For centuries now the world has depended on the Avatar’s guidance. Their wisdom, bravery, and abilities made them revered heroes. Avatar Korra was no exception to this and the world fell into mourning when her light was extinguished. However, hope was born anew in the new Avatar Shamo Hua. Unfortunately for the people, there are those who wish to destroy that light – namely President San of Republic City. The White Lotus has existed since ages past and currently does its best to protect Avatar Shamo, but with the United Forces progressing even further towards the stronghold the Avatar is housed in a plan was brought forward to send her somewhere that San will not be able to find her with an elite team to protect her. Following the latest escape of San – sending his army into the spirit world for an unknown reason only two days ago.

There is a noticeable layer of tension and fear amongst the White Lotus; today was the eve of the Avatar’s departure from the protection of their latest stronghold and the arrival of her five masters and her bodyguard. Each heavy with experience and ready to take on the challenge of teaching the Avatar – not that they were given much of a choice in the matter. As for the Avatar herself? She was being prepared for her departure by a group of the White Lotus members as the boats and ships harbouring the instructors drew into their destination. Every painstaking detail had been mapped out in order to ensure the success of the mission. When the instructors arrive they are not given a moment to rest as they are given new clothes, similar to the ones being forced onto the Avatar, a grey outfit designed to be somewhat personal but neutral. An attempt to keep the group inconspicuous in under the watchful eye of San, the only exception was the Kyoshi Warrior among the group; her uniform standing for more than a set of decorative clothes.

Before the instructors can even exchange as much as a pleasant hello to one another they are led by more White Lotus sentries out into the courtyard; a row of seats designated by various symbols to signify the role of each instructor. Air next to Earth, Earth next to Water, Water next to Fire, Fire next to the symbol of a sword to designate the warrior, and at the very end a fan symbol to honor the Kyoshi Warriors. As everyone makes their way to their assigned seat it only takes a moment for another White Lotus member to make his way to the centre of the courtyard.

“Welcome honoured brothers and sisters of the White Lotus” He pauses for a small bow of respect. “You know the task for which have been summoned here for. To train, protect and serve the Avatar. To nurture her into an Avatar as great as her predecessors and for that we have arranged a showing her potential. Please, judge her for yourselves as the masters. We present to you…The Avatar.”

And just like that the Avatar is led out into the courtyard by even more White Lotus sentries; around her access to water, earth and sand. Surrounded by several opponents all donning sparring gear. There is a thick layer of anticipation as all eyes focus on Shamo – everyone eagerly waiting to see how the young Avatar performs.

“Begin!”

The shout signalling the start of the match pierces the silence and several of the benders launch their attacks at Shamo. The instructors remain on the sideline simply observing, but before three minutes even passes the match is interrupted by the sound of the warning bell and shouts calling people into action as everyone within the stronghold starts running around trying to prepare defences, ready the airship for the Avatar’s departure – the whole populace of the fort thrown into an organised chaos. The sound only means one thing; the United Forces have been spotted and they’re nearby.

The instructors and Avatar are lead out of the courtyard and toward an airship by the very sentry who greeted them at the courtyard. The airship, which several sentries are still rushing supplies onto, is a medium sized affair. It is well fortified and boasts a relatively inconspicuous design; it is certainly one of the newer models made by future industries. The group watches as their personal artefacts and various animal companions are already being taken on for them – in many ways, it is admirable how well prepared the White Lotus was for this event.

“The United Forces are nearby! You must depart at once Avatar Shamo, for your own safety. This group of men and women will serve as your masters for the final time. The next time you and I meet you shall be a fully realized Avatar, master of all the elements, ready to save the world. I hope you have, at the very least, enjoyed your time here. Goodbye, Avatar.” He offers her one last bow as a goodbye before turning to her new group of protectors.

“Keep the Avatar safe no matter the cost. Lay down your very lives if you have to. See to it that San doesn’t extinguish this hope. May luck be on your side brothers and sisters.” With this final bow he makes his way off the airship to join the other members in preparing for the United Nations – should the worst come to the worst. The sentries bring on the last of the supplies and each of them say goodbye to Shamo for one last time. Once everything is ready the airship takes off without warning speeding them into the sky and towards safety. The doors of the entranceway open and the group find themselves in the hub of the ship. There are seats and a table, a large board with a map, a pai sho board and a few other games to pass the time with – but the entertainment isn’t exactly world class.

The group is greeted by four people; a burly man wearing a hat and coat that is too big for him, a teenage boy who looks smiley and cheery, a man with some odd goggles on who seems to be laughing to himself at nothing in particular and finally a teenage girl wearing a pilot suit who looks a little bored. The man in the large coat is the first to speak.

“Welcome! WELCOME AVATAR! …And the rest of yose. The names Blackburn and I be the proud Cap’n of this here airship. AND THIS IS ME CREW and I can I just that we are more pinker than a tickled platypus bear that we’re escorting the Avatar. I been a fan of your work since the Kyoshi era! You don’t think you could sign me an autograph could ya? Just make it out ‘Your friend Blackburn. The finest man to sail on the seven seas…AND THEN THE AIR’ and I’ll be as happy as a stuffed papaya.”

