldn't decide weather she meant to bend at her or simply throttle the girl. But on the third step, she collapsed without so much as trying to catch herself. On reflex, Tsen called up a swirling cushion of air to break her fall before she struck the cobblestones and was immediately at his Avatars side, checking her pulse and calling her name.

    There was a collective gasp in the crowd, and then a shriek as Xia's young dragon, Sunset startled and took the air, trailing angry wisps of smoke through the air, and all hell broke loose, noone understanding what was going on. A few easily-frightened onlookers fainted themselves, while others tried to run away, and still more tried to pile in for a closer look. The Air Nomad shouted for them to give her space, Master Lang called for calm in a soothing tone that was drowned out by the crowd, Prince Kito was trying to command the peasants to disperse in his high-pitched voice, and the Earth Nobles argued uselessly amongst themselves about what they should do.

    The Palace guard, at least, knew to do their duty, shoving people violently away from the Avatar and the Nobles with their spears, forming a rough semicircle, and together Bending great earthen walls out of the ground, ten feet high on all sides, cutting the group, Aoki included, off from the public's prying eyes. Xia was still lying motionless in Tsun's arms, eyes open and shining brightly, casting a ghostly light across the collective faces of the other in the stone box. The light began to flicker and the Avatar's body made several jerky motions, almost as if she were having a seizure, and then the light vanished and her eyes closed, body going limp, chest rising and falling softly under her coat of burnished scales, breathing evenly. Master Lang created a small flame in the palm of his hand to give them light, and Tsun rounded on Aoki, his usually calm blue-grey eyes seeming suddenly fierce in the flight of the flames.

    "You." He stated harshly, thrusting a finger accusingly at the Water Tribe girl. "How dare you mention that....abomination...of an art in her presence. I should....I should..." The nomad trailed off, and then looked about, calming just enough to recall that there were many pairs of ears about, including the Earth Nobles. Before he had a chance to say anything further, though, the collapsed Avatar opened her eyes, letting out a weak groan and attempting to sit up. Tsun attempted to help her, but Xia shoved him roughly away so she could rise on her own and spare at least a bit of her pride.

    "Apologize, that's what you should do, Tsun. Apologize to her. It wasn't her fault....she couldn't have known...." The Avatar trailed off in a voice that started weak but was quick to reach her usual crisp, authoritative tones once again.
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    Everything was going wrong. Suddenly Feng was acting weirdly, drunkenly, and Aoki didn't know what she'd done, what she'd said. She took a cautious step away, eyes trained on the girl in front of her. What should she do? She didn't think any words would help the situation, but what was Aoki without her words? She could do nothing, could not heal her distraught mind, could not even bend the water around them to splash it into the Avatar's face. She was useless, and she cursed herself for starting a scene.

    Again weapons were on her, this time mixed with the glares of everyone in the Earth Kingdom. Her cheeks grew unbearably hot, and her legs quaked the smallest bit. She'd not only ruined her chances; after something like this, she'd be cast away from the Earth Kingdom, another continent she'd be banned from. How would she ever complete her logs then? How would she detail Ba Sing Se or Omashu or Tu Zin or the Cave of Two Lovers? How could Ami ever forgive her for all her missing pages?

    The wall erected behind her left her isolated. The shake in her legs was growing more steady, and Aoki wondered if she might fall over. Everyone was still watching her, at least listening for her punishment, the one who had angered the Avatar into a drunken rage. Should she have never made her request? Should she have stayed home today? Maybe then she'd be able to return to her homeless roads with the slightest bit of dignity.

    Suddenly, there was a man at her side. An earthbender as well, he'd broken through the wall made to keep people like him out. "Hey," he said, his Earth Kingdom accent strong. His massive hands rested on her tiny shoulders, and her wide eyes caught his smiling brown ones. "It's alright. Why don't you take it easy?" In a crowd full of judging onlookers, in his eyes she saw a gentleness, a willingness to help, that she couldn't help but fall into.

    Aoki murmured something akin to a thanks. She remained wary, knowing full well she'd be unable to overpower or outrun this monster of a man. When he used his earthbending to mold her a small figure in the shape of a panda, she only shook more. He surely didn't lack in brawn, but he was a bender, too. She took the figure meant to calm her down, but her breaths remained uneven. Was this the man who was going to escort her out of the Earth Kingdom? Or was this the man who was going to finish the job the Fire Nation soldiers started, all those years ago?

