#just for Rangi >:3c | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

swiftsaltsweet · 8 days ago

Text

Phoenix Flame Ch 2: Burning Bridges

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi

Rating: T

Summary:

First she was dying from a stab wound from Yun, then the next thing she knew, Rangi was in her room back at the mansion. Two years in the past. With memories of her adventures with Kyoshi and the Flying Opera Company still fresh in her mind, can she stop the same disasters from occurring again?

(Aka “What if Rangi mentally time-traveled back before Kyoshi was discovered as the Avatar, knowing everything from R/Sok?” and “What if Rangi flirted with Kyoshi the same way she does after they’ve been dating?”)

Other Sites: AO3

A/N: To make Yun an antagonist….or to just make him antagonistic towards Rangi. *thinking emoji* I’m already doing the former for Two Knives, so I think I’ll go with the latter. At least at first, we’ll see how it develops. :3c (See more of this thought after the chapter)

____

It wasn’t until a few days later that Rangi was released from the infirmary and allowed to resume her duties. It was here, as she stood at attention, that she realized she was about to face her hardest challenge yet: Keeping a neutral face.

To say it took all her willpower to not rip Jianzhu and Yun’s throat out with her teeth the second she saw them, would be a vast understatement. She was pretty sure she could gnash through iron with how hard she was clenching her jaw. She found some distraction in pressing her fists into the small of her back, right into her bruise. The pain kept her from launching daggers at them with her eyes.

Could anyone blame her for her hatred? They were two snakes who didn’t care who they threw away, even old friends, as long as they got what they wanted. Both of them had almost killed both her and her mother. Then there was also the mental anguish they’d inflicted upon Kyoshi. Jianzhu had also killed Kelsang and Lek. Oh, and then there was the little incident where Jianzhu cut off her topknot, severing her honor, and threatened to kill her if Kyoshi didn’t come back.

How could she not hate them?

But she couldn’t do anything. Not yet at least. It was too risky. She’d need to figure out the best way to reveal Kyoshi as the Avatar, but in a way that didn’t ensnare her in Jianzhu’s clutches. And she’d have to figure it out sooner rather than later, because she had Yun’s abuse to think about.

Despite her misgivings (again, understatement) towards Yun, Rangi had every noble intent to save him. He’d wronged her, but even she knew…his outbursts were in retaliation to the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Masters… Including her own mother.

If she could stop it, at least before they got to the point of no return for him…to provide a stable environment… Then…perhaps she could save him? To stop the tragedy before it could begin? Or at least hope she could. Hopefully she wasn’t too late already…

In Rangi’s mind, the second he held the court hostage the first night Kyoshi arrived at the Fire Nation, was the night he died in her heart. It was fairly easy, they were never really that close. Not in the way Kyoshi seemed to think they were. They’d been cordial enough, worked well as coworkers, and got along as mutual companions of Kyoshi… But they weren’t exactly the best of friends on their own. That sort of thing happens when you’re both competing for the same girl.

No, her future attempts to save Yun from his fate were not coming out of some nostalgia or greater friendship. It was based solely on her own honor and Kyoshi’s feelings. He was important to Kyoshi… So much so Kyoshi couldn’t bring herself to harm or kill him…

And Rangi accepted that. That, and he’d yet to cause them harm, at least, in the timeframe she was currently in. So it only made sense to try to stop that tragedy from happening.

“Glad to see you’re good as new!” Yun said, clasping his hand on her shoulder.

Jianzhu must’ve finished with his speech to the guardsmen and security team of the estate. Nothing out of the ordinary, except stating something about how anyone could come to him with any household concern.

Sigh, I just had to be dropped right in the middle of this bull pig shit storm… This era of the mansion involved a lot of the staff turning on each other to curry favor. Rangi figured it was a ploy of Jianzhu’s to weed out certain unsavory folk, and thus didn’t get involved. But it was still annoying nevertheless, a bunch of roaches climbing over each other just to stand out. Some people would come to her with their ‘findings’, she had no idea why. Jianzhu said to talk to him, not anyone who was related to Avatar Kuruk or Yun.

She sighed inwardly again. Whatever, it doesn’t involve me. Just focus on the usual duties.

Luckily she still remembered her duties at the estate like the back of her hand. Now she only needed to adjust her schedule slightly (a lot). Make more room to be with Kyoshi. More excuses. Less trying to make it feel like she needed to earn her keep when she wasn’t guarding Yun. She didn’t need to do…all of those extra jobs she took on.

“I’ll be honest, we thought we were going to lose ya!” Yun continued, his face mockingly grave. Rangi wasn’t sure if he was trying to playfully make light of the situation now that it had passed, or if he was just trying to be a mocking jerk. It was hard to tell with Yun. “No one could figure out what was wrong with you, just that you were experiencing some kind of sickness. But I’m glad you’re better now!”

“I appreciate your concern, Avatar,” Rangi said evenly, trying to imitate modest sincerity she used to exude towards the boy. It was a lot harder knowing the truth of his status, but as a Fire National she was good at masking her true emotions. Regardless, she’d take this over when she thought he was the Avatar. Her cursing him at night over his mutual affection for Kyoshi made the cognitive dissonance of needing to protect him very hard. But now? Cursing him freely in her mind was going to do wonders for her conscience!

“Bah! You’re still so stiff!” Yun cried. “Well I guess that’s what makes you so hardworking!”

Rangi didn’t see the correlation, but chose not to comment.

“I’ll leave you to your duties, you have a lot to catch up on it seems!”

“Where are you going then?” Rangi asked.

Yun grinned mischievously. “I have a break before my lessons. So I’m going to use it to see what Kyoshi’s up to.” With that he turned and walked away with a wave, seeing no point to continue their conversation.

For a brief moment, Rangi wondered if this miracle wasn’t just a one and done thing, and if she was stuck in a loop of some sorts, forced to relive the same timeframe over and over. If she was, she wouldn’t have minded. Because it’d mean she’d get to see the same look on Yun’s face as she fell in step beside him.

“I think I’ll join you,” she said, repressing most of her smirk as she took in Yun’s bug eyed expression. Alas, the corners of her mouth still turned upward slightly.

Yun laughed in an exasperated fashion. “What about your duties?”

As usual, he was trying to get rid of her. Sneak away for alone time with Kyoshi. He thought he had the advantage because Kyoshi was an Earth Kingdom gal, but now knew Kyoshi liked women too. So there was no need for her to pussyfoot around like before. It was her turn to be on the offensive.

“I believe my primary duty is making sure you are well guarded–”

“I’m in the compound, I'm fine!” he laughed.

“–even if you are in the compound,” she continued. “I’m allowed to leave your side if you are in your room or with a Master. Otherwise, being by your side is top priority. Over any other duty I have at the moment.” She raised a hand and gestured around them. “As you can see, this isn’t your room. And I don’t see a Master, so I’m going.”