A sharp jab in the ribs from the girl in the pilot suit suddenly sends Blackburn off his tangent and seemingly back to his point.

“Ah right! Enough games time for business. As you know this here is a top secret mission BUT those scurvy bilge rats found us anyway. Which means there could be a snake in the grass. We gots to get you to the top secret island Avatar, but we could keep our current course and head through this mountain pass and over near a set of Fire Nation villages OR we can take the way through this swampland. There swamp is empty because there has been some strange goings on, but it will be clear of any United Forces…Well, we gotta hour or so before we need to decide anything so we’ll leave it up to you Avatar. Me and the crew will be in the front if ya need anything! Or if you just wanna talk with your pal, Blackburn!”

And with that Blackburn and his crew made their way out of the hub and into the piloting area of the airship. The travel was slow and silent for a few minutes before the sound of a loud explosion could be heard from behind them; a look out of the windows confirmed the worst fear – the United Forces had found the White Lotus and were currently battling them. With the speed the airship was travelling however it didn’t take long before the stronghold was completely out of view and thankfully they didn’t have anyone following them.

There wasn’t much left for the group to do now except to talk, get acquainted and choose the route that they wished to travel down.

---

---

Whilst exploring and excavating the dwelling of the previous avatar, Avatar Roku, it was an odd sight to see a white lotus operative come bearing with a message of importance. More outlandish was how the white lotus were able to track him to give this message, it seems that even when their resources stretched thin they still kept their eyes on Shailesh, which was slightly unnerving to be fairly honest. It was a message of summoning to be the trainer of the Avatar. Avatar Shamo Hua, the sandbending princess he's been hearing behind hushed, drunk breaths in bars.

He was initially flabbergasted at this, from the top off his head he could name ten who could best him in single combat, but the white lotus would not waste their time sending this message to him if they were messing about. He set off back onto the Earth Kingdom, his home nation, the trip was somewhat short, and the white lotus expended their resources to escort him back. A week before he arrived he visited his old village, located on the outskirts of the earth kingdom, being a considerable trek away from the capital.

His escorts were kind enough to let him visit for a few hours, as they were not really short of time only being a few days away from getting to the capital. The sun shone brightly overhead, and a sense of sentimental nostalgia hit Shailesh. the last time he had visited was years ago. The very smell of the dessert was dry and baked, but this took him back a few years ago, when he was a small child, helping his father tend an excavation site. The familiarity was almost despotic, but he welcomed it. His eyes lifted towards the blazing sun, his hand covering its blinding lights.

"Home sweet home." he muttered to nobody, a smile slightly clamouring to his face.

As soon as he lifted the blinds up to enter his old home, much of his furniture remained in its old space, with a few just slightly move. Shailesh's blue eyes swam around the house, his bookcase that showed its age, his dining table, his father's desk. Then he saw two individuals, their heads propping upwards in curiousity, but as soon as they laid eyes on him their jaws dropped. His parents had aged, their hairs slightly greying and their backs slightly arching. It didn't help that Anthropology was a strenous job, his smile faded a bit. The parents jumped and encased Shailesh into a tight hug, their arms felt thinner than he remembered, did he get taller? or did they grow thinner. Nonetheless he returned their hugs with his own.

After the pleasantries, Shailesh took something out of his satchel, a brown bag. He laid it down on the earth-made table, hitting with a large thud then a jingle of coins, "Father, Mother, please take this to easen your lives." he said in a matter-of-fact way. They tried to return it to him, citing that he should use it for himself, but Shailesh didn't budge, and they accepted it. And for the next few hours the trio found themslves sitting on the dinner table, Shailesh recounting stories of his travels, and his discoveries in the field of Anthropology,

"I visited the infamous sites of the Air temples, many were now being occupied by the reformed air nomads. It is a pleasure to see a once almost lost culture growing once more..."
"... The battle site between Avatar Aang and Firelord Ozai was brimming with energy and..."
"Mom, Dad, why did you never inform me what 'cactus juice' was- Yes I did drink it... Why are you laughing at me?..."

---

Now Shailesh arrived, being escorted by a few, rather tense, white lotus members. Without even a breath he was rushed into these stuffy clothes of gray, but styled more towards Earthbending. Surely a precaution to blend in within the Earth kingdom. He felt weird without his everyday cloak, but atleast they let him keep his bostaff. He was ushered into a seat, next to what looked to be the Airbending and Waterbending instructor. Both were famous figures, only a fool would not have atleast heard of them. The Airbending master was Yanchen, famous for her help in pushing the field of Chemistry further. The Waterbender was Kariya Amaris, a renowned healer and was said to have mastered her own style of Waterbending.

