Battle on Kyoshi Island Part 2

Pov Aang:

After a week of flying around different islands, we finally arrived on Kyoshi Island. I admit that the delay was due to the fact that I wanted to revisit some places and my sense of direction was a bit weak.

I was relieved that Katara and Sokka had agreed to help me, I wasn't sure I could do this trip on my own.

- I'm starving. - Sokka complained, a recurring habit since the start of the trip.

- All you think about is food all day. - said Katara angrily to her brother.

The little flying lemur, called Momo, was looking at Sokka suspiciously, as he had been attacked more than three times in the last week, with Sokka trying to eat him.

I watched with amusement, it was good to have these moments to relax, but I still felt a great sadness inside me. Coming home and seeing everything completely destroyed made me realize how naive I had been when I woke up in this new world.

Gyatso's death was a shock to me, he was more than a good friend, he was a father figure to me, if Katara hadn't made me reempower myself, I would have destroyed what was left of the South Temple with my Avatar state.

Seeing that temple, my home, completely destroyed, made me feel alone and I realized that I was the last Master of the Air.

- Appa, YIP, YIP! - I signaled Appa to come to the beach.

- Finally, my back is killing me. - Sokka stretched as he stepped onto the sand.

- This place is beautiful! - Katara was amazed by the landscape.

I had come to the island of Kyoshi because of the island's founding Avatar; if I remember correctly, it was an island with strong cultural practices, where honor and respect were practiced daily in the formation of character.

I desperately needed advice from Avatar Kyoshi, who was an excellent master of the four elements and was known to be a master of controlling the Avatar State. It was this power in particular that scared me, as I didn't want to lose control and endanger my new friends.

- It looks like there's a trail that leads to the top of the mountain. - I pointed to the trail.

- Can't we ride Appa and fly up there? - Sokka asked.

- Appa is tired, he needs to rest.

- He can rest when he gets us all to the top of the mountain.

Katara, losing patience with her brother, pinched his cheek mercilessly, hoping to teach him a lesson. - You complained the whole trip! Let's go to the top of the mountain.

- But, Karata!

- Right now! - ordered Katara, watching her brother walk towards the path.

Climbing the mountain on the way up helped a lot, because the higher we went, the more visible the view of the sea of transformation became, taking on a beauty that was rarely seen. After 10 minutes, we spotted the large statue of Kyoshi, which had a study temple underneath the large sculpture.

- So this is Kyoshi. - Sokka stared at the statue, not looking surprised, as he still had a strong prejudice against the idea of women fighting.

- Sokka, more respect! This is a cultural zone.

- Don't worry, there's no one here!

Before Sokka knew it, a woman with battle paint on her face, wearing armor and carrying metal fans, jumped out of the bushes behind him and delivered a spinning kick to his face, giving him no chance of defense. The fearless chief of the Wolf's Bay was knocked out in record time.

- Sokka! - shouted Katara, quickly alerting Aang with her shout.

Two more women appeared behind the duo of benders, and they were quickly immobilized on the ground without the slightest difficulty.

- For Fire Nation spies, you're not very professional. - Said one of the women, pointing to the fans around Katara's neck.

Before I knew it, ten more warriors appeared, with the same visual style and weapons, firmly positioned to fight to the death if necessary.

Feeling my body pressed against the ground, I drew air into my lungs and attacked with the force of a tornado, throwing myself ten meters off the ground. Using my elemental mastery, I quickly land on the ground and use my Bend to push the warrior who had immobilized Katara hard enough to push her a few meters.

- Is he bending the air? - asked one of the warriors, astonished.

- He's the Avatar! - said Katara, hoping to avoid an unnecessary conflict.

- If he was the Avatar, we would have received a signal. - said what seemed to be the leader of the group.

For the convenience of the universe itself, Kyoshi's statue had its eyes glowing as if in Avatar mode, impressively illuminating the Master of the Air.

- Will that sign do? - said Katara in a joking tone.

The leader of the group of warriors walked with a stern and cautious look, studying every detail of the intruders who had invaded the island, especially the teenager with the tattooed head.

- Avatar, it's good that you're finally back. - The warrior leader gave the characteristic warrior salute. - My name is Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and future ruler of this island.

Tensions quickly calmed down, allowing them to talk and walk back to the village in peace. One of the Kyoshi warriors carried the unconscious Sokka calmly without any problems, as they were all trained to wear armor much heavier than their own bodies.

After a few minutes, we were in a meeting with the village chief, Yukari, an elderly woman with gray hair, wrinkled skin, who was wearing a white kimono. In addition to Yukari, other elders and island authorities were present, not to mention the curious stares of the civilians.

- It's been a long time since we've had visitors, and with good reason: Kyoshi Island hasn't gone to war and has remained neutral for over 100 years. - Yukari said. - You have to understand that we have no intention of helping you, Avatar.

- I have to learn from the Avatar of Kyoshi. - I said, calmly. - Isn't the purpose of this island to preserve his memory?

- We pose no threat to your people. - Katara says.

- *sigh* Young Avatar... if it were under other circumstances, I could make an exception.

- Why don't you help? - Sokka asked seriously. - Listen, only the Avatar has the power to end this war. If everyone does their part, the Fire Nation will be defeated.

- It only took me a few minutes to realize that the Avatar is more naive than he should be. - Yukari said seriously. - Your eyes, Aang, reflect someone who doesn't want to see the world as it really is.

- I understand my responsibility and I intend to put things right, even if it takes years. - I comment, trying to remain serious. - I lived in a time when people helped each other, shared and learned, something I want to bring back to this world.