Truth be told, she was already thinking of what duties she could cut. Trimming the fat off her schedule. The outcome was looking promising. If she timed it well, she could be around Kyoshi a lot more. Alone time when Yun was training, and then group time when Yun had free time. He’d never had a chance to be alone with Kyoshi again.

Why didn’t she think of this sooner? Certainly would have avoided her heartbreak with the fire lilies. Well, she learnt her lesson by leaving them alone together once, she won’t be doing it again. She assumed when Jianzhu forbade Yun from going after Kyoshi, that would’ve been that. But apparently it didn’t mean him flirting with the girl was still off limits.

“Don’t you think you’re taking this a bit seriously?” She didn’t miss the look of annoyance he gave her, he was onto her.

Rangi just looked at him, gave him her best Fire Nation glare.

“Haaaa, right. Fire Nation. The land of the serious, forgot who I was talking to!”

The duo made their way to the back of the mansion. If the whispers from the other maids were to be believed, Kyoshi should be in the back helping the kitchen chop wood. When they rounded the corner to the chopping block, Rangi was greeted with a glorious sight of Kyoshi’s tan biceps flexing as she raised the axe. She had her uniforms long sleeved tied back with tasukis, and Rangi was ever grateful for the strip of fabric.

Kyoshi’s biceps had certainly changed since she first came to the mansion, they were much more toned. But Rangi knew just how toned they’d get sometime next year once she started her Avatar training.

Kyoshi swung the axe down and chopped the wood in one blow. As she was grabbing the next log she looked up, surprised.

“What are you two doing here?” she asked happily.

“I just wanted to see you,” Rangi said, beating Yun to the punch, while also making it very clear they weren’t there as a duo.

Kyoshi’s cheeks seemed to dust a little darker, but it could’ve just been from the exertion from moments earlier. “Oh! You aren’t sick of me yet?” she laughed.

Kyoshi had been the ever dutiful friend, staying by Rangi’s side before and after she’d woken up.

Rangi gave Kyoshi her warmest smile. “I could never be sick of you, Kyoshi. In fact, you made the entire experience bearable, almost enjoyable really.” She watched as Kyoshi’s brain juttered to a halt, and heard Yun’s mouth drop to the floor. “In fact, I’m a bit saddened that it’s over. I really liked having you by my side the entire time.”

A look of horror ran over Kyoshi’s face, well that wasn’t the reaction Rangi was hoping for. Kyoshi quickly closed the distance and placed the back of her hand up to Rangi’s forehead, then moving it to her cheeks and neck, forgetting Fire Nation propriety all together.

“Are you sure you're okay? You’re not sick still, are you? It doesn’t feel like you had a fever…”

Rangi pouted, but only for a moment. When Kyoshi’s hand moved back to her cheek, she held it there gently with her hand. “No, I’m fine, really. But your hands still feel nice.”

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the touch. She could feel Kyoshi’s body temperature rising dramatically. Like how it usually did when they did intimate things like this.

“I–” Kyoshi began.

“And I’m here because I had a break in between training,” Yun suddenly announced. The two girls flinched, and Kyoshi took her hand back.

Oh right, he’s still here… Damn clinger, ruining her moment.

“O–oh! So you two are on a break?”

Yun was about to say something, but Rangi cut him off. “He is. As for me, I’ve found that my schedule has opened up quite a bit, and I was wondering if I could help you in any way.” She idled her way past Kyoshi and over to the axe, then poked the end of the handle with her finger.

Kyoshi was quick to protest the idea. “You just got out of the infirmary and you already want to push yourself? No way!”

Rangi raised an eyebrow at her, challenging. She moved her hand so she was gripping the handle of the maul now. “You think I’m that weak? I’m fine! I just need a few days rest and–”

Before she could lift up, Kyoshi’s hand clamped down onto hers. With little resistance, Rangi released the handle and let Kyoshi hold hand. “That’s not what I meant! I know you aren’t weak but you really shouldn’t–”

Her face went bright red as she realized they were now holding hands, but it looked like Kyoshi didn’t intend to rectify the situation any time soon. Rangi couldn’t help but bite back a smile, taking her bottom lift between her teeth. Cute.

Rangi decided to pour gas on the fire in front of her. She maneuvered her hand so their fingers interlaced, and gave it a meaningful squeeze. Kyoshi was staring at their entwined hands like she was witnessing a miracle. Maybe another push?

She tilted her head oh so slightly, letting her locks fall away from her neck–Kyoshi always did like her neck–and gave her the flirtiest bedroom eyes she could muster. “Then what do you suppose I do then? Watch you? I could do that.”

Kyoshi’s eyes flickered to her exposed flesh, enraptured. Like she was looking at a forbidden fruit she very much would love to take a bite out of. Then quickly to her eyes, as if checking and realizing she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

She decided right then, to go in for the kill. She squeezed Kyoshi’s hand one more time, this time pulling it forward slightly. Kyoshi followed, leaning closer to her, closing the gap. She spoke her next words in a hushed whisper. “I’ll do whatever you want, you just have to tell me.”

Kyoshi’s eyes were now firmly focused on her lips, and she was slowly leaning down. “I–”

“Hey! You two know that I’m still here, right?” Yun whined, breaking the mood.

Oh will he just– “I think your next lesson is about to start, Yun,” she called over Kyoshi’s shoulder to him. He really needed to leave them be.

“No, I still have–”

Kyoshi went ramrod straight, as if struck by lightning. Or realization. “Y–you definitely aren’t well!” she declared, her voice coming out a tad high pitched. “I–I think we need to get you back to the infirmary. Right now.”

Rangi nor Yun were given a second to protest. In a nanosecond, Kyoshi was pulling Rangi out of the chopping area and towards the mansion. No objections would be heard, she was a woman on a mission.

____

“I’m fine, really,” Rangi forced herself to pout from her cot. Really she was trying to hide the glee that Kyoshi and her were finally in a room together, alone. Well, alone in a room where Rangi isn’t at risk of falling asleep every other second. Now if the lovely maid of her affection would just…stop rummaging through all the various vials and come sit next to her instead.

“No, no! Something is definitely off!” Ok, if she kept talking like that, she’d deflate Rangi’s spirits pretty fast. Kyoshi picked up another bottle and cursed. “No not that– Argh, what is it I’m even looking for?”

Rangi rested an elbow on her bent knee, and her cheek on the hand. “No idea. How about you sit next to me instead of running around like a piken with their head cut off?”

Kyoshi did a little antsy dance in front of the cabinet for a few moments, mulling her choices over. She finally conceded and made her way over to Rangi, sitting down next to her, their thighs touching. Then, as if electrocuted, scooted away a few feet. “Sorry,” she mumbled, playing with her hands on her lap.

