Avatar: The Legend of Kya {In Character}

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Fire Lord Sozin has long since noticed the prosperity and peace that has befallen the Fire Nation and swells with pride. He believes that this prosperity and peace should be shared with the rest of the world: By expanding the Fire Nation. Of course, Avatar Roku strongly opposed this idea and refused to help him. Several years later, however, Roku discovered that Sozin had set up colonies in the Earth Kingdom and came to rebuke him, leading Sozin to attack him. The two engaged in a battle, with Roku finally destroying most of the palace and defeating Sozin. Roku spared his life because of their past friendship, but warned him never to move forward with his plans again, or it would result in his "permanent end".

Twenty-five years later, Roku's home island was consumed in a volcanic eruption so massive that Sozin could see and feel it from a hundred miles away. The Fire Lord flew in on his dragon to assist his old friend. The two used their bending to try to contain the lava flow, but were hindered by poisonous gases, which eventually overwhelmed Roku, leaving him lying on the ground and begging for his old friend's help. Sozin suddenly realized, however, that Roku's death would allow him to fulfill his plans, and left his old friend to die along with his dragon, Fang.

Twelve years after Roku died, Sozin used the power of a comet to enhance the power of his firebender army and launched a genocidal attack on the Air Nomads in an attempt to kill Aang, the new Avatar, and halt the Avatar Cycle. Aang was not yet aware of his Avatar status and he never ran away. Like the rest of the Airbenders that lived in the temples, he was killed. Fortunately, that was not the end of the Avatar Cycle - Unknown to Sozin, the Avatar must be killed while in the Avatar State.

Without the Avatar around, the Fire Nation paved the way to leading the world into despair, beginning to expand around the world and taking over various places in other Nations. The world had lost hope that the Avatar would ever reincarnate and many had begun to buckle and submit to the whims of the brutal Fire Nation.

But not all of them.

The Order of the White Lotus is an ancient and formerly secret society that transcends the boundaries of the four nations, seeking philosophy, beauty, and truth. They are devoted to the sharing of ancient knowledge across national and political divides. The Order's main purpose is to find each new Avatar, see to his or her training, and provide protection.

Formed centuries ago by the wisest scholars from all over the world, the Order began as a club where these ancient masters could challenge one another on the Pai Sho table. They derived their name from the white lotus tile used in Pai Sho, a key element in their strategy. They communicate membership through the game by placing Pai Sho tiles on the board in a specific manner, forming a bloomed lotus bud with the lotus chip in the center. Now, in the world's most desperate time of need, they seek out the Avatar with the intent of having their apprentices teach and protect the Avatar - The Masters within the Order most are getting ripe in their years and some even hold political stances. If they were to teach the Avatar, they would be spotted immediately.

The Avatar reincarnated in a young Water Tribe girl of the Northern Water Tribe five years later - Kya. After receiving a note from Master Waterbender in the North Pole, the apprentices have gone off to retrieve the Avatar.

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North Pole - City of the Northern Water Tribe

Everything was pretty quiet - Quite normal for the frozen city. Women were about doing chores while men stood guard if not training and children were playing now that their classes were over. Except for the sight of a young woman throwing an obscene amount of water at a man, both with determined expressions. If the fact that she was of the female sex and Waterbending offensively wasn't enough to deem the image strange, the clothes she wore weren't exactly befitting of the chilly climate - For her blouse was sleeveless and adorned in feathers. The pants that she wore were normal enough, but there were no shoes on her feet. With ebony waves flowing over her shoulders, down her arms, and gathering around her feet, she really didn't seem to fit into this picture.


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Kya Ukata

“You don’t want it bad enough!” The melodious voice of a young woman rang out over the hustle and bustle of the North Pole’s activity, clashing with rough grunts and panting. People had stopped to look and see what was happening, finding a young woman in Waterbending combat with a young man in Water Nation armor. The way she moved was beyond grace and beauty, being unhindered by armor or weapons of any sort. She wore a simple sleeveless blouse and a pair of pants both adorned with feathers, furs, and fangs. She was even barefoot. The look upon her face was one of determination and irritance as she continuously struck out at the man without seeming to grow tired.

The man was Sota, a guard for the Royal Family and a supposed friend of her father’s. Kya never liked him because he was a bully that was always looking to see what would benefit him most even at the expense of others. The moment her father’s funeral had ended, he attempted to take his place in Katta’s heart. Of course, that didn’t happen. But he still tried. When Kya took her father's place as Head Guard, he was even moreso outraged and spent years trying to make her look bad - But to no avail. Earlier that day, he had called her out in a duel. If she won, he would leave the Tribe. And if he won, she would pass her position to him after she left for her training and world saving.

