Chapter Text
After our victory, a new problem arose, as I heard whispers from the other servants. Avatar Yun's status as an avatar was doubted. After he was trapped in the ice, the situation should have put him in the Avatar state. But he never did. Hei-Ran was supposed to test it, but I heard it didn't pass. Too much evidence piled up. The rumors are carried out of the estate, out of Yokoya, into the world. People became restless. Contracts were in danger of being made null and void. Jianzhu walked around the compound with quick, angry steps. He left his study less and less often. Yun avoided me and the rest of the staff. "He's training harder than ever," Rangi had told me. "As an avatar, it is his duty to ensure balance in this world. If he doesn't prove as soon as possible that he is the Avatar...", Rangi stopped for a moment, looked at me worriedly. The consequences would be reverent. Not only for the world, but also for our closest friend.
What would happen to us? What would Yun become? Jianzhu wouldn't throw him out the door, would he? Would Rangi return to the Fire Nation until the true Avatar was found? At the thought my heart contracted.
The whispers of the servants grew louder, Yun more desperate, and Jianzhu more angry, until the old master was suddenly calmer. Almost relaxed. I had a queasy feeling in my stomach.
In the evening I lay in my own bed. I tossed and turned, and could not sleep. After further attempts, I had to admit defeat. I had lost to sleep. Sighing, I got up from my wooden bed and ducked and felt under the bed for my box and my mother's diary. In the box was all my inheritance. Consisting of high-quality make-up as well as a pair of fans and a golden headgear. The only thing I had from my parents.With short steps I stood opposite my wardrobe and took off my evening clothes and put on my servants' clothes. It also served as everyday clothing at the same time. I didn't have much. When I put on my shoes, I almost tripped over my own big feet. I quickly caught myself. At the bottom of the closet was my tote bag. I hung it around my neck and stuffed my box and the diary into it. I grabbed my blanket from the bed. Quietly I left my room and maneuvered through the corridors.
I felt restless and I didn't want to wake Kelsang. He was like a father figure to me, but he was hurt. The next would be his celestial bison. Quietly I crept over the training railing to the stables. I found Pengpeng and was amazed that she was already saddled and loaded with blankets and provisions. Nevertheless, I decided to stay. The danger of being caught was high, but the urge to stay was higher. With the blanket firmly in my hand, I went over to her and stroked her. The bison yawned vigorously before she was back in the land of dreams. The good one. I'd like to be there now, too. I threw the blanket on her saddle and barely made it into the saddle myself.
Lying down, I read the diary of my airbending mother. In the diary it was written that she fell in love with my father, an earthbender. A Dofei. I had read the diary many times and the words never changed. No matter how many times I absorbed the sentences and devoured the words, I was denied the knowledge, which is why my parents left me behind. It hurt me. Why was I never allowed to enjoy the luxury? A tear threatened to welling up on my eye and I quickly wiped it away. My train of thought was interrupted when I heard footsteps. I felt the urge to hide and threw the blanket over me, which admittedly had seen better days. Two figures pulled themselves up on Pengpeng's saddle. I lifted the blanket slightly and recognized Jianzhu with the avatar. Or non-avatar? I shook the doubts out of my head. If I get caught, Unseemly would be waiting for me in the form of two angry firebending women and a frenzied Jianzhu. But my feeling told me that I should continue to stay hidden. The flight takes place quietly.
A jerk and two muffled noises later, I knew we had landed. I had never seen the place before, so I memorized the place as best I could while chasing the two earthbenders. Jianzhu explained to Yun that they are in the Xishaan Mountains. They entered a cave. I quietly followed. Careful not to be discovered. Drops wrestled down from the stalactites and formed a puddle underneath. I tried not to fall into the watery noise trap.
Surprised by myself that I managed to do this so far undetected, I would have liked to cheer. But I wasn't out of danger yet. From a greater distance, I watched them stop in front of a rock face. Yun sat down and took a meditation pose that I had often seen from Kelsang. It seemed to work and an eye opened in the rock face. A large green glowing eyeball looked at her. I couldn't see much from my position. The master earthbender greeted the creature, which bore the name "Grandfather Glowworm" and asked him for clarity as to whether his protégé was the Avatar. The spirit demanded blood as a prize. Yun sat there. In his meditation pose. Unmoved. I wondered if he knew what he was doing. I would have liked to intervene. The sinking feeling was now stronger than ever and the spirit awakened something in me. A feeling of déjà vu. As if it sounds familiar to me. But I was very sure that I had never met this spirit in my life.