Rangi closed the distance and put her hand on Kyoshi’s fidgeting fingers. “Ok, apology accepted. Only if you don’t act like I’m diseased.” Kyoshi looked at her panicked, and she only responded with a raised eyebrow.

“I wasn’t– I mean, I didn’t– I thought you might want some space…”

If Rangi hadn’t spent the past two years dating Kyoshi, and thus finally understanding the secret inner workings of her mind… She may have been discouraged. Thinking that Kyoshi was putting up a wall because she wasn’t interested, when in fact, it was because she was so interested that she was having a hard time controlling herself.

Still…maybe she should roll back the flirting a tad? At least, so as not to overwhelm her?

“I’d like it more if you didn’t just assume what I do and do not want,” she drawled. But to not make her words sound too harsh, she grabbed one of Kyoshi’s hands and brought it to her lap and started playing with it. The eep that escaped Kyoshi’s lips didn’t go unnoticed. “I’d rather you asked me what I want.”

Kyoshi audibly swallowed, and then asked, “D–do you want a cold towel?”

Rangi sighed, no, she didn’t. But Kyoshi was sweet to ask. “Sure–”

Kyoshi shot up and practically ran over to the wash bin. Maybe Rangi needed to pull back more than just a tad. As she was formulating a plan in her head, the right balance of knocking Kyoshi off her feet and not scaring her away, there was a sound. The sound was quickly followed by something wet hitting her in the face.

Rangi slowly pulled the wet towel from her face. She saw a brief mirage of Kyoshi looking like she’d stumbled before she was in her face again.

“I’m so sorry, I turned around too fast and– Here let me get that!” Her face was full of shock and apology and it was really too damn cute.

A snort of laughter escaped Rangi’s lips, her hand flew to her mouth, trying to choke it back. Kyoshi just had to be so sweet and earnest to a fault, didn’t she?

“You’re laughing, why are you laughing?”

“Because,” Rangi gasped between fits. “You’re… Just… So–” She couldn’t get it out, Kyoshi was just too adorable. Instead she leaned forward and pressed her face into Kyoshi’s shoulder, and gripped at her sleeve, grounding herself before getting lost in her own laughter.

She desperately needed this moment of reprieve. Thinking how Lek or Kirima would’ve reacted to this happening in front of her. It filled her with such mirth she couldn’t contain it. And apparently it was infectious.

“Wha–snrk– What am I–” Kyoshi could barely contain her own giggles. “Hey! Don’t be mean, I’m not that clumsy–”

Another fit of laughter escaped Rangi. “But you are!”

After the girls were finally able to control themselves, Rangi finally pulled back. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, her face felt red, and she could feel tears coming out of her eyes. Kyoshi’s face reflected her own mirth, smiling with abandon. Then her hand went up, and wiped a tear from Rangi’s face, and then her face fell in horror.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I know I really shouldn’t be touching your face–” She pulled her hand away.

Rangi sighed happily and shook her head, stopping her hand from going any further away and holding it firmly in her own. “I don’t mind, Kyoshi”

“But– Why?” She looked at her bewildered. “I thought that it was frowned upon?”

Rangi closed her eyes. In one hand she held Kyoshi’s firmly, with the other she dabbed at her face with the damp cloth. “It is, but I don’t mind if it’s you. Because you’re important to me.”

“I’m…important to you?” The surprise was tangible in her voice. Rangi wanted to roll her eyes because, honestly, what was going on in this girl’s mind?! How could she not see Rangi’s been willing to lay down her life for her for years!

“Yeah, more than you realize.” She pulled the towel away and gazed lovingly at the maid. She realized, in that moment, she wouldn’t be able to reign anything in. She couldn’t hold back, not when it came to Kyoshi. “So don’t be afraid to touch me, ok?”

She gave Kyoshi’s hands a squeeze, and watched as her throat bobbed up and down. She leaned forward and was pleased to see Kyoshi doing the same.

“Ok… I’ll–”

The doors to the infirmary flew open, and Kyoshi shot to her feet.

How many times is this going to happen?! She growled angrily. It was beyond frustrating.

“Rangi! Are you ok?! I heard you had to come back–” Rangi’s mother was making her presence loud and known as she strode in.

Oh, for the love of all things Yangchen! Just let me have one damn moment!

____

Rangi finally got away from her mother. Kyoshi had excused herself not long after Hei-Ran had marched her way in, ready for whatever battle she was about to face. As if she could enlist herself to be Rangi’s whole immune system. Apparently, Yun had given Hei-Ran the scoop of what happened. So nice of him.

Now that she was free of her mother’s frantic woes. She was on a mission to find Kyoshi. Sadly, she found the wrong Avatar.

“What the heck has gotten into you?” Yun harshly whispered as he intercepted her.

Rangi rolled her eyes. Well, now was as good a time as any to explain her new personality. “Well, when I was lying in bed, dying–”

“You weren’t dying,” he said flatly.

She gave him a pointed look. She actually had been before she went back in time, but he didn’t know that. “Nevertheless, as I was laying there I realized… Life’s too short.”

“What are you getting at?”

She gave him an even stare. Now was as good a time as any to burn her bridge with him. “I’m not going to hold back, Yun. I’m going to pursue Kyoshi.”

His jaw flexed in annoyance “What if she doesn’t like women?”

“Then I’ll cross that bridge when I get there, but I’m very confident in myself right now.” She started walking away from him smugly.

Now that her plan to get with Kyoshi seemed to be on the right track, it was time to get her other plan into motion. Making sure Jianzhu doesn’t get his clutches into Kyoshi.

Rangi had a letter to go write.

___

A/N: Yup more antagonistic Rangi/Yun. I mean, what do you expect? Rangi’s coming off of SoK where he’s been an antagonist for her the entire time. TT0TT It’d say…It’s like Two Knives but with lower stakes? Their rivalry is more hostile than something like Hunt or Yokoya Days has/will have, but not as toxic as Two Knives. (I like exploring different dynamics with them :3c) And unlike Two Knives, Rangi has offense! :D

But here….*looks at timeline and mumbles to myself* Say it’s a full year before RoK, so 12 months…. Fire Lily Incident happens 8 months prior to RoK. Ok! So unlike Two Knives and Hunt, the Fire Lily Incident has yet to happen. (I might make it to like 14-15 months before RoK starts, I’m still deciding, vague timeline doesn’t matter atm).

Anyway, Yun isn’t bolstered by almost kissing Kyoshi, and thus doesn’t have anything to hold over Rangi. That and he’s another year dumber >:3c So yeah, I have a good feeling with this. Rangi’s not gonna go through as much bs as the other Rangis \uwu/ (Narrator: She says, like she hasn’t said this 1000 times already). Hey voice in my head! I really mean it! We’re gonna try to keep Rangi mentally well here! She has a lot on her plate goal wise I gotta give her SOMETHING! TT0TT

#kyoshi fanfic #chronicles of the avatar #rise of kyoshi #rangshi #rangi #rangi sei'naka #shadow of kyoshi #kyoshi #rangi seinaka #salty fics

10 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 1 year ago

Text

Hei-Ran: Do you want poor Yingyong to get surprised by rustlers? Or starve to death? Rangi: We're not going to be here that long! Hei-Ran: You don't know that! Does preparedness not carry the day anymore?