Surely Shailesh shouldn't even be sitting here with these almost-legendary figures and felt dwarfed by them, he figured he was on the shortlist and as they were out of time, picked him. Hopefully he wouldn't screw up his job. His eyes picked up on a familiar face was sitting next to the said Waterbender, Kazuno Han, his nose wrinkled slightly as he tore his glance away from her, they had a not-so stellar meeting a few years prior to this. He, however, doesn't doubt her skills, as from the fragment of memories he remembered on the day he drank the cactus juice, she could keep up with him and stopped his rampage, however she only served to worsen the situation.

“Welcome honoured brothers and sisters of the White Lotus”“You know the task for which have been summoned here for. To train, protect and serve the Avatar. To nurture her into an Avatar as great as her predecessors and for that we have arranged a showing her potential. Please, judge her for yourselves as the masters. We present to you…The Avatar.”

The sandbending princess was led onto the courtyard, she walked with a certain finesse and dignity, befitting that of a princess, even if it was a little rough. She certainly atleast looked the part of the Avatar. She walked onto the sparring grounds and the words resounded,

“Begin!”

However, before Shailesh could make an analysis of her skill the sound of bells resounded throughout the courtyard. Being an Earthbender, it was fairly obvious what it was, emergency bells. The United Forces were closeby, how did they hear of this event?

And with that, him and the other instructors and the Avatar were escorted onto another freight ship. They were basically pushed onto it with instructions of training the Avatar and keeping her safe. An unreasonable 'command' but Shailesh would not condemn them for this as the United Forces have been on their tails for quite a while.

The skyship lifted off the safe abode of the ground, and Shailesh felt slightly uncomfortable as his feet were not firmly planted on the earth. Nonetheless he would shake this off. Luckily, the white lotus stored his belongings on the ship, and with a relived sigh, he wore his cloak over his gray clothes. It felt much more comforting to wear those garments, he wasn't really one for formality and general stuffiness.

Since he was changing his outfit, he missed the first part of the oddly dressed man's speech.

“Ah right! Enough games time for business. As you know this here is a top secret mission BUT those scurvy bilge rats found us anyway. Which means there could be a snake in the grass. We gots to get you to the top secret island Avatar, but we could keep our current course and head through this mountain pass and over near a set of Fire Nation villages OR we can take the way through this swampland. There swamp is empty because there has been some strange goings on, but it will be clear of any United Forces…Well, we gotta hour or so before we need to decide anything so we’ll leave it up to you Avatar. Me and the crew will be in the front if ya need anything! Or if you just wanna talk with your pal, Blackburn!”

With that, they were left to do something Shailesh wasn't really skilled to do. Socialize. He found the main congregation of the instructors and avatar, slunk back in, and with a soft voice said,

"... Hello. You all have probably never heard of me, so... I'm Shailesh Durjaya, Earthbending instructor of Avatar Shamo. I hope to be able to properly teach the Avatar if need be. Pleased to make all of your acquaintances."

Sounds of grunting, the product of hard work and effort, could be heard mixed with the sounds of classical song radiating outward from a rather plain looking door within the complex of the White Lotus. Passed the plain door was a distinctly not so plain room, furnished with fine green silks, pillows, sheets, and rugs. In the corner sat a very small badgermole with its eyes closed, not sleeping, but paying close attention to the other inhabitant of the room, as well as the music she had playing. In the center of the room sat a sand pit, and in the center of the sand pit there exercised a woman. Though highly feminine in appearance, she was sweating hard at work as performed pushups in the sand with one finger. Upon reaching one hundred, she wiped her sweat with a nearby green towel then turned her attention toward a different exercise. With two swift motions of her arms the sand in the pit rose up around her into two pillars. She then clenched her fists tightly, and the sand compacted into hard, solid stone. Another wave of her hand to the side caused a portion of the left stone pillar to jut outward, connecting the two pillars together. With an approving nod the young woman crouched and leaped up, grabbing the connecting rod with both hands and began a routine of pullups.

After a few repetitions the young woman heard a knock at the door. With a small sigh she swung her legs twice to gain a bit of momentum. On a third swing a gust of air pushed her forward and she released, landing a good twenty feet away right in front of the machine playing her music. She reached forward, elegantly lifting the record needle up to give the music an immediate stop, and the badgermole in the corner an immediate startle. She chuckled. "Apologies, Pangu, but we have company. You may enter." The latter was spoken to the door. In walked a White Lotus representative, a woman of Fire Nation origin. She gave a small bow before speaking.

"Avatar Shamo, I am here to inform you that your new masters are to arrive soon. You are to be ready to give a demonstration of your skills, so they can evaluate what best to train you on."

Shamo nodded to convey her understanding. "Your warning is appreciated. How soon are they to arrive, Mai?"

"In three hours time," Mai replied.