- You've taken too long, Avatar. - said Yukari sternly. - What takes you years to rebuild, the Fire Nation destroys in seconds.

- You're afraid, I understand...

- Afraid? Of course I'm afraid! - said Yukari regretfully. - Every day, I pray to the spirits that we won't be the target of the Fire Nation's wrath.

- But you have these warriors! - said Katara, surprised by the older woman's attitude.

- If you knew the facts, you'd probably...

Yukari's gaze was contagiously depressing; some of the Kyoshi warriors looked affected, as if they were afraid of someone in particular.

- Who are they afraid of? - I asked.

Sokka looked at Aang for a moment, not understanding the question, but quickly noticed that everyone's expressions changed, making him realize that it wasn't the Fire Nation that was the real problem.

- You may already know that the Fire Nation is led by the royal family, mainly by Ozai, the Fire Lord. - Yukari seemed to have found the strength to speak. - Ozai had two sons, one called Zuko and the youngest, Azula.

- We met Zuko a few days ago. - said Katara, remembering how close her tribe had come to being destroyed. - He's a very cruel man.

Yukari listened carefully to the Southern Waterbender's words, fearing that the Prince's hunt might reach her home.

- About 10 years ago, a third son called Kai became known. He is a bastard son, but extremely powerful, so talented that he became a general at the age of 11, a position given only to the most powerful firebenders of each generation. - Yukari continued.

Sokka almost lost her breath at hearing the Kyoshi Island Chief's words. He knew from experience that Zuko was someone strong, even without one of his eyes, and the idea that there was someone stronger than Zuko was frightening. Katara, on the other hand, understood that Kai was someone extremely powerful from a young age, which made her afraid if she ever met him.

I felt a chill in my stomach, a sense of unease as if every millimeter of my body was being alerted to the name of Ozai's third son. However, I couldn't help but be surprised, as this meant that Kai was someone who had reached the highest level of his element at the same age as me, as I suppose Air Masters and Generals can be equated to a certain extent.

- At the age of 13, Kai had killed the legendary General Fong, one of the most powerful earthbenders of recent decades. - Yukari swallowed her saliva dry in fear. - When Princess Azula turned 14, she asked for her birthday... the kingdom of Omashu.

My body completely froze when I heard Omashu come out of Yukari's mouth, I held my breath without realizing it, my legs trembling with fear.

- Kai agreed to the request and, within a few weeks, Omashu was under the control of the Fire Nation.

Katara put her hands to her mouth, stunned by the revelation, understanding the fear of the chief of Kyoshi Island.

- This is impossible! Omashu is practically an impregnable fortress! - I say, disappointed. That was practically impossible, Omashu was a kingdom protected by cliffs and great land dominators, sometimes more powerful than the Royal Guard of the King of Ba Sing Se.

- Rumor had it that Kai had the ability to control the sun itself, easily destroying Omashu's defenses. - said Suki, watching her mother hide her anguish. - Kai challenged King Bumi to a duel outside Omashu to avoid further collateral damage. The battle between the two made the earth shake with the intensity of the fight.

- Bumi... - I lost my voice, I was happy to know that Bumi was alive, but my false joy ended faster than the blink of an eye. - Is he alive?

- Nobody knows. - said Suki, seriously. - Many say he died in combat, others say he's being held in a special cell.

I had a newly acquired mission in my heart to go back to Omashu and look for Bumi, maybe save him if he's alive.

Aang's expression took on a serious tone, surprising Katara and Sokka because it was the first time the Avatar had exerted such pressure.

- Chief Yukari, I ask you once again to allow me to study with Avatar Kyoshi at your temple. - I bowed, hoping to be convincing. - I don't intend to stay any longer than I have to, but please allow me access to the temple, if only for one night.

Yukari was in an inner dilemma, part of her logically screaming to banish the Avatar from the island, but on the other hand, the young Airbender in front of her was none other than Kyoshi herself, and it was her duty to help.

Suki, realizing that her mother was undecided, decided to take the reins and lead Kyoshi Island at that moment.

- You can only stay on Kyoshi Island until noon tomorrow. - Suki said it like a military commander. - If you stay longer, sooner or later the Fire Nation will find out that you're hiding here.

Yukari watched her daughter, impressed by her attitude, happy but still worried about whether the decision she had made was the right one.

***

Pov Katara:

Aang and I were at the Kyoshi Avatar Temple. Aang had spent the night meditating, trying to connect with Kyoshi, while I read a bit of her biography to get to know her story.

- She's incredible... - I whispered, delighting in the epic adventure of the Avatar who defied tyrants and conspirators to keep the peace.

I turned to Aang and watched him meditate silently, without moving a muscle, something I confess I couldn't do for five minutes.

Sokka, on the other hand, was almost "dating" Suki in literally less than a day, two inexperienced lovers when it came to relationships. Seriously, my brother is practically dating someone he met a day ago, not to mention the fact that I've seen him in Kyoshi Warrior armor and makeup.

I let out a long sigh and decided to leave the temple to practice waterbending near a stream I'd found. I still had a view of the Kyoshi Temple, so I could practice and observe at the same time.

While practicing, the sunrise was beautiful, but I noticed an unpleasant smell and saw soot falling from the sky, making my body freeze with fear.

- The Fire Nation is here. - I whispered as I ran towards the temple.

When I entered the temple, I saw Aang with the glowing tattoo and, from his expression, it looked like he didn't like it.

- Aang, we have to leave the island now, the Fire Nation is here. - I tried to wake Aang up, but my attempts were in vain.

I looked out to sea again and noticed a large fleet of ships heading towards us at full speed.

- This is going to be an all-out war.

Next chapter: Battle on Kyoshi Island Part 3