314 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 11 months ago

Text

The Lake Scene (Rise of KyoshixHiimdaisy!P4-ified edit)

(Note: Backgrounds were found online)

#rise of kyoshi #shadow of kyoshi #rangi #kyoshi #rangi seinaka #rangi sei'naka #rangshi #listen she was said to have a fat lip and busted face earlier #when I read through the comic again I KNEW I had to make a joke like this somewhere #persona 4 #p4 #hiimdaisy #i love rangi I swear! TT0TT Sometimes.....I just wanna bully her though. :3c #i thought the background would be better than a white background tbh #but I can't draw all that rn so 8U #silly edits

130 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 9 months ago

Text

Kyoshi: *gets sworn in by a bunch of criminals against Rangi's wishes* Rangi later, screaming in the middle of the night, frustrated:

youtube

#rangshi #rangi #kyoshi #rangi seinaka #rangi sei'naka #rise of kyoshi #shadow of kyoshi #chronicles of the avatar #rangi is pissed #rangi is small and full of hot air and screams #the vibe i got #i just want a video of rangi going “AHHHHHH”#the elbdot video of this also is a vibe #'rangi went to meditate' no she didn't. she went to scream >:3c #3am shitpost #'silly it's too late in the day for this to be a shitpost' I know but almost 11am shitpost doesn't have the same ring ok????#shitpost

24 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 1 year ago

Text

Me: Do I finish the first Rangi animation I was working on, or start on the Rangi/Kyoshi mini video/animation I've been wanting to do? Hands: *opens new document* Me: New animation it is.

#i will finish you one day my lil' gremlin Rangi #i put that on hold for months TT0TT #silly talks #this one is more just mouth movements because I can't 1:1 edit the animation like the other one TT0TT #So they just be standing #ok for real I did a Kyoshi edit months ago that's part of this animation and I want to show it off cause I like it but I have to make-#-the other parts of the video sooooo u_u #killing my hand again it is #'how's it going then?' i'm working on lip flaps right now....wait no I've finished the lip flaps for Rangi #i need to do the eye movements and facial expressions for Kyoshi #I'm eh on the main portion of the video (but I like the edit I did months ago which is the punchline so.... :3c)#ironically both animations use the same scene jfkldjal;fa #'so these will be your 2nd &3rd edit animation for Rok/Sok?' no it'll be my 3rd/4th...I made my 2nd one on my super secret side account >w>#if you're in the fandom/tags you've probably seen it and just didn't know it was me XU

5 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 6 months ago

Note

What do you think rangshi were like as parents? Especially when Koko was a baby. I could not imagine Rangi getting up in the middle of the night I feel like she would be SO pissed 😭

Yup! I got lots of thoughts! Here they are, random an unorganized I'm so sorry TT0TT

I like to think they found Koko somewhere (she's around 2ish years old maybe?), and they adopted her before they turned 20, so they are either 18 or 19 when they adopt her (I have a joke, and yes I think it's hilarious).

They find Koko in a ravaged place (daofei destroyed the town or something). She's not a newborn, but the two of them are still woefully unprepared to take care of a toddler. TT0TT (Thankfully they have 3 grannies, Hei-Ran/Atuat/Auntie Mui, to help them!)

The grannies and Kirima like to poke fun at the whole predicament. (all in good faith)

Hei-Ran: I swear, when you said you liked girls I thought it meant I wouldn't have to worry about my daughter being a teenage mother! And an unmarried one at that! Kirima: Naughty, naughty girls. This is what happens when you fool around outside of wedlock. Atuat: Didn't they teach you where babies come from in that hoity toity Fire Academy? Auntie Mui: Kyoshi! Were my "Talks" not enough?!

Anyway everyone spoils the shit outta Koko (she's precious and cute!) She's rambunctious and cute and gets into a lot of trouble (her Auntie Kirima and Uncle Wong help her with that). She may or may not run Kyo and Rangi a tad ragged. >:3c

Note: I'm unsure if Koko's a bender or not, and if she is what element she'd be. I usually lean towards Earthbender if not Nonbender. (but Fire or Water would change things up). But we'll go with Earthbender for now.

Koko usually falls asleep while being held by Rangi or Hei-Ran (designated warm Mother and Grandmother 🥺). Rangi's afraid she's the more "strict" mom (it's the army brat in her u_u), so even if Kyoshi's also a firebender, she designates Rangi as the "warm" mom to curb Koko maybe being scared of her (really cloth monkeying the heck outta this lil girl TT0TT but Rangi's a good mom! she's just a lil scary looking kfjsklaf). She's the one to freak out the most about Koko's wellbeing (it's the mother hen in her).

Now sleeping? Kyoshi and Rangi already run on not a lot of sleep tbh. Avataring does that to you. But when Koko does cry in the middle of the night, Rangi's the one who tries to be the first one there. She feels like Kyoshi gets a lot less sleep than she needs and will try to rectify that as much as possible!

That being said, she doesn't like getting up (but does it for duty, and she's not mad at lil Koko she's just a baby). And Kyoshi still finds a way to get up with her (no this defeats the purpose of Rangi getting up Kyoshi!). They are both idiots trying their best ok??? TT0TT

The Grannies try to help as much as they can cause otherwise Rangshi will look like zombies all the time. TT0TT Really taking "it takes a village to raise a child" to heart with raising Koko.

Koko calls Kyoshi "Mama" and later "Mom" (when she becomes a Teen), or "Avatar" in a super formal setting. She slips up and calls her mama sometimes tho. TT0TT "Mam-I mean mom- I-I mean. *cough* *super serious voice* Avatar."

Koko calls Rangi "mofer" (really young, trying to imitate what Rangi calls Hei-Ran), "mommy" (when they convince her to use this for now), "mother" (when she hits teen years).

(Kyo and Rangi miss being called Mama and Mommy tho TT0TT But they also think it's SOOOOO adorable when she acts super serious and grown up, and also when she slips up askfjlslkajf)

Koko looks very similar to Kyoshi (Earth Kingdom features). With greener eyes (Kyo's eye color changes like the damn wind, but they're more blue like Suki's imo) and freckles (not the same as Kyo's but still). Her hair color is more like Suki's too. (maybe she's Suki's ancestor? Who knows? ;U)

But as she grows up she really takes on Rangi's personality (even wears a lil topknot!). She's a very serious Kyoshi Warrior yes she is (she got that army brat in her, she got it from her mother jkfslajf)

That being said, Koko still feels "softer" than Rangi. Like how Rangi still feels "softer" than Hei-Ran (Rangi, my precious cry baby ;w;). Blah blah "each generation softening the blow for the new generation to come" mentality yadda yadda.