"Three hours?" the avatar asked, a note of surprise in her voice. "I should have been given more warning. Oh dear, I will have to rush my preparations." The avatar took a stance with her legs spread wide, her hands centered. She began moving her arms in a rolling wave motion. As she did so, the sweat which covered her body slid forward, gathering together in a single ball suspended in the air before her. Once her skin and clothing had been cleared of the sweat, she relaxed her stance and the ball of liquid fell to the floor, soaking into the sand pit.

"You have performed your duty admirably. You are dismissed, Mai." The White Lotus woman bowed once more and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Shamo sighed, walking over to a desk with a vanity mirror and sat next to it. Before her were multiple containers of makeup and perfumes. She contemplated each of them for a few minutes, finding herself unable to decide.

"I do dislike looking any less than my best. Hmm. Which perfume do you think would make the best impression, Pangu?" The small badgermole perked a bit as he heard his name, looking over in Shamo's direction with his blind eyes. She drew some liquid out of the containers with her bending and guided it toward her animal friend, who took a sniff of the air, sneezed, then buried his nose in the ground. Shamo sighed. "That's what I thought too. They really should have given me more time to prepare myself."

---

Avatar Shamo Hua allowed the White Lotus sentries to guide her through the halls and into the courtyard. They knew how to show proper respect, and it was appreciated. She did not appreciate the sparring gear she was required to wear for this demonstration, however. The green helmet matched her colors only upon her insistence. The original design was white, a terrible choice for her complexion. Apart from that alteration, it was inexcusably gaudy to wear. Too bulky, not aesthetically pleasing at all. Of course that was part of the purpose; it had to be bulky to account for the safety padding. That didn't stop it from just irking Shamo, though. The rest of the suit was just as cumbersome and irritating. She preferred an elegant design, one that would let her move with greater alacrity and dexterity. Ironic, coming from a native earthbender.

Shamo Hua stepped into the sparring ring where her opponents stood, taking notice of the six seats overlooking her. She immediately recognized each of them, she had been briefed on her new servants after all, and before beginning the match she gave them all a bow of respect. Then she turned and gave her opponents the same platitude. Once her opponents gave their own bows the match commenced.

"Begin!"

The match immediately erupted into a furious beginning. Each of the White Lotus that were in the ring now had seen Shamo fight, had already fought her, and they knew it was best to strike before she did. Once the avatar got going, she was a maelstrom that refused to give pause. A firebender shot forward, propelled by a jet of flame behind him, while an airbender launched herself high up. In the same moment a waterbender scattered puddles around the solid ground and froze them into a thin layer of ice. Shamo smiled. They had to have come up with this strategy ahead of time. A three pronged attack in an attempt to keep her off balance by having to respond to entirely different methods of assault. It was a good plan, one that would have worked on a lesser bender. A lesser avatar.

Moving swiftly, Shamo stomped one foot into the ground causing a ripple in the earth. The ice encroaching on her position had its path cut off before it even reached her as rock split and divided into smaller fragments. Following that up in the same motion she slid her left foot in a pivot and waved an open palm upward. This had the effect of creating a high pressure wind wall, knocking both the firebender and the airbender off course. As they stumbled to the side the waterbender attacked from a distance, using two water whips. An earthbender got in on the action by throwing a quick volley of rocks from the very ring they fought in.

Shamo responded to the water whips by slicing at them as they approached, exhaling strongly to create a long blade of flame which severed and vaporized the water. The stones appeared to strike true though, hitting the avatar in the head. Or rather so it had appeared. In the last moment Shamo headbutt each one, smashing the stones to a fine sand in the process. By this point the airbender had regained her footing, placing herself at Shamo's back. The earthbender sent another volley of stones while the waterbender reformed his whips for another go. They were keeping her on the defensive. Good strategy, but it also gave her the time she needed to set the battlefield up to her liking.

The avatar crouched down, then lifted herself up as if lifting a mighty weight. Eight stone spires shot up from the ground in an instant, surrounding the avatar like a protective cage. One had erupted directly underneath the airbender and so she found herself blasted up for the second time. The cage blocked the volley of rocks, smashing them to tiny bits, as well as diverted the water flow of the whip. With two strong punches the avatar launched two of the spires toward her earthbending opponent, and another two punches sent a pair toward the waterbender.

The firebender was charging her from the side now, and those rock spires would decidedly not act as a defense against a wave of flame. The man jumped upward, spinning a kick through the air and sending a wave of fire right for Shamo's head. The avatar reached forward with both hands pressed together and parted the flames on contact. Her open palms then came into contact with two more of her stone spires. Gripping each tightly, they moved with her hands slamming together to form a larger, more solid wall which the firebender slammed right into. With a clenching of her fists the wall broke apart into sand, collapsing on top of, and partly burying, the firebender.

At that moment Shamo was caught off guard by a stream of water enveloping her left arm, rendering it immobile. The waterbender hand avoided the stone spires flung off at her, and now had the avatar somewhat disabled. No, not disabled. Inconvenienced. Shamo breathed out gently, cold air leaving her lungs. The ice around her arm froze. With a strong tug the ice broke off from the liquid water still under her opponent's control. She had reacted just in time to catch sight of the airbender sending a stream of funneled air toward her. The avatar jumped upward, propelled by the earth shooting her toward the sky, and spun around. In the same spinning motion Shamo launched the ice from her arm toward the airbender, who knocked it aside with a gust of wind.