It was more than obvious that Kya would not lose. There were no rules in the match, he was no Master Waterbender, and she was more well-trained than he could ever hope to be. He gained some distance from her and bent over, huffing heavily as he tried to think of what dirty trick he could possibly use to get the upper hand. He looked over and saw a friend of his, signaling the burly man to come over. “Tahna will fight in my stead!” The crowd booed while the woman was forced to face down the massive man. Before one could blink, the combat ensued as Tahna raised his arms and began guiding water from the canal into a stream, manipulating it to speed towards Kya. While the Water Bullet was a simple move, it could be deadly at the hands of someone trained enough. Kya wasted no time throwing her own arms up, forcing the stream to halt before encouraging it to freeze before breaking into multiple daggers of sharp ice, directing it all back at Tahna.

He smirked lightly and stopped the daggers five feet away with a simple wave of his hand, forcing the ice back to a globe of water that he was about to form into an octopus around him before Kya took a step forward. It was with great ease that she froze the globe and shaped it into a pillar, using sliding hand motions to pull the pillar towards and begin to make the ice break apart piece by piece into disks that spun towards Tahna. As the burly old man began stepping backwards to fend off the attacks, Kya moved forwards quickly, using Tahna's defense of breaking the disks to form a new attack. Her arms made a crescent motion, guiding more water from the canal. The water seemed to take the shape of a roaring dragon. As she spun, she curved her arms and brought them in a downward motion causing the dragon to 'eat' Tahna. Her hands closed into a fist before freezing him within the water around him.

Finally, she jumped into the air with a spin landing in a crouch, slamming her fists onto the ground causing the dome to shatter, sending Tahna flying into a wall where she immediately streamed water onto him and froze him there, using the remaining water to form spears that levitated before him. “I win.” Kya didn’t even seem the least bit out of breath as the battle ended. Her head swiveled to the right as she heard someone approaching her. “Avatar Kya – Its time.” The elder woman whispered softly, resting a hand on Kya's shoulder. The Avatar nodded grimly and ran her fingers through her loose black hair. “Your teachers are over there.” Though Kya couldn't see, she knew that the woman was pointing. The people that she was pointing at were few; there were only three – Two young women and a young man.

Instead of moving to greet them, Kya gave a whistle which was answered by a giant white animal. Jakk-Jakk was lumbering along on his hind legs, his feline tail swinging. He had his usual dazed look upon his face before he placed his front paws on the ground in front of his companion. Kya swung herself onto his back and gave a click of her tongue. Jakk-Jakk gave a lighthearted growl and trotted off towards a small, cozy home on the edge of the city. Kya loved the view of the ocean that her home provided even though she only got to see it while traveling as a Spirit. It wasn't that often that an Avatar of the past would come for her so that she could learn, so she cherished the view every time.

She dismounted at her home, moving in and out quickly. She hated goodbyes. She returned with two sacks that were soon tied to Jakk-Jakk's saddlebag. As she remounted, Jakk-Jakk and she were escorted by five guards back to where her teachers were waiting among others. She dismounted before them, offering a light bow before rising from it and pushing her hair back over her shoulders. “I am Avatar Kya Ukata of the Northern Water Tribe. I am honored that you have traveled so far to teach me. I will not disappoint you.” Her voice was soft as she spoke, her eyes almost threatening tears as her mother moved to her with the aid of a healer, hugging her tightly.

“You fought so well. You are so much like your father; he would be proud. He wanted you to have this.” Her mother offered out a blue anorak that was as decorated with fangs and feathers as the clothes she currently wore. Kya slipped it over her head and inhaled deeply; it still smelled like him. “I wish he were here.” She whispered, hugging her mother again before sighing and finally turning towards her teachers. “I suppose its time to go. My people have provided us with a ship – It is a ship that works only with Waterbending, though we can follow the currents when I rest. I will need someone to help with navigation; I can't see. The ship is already stocked with two months of supplies for food. So...”

She didn't give them time to reply as she spoke quickly, ready to leave because she didn't want to leave just yet. She mounted her animal companion once more as they trotted off towards the ship where Jakk-Jakk took post on the port side and Kya made her way to the bow, waiting.

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She took another bite at the skewered meat, watching the Avatar battle.

Several days had passed since she last saw her master, time she had wished been more interesting. To say the journey here was uneventful would be understating it; her journey was mostly been around chattering old men, and a fisherman who keeps singing fondly of his navel. Hardly the kind of 'events' she would like to be around. The last boat was particularly clear in her memories however, not only because she had disembarked a mere hour ago, but because it was full of wine. The captain had decided to celebrate the lack of Fire nation ships bombarding their hull by giving the crew a full five kegs of wine. In this case, keg meant a huge barrel. The sheer amount of chaos and dancing men, some lacking in clothing in spite of the snow around them, was rather...frightening in a sort of way. She had her eyes covered most of the time. There was that one moment she had considered jumping off the prow to escape the madness, but thankfully the captain, as inebriated as the rest of his crew, managed to land his ship on shore. Or more accurately rammed it straight into a shelf of ice.