When they first adopt Koko, she's greatly malnourished. They have to take things slow while she recovers. Rangi's freaking out, she's just a baby! And she just sees the kid suffering and wants to help as fast as possible, and now she's seeing Kyoshi starving as a kid when she looks at Koko and it's making her freak out more and-

Kyoshi has to calm her down. She and Mui have experience from when Kyo was recovering, and Atuat is a doctor. Rangi was worrying herself ragged during that time. (lots of cuddle sessions to keep Koko warm).

Kyoshi is the one who plays the most games with Koko I think. Rangi encourages it, Kyoshi is nervous. It's because Kyoshi never played in any reindeer games I mean. Played any (earthbending) games growing up, partially cause of the bullying but also partially cause she was afraid she'd hurt the other kids (she was powerful and couldn't control her bending yet). So this is both a good bonding experience for them, but also it gives Kyoshi reassurance in her bending!

Koko's the most well known cause she's the oldest and first child of Rangshi. But Kyoshi/Rangi do end up having other kids, and Koko loves them and is very protective of them.

Kyoshi and Rangi keep track of all their descendants (yes I think Rangi is also immortal RoR gave me hope like a dumb bitch TT0TT), and they interact with their grandkids and great-great-great-great grandkids and yeah. Just a fun tidbit, they love their family a lot.

All in all, even if Kyoshi and Rangi can't be with her all the time (Avatar stuff u_u). Koko knows she is loved, and they make sure that she is taken care of.

Annnnnnd that's all I got for now. TT0TT I think I listed all the key stuff but yeah. \(=w=)/

#Rangshi #rangi sei'naka #kyoshi #avatar kyoshi #rangi #rangi seinaka #i-na-ri #silly asks #silly answers #koko #rise of kyoshi #shadow of kyoshi #atla #chronicles of the avatar

43 notes · View notes

swiftsaltsweet · 2 months ago

Text

The Hunt for Kyoshi: Chapter 15: Kyoshi- The Cave of Two Lovers Pt. 2

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (plus whoever appears in Rok)

Pairing: Rangshi

Summary:

“What are we going to do?” She asked steely, still not looking up from the ground. She was ready to uphold her duty, or at least, what remained of it. “We need you to capture Kyoshi,” Jianzhu instructed. “Capture?” “Yes, we need to set an example of an Avatar murderer,” Jianzhu responded, oh so matter of factly again.

(Canon Divergent AU- “What if Rangi wasn’t there when Kyoshi ran away, and Rangi had to hunt her down?)

Other Sites: AO3

A/N: -blows a party blower- Happy Anniversary~! uwu I wanted to at least get the last chapter of the first arc done, but alas…… This chapter just kept getting longer and longer I'm sorry TT0TT It was a wild ride, please forgive me orz I’ll try to get the next chapter done soon ;w;/

I really appreciate all who have commented and l liked this fic. Tbh I just appreciated that y’all joined me on this ride, especially those who are still here. TT0TT I means a lot ;w; I hope you’re having as much fun as I am.

Anyway~

Putting my girls in *~situations~* ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

Looooots of dialogue in this one, like a lot of standing and talking. Was not used to that so it was a bit of a struggle. Wasn’t expecting that nor planning on it but…characters gonna character. Was a little hard ngl. TT0TT Trying to hit the talking points from the perspective of one frustrated and discombobulated teen talking to an EVEN MORE frustrated and confused/muddled teen that really needs some deprograming. TT0TT

Notes/fun fact: So raccoon dogs (aka Tanuki) ARE animals native to Japan, but since this is ATLA….picture a crossbreed between a racoon and dog instead. :3c (I dunno, fun facts 8U)

Nagajuban: is the white layer that goes under a kimono. (I wanna say Kyoshi’s outfit has a light green kataginu on top, a murky yellow kimono underneath the kataginu, a dark green obi over of the all the robes, and chainmail armor somewhere underneath. Still trying to sus out the two “skirts” she wears and if it’s part of two more layers of hidden kimonos that are under the murky yellow one -thinking-. Her pants, possibly hakama inspired, are white…according to Realms Collide)

Of course her “kimono” might be a hitatare…..still trying to sus it out. -thinking- I’ll make a note if I go back and change “kimono” to “hitatare”. I probs will but….it’s minor in the grand scheme of things.

_____

Warmth.

An ever growing, fiery warmth. Pulsating like a little heartbeat.

That was the first thing Kyoshi noticed as she started to stir awake. It felt like she was cradling a kindling hearth. The weight in her arms and on her lap were the second thing she noticed.

Rangi was fast asleep, the soft rhythm of her breathing ebbed gently against Kyoshi. Her head rested against Kyoshi’s chest, as Kyoshi’s cheek rested on the top of her head.

Her eyes flickered around the cavern they were in and landed on the still lit torch. It had gone down considerably since she’d passed out with Rangi. It looked like there was only about thirty or twenty minutes left.

How long were we asleep? Forty minutes?

It was there, in a cave deep in the bowels of the Earth Kingdom, a small rock poking Kyoshi in her lower back, and with a firebender cradled in her arms and cutting off circulation in her legs; did Kyoshi realize she just had the best nap in her entire life. A perfect moment, pain and all.

Kyoshi leaned more of her weight against the wall and pulled Rangi closer, nestling her lips against the top of her head, and sighed contently. She needed to enjoy this moment of respite while it lasted. Because she knew it wasn’t going to last. Not with her luck.

And as if on cue, she felt Rangi start to stir. Well, if Kyoshi wanted to readjust and not be in such a compromising position, it was too late now. Best to go about this like she was handling a wild animal. Stay completely still and don’t make sudden movements.

Absolutely normal thoughts to have about your best friend and girl you're in love with. Kyoshi thought, heart hammering.

She felt Rangi moving and then still suddenly. No doubt, she was taking in their position. Rangi’s shoulders wrench away to get a better look at who was holding her. Despite the awkward angle, Kyoshi used her long arms to keep the firebender propped up the best she could.

Rangi’s wild eyes bore into Kyoshi’s as realization quickly dawned on her.

Kyoshi gave her a weary smile. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

Rangi pushed Kyoshi away (at least it wasn’t a headbutt…), lurched out of her grasp, out of her lap, and scrambled on all fours away from Kyoshi. Wide eyed and skittish.

Kyoshi put her hands up and spoke in a soft voice. “Hey, hey, it's ok. You're safe, no one’s going to hurt you." She was treating her the same way Kyoshi treated the local racoon dogs who surprised her at night when she took out the trash.

Oh, this isn't patronizing at all. She grimaced, already bracing for a fire blast. Time to try a different tactic!