What goes up... Did not come down. It was a breach of the Lotus's sparring uniform to be sure, but Shamo needed to properly accessorize. Moving in the right way, her green scarf revealed itself from beneath the padded uniform. Using her airbending she treated her scarf as a makeshift glider, a task it was not well equipped for, but equipped well enough for her purposes. The avatar guided herself into a divebomb directly toward the center of the ring, and crashed into it fist first. What followed was a great tremor as the stone ring broke apart and became sand.

"Now the fight truly begins," she announced as she stood up, turning to face each of her opponents as they recovered. Unfortunately the masters would not get to see why Shamo Hua was known as the Sandbending Princess, for at that very moment the sirens went off. The match had to end for the Republic's forces were quickly encroaching. Shamo rolled her eyes and relaxed her stance while members of the Lotus approached to take her to safety.

Her opponents scattered, no doubt preparing to do battle in an effort to cover her own retreat. As they did a couple sentries hurried to help the avatar from her own sparring gear. Relieved to be out of such a terrible ensemble, she smiled out of genuine pleasure for the first time since being put into it. Such relief was not long to last though. As they had her spirited away, she was given a drab, downright ugly gray rag to wear in an effort not to draw attention to herself. One of the Lotus had reached for her earrings, but a single death glare was enough to communicate the right message on that account.

“The United Forces are nearby! You must depart at once Avatar Shamo, for your own safety. This group of men and women will serve as your masters for the final time. The next time you and I meet you shall be a fully realized Avatar, master of all the elements, ready to save the world. I hope you have, at the very least, enjoyed your time here. Goodbye, Avatar.”

Shamo returned the man's bow, genuinely respectful for his actions and caring. She then looked the man right in the eye and spoke. "It pleases me that you consider our next meeting a certainty. Do what you can to survive. I will miss you, Wei."

It was only a few scant minutes, but Avatar Shamo Hua found herself on a well built airship with her new servants. As they ship fled the complex, she stared out of the window. It wasn't in sight for very long, but clearly a battle was now raging. Men and women were giving their lives to protect her. It was her duty to ensure those lives were not lost in vain. With a steely grimace she accepted this to be the reality of the situation, then turned her attention to the immediate matters at hand.

The captain of the vessel began speaking in a rather happy and energetic, if completely inappropriate manner. Had he zero respect? They were on the run and he was asking for an autograph?! Had she not been in full control of her emotions Shamo would be easily recognizable as being enraged, maybe she could have slapped the man. Thankfully the pilot got their captain on track so she wouldn't have to suffer further. Apparently they had a choice of course to get to the island, but why was the captain putting that choice in the hands of the passengers? Such matters were to be determined by a navigator and the captain, were they not? Shamo Hua was no expert in airships or flight, but she knew this much.

Well, no matter why this bizarre decision had been made, they had some time to discuss it. The crew left to go about their jobs, and so it was just the Avatar, her new bodyguard, and new masters. The first to speak was her new earthbending teacher, Shailesh Durjaya. "Do not underestimate your skills, Shailesh sifu," she said with a bow, making perfect eye contact. "The reports I have read state you to be something of a prodigy. I look forward to your instructions. Besides, if you are not confident, what reason have I to trust you with my training?"

Her words were spoken not in an insulting way, but very matter-of-fact. She then addressed the entire group. "Ah, but I apologize for my hasty words. It is impolite as I have not introduced myself. Naturally you all know who I am, but in an effort to maintain some level of formality I will say this. Hello, I am Avatar Shamo Hua. I am pleased to meet you all and look forward to having you fulfill your duties to serve my growth."

The White Lotus driver eyed the hog monkey tiredly as Bukotsu tore through the ration supply. They were still a few days away from the compound, which meant that Kazuno had plenty of time to compose her letter. Unfortunately for the driver, that meant plenty of time in the pleasure of Bukotsu’s company too.

“Is there really no way for you to stop that pet of yours?” The driver spat curtly and glared at the road ahead.

Kazuno shrugged, barely looked up from her pad and pen. At least it wasn’t her stuff that the hog monkey was looting this time.

“Firstly, not my pet. Secondly, trust me sir, I’ve tried. A plenitude of times.”

The hapless driver muttered something along the lines of “not enough times”, but Kazuno didn’t catch it. The letter occupied her attention, enough for her to not realise that Bukotsu had tired of going through the White Lotus supplies and was now ransacking her own travel pack.

I have managed to come into the possession of a substantial job recently. My employers strongly emphasised the fact that they appreciated the…

Hm, how was she gonna put it?

…worldliness I had attained during my travels. Tolds ya it wasn’t a phase!