From then on, it was just a ride away from where the Avatar was, where apparently the Avatar was fighting two men. She had joined the crowd watching her, beside a man with green clothes, one of the Earth Kingdom, and another woman of... unknown origin, though her clothes certainly looked interesting.

The Avatar... The Avatar certainly looked very skilled in waterbending already, able to overpower two men easily. However, it was a mere contest of power, as the men knew nothing of tactics, and faced her head on using brute force alone. At least she is able to fight those small fries, the firebender thought, biting off another chunk of the meat off the stick.

With her red clothes, Kyoshu Haku certainly stood out in this land of white and blue. She looked rather nonchalant, bordering on disinterest, but her left hand remained on the hilt of the sword, a ceremonial sword with a wooden hilt and scabbard. Her eyes remained focused on the Avatar, but her body was tense, ready to move at a moment's notice. Being one of the Fire nation often brings with is distrust and hostility wherever you go nowadays, so the uneventful and boring trip here was as much a boon as it was a curse to her. She could still feel some of the people here glaring at her, her hearing could make out some of them whispering behind her back, as well as the faint clinking of metal as some of them prepared their weapon.

“Your teachers are over there."

That woman pointing at her. Haku realized she was not only pointing to her, but to the Earth Kingdom man and the unknown girl. Now that she thought about it, those two looked vaguely familiar. It would be interesting to have a duel with them, and see how far their skills go.

The Avatar however, did not greet them when the woman pointed their way, instead calling over a leopard bear and riding away. For a moment, she thought the Avatar was running away from her duties, and would have pursued her, if not for the woman that had pointed at them earlier looking rather unconcerned. Her decision appeared to be correct, as the Avatar returned with five guards escorting her.

“I am Avatar Kya Ukata of the Northern Water Tribe. I am honored that you have traveled so far to teach me. I will not disappoint you.”

Haku returned the bow as the Avatar did. There was something strange about the Avatar though, something in her movements. After some private exchange with her mother, the Avatar turned to them once again.

“I suppose its time to go. My people have provided us with a ship – It is a ship that works only with Waterbending, though we can follow the currents when I rest. I will need someone to help with navigation; I can't see. The ship is already stocked with two months of supplies for food. So...”

As if in haste, the Avatar spoke quickly, and rode away on the white leopard bear just as quickly to the ship that was to be theirs. Lacking in any sort of transportation, Haku gave a small sigh, finished the rest of the meat on the stick, and moved towards the ship.

Zhang's master, Baiyun, had given him an estimate of a week or possibly two for arriving to the North Pole safely but had him leave earlier than that in order that he could have a chance to observe the ways of the Water Tribe so that he could get used to different cultures and their ways before setting out on his journey with the Avatar. Master Baiyun had arranged passage for his apprentice on board of a small merchant vessel which was captained by an old acquaintance of his and was willing to run the risk of an attack by the Fire Nation Navy for his old friend. Zhang was given some money, a small supply of food and his master had purchased an ostrich horse from the nearby village for him as he knew the journey would be long and arduous and often they would have to travel quickly. Standing on the dock while the ship prepared for it's departure, he had asked his master if he would ever see him again; Baiyun in his simple honest way told him that this would probably be the last time the pair would see one another as he had grown old and the Avatar's journey could be a long one. Zhang's heart had sunk at this and in an attempt to mask his emotional pain he had stood straight and bowed formally to his master; however the old man, knowing his apprentice well and seeing through his attempt to hide his emotions had stepped forward and embraced Zhang in a paternal hug and by the time he released his apprentice, tears were running down the young man's face.

"I will do my duty Master," Zhang said wiping his face.

"I know you will my boy," Baiyun replied simply before motioning towards the boat which had now made all of its preparations and was ready to cast off. Walking down the gangplank onto the deck, Zhang stood at the railing as the boat crept away from the dock and out into the open sea. Zhang and his master waved at each other until they were so far away that neither could see the other and Zhang even waved for some time afterwards before finally letting his arm drop and rest on the railing. He felt as though he was losing his family all over again.

Zhang did not have the uneventful trip his master had hoped for, four days after leaving land a ship was sighted on the horizon and began making a swift approach. The ship's lookout recognised the vessel as of a type popular among sea raiders and pirates, all on board readied for defence and sure enough as soon as the ship was within range it began firing ropes attached to harpoons at the merchant ship, using huge winches attached to the ballista they began pulling the merchant's ship closer in order to board. What followed was a bloody ship to ship battle that raged for a number of hours; the crew of the merchant ship were all seasoned fighters and while Zhang was unable to use his earthbending due to the deepness of the water, and thus the distance from any earth, he was well trained in martial arts and with their combined strength they eventually repelled the pirates who cut the ropes attaching the two ships and retreated. The merchant ship was left drifting for some time before the damage to the riggings sustained in battle were repaired which set Zhang's journey back a number of days.