“Rangi wait, I have something to tell you!” Kyoshi quickly got on her knees like Kirima told her. “Rangi I love–” There was an angry spark in Rangi’s eye, and Kyoshi, deciding to listen to her gut…changed course. “I’d love it if you'd hear me out…before…whatever it is you were planning on doing…”

It wasn’t that Kyoshi was too picken shit to confess (she was), but she didn’t think now was the best time for an impromptu confession (that was also true).

Obviously, this just made the situation worse. Rangi, understandably, shot out her fist. Kyoshi closed her eyes and flung her arms in front of her face, bracing for the blow. But there was nothing.

She opened her eyes a crack and peaked through her arms. Rangi was staring in shock. She shot her fist out once more. Then again. And again.

But still nothing happened.

Kyoshi breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her arms. It looked like Rangi’s firebending was malfunctioning.

Welcome to the club.

“Wha–what did you do to me? What did you do to my bending?!” Rangi yelled.

Kyoshi got up calmly and stretched. “I didn't do anything. Actually, I think I saved you.”

Kyoshi grabbed at the small of her back, removed a small rock, and tossed it to the side. Then she started peeling her robes off so she could put her armor back on.

“Saved? Yeah right!” she scoffed. “You–”

Kyoshi sighed. The girl she loved was just a tad too prideful, and stubborn.

Sometimes I think she was born in the wrong element…

Kyoshi walked over to her armor. “Believe me or don't, but it's true. I did save you. So– Uh, what’s the matter?” Rangi’s face had gone stark red.

What’s she so angry about now?

“What the hell are you playing at?!” She pointed an accusing finger at Kyoshi.

Kyoshi rolled her eyes, Rangi still thought Kyoshi was a threat. “I’m not doing anything, Rangi.”

Kyoshi pulled her arms out of her kimono and let it and the kataginu hang from her obi, leaving her upper body in just the simple white nagajuban. She bent down to pick up her chainmail so she could start putting it back on.

Rangi flinched and thrusted her finger again, face becoming redder by the moment. “D–don’t think I don’t know what your game is!”

Kyoshi gave her an unamused look as she slipped her arms and head through the tunic shaped chainmail. Did she think Kyoshi was going to fight her because she was putting her armor back on?

“I’m not going to fight you. There’s a shir-whatever that monster is, running around and I don’t want to take a direct hit. That’s the only reason I’m putting this back on.”

Rangi flexed her jaw and looked away, somehow looking even more annoyed. Then her hands flew to her chest and shoulders. “Where’s my– What did you do–”

Kyoshi finished putting her clothes back into place and grabbed her rucksack, then pointed to the wall. “Relax, your armor is right there!”

Rangi gave Kyoshi a wide berth as she circled her way to her armor. “If you were so worried about the shirshu, why did you remove our armor in the first place?” she said, quickly strapping her armor back on.

Kyoshi grinned, a little bit of pride showing as she quoted Rangi from months earlier, doing her best impression. “‘You can’t sleep in that getup. Especially not the armor.’”

Rangi grimaced as she bent down and grabbed her rucksack. “‘Sleep?’ As if you didn’t knock me out to– to– what the hell was your plan anyway?”

“Wha– I didn’t knock you out! You fainted on me! I–”

Rangi scoffed. “As if! Why the hell would I faint? You obviously must’ve done something!” Her face grew darker. “Oh, I get it. A quick kill would’ve been too boring, I bet you wanted to lull me into a false sense of security… Soften me up before you take me out like a bull pig for slaughter!”

Kyoshi stared at her aghast. Was Rangi really going to twist Kyoshi saving her life into something more dastardly?! Apparently she was.

No, no. She was unconscious, remember that! If I just explain to her…

She ran a hand down the length of her face. “Rangi… You were sick, your firebending stopped working–”

“Because you did something!”

“No! How the hell would I even go about doing that?! I don’t know why it stopped working, it just did. Your inner fire was dwindling and–”

“As if you can tell! You aren’t a firebender!”

“I am, I’m not very good but I was able to tell you were in danger! Which was more than what you could do, apparently!”

That tripped Rangi up, it took her a moment before she got her bite back. “Ok, Little Miss Firebender, want me to believe you? Then show me some flame!”

“Fine! I will!” Kyoshi turned and thrusted her hands out, obviously nothing happened. The only time she made flame was with her mouth against Jianzhu and some heat when bringing Rangi back from the brink. As for her hands? The most she did with her hands was create heat.

Come on, just a little heat! That’s all I’m asking.

She attempted a few poorly imitated firebending katas, but…nothing. Not even a spark off her tongue.

“Damn it, just DAMN IT! Why does nothing ever work?!” Kyoshi kicked the wall next to her and the cave shook just a tad. “Oh, now you work! Lousy piece of–”

She let off a string of curses at her jank earthbending. Which was only just slightly better than her jank firebending. Which were at least existent compared to her waterbending and airbending. Could there be a more broken Avatar?

Kyoshi finally turned around, Rangi was standing there with a hand on her hip. Exuding superiority. “What?”

“You aren’t a firebender, you made it up, just like all this other…hooey,” she said, calmly, waving her free hand in the air.

“I didn’t make it up…” Kyoshi growled, the fear she had less than an hour before was still fresh in her bones.

“You made up a lie about me dying and you being a firebender. Just like how you made it up that you were the Avatar–”

“Shut up…” Kyoshi warned, approaching Rangi.

Rangi continued, not backing down. “Just like how you made up that Jianzhu killed Yun and Kelsang–”

“All of that is true!” Kyoshi bellowed. “I’m the Avatar! Jianzhu is a killer! And I used firebending to save you!”

“I don’t believe you!” she screamed back. “Either you’re lying, or you're so far gone you’re believing your own lies!”

Kyoshi clenched her jaw and gnashed her teeth so tightly, she could’ve sworn she heard them cracking.

“You were colder than a corpse, Rangi! Don’t you dare say I made that up!” Kyoshi snapped, slamming her fist against the cave wall above Rangi’s head, voice cracking from the memory.

The cave shook once more as they stood there in the dim torch light. Neither moved, neither broke eye contact.

Rangi was the first to back down in their battle of wills. She took a step back, bit her lip as she looked away. “Fine.”

Kyoshi looked at her surprised, had she gotten through to her? “Fine?”

Rangi ran a hand through her hair. “Yes, fine. Let’s pretend–” She held up a finger when Kyoshi was about to protest the word. “Let’s pretend you…warmed me up so to speak…” Various emotions began warring on her face. “Why?”

Kyoshi’s face fell, maybe not… “‘Why’? What do you mean ‘Why’?”

“Why would you want to save me? It doesn’t add up.” Rangi glared at her, challenging her again.

Kyoshi let out the longest, most defeated sigh in the world. “Because I care about–”

Rangi took another step back, as if Kyoshi had struck her. She remembered her revelation from earlier, and decided a half truth would get through to Rangi better.