She wrote a bit more, leaving out many details. A convenient perk of trading letters was that her parents were unable to interrogate her face to face. It was something that she looked forward to avoiding for a few more years at the least. Having anyone close to her know that she was chosen to train the Avatar was unbelievably dangerous. But man, the White Lotus must have been implausibly desperate to come to someone like her. She had never even had any teaching experience. And it’s not like her firebending style was conventional by any means…

Kazuno sighed and tucked her finished letter into an envelope, sealing it and filling out the send address. They were just mysteries that would hopefully be answered when she reached the compound.

“Oi, chauffeur! Would you kindly make a stop at the nearest post office? Gotta keep the folks up to date.”

The driver, clearly unamused by her juvenile tone, growled in reluctant affirmation. Kazuno smiled and reclined in her seat. In a few days, a new chapter of her life would start. She was going to be part of something world-changingly major. A loud rustling snapped her out of her relaxed daze.

“BUKOTSU, GET OUT OF MY STUFF!”

---

Well, at least they let her keep the scarf. The official White Lotus clothing seemed a bit unnecessary but orders were orders. She would have usually preferred to just get into her usual spare set of clothes but Kazuno suspected that Bukotsu used those as an impromptu sickness bag on the boat ride here. As the White Lotus master rambled on, Kazuno fiddled with the ends of her neckwear, ignoring the speaker and the fellow instructors around her. Years of fancy dinner parties with business partners during her youth honed her mastery of the art of tuning people out. She would get to know them later, without the distracting droning of this White Lotus preacher.

Then out stepped the Avatar, clad in bulky sparring armour that obscured the quite feminine body wearing it. After a polite bow, she practically strut into the ring. Kazuno’s eyes widened as she witnessed the Avatar capably take on three different elemental benders. Resourcefulness, creativity, relentlessness; all these qualities shone through her performance in battle. Her fighting style shared similarities with Kazuno’s own. The firebender was also pleasantly surprised to see Shamo’s aptitude in fire redirection and fire breath, which was usually a quite advanced technique. The power of the Avatar was truly astounding. It was certainly going to make Kazuno’s job a lot easier. Kazuno found herself grinning and cheering loudly as Shamo declared the changing tide of the battle. Her excitement was cut short by the ringing of the emergency alarms.

All at once, Kazuno was quickly led onto an airship. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a sentry load her travel pack onto the airship, and then a huff of disappointment as she watched Bukotsu rudely clamber past a few bewildered sentries and into the cargo hold. Someday she’d be rid of that fleabag. Someday. Thank the spirits that the White Lotus had arranged for an airship. Kazuno didn’t think that she would be able to handle two boat rides in one day. As the burly Captain Blackburn delivered his grandiose introduction, she took the time to get a good look at the other instructors. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to tune out any more long speeches for the day.

Kariya Amaris. The waterbending healer and famed dancer. Kazuno had heard her name during her brief visit to Republic City. Kazuno hadn’t stayed there long, too clamorous for her taste.
Yangchen. Another name she had heard in Republic City. Kazuno had to admit that she was mildly surprised. The notable chemist struck her as more of an scholar than an airbending combatant.
The Kyoshi Warrior and weapons master were unfamiliar to her. With their statures and outfits, they seemed older and much more experienced than the rest of the group, most likely White Lotus veterans of some sort. The weapons master in particular, with his sharp, tired eyes and noticeable lack of an arm, gave the impression of a force not to be messed with.
And lastly, the earthbending instructor who actually seemed kind of familiar now that she had a good- no way. That guy got recruited? Kazuno knew that the White Lotus were a desperate for members (they had recruited her, after all) but she didn’t think that the situation was that bad. Of all the earthbenders in the world, they had to pick the dude from the Cactus Juice Incident? What was even his name again?

"...I'm Shailesh Durjaya, Earthbending instructor of Avatar Shamo. I hope to be able to properly teach the Avatar if need be. Pleased to make all of your acquaintances."

Right, Shailesh. He seemed to be a shy person in the presence of large company. The Avatar, responded in confident fashion. She seemed to be very self-assured, someone who would be difficult to handle if you weren’t on her good side. Kazuno stepped forward to make her own introduction. Growing up in high Fire Nation society gave her some experience in this sort of thing.

“Kazuno Han, hailing from the Fire Nation Capital. Truly a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to working together.”

She did the customary, polite Fire Nation bow before she finished.

She awoke to the smell of bubbling fat and searing meat. The light wisps of smoke drifted into the bedroom, and she watched the currents dance highlighted. The air swirled in fascinating patterns, and Yang blew out a satisfied breath, her addition wiping the patterns clear. Pale legs kicked away blankets and padded lightly on the floor, lifting the sweat-filmed form of Yang to her wardrobe, from which she plucked a robe.