After a few more days of smooth sailing in which Zhang dared to hope that he would arrive on schedule after all the lookout reported more grim news. Up ahead there was a fleet of large Fire Nation ships travelling on an intersecting path with the merchant ship. This meant that they had to take an alternative route which extended their journey considerably in order to avoid any unwanted attention from the Fire Nation Navy. Zhang was beginning to think that he would have a very limited time, if he had any at all, to observe and experience the foreign customs and culture of the Water Tribe as his master had wished. What followed, however, were ten days of solitude on the sea with no ships being spotted on the horizon the whole time. Zhang spent the time helping the crew where he could, training and playing Pai Sho with the captain who had a board set up in his quarters.

Upon arriving at the North Pole Zhang had made his way through the streets of the City of the Northern Water Tribe leading the ostrich horse behind him, he was uncomfortable in this city; he did not like the cities in the Earth Kingdom but this was even more alien to him than those, being made of ice and having canals running through the streets. The cold was unlike anything he was used to, he had cold winters in the mountains but never anything like this; he was wearing several layers including a thick cloak all in various shades of either green or beige as common among the Earth Kingdom however it stuck out here considerably. Zhang enquired about the Avatar to those he passed in the street and they directed him through the city until he reached a gathering. Zhang stood at the age of this gathering and watched what was going on; after some time he realised it was some kind of duel between two waterbenders, one male and one female. As it progressed it was clear that the man she was fighting was full of arrogance and lacking in skill whereas she was clearly well trained; after a few moments Zhang determined from the whispers between people nearby that he was watching the Avatar fighting a royal guard. Upon learning that this girl was the Avatar he began paying more attention.

While he watched he became aware that other people who seemed to be foreigners like him had appeared, he was unsure of the origin of one, she could have been from another part of the Earth Kingdom; however he knew the origin of the other, she was clearly from the Fire Nation by her sense of dress. Glancing at her Zhang assumed she would be training the Avatar however he still couldn't help a surge of anger at her presence, his master had explained to him that he would have to travel with a firebender and that he would have to let go of his past hatred of all those of the Fire Nation but now that he was face to face with a firebender all he could do was avoid looking at her and stare intently at the fight. So engrossed was he in staring at the fight, it didn't fully register that it was over and that a woman had spoken to the Avatar and pointed himself and the other foreigners near him out, thus affirming his assumption that they were all to be the Avatar's teachers, before the Avatar herself mounted a huge animal, unknown to Zhang, and rode away. He waited until he saw her come back with a number of guards with her, this time she rode towards them and spoke.

“I am Avatar Kya Ukata of the Northern Water Tribe. I am honored that you have traveled so far to teach me. I will not disappoint you.”

Zhang watched her and returned her bow with a small nod of his head. Waiting while she spoke with an older woman who Zhang took to be her mother he patted the head of the ostrich horse which seemed to be getting restless with this standing around as well as the amount of people nearby.

“I suppose it’s time to go. My people have provided us with a ship – It is a ship that works only with Waterbending, though we can follow the currents when I rest. I will need someone to help with navigation; I can't see. The ship is already stocked with two months of supplies for food. So...”

Zhang could hear a sense of urgency in the Avatar's voice but did not mount as she rode off towards the ship they would be taking on their journey, instead he walked the ostrich horse onto the ship and removed its saddle and saddle bag before tying it's reins to the railing of the ship. Walking around on the deck Zhang examined the ship and sighed, he was already sick of travelling on the sea where he was so far removed from the earth, not that the North Pole was much better with all its ice. He leaned against the railing at the side of the ship, lowered his head and folded his arms while he waited for the preparations to be made, he had no intention of speaking to any of the others until it was time to start teaching the Avatar how to earthbend.

Hearing heavy footsteps on the planks above his head, the Bodhidharma monk made haste with his task, and secured his ostrich horse in the convenient section of the cargo hold designed for animals. It looked at him reproachfully for a few seconds, sad to be tied to a post in a boat yet again so soon after arriving, but at least it was out of the cold, so it seemed to resign itself to the predicament, gracefully lowering its large body to the ground. Satisfied with his handiwork, Chang Qixing Quan leapt to his feet and climbed up the nearby ladder, hoping that the new passenger would be-

“Avatar Ukata!”