“Oh for the love of– Rangi you’re my friend! Why are you– Do you really think I don’t care about you? About my friends?!” She put her fingers to her temples, trying to stave off a new, annoying headache. “I don’t understand, why don’t you get that? It’s a normal thing! That normal people do!”

“Because Yu–” Rangi’s voice cracked and she looked away. “Because of what you did to Yun. I know how much you cared about him…”

That tripped Kyoshi up short. The hurt in Rangi’s voice, her face… She was…really hung up on Yun’s death… Kyoshi could understand. She should be more gentle about the subject with Rangi, not that she really had a chance to. But she should while she had this time with her.

“I know you’re upset… He was my friend too, so I know how you feel–”

“No!” she bit back. Her sudden outburst felt like a slap to Kyoshi’s face. “I don’t think you do! Otherwise you wouldn’t…”

Kyoshi felt her fury growing hot. Did Rangi think her feelings out weighed her own? Or was it because of status? Rangi was the bodyguard and Kyoshi was just the nanny? Or did she just deem Kyoshi’s connections with them so…beneath her?

A seed of doubt, that Rangi actually never considered them friends, ripped through Kyoshi. Obliterating all rhyme and reason and evidence she had up until now… And she blew up.

“Oh? So what? My feelings don’t matter?” Kyoshi seethed. Her breath came heavy, and she was shaking.

“What? What are you on abo–”

“Is this some kind of Fire Nation superiority play? You were his bodyguard so you’re more important?” Kyoshi kept going. “Huh? Is that it?”

“That is not what I meant–”

“Then what? Is it because I’m a peasant? A maid?” Every insecurity poured out of Kyoshi like molten lava. A growing rage ready to burn and tear through everything in its wake. “Or is it because I’m Earth Kingdom? Or–”

“It’s not because of that–”

“THEN WHAT IS IT?!”

“IT’S BECAUSE YOU TWO KISSED!”

Rangi’s voice reverberated through the chamber walls until there was only silence. All momentum Kyoshi felt like she was building up had come to a crashing halt. A wreckage with no survivors. The resolution she was gearing up for was ripped away from her.

Only a small puff of air escaped Kyoshi’s lips, all her anger deflating in an instant. A slow realization started to dawn on her, with anxiety quickly filling where the anger had been instead.

A new wave of dread started to roll through her as she registered Rangi’s words. Kiss? Wait… So someone saw– She saw us in the–

Many answers and questions started to arise, but Rangi spoke up again before they could form on her lips.

“You both probably thought I was so stupid, didn’t you? Thought I didn’t understand your little references and inside jokes,” she spat, bitterness coating her voice. “Well I knew all along!”

Kyoshi pressed a fist to her forehead as her vision started to swirl. Every instance of Yun calling attention to the fire lilies danced in her head. Everytime Rangi was there to have witnessed it, giving every interaction a whole new meaning.

“So, if you really cared then…” she bawled her fists and slammed one against the cave wall, glaring at the floor. “Then you killed him even when you… Even when you both felt…”

Wait, both? But we weren’t– Her brain went back to what Rangi originally said, about her and Yun kissing. She had completely misunderstood the situation between her and Yun.

Rangi clutched at her head as emotions began warring on her face yet again. “So if you could…kill someone you were in love with… How can I feel safe as just your friend–”

“YOU’VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!” Kyoshi’s hands flew up in defense. Upon Rangi’s stun gazed, she coughed into her fist, trying to tamper the energy down. “We were never– I didn’t– We didn’t…kiss.”

“But I saw you two–”

“It was in the gifting room, right? With the fire lil–” Kyoshi stumbled through her words as she realized yet another error on her end. The time they were in the garden… “With the fire lilies, right? Yeah we were in that….position, but we didn’t kiss. We almost did but…we didn’t.”

Kyoshi’s head was in a flurry. Rangi had seen it, had seen her intimate moment with Yun…but not the whole thing. She’d known all along and– She’d known all along and Yun had made those jokes. And now it was being used against her in more ways than one!

There was a long silence as the words sunk in. And then Rangi said something that…shouldn’t have surprised Kyoshi, but still did nonetheless.

“I don’t believe you…”

Kyoshi couldn’t stop her palm from smacking her forehead. “Spirits Rangi, you sound like a broken parrot cat.” She just keeps repeating herself…

“Well maybe I wouldn’t have to repeat myself if you stopped lying! You lied right to my face back then, and you’re lying now!”

Kyoshi grimaced as she realized her past actions, or inactions in this case, were coming back to bite her. “How am I lying?! Did you see a kiss?”

“N–no! Why the hell would I stick around to watch two of my friends make out in secret?! I’m not a degenerate!”

“Then how do you know I’m lying?!”

“I saw how you two looked at each other!”

Kyoshi threw her head back and groaned, then kicked the wall. This was getting her nowhere, she was just going in circles! Two stubborn girls who wanted to dig their heels into the ground until the other relented. Kyoshi needed a change of tactic. Maybe if she asked Rangi what she wanted that’d get her somewhere?

“What do I need to say for you to start believing me?!”

“How about you start telling the truth!”

So she was still stuck in the same damn cycle regardless of her tactics. Kyoshi wanted to scream. Did scream (Rangi may have stumbled back from that). Fine, no change of tactics. She was the Earth Avatar, stubbornness was her domain, she could out stubborn any firebender!

“FINE! You want the truth? Here’s the truth!” Kyoshi started walking back and forth in a huff, vaguely aware she may have picked the habit up from Rangi. “I had a little crush on Yun, happy? Glad you got that out of me? He was handsome, funny, flirty– Ugh! Can you blame me?!”

Rangi pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “I don’t care that you had a crush! I care that you kil–”

“Are you sure about that?” Kyoshi said, cutting her off. “Cause it seems like you do.”

Rangi seemed taken off guard by the accusation. “T–that’s not what I’m upset about, I’m upset about how you killed–”

Kyoshi waved her hand dismissively. “Forget about that!”

“Forge– Wha–” Rangi looked at her, mouth agape. She couldn’t believe how Kyoshi was acting, Kyoshi couldn’t believe it herself either… But she needed to focus on one thing at a time if she was going to detangle their issues. She’d compartmentalize her grief about Yun for a later time. She would have to if she didn't want to lose Rangi too.

“Yes! Forget about it, we’ll get there. Right now we’re talking about how you’re upset with the fact I almost kissed Yun!”

“That’s not it! And what if I was actually upset that– That it was Yun who almost kissed…” Rangi tried to reframe her complaint into seeming upset about who Yun almost kissed…but it teetered off at the end. Accompanied by a bitter grimace, like she just ate something bitter.

Even Rangi couldn’t pretend she had an interest in Yun. Anytime someone insinuated the two of them together, Rangi always got a disgruntled look. She never thought of Yun in that way, and it was the one thing Kyoshi hadn’t been oblivious about.