“You know you didn’t have to cook this morning.” Yang’s voice was crisp in the cool air of the house, her admonishment entering the kitchen a step ahead of her. She worked her hair into something approaching order, and with her hands occupied simply stood on the tips of her toes and planted her lips on the cheek of the man working over the stove. Tak didn’t move but for a smile, and continued to watch the seal bacon and kelp sizzle in the heavy iron pan.

“I figured you’d appreciate one more hot meal before you go save the world.”

Yang placed herself at the table, the rich baritone of her husband filling the small stone-walled room. It was a singer’s voice, from the lips of a poet and the face of a thespian. The familiar warmth burned in her heart, right where it should be. Bare feet wriggled on the wooded table, the airbending mistress stretching the fatigue from her joints as through a window the dawn light pooled into her home.

Her characteristic smirk was on her face as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. “I think I might have preferred waking up next to something warm. This season’s not sitting right with me.”

Tak plated the meal of seaweed and seasoned meat, and set the table quickly, sliding into a chair opposite his wife as Yang rested her feet in his lap. He spoke around a mouthful of his cooking, after a hum of satisfaction in his creation. He was the better cook of the two, there could be no doubt. “I’ll bear that in mind.” He no doubt would have quipped about her lack of appreciation of his culinary skills, but Yang’s ravenous attack of the food before her silenced any such witicism. “And I’m sure it will warm up soon.”

The meal passed quickly, the chat light. They’d danced this number a dozen times and more. At first, it had been tears, then passion, then frustration. Now, it was just life: Yang would leave, and they would miss each other, and their reunion would be all the sweeter. She went to pack as he did the dishes. The combination on the safe was their two birthdays, and the day of their wedding, and throwing the heavy metal door open she began to assemble the tools of her trade. She donned her traveling clothes, robbing her soul-mate any view of pale skin as she threw on thick woolen jacket and leather trousers. Her holsters went on next, the gleaming, deadly metal of machines that owed their existence, in part, at least, to her filling them snugly.

Strong arms wrapped around her as she reached for boxes of ammunition, the gentle weight of Tak resting on her shoulders as she was pulled into his chest. “Stay safe, Yang.” The fear was palpable in his voice, the worry deep. She realized he may not have slept.

His worry was infectious, and it weighed upon her. She ignited some bravado, sparking the confidence that both know was half-faked. “I always do, darling. I’ll bring you back a souvenir, and talk your ear off about the most recent Avatar.” His tightening squeeze told her what her lover thought of her reassuring words. She turned in grasp, and narrowed her eyes in severe certainty. “I’ll be back, Tak. I’d not let anything stop me. I promise.” She pulled him down to her, and kissed him, her packing forgotten. It could wait.

---

Yang stayed near one of the windows of the airship, leaning on her pack and rifle pressed into the wall of the vessel. She felt guilty, leaving the violence behind, the ubiquitous disgust at survival that gripped her at times like these. A hand rested on her hip holster, and she forced herself to be calm. She emptied her mind piece by piece, letting her irrationalities slip from her. There was nothing she could do, it was wrong to fuss. She concentrated on Blackburn, and on Shailesh, on Kazuno and on the Avatar. She swallowed her disappointment and dread as she regarded the link between the spirit world and humanity. The display had been flashy, sure, and it had been a good demonstration of raw power, but it had not be reassuring. Yang reminded herself that she was here to teach the Avatar how to fight, and that it would be pointless being present if she had nothing to teach.

She unslung her rifle, set it beside her pack against a wall, and pushed herself from her rest. Her foot taps rhythmically on the metal of the airship, her fingers drumming a descant on the pearl grip of her revolver. It looked to be her turn, and she wanted to give an accurate impression after silence and frustration perhaps colored the perception of her new comrades.

“It’s nice to be in such varied company for a change. I’m Yangchen, the airbender you’re stuck with.” She glanced at the Avatar, and forced her grin to her face. If there was one person her inventions would be hated by, it would be the avatar. Or a gaggle of master benders predisposed towards disliking firearms. She hoped her winning smile would cover for her offenses to their disciplines. “I’m sure we’ll make a great team, once we all get used to each other, and I look forward to drilling some sense into our reincarnated charge here.”

Sang only wished for one thing, one thing.
Bubble bath? Would be nice, but no.
Fountain of ice-cold water? Tempting.
Lying face-down in chocolate on a soft bed while wonderful things were being done to her unmentionables? Strangely enough no.
That the job of guarding the Avatar would be easier than actually reaching the Avatar? That’s the one.

On her way from Kyoshi island she’d seen wonderful things. The boat-ride to the main land had been a puke-infested floating hell-hole, but once there she’d had a good time. She’d tasted new kinds of food, listened to new music and talked with some really funny people. Granted, some of them had only been nice to her because she was lost and had a big bag of money… keyword had. Once that was stolen the friendly gentlemen went up in smoke. She’d gotten lost, a lot. Fourteen times, the swamp didn’t really count because it turned out to be a shortcut. Her first ride in an automobile had been an amazingly wild car-chase where she was apparently the hostage (it turned super-awkward when she figured that one out) and her first ride on an Earth kingdom train had stalled for three days because the republic had blown up the tracks, yes all of them.
She had to walk the last five miles with nothing but the map her master had given her and a canteen of water for company. It had started out well, but walking around on loose sand had turned out to be exhausting. It wasn’t just the heat, but the way sand slides away from underneath your feet, you always have to maintain your balance and you can’t push off properly for the next step which wastes a lot of energy.