His first thought, upon seeing the young woman from across the deck, was that she was exceedingly beautiful, and only became more so as he got closer. The more powerful second thought, however, was that she was the Avatar, and thus was to be respected, not ogled at, even if she couldn’t see exactly where he was looking. After a moment the second thought won out, and the monk looked away, instead inspecting the nearby animal, the decorative carvings of the boat, anywhere but the girl on the bow. Suddenly feeling a bit of a chill through his light robes, he jogged easily away from the hatch where he had emerged, and, giving the leopard bear something of a wide berth, approached the Avatar. Unable to help himself, he smiled at her. She really was quite attractive. Getting back to business, the monk bowed deeply, ignoring the cold wind blowing against his exposed face, and smiled again as he rose.

“Avatar, my name is Chang Qixing Quan, of the Bodhidharma Monastery. I apologize for not greeting you with the others, but my ostrich horse was restless in the cold, and I needed to make sure he was comfortable below deck. Your people pointed out this boat, once I told them who I was, and- ahem, anyway, you’re probably wondering why I’m here. A fair question, of course. After all, you already have your bending teachers, do you not?”

His voice took on the tone of a lecturer, explaining his own importance to his pupil as he continued:

“Well, as you may have guessed, I am not a bender, but I am still one of the most effective and highly trained fighters you’ll ever meet, as well as a monk with considerable cultural knowledge and experience. Therefore, I am to be a different kind of teacher than my fellows.”

He remained at a respectful distance, but clasped his hands behind his back, taking the pose his own master had taken so many times in the past.

“They are focused on their individual elements, which are indeed important, but my focus is much broader: the world. I am to be partly a spiritual guide, partly a combat mentor, partly a historian, and partly an advocate for the common man, or woman, as it were. Not everyone in the world is a bender, as you know, and learning the four elements is not the only duty of the Avatar. When fully realized, you must understand the cultures of all of the Four Nations just as you would your own, and you must feel what the world is feeling. Sometimes, the imbalances are obvious, such as the Fire Nation’s encroachment upon the rest of the world, but they will not always be so, and you must be prepared to have the insight and wisdom necessary to...”

Chang stopped himself, having a sudden thought: “I don’t want to insult her!”

“Um, I’m sorry, Avatar, I just realized that you have probably heard all of this before, from your teachers here.” He smiled nervously, and said “Ha, my intention of course is not to insult your current wisdom, which I have no doubt is considerable...“

He was a bit of a loss for words, chuckling a little and shifting slightly on his feet, more nervous than he had believed he would be upon meeting the Avatar.

“I am sure you are tired of my, um, ramblings, and I will end with this: I am here to help you find the path of compassion, the path of mercy, and the path of enlightenment. Hehe, from what I’ve heard of you, I don’t think it’ll be difficult... Ahem, thank you for your time, Avatar.”

Bowing low once more, the monk quickly made his leave, walking over to the starboard railing, where he gave a conspicuously large sigh. This was something he was going to have to get used to. Not far from where he was leaning and looking out over the city, he noticed a young man in Earth Kingdom garb come on to the boat, and sit cross-armed on the deck next to his ostrich horse. Moving over to them, Chang patted the neck of the creature softly, cooing to it, and only after a minute or so did he address his countryman. He bowed, though the greeting was much more shallow than it had been for the Avatar, and spoke, looking down to the man.

“Greetings, friend. I assume you are the Avatar’s earthbending teacher? Indeed, it must be so, for your clothes are those of our Kingdom. Well, I am Chang Qixing Quan, of the Bodhidharma Monastery. You may have heard of it...? Anyway, I am also here to train the Avatar, simply in different ways. Truthfully, I came over here just now to tell you that there is a place below deck where your ostrich horse can rest out of the cold. Mine is already there, and I would be more than happy to assist you...”

He patted the neck of the creature again with a smile, and gave a vague gesture to the large cargo door that would allow them to get the creature below unharmed. Waiting for its master’s response, Chang looked out again across the icy city, giving it a silent farewell. He had not been there for very long this time, but always enjoyed the city’s beauty. It felt to him like a perfect sculpture than some giant carved out of the ice thousands of years ago with meticulous care, and it warmed his heart, despite the bitter cold. Wondering briefly what the fire- and airbending teachers would be like, especially the airbender, he watched as a girl in red Fire Nation clothes made her way towards the boat, and smiled. “Well,” he thought, “It seems I’ll soon find out.”

Deep brown eyes watched every move the Avatar made as she fought a guard. She was good at waterbending, that much was obvious. Her weight shifted from one leg to the other as the match continued on in front of her. This place was cold but she hadn't dressed accordingly. Her top had long sleeves but the material was thin and ended just above her navel. The pants she wore were no better at keeping her warm. She shivered heavily as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her fingers flexed a few times. It was surprising the digits still wanted to move in this cold environment. A breeze blew through tossing her long ebony locks around her face. Zyra sighed softly as she moved them from her line of sight. Glancing over, she saw both an obvious earthbender and an obvious firebender. Would either of them recognize her as being an airbender? She also wondered if she could trust the firebender that stood just a few feet away from her. Just seeing those shades of red the firebending female wore made her skin itch.