    ---

    He'd been watching from the sidelines the whole time, watched as the small woman angered the Avatar, watched as the entire town cast their judgment on her, as they waited for the earthen walls to crumple, as they waited for news of the Avatar. A few threw things at the Water Tribe girl, some rubbish from the snack vendors around, some curses that would make his brother blush, all crashing on the wall meant to shield her. Cai would not sit by and watch. He didn't know what this girl had done, but with how terrified she had looked, how badly she was shaking, he had to do something.

    Always forgetting his size, he couldn't understand why she was so scared of him. He'd let himself into the wall on his own accord, willing to face whatever reprimand that brought. He'd even made her a figure, but she looked at it in terror, as if thinking it a bomb. Regardless, Cai was going to stay there with her, at least until she stopped shaking, until the world turned their eye away from this poor girl, and he would ensure not a single noble laid a finger on her.

    ---

    The airbender who had been traveling with the Avatar was angriest of all, and Aoki braced herself. She'd read about airbenders, about their rocky nature, their near extinction, the vengeance that ran through their blood. She swallowed hard, knowing the air could be knocked out of her at any moment, that she could suffocate here, that no one would be able to do a thing about it.

    He spoke, and suddenly Aoki understood. The Avatar was reacting this way because of bloodbending? Sure it was an often frowned upon art, a dangerous art in the wrong hands, and few waterbenders were even capable of pulling it off. Maybe Feng had some personal drama with it, something that would make her react so violently. Aoki was mumbling an apology when Feng spoke, silencing her and the airbender.

    She was... on her side. Aoki stood straighter then, trying to keep a straight face. Her lip was quivering, and tears pricked at her eyes, but she would remain strong. "I'm sorry," she said, "I never meant to upset you. I don't know how to bloodbend, honest, I just have many, many scrolls on it. We don't have to look at them, they're dangerous anyway, I just thought maybe you'd be interested." She shifted uncomfortable, too aware of the earthbender beside her, of the Earth Nobles before her, of this angry airbender ready for her throat. "Can I get you something?" she asked, eyes trained on Feng. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stepped out of turn."
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    With so many things happening at once, the world seemed to slow to a standstill. Even within their earthen barrier, the anger and confusion of the crowd around them was palpable. The common people of Ba Sing Se knew nothing of what they had witnessed, only understanding that something had happened to their Avatar, and that this girl, this foreigner was the cause of it. Aoki was luckier for the protection of the Palace Guards than Xia was, truly.

    And then there was a stranger in their midst, a large, sturdy-looking man with common features and commoner dress, spiky black hair, and laughing eyes...who had broken through the walls erected by those guards, supposedly the cream of the Earth Nation's military, with nary any difficulty....and had the time to create a small figurine out of some of the stone with his free hand besides. That impressed Xia more than the feat of raw power alone....it was said that of all the elements, Earth was the only one where manipulating the element on a grand scale was easier to attempting to make smaller, finite changes. It was why only one Earthbender in a thousand had the discipline to Metalbend. Idly, she wondered if this man possessed that skill as well....such a tutor would be valuable, and save her a trip to Republic City or the Metal Clan.

    The guards rounded on his newcomer with speed, but after the chaos they had already incited...and, perhaps, wary of this mans ability, they wisely did nothing more than stand at the ready, while Avatar Feng rose haltingly to her feet, still keeping herself between them and these newcomers. Tsun looked at her askance, with an expression of mingled concern and wounded pride on his face, before swallowing it and giving a small nod, turning again to the rattled Water Tribe girl, placing a fist against his palm and bowing so low to her his tattooed forehead nearly touched the ground, mumbling an apology. Satisfied, the Avatar too a few more steps towards the scribe, entirely ignoring the large man who had interrupted them. He could await her pleasure.