"The boy is NOT the Avatar," said Grandfather Glowworm and added something quieter. Whatever he said, Jianzhu turned right around and saw me crouching in my hiding place. Yun firmly in the grip of the mind, hanging limply. "NO!!", I screamed when I realized what was happening. Grandfather Glowworm demanded his prize and took it with him. "Kyoshi," Jianzhu said, as if I were his daughter who had been missing for years, "let's go home." I shook my head crying and tried to run. I now perceived the world blurred. With limited visibility, I tried to find my way back. When I miraculously managed to get out of the exit, I didn't see my pursuer anywhere. I quickly wanted to go to Pengpeng and leave the place. But before I could go any further, the earth sage emerged from the earth behind me. He tamed the earth and made me stumble. I fell to the ground.
"Kyoshi, I need you. You have a lot of training ahead of you. I never saw your potential and neglected you for years. That stops today" Crying, I tried to fight my way up, but failed miserably. Jianzhu talked about controlling me if I kept resisting, and I felt fear. Why was I suddenly so important to him? I realized that he would surely kill me. "Your first lesson starts now" I felt earth forming around my face. Like a muzzle, it lay on my face. It was hard for me to breathe. Suddenly, Jianzhu was blown away. In front of me stood the master airbender, my father figure, protective. The muzzle was like sand to the ground. I breathed in the air greedily.
A fight broke out between the two. Kelsang was still very injured and the flight here had reopened his wound. He was bleeding and could not hold the Earth Sage for long before the monk was killed by the sage. In a panic, I made it to the bison and flew directly to Yokoya.
Arriving at the estate, I quickly sprinted to Hei-Ran. Crying, I threw myself into her arms. I told her about what had happened, as briefly as possible and she pulled me along decisively. The older firebender stopped and I almost ran into her. We stood at Rangi's door. Without knocking, she pulled me into the room and woke her daughter.
"Mother, what are you doing?"
"Pack your things, hurry, we have to go!" said Hei-Ran determinedly. Her daughter obeys immediately. Hei-Rahn ordered Rangi to take the travel provisions for the Avatar with him, which were always packed for safety. We quickly walked to the celestial bison, which unfortunately had no time to mourn its monk. We climbed into the night sky. On the way, Hei-Ran told me what she had learned from me, while I held the reins in my hand and thought about where to go now. The older woman noticed herself that something was wrong with her former boyfriend but suppressed these thoughts she had. I couldn't believe it. Yun was dead.
I remembered the entry in the diary. If I need help, I should go to the registered locations and use the code words. Resolutely, I flew us to the registered location. I concealed the fact that it was supposed to be a Dofei group. Jianzhu had good contacts and no matter where I would get in touch, I would be delivered directly to him.
Arriving at the restaurant, I asked the two to wait at the bison. Unerringly, I entered the old building. The wood looked worn and unkempt. In the corner sat an old man and drank his beer with relish, as I assumed. I went to the counter and found a younger boy. I shouted all the code words I could think of to him. Tumult spread and I noticed my mistake. I had approached the matter with too self-confidence. The guests rose from their seats. This won't end well...
The boy and I somehow made it out of the restaurant with the support of his small squad. "This way," I shouted and ran around the corner a block away. The Dofei ran after me. We got into the saddle and I first got puzzled, then angry looks from the mother-daughter team. Pengpeng picked up.
"We have forgotten Lao Ge," said the female Dofei member. It didn't seem like a big deal? She then introduced herself as Kirima and was a waterbender. The boy from the counter was called Lek and his friend was called Wong. Hei-Ran and Rangi refused to reveal their name to a stranger. I introduced myself as "Kyoshi". Rangi pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. Apparently, she couldn't understand my stupidity. Her mother burned me down with her look.
We were lucky, Wong saw the missing member. We forked this one and flew on. Hadn't I seen him at the inn? How did he get this far?
My parents had founded this group. The Flying Opera Company. That should be of use to me.
"I need your help"