Zyra dared not to speak a word to anyone, not even the Avatar, as they were all addressed by the young woman. She was riding some sort of odd creature and it made her think of the air bisons she had heard about. At the time of her "recruitment" into the Order, she had not even seen an air bison. All she knew of the once majestic creatures was that they were given to airbenders and they became life long partners. It was hard for her to hide her anger and resentment as she turned to follow the Avatar. All of her training had led up to this journey but she honestly just wanted to get this all over with and leave. Just being in the proximity of a firebender was making her antsy and angry. It wasn't a good combination. The trio of bending teachers followed the Avatar and soon all of them were on the ship that would lead them away from the Northern Water Tribe.

Somehow she had fallen in line behind the Fire Nation female. Zyra did her best to not stick her tongue out at the girl's backside. Instead, she remained quiet and soon found herself sitting as far from the others as she could get. Her brown eyes closed and she tilted her head ever so slightly in the direction of the speaking monk. He seemed to be unable to stop the dribble that came from his mouth. Zyra smirked slightly. She rememebred a time when she talked a lot like that. She was just a young child and most couldn't understand a word she said but they went along with her, nodding and acting as if they knew what she was saying. Those had been the fun times in her life before she dedicated herself to her training. Lucky for her, none of them had even seemed to notice her or if they had, none had said anything to her. Her eyes opened and she looked up at the sky. There was a breeze that kept her skin chilled as she rubbed her hands along her arms. All this cold made her long for the warmth of the Southern Air Temple.

She had been visiting the air temples against the wishes of her master. He had told her it was a bad idea but she hadn't cared. It had been twenty years. She highly doubted the Fire Nation would still be looking for airbenders. Zyra found herself in one of the many medititation rooms when she heard the sound of someone approaching her. The airbender had nearly taken off the head of her master. He had been following her and just recently, he found it was time for her to leave for the Northern Water Tribe. They had argued for a full day before she decided to leave and head for her new destination. Apparently the Avatar was highly spiritual so it was assumed she would easily learn airbending. What no one had told Zyra was that the Avatar was blind. She was unsure of what to think of this. How would the teachers teach their skills to a blind woman?

Zyra opened her eyes and looked around at the group on the ship. It seemed just about everyone was here so why hadn't they left yet? The airbender sunk lower in her seat and kept her arms crossed over her chest. She was ready to leave this cold place and head to warmer places.

Kya closed her eyes as her name was called, listening to what the monk had to say. Jakk-Jakk gave a light growl at the man, baring his sharp teeth at him until Kya politely shushed him. Before she got to give an answer, he was up and away, speaking with her Earthbending Teacher. Ah, well. Maybe she had that one coming after blowing off the others after her brief introduction. She gave a light shrug before opening her eyes again – Not like it really made much of a difference. It was a habit. Did people with sight do that? Did they close their eyes when they were thinking? She gave another involuntary shrug before taking back to her post. She heard the walls of ice go down, sloshing into the water. With the clear to go, she took a deep breath and placed her palms on the deck of the ship.

She could feel the water that the ship floated on and the sea life beneath. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, she rose up and began to move her arms in large arcs, feeling the boat glide forward with great speed. She could hear the farewells that her people gave among a few sobs and cries of good luck. She continued on, almost as though swimming. She made sure that she was perfectly centered; Normally, such boats had six benders on the right and six on the left to cut through the water. But now it was just her; Not like she hadn't done this alone before.

She knew that the first few miles could be navigated without hitting any icebergs. It was a pretty straight shot. It wasn't until a day into the journey that the icebergs would become rough. When the wind picked up, she sighed in relief and let her arms down so that the wind could carry them. She moved over to where her bags were set down and made sure that they were all there before moving to Jakk-Jakk who was purring rather happily. She thought for a moment that she might need to actually speak to her teachers. She should get to know them, afterall. She was going to be around them for the next few years anyways. She couldn't just...not talk to them.

She wasn't really sure how to be social with others. Playing with her hair, she cleared her throat some. “Well...We're going to be headed to the Earth Kingdom first. Since Earth is the next element that I have to learn, I figured that it should be taught there. I want to visit the Island of Kyoshi...I actually want to visit all the homes of the previous Avatars; Aang, Roku, Yangchen, and Kyoshi to be exact. I'd love to speak with them – I've usually only ever spoken with Avatar Kuruk. And – Uhm. This...This is Jakk-Jakk. He's my Polarbear Leopard. Very dangerous...But he's pretty tame. Just don't approach him too quickly or put your hand in his mouth.” She turned red as she fumbled over what to talk about.