About three hours before the big event a sandglider slid to a halt outside the white lotus stronghold. A single passenger clad all in green (that could be spotted from a mile away) jumped off and enthusiastically waved goodbye to her companions in a way that were very seldom seen in the desert, since jumping up and down and flailing wildly with your arms will ensure death by heat stroke. Sang, being immediately recognized by her clothing, was welcomed with open arms and led to a dark room where the heat was slightly less lethal and she could take a nap in peace to regain her strength before her service was needed.
A servant in typical sand-tribe clothing and a white lotus printed on a sash around the waist woke her up about two hours later. Her clothes had been cleaned and fresh water was available for a quick cleaning. The water wasn’t so much cold as it was colder than the surrounding air, back home she probably would’ve refused to use it but here the cooling sensation of water against her skin felt almost as good as the first sip of a really cold drink after a long and sweaty training session.
Once clean, she put her uniform back on and was led by the sand person to where she’d meet the Avatar for the first time. A couple of people clad in gray walked ahead, but she didn’t pay them much attention, probably only some form of white lotus group…

Sang and the gray people were led out into a courtyard where a line of seats were arranged (in the shade). Each chair had an emblem on it and as the people in gray began to take their seats it all dawned on her.
Embarrassed, blushing and giggling nervously she tip-toed over to her seat, trying as well as she could to hide her face from the already seated with her hands. Luckily no one had a chance to talk to her before a white lotus member greeted them with a short speech and sent in the Avatar for a demonstration.

She was shocked. Speechless, breathless and almost paralysed. The Avatar was female, not only that, the Avatar was… A woman.
A body filled with feminine charm, curves and just the right amount of bounce in just the right places. Sang sat silent and watched the Avatar move, she saw the Avatar’s thighs tense and relax, her torso twist slightly, her hips turn violently as the Avatar flew back and forth across the tiny battlefield.

The alarm. Suddenly a bell sounded and every white lotus member stiffened. Years of martial practice kicked in and Sang’s eyes started to dart between the various groups of white lotus members in the area, trying to decide where the incoming danger was located. Word came about the attack, which really didn’t surprise any of the seated people. Calmly, like the eye of the storm, they were led away from the courtyard. Sang kept herself next to the Avatar, she was the bodyguard and there was no way she’d lose her protectee in the first ten minutes of her job after that trip. She even tackled a white lotus guide to stay right next to the goddess of all four elements. Afterwards she smiled about it.

They were pushed into an airship and sent away after a quick goodbye between the white lotus and team Avatar. In a heartbeat the situation had turned from a nice and very interesting evaluation of the Avatar’s abilities to an invasion to an escape. All without the group even spotting a single enemy. Sang’s pulse was sky-high and her blood so rich in adrenaline that she almost attacked the airship’s four crewmembers and just barely managed to hide her attack as a violent need for cooling off thanks to her chosen weaponry, the twin fans. The crew didn’t really noticed as they had locked eyes on the Avatar, except for the guy in the odd glasses that couldn’t contain his laughter. A sharp flick of the wrist send a small gust of air into his face and forced him to turn away and rub his dry eyes.
The guy in charge, Blackburn (Is that a Fire nation name or would that be an insult?), greeted them, told them what was happening and then left them all alone in the room as the airship slowly took off. The seven people stared at each other, every one waiting for someone else to speak first, but no one did. The sound of the normally almost silent machinery that drove the airship forward filled the room and poked the uncomfortable silence like a spear. Suddenly, an explosion, Sang threw herself against the nearby window and tried to see where it had come from. The airship was alone in the air, but the ground was lousy with people, white lotus and republic army. A second later the two armies were tiny like ants and before long they were so hard to make out against the sand that there was no use in looking any more.

Then the chain of introductions started as Sang once more made her way to the Avatar’s side.
“I’m Sang Saitong” she said once a gap in the conversation appeared. “...From Kyoshi island” she added and instantly felt like a fool. While the others wore practically the same thing, she still wore the one piece of clothing that was only made on that tiny little island. They’d really have to be idiots not to know where she came from, and now she’d stated it out loud like there was any question, her chair had a fan on it… Stupid.
She smiled and hoped that no one saw through it before she turned to the Avatar, raised both hands, the right one a fist caught in the left, she held the greeting up high, almost level with her eyes to symbolize her respect for the woman in front of her. “I’m tasked with keeping you safe, Avatar. Chienn (respect).” She bowed her head, enough to lose eye contact, but she could still see the Avatar’s legs and shins.