    "Your right, Aoki, you should not have. To address one of noble blood so brazenly...in the Fire Nation, such would be taken as a grave offense. But the Avatar's duty is equal to the common and highborn alike, and I'm quite fond of scholars...so you are forgiven. Aoki of the Northern Water Tribe, I am Xia Feng." The taller woman stated with that perfect blend of authority and courtesy that was her nature, offering the girl her hand in formal introduction. She said nothing of bloodbending, made no mention of her sudden 'episode'....making it clear that none of the others should either. It was as if it never happened..at least until the witnesses were safely out of earshot. While Xia could not hide her weaknesses, ignoring them, and forcing others to do the same, had become a second nature to her.

    The earth nobles tittered, but had no cause to object. If Avatar Feng was the one the scribe had offended, surely she had the right to grant her forgiveness. Which left only the matter of the burly elephant-koi in their midst, the unknown Earthbender. Xia looked him over again with narrowed, smoke-grey eyes, and turned up her chin slightly both to see him better...the man was taller than even her, and to succeed in metaphorically look down upon him, even if she could not do so physically.

    "You, Earthbender. Your chivalry is....admirable, but misplaced. As you can see, the girl is safe and I mean to keep her that way. Observe your courtesies, and be on your way. Unless you believe you may be of use to me as well." Xia stated haughtily...the near-disdain did not truly mean she had anything against the man, but it was important show for the members of the Earth Court, the Seneschal especially, a reminder that she was, after all, one of them.
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  10. #10
    The Ashen One
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    Aoki let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. She was forgiven by the Avatar herself, but... Where did that leave her now? Had she ruined her chances to travel alongside her because of her childish admiration and bold approach? Or was it more the bloodbending, the mention of the crippling art, that had turned Xia Feng away from her? With thoughts running wild, Aoki offered a hand in return. Her handshake was stronger than one would expect from her tiny frame, and despite her raging anxiety, she smiled confidently. "Aoki Shiina," she responded. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She just hoped they could become more than that, both for her sister and now to make up for the trouble she'd caused.

    Cai could also sigh in relief when he saw that the trouble was subsiding. The waterbender was calming down, and Avatar Feng had dismissed the whole scene with grace. He wasn't going to go until the girl--Aoki--was starting away too. But then he was addressed, and he turned his attention to the Avatar. She was stolid, her eyes dark and cold. Still, Cai met her look with a broad smile, unaware of the animosity he'd face for his attempt to protect a foreigner. The Avatar's words interested him. Unless you believe you may be of use to me as well. He shrugged a bit. "I may be," he replied. "That depends on what you're looking for."

    All his life, Cai had been reprimanded by his brother for the way he talked. While Remus talked like a polished nobleman, Cai talked like all of his friends on the streets of the Earth Kingdom, dropping ending off of his words and holding his vowels too differently. It was one of the things Remus couldn't have trained out of his baby brother. While his free way of talking often made Cai seem more approachable, he recalled his brother saying it also made him seem more stupid, more uneducated, and now, in the presence of the learned Avatar of the Fire Nation, Cai wondered how true that was. Would she take issue with his presentation, enough to turn him away without considering his abilities?

    The earthbender wasn't entirely aware of how impressive his abilities were, either. With all the eyes of the nobles, the Avatar, and this small Water Tribe girl on him, he raised his muscular arms and moved them in front of his eyes. The small motion was enough to cause the wall behind them to quake the slightest bit. The top of the wall curved towards them, and as Cai rolled his arms, the earthen wall spiraled into an intricate pattern, a swirl turning in on itself, with small pieces of earth turning in other directions. Cai didn't look at his work until he was done, and above him, creating something of a canopy over them, was a collection of spirals coming together in an artistic design of perfected earth.

    He didn't realize that this wall was made by the finest benders in the kingdom, that just breaking through was impressive enough, but now he was making art of it. Humbly, Cai motioned above them, and he happily replied, "That's what I'm capable of. If there's anything else you wanna see, lemme know, yeah? I'd be happy to teach you, if that's what you're looking for." He offered his hand to the Avatar. "Caius Mercator, but you can call me Cai. Nice to meet you."

    Aoki stared up in awe at the earth ceiling above them. She looked at this curious man, this Cai, with a new fear. He wasn't trying to show off, and that much was evident in his eyes, in his innocent expression. He just wanted to show the Avatar what he was capable of so that she could decide if she wanted him as a tutor, but... Aoki looked up again. This earthbender, he was capable of things like this with so little effort? She backed away from him almost imperceptibly. She didn't know if she should be impressed or terrified.
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