It was as she thought.

The green clad man was an earth bender from the Earth Kingdom, and the woman was an airbender from somewhere. That somewhere would be interesting to know, especially since the airbenders were thought to be extinct, and seeing even one such as that woman was.... interesting. How far did their skills go, and how would she, Haku, measure up to them?

As soon as she stepped on board however, the bald headed man took most of her attention immediately, being rather conspicuous simply by being on board the ship and being noticeably bald with yellow clothing. He did not have the looks of a bender, nor did she know of any cults or religions wearing those yellow clothes. And those muscles. She found herself staring at his muscles. It was so well defined, but he still looked as if he could juggle and somersault. At the same time.

However, he was a stranger, and thus, a danger. Haku did not trust him, just as she distrusts the others to a lesser degree. At any moment, the others may decide to get rid of her simply because of her origins, and that bald man might, in their sleep, pull out a knife and slit their throats. The others did not seem to mind the yellow clad man on the boat, but still... .

A sudden noise, and her hand darted to the hilt of her sword.

The ice walls had fallen, and it seemed they were cleared to embark on their journey. The Avatar herself moved to the center of the ship, and touched the deck, as if she was listening to the sound of water hitting the hull. As she stood up and started to propel the ship forward, Haku moved closer to her, keeping a respectable distance away and yet close enough to repel any sudden assaults. As was ordered of her, she will protect the avatar, she will teach her firebending, and may the gods help those that try to attack the Avatar in her presence.

But.... this silence was a bit awkward. Haku started to tap on the hilt of her sword, biting her lower lips. What does one say to the Avatar? How does one interact with the Avatar? What if she finds her, Haku, unamusing, undisciplined or some other faults and dismissed her? That would be shameful to say the least. Suicide would be better if that ever happens. Just as Haku opened her mouth to try to force some generic words out, the Avatar herself spoke.

“Well...We're going to be headed to the Earth Kingdom first. Since Earth is the next element that I have to learn, I figured that it should be taught there. I want to visit the Island of Kyoshi...I actually want to visit all the homes of the previous Avatars; Aang, Roku, Yangchen, and Kyoshi to be exact. I'd love to speak with them – I've usually only ever spoken with Avatar Kuruk. And – Uhm. This...This is Jakk-Jakk. He's my Polarbear Leopard. Very dangerous...But he's pretty tame. Just don't approach him too quickly or put your hand in his mouth.”

"Jakk Jakk.... I understand." A slight blush as she tried to force herself to speak. "I... have not introduced myself earlier. I am Kyoshu Haku, a fire bender. From now on, I am to be your bodyguard, and fire bending teacher." Haku bowed deeply to the Avatar. "My life is yours. Any command you give, I will carry out."

Zhang glanced up at the monk who had appeared from below deck and was talking to the Avatar, he seemed to be giving her a long winded speech about something, however Zhan was just out of earshot and so missed what he was telling her. Not that he was particularly interested anyway, he glanced over status two others on board. The young woman who's origins he couldn't initially work out must be an airbender, all the other elements were represented. Some of them must have survived after the Fire Nation tried to exterminate them then, that was interesting.

Zhang became aware of someone nearby and glanced over to see the monk patting his ostrich horse. He felt that the man was building up to speak to him and sure enough he began speaking.

“Greetings, friend. I assume you are the Avatar’s earthbending teacher? Indeed, it must be so, for your clothes are those of our Kingdom. Well, I am Chang Qixing Quan, of the Bodhidharma Monastery. You may have heard of it...? Anyway, I am also here to train the Avatar, simply in different ways. Truthfully, I came over here just now to tell you that there is a place below deck where your ostrich horse can rest out of the cold. Mine is already there, and I would be more than happy to assist you...”

Having stood silently as the monk spoke on, Zhang looked at him and shook his head, "I'm sure I can manage it on my own" he said simply. Taking the reins of his ostrich horse he led it down through the cargo door and into the hold. Looking around he noticed the area that the monk had mentioned and indeed there was already an ostrich horse there. Walking over Zhang secured his own ostrich horse next to the one already there. He removed his saddle, with the saddle bags attached and slung it over his shoulder before making his way back on deck.

As he emerged he saw the great ice wall drop and knew that they were about to begin their journey. Watching the Avatar as she used her waterbending to move the ship out into the open water, Zhang was interested in forms she was using. Waterbending forms seemed to be very different from those of earthbending. That would probably add some difficulty to his task of teaching her how to earthbend. As the Avatar spoke he stepped closer to listen.

“Well...We're going to be headed to the Earth Kingdom first. Since Earth is the next element that I have to learn, I figured that it should be taught there. I want to visit the Island of Kyoshi..."

So they would be going to the Earth Kingdom, Zhang was somewhat annoyed that he had travelled all this way from the Earth Kingdom and he would be traveling right back straight away. He sighed and as the others began introducing themselves he reluctantly decided he would do the same, his master had told him to try to be more sociable and friendly on this journey but it did not come naturally to him.

"My name is Zhang Anhui of the Earth Kingdom, I am here to teach you earthbending." Zhang managed a slight bow after he spoke.

Chang made a small sound of recognition when he heard the firebender's name, and thought "I knew she looked familiar. She's barely changed at all since I saw her all those years ago..."

During his travels around the world, the monk had been the guest of a firebending Master named Hanzo for several weeks, and during that time he learned much of the history of the Fire Nation and firebending, as well as many useful firebending-derived moves. The old Master lived in the plains of the Earth Kingdom, exiled in a way from his Nation, but he had taken in a powerful young firebender as an apprentice, and Chang remembered being very impressed with her skill. He even dueled her with the sword many times during his stay, no bending involved. Now, years later, here she was. Kyoshu Haku.

Earlier, as she boarded the ship, he could see the distrust in her eyes. It was rather obvious why: his dress was strange, he didn't look like a bender and she obviously hadn't remembered him, so she was left thinking "why is he here?" Chang resolved to speak to her at the first opportunity, and stamp out the issue. He smiled a little, recalling her interests and talent, and decided that this trip definitely wouldn't be boring with her around. It was almost as if he had a friend already.

The earthbender, on the other hand, just seemed gruff and boring. Chang ran the master earthbenders of the Order of the White Lotus through his head, but as he had learned all he needed to know about his Kingdom and earthbending at the Monastery, he had only visited one of them: General Song of Ba Sing Se. The General had no apprentice that he knew of, so this Zhang must have been with another. Baiyun, maybe? That old man was always so reclusive, it was hard to know...

At any rate, he thought he already had the man mostly figured out: likely a talented earthbender, or he wouldn't be here, with a passion for training and possibly for fighting, based on the considerable muscles. At the very least he would probably be fun to spar with...

Rounding out the observations, Chang moved his eyes to the brown-eyed girl, the airbender. "I almost can't believe it..." he thought, dredging up vague memories of his childhood, when he would visit the Eastern Air Temple regularly to learn with and play with the young girls there. This girl could very well have been there right around the same time... Shaking his head to dispel the dark thoughts of screaming children and roaring flames, the monk tore his gaze away from her and turned back towards the Avatar, looking beyond her over the icy waters of the North Pole.

"She'll introduce herself soon," he thought, "And then I'll ask her. No reason to dwell on it."

Still, he couldn't help but feel a little colder, his joy at realizing Haku's identity marred by the probable history of this airbending woman.

She sat in utter silence as the others introduce themselves to Kya. Her eyes were on Jakk Jakk for most of the introductions. The others names echoed in her mind. They were names she was going to have to remember. Zyra shifted in her seat before she stood and took a step towards the others. There was hesitation in her movements. Would they already know she was an Airbender despite the fact that she didn't have any traditional tattoos? Zyra snapped the piece if metal on her wrist. The pain was enough to snap her out of her own paranoia.*

"I'm Zyra..." She paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly before she spoke again. "I'll be your airbending teacher Kya. I do believe you will learn quickly and I cannot wait to see what you can do." Her voice was controlled, a slight edge to it as if she was trying to hold back some sort of emotion. Zyra nodded to the others before she sat back down. She had noticed the way the monk had looked at her before. What had he been thinking? In that second, a memory pulled itself from her mind as made itself *present.*

She had been a small child then. Her mother was watching her play. A young boy was playin with her. He was a monk and allowed in the temple unlike the male Air Nomads. They only came around when they were young to pick out their Air Bisons and again when they were older to court the girls.*

Zyra snapped out of it and a small frown formed on her features. That was another thing she would miss out on. The girl sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. She was ready to get to the Earth Kingdom where it was a little warmer. However, she was not looking forward to their eventual visit to Avatar Aang's home. Zyra had gone there during her travels to all the air temples. Besides her own home, that one had been the hardest to go to. Just thinking of that place made her blood boil. She had to close her eyes and start meditating to calm herself down. Zyra wondered if the others had felt that sudden gust of wind when her anger had glared.*

She highly doubted they would think it was from her and so far, no one had asked. Being on the water would make it easier for her to use the excuse that the gusts were from the sea and not from her. Zyra still needed to get that under control before she began to teach the Avatar. The brown eyes girl looked back over to the group. Had they been looking at her that entire time? She really hoped not. She didn't want to be stated at like she was some sort of freak show.*