Kyoshi rolled her eyes and snorted. “Oh please, do you really expect me to buy that you were jealous of me over Yun? You almost ripped my head off when I misspoke about you two sleeping together on that damn iceberg.”

Rangi’s face reddened as she spluttered indignantly. “W–well maybe I didn’t want my friend throwing her life away for some boy!”

Kyoshi raised an eyebrow and poked Rangi in the chest. “Oh? So the Avatar is just ‘some boy’ now?”

Rangi smacked Kyoshi’s hand away. Her jaw was flexed so hard that a vein started to protrude.

“I think you’re upset about who I almost kissed,” Kyoshi smirked. “Now who’s not being truthful.”

“Well, what if I just didn’t like my friends having kept something so massive from me! What then?” Rangi recovered enough to counter.

That almost tripped Kyoshi up, she did make a good point, but Kyoshi had a better one. Well…sort of. “What massive thing?”

Rangi flexed her fingers like she wanted to strangle Kyoshi, too bad she was too short. “‘What massive–?’ You are so– The kiss!”

“Ah, but we didn’t kiss.”

“The almost kiss!”

Kyoshi rolled her eyes. “Why would I do that? Nothing happened! There was nothing to report!”

“S–something almost happened!”

“But it didn’t!”

“But–”

Kyoshi placed her hands on her shoulders. “Rangi, why would I tell you something that amounted to nothing? In general, why would I talk about something where the mere idea of it would’ve gotten me in trouble? Yeah, I should totally tell the whole estate that I was hitting on the apparent Avatar! That’ll go over real well!”

Rangi flung her hands off of her and took a step back, gripping her head and groaning in frustration. “Then why? If you didn’t… Why didn’t you two… Especially when you…” She removed her hands and stomped her foot. “You two liked each other, I don’t understand how you two couldn’t–”

“He was a flirt!” Kyoshi said, exasperated. Rangi flinched, wide-eyed with surprise. “It was obvious he wasn’t serious and why would I want that?” She’d been fairly certain that, if Yun had liked her, his feelings weren’t very deep. She closed her eyes and let out a very long sigh. “Plus, we had our duties. Us dating would’ve been a carriage crash waiting to happen! It was better if nothing happened, and that’s why nothing happened!”

“So…what? You just pushed your feelings aside? Told yourself you didn’t have a crush anymore?”

Kyoshi sighed again and nodded, eyes still closed. Remembering how rough it had been at first. And then how easy it started to become once she started noticing a little topknot more and more. “Yeah. It took awhile, but I was resolved to do that since the first day I met him.”

Rangi scoffed and Kyoshi could practically visualize her rolling her eyes. “I doubt it, it’s not that easy to shove your feelings aside. Either you didn’t actually like him, or you're still lying.”

Kyoshi finally opened her eyes in frustration, she was getting sick and tired being told how she should feel. “I did like him! What’s so wrong with me coming to my senses and falling out of it? Besides I already–”

Kyoshi fumbled. Both from almost revealing her true feelings….and from realizing their position. Kyoshi still had her hands on Rangi’s shoulders, and Rangi was…so close. So close and they weren’t fighting!

Rangi was frowning in a way her heart shaped lips were formed into an off centered pout. Pink dusted her cheeks, ignoring the bruising and cuts, normal color had finally returned to her complexion. A small crease formed between her brow, and it took all of Kyoshi’s willpower to not reach up and smooth it out. But what struck Kyoshi the most was her eyes. Clear shining bronze, clearer than she’d seen in awhile.Every second she stared into them drew her in.

Kyoshi felt like they were back at the mansion, and Rangi was scolding her like old times. It made her heart flutter.

“Besides what?”

“Besides… Besides…” Kyoshi’s eyes began to spin, her palms started to sweat and her mouth felt like it was full of cotton. Was this it? Was she finally going to confess? She’d wish it could be more romantic but– “Because I– The one I likl–”

There was a loud rumbling that cut off her confession followed by the cave shaking violently, almost like an earthquake. Both girls wobbled and pitched forward as they tried to keep their balance. Then, the sound of high pitch squealing could be heard coming down the corridor.

Kyoshi’s eyes widened in horror as she recognized the sound. “Wolfbats!”

She dove for the torch that was still on the ground, then grabbed Rangi’s hand and started booking it down the corridor.

Kyoshi’s legs pumped harder than they ever had before. The girls rounded the darkened corners, barely visible by the flickering torch. They attempted to pick up their pace as the screeching grew louder and louder. Soon they were at a crossroads where the corridor branched off left and right.

“Left!” Kyoshis shouted.

“Right!” Rangi yelled at the same time.

The two girls went in opposite directions then fell when their arms didn’t give way.

“I told you, left!”

“That’s wrong! The air feels crisper on the right!” She stated it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“The hell does that mean?!”

“The air’s not stagnant! Dummy!”

“Again, the hell does that mea–”

The sounds of the wolfbats were getting louder as they argued.

“Gah! Fine! Right!” Kyoshi shot up and pulled Rangi along.

The two girls couldn’t have gotten but a few yards inward, when something hit them from behind, splitting the two girls apart. Kyoshi flew forward using her now free arm as a means to catch herself. Her other hand held a deathgrip on the torch. She quickly scrambled to her knees, bracing for another hit, but the wolfbat that had knocked into them didn’t go after her. It went after Rangi.

It was on top of her, front paws attempting to scratch at her face but Rangi was holding them off with each of her hands. The muzzle of the beast came down, attempting to go for her jugular but she used one of her feet to kick the beast's jaw and kept it there in an attempt to fend it off.

Kyoshi saw red as the animal was able to lurch forward and its teeth grazed Rangi’s neck. Her hand flew to her fan and without much thinking, summoned the earth and hurled it at the mutt. The large rock slammed into the beast’s skull, caving it in. Blood splattered onto Rangi from the impact and the beast toppled to the side in a final wheeze.

In just a few fluid movements, Kyoshi tucked her fan back into her belt, raced over to Rangi, and hoisted her by her waist into a one-arm carry. Then sprinted down the corridor.

As she did, she started to stumble, Rangi was squirming in her arms.

“Quit moving, damn it! Just hang onto me!” she growled, trying to right herself again. She felt Rangi’s arms wrap around her shoulders tightly.

“We’re screwed if they catch up to us!”

Kyoshi allowed herself to roll her eyes, and forced herself to speak through her protesting lungs. “Yeah no shit! So why are you mov–”

“I’m trying to get my foot in position!”

“To do what?!” she yelled, she was running out of the ability to speak, she needed every ounce of air to be used to keeping them alive.

“Blast them with fire, obviously!” she scoffed.

“No offense, but can you even do that right now?” She assumed if Rangi could create flame against the earlier wolfbat, she would’ve.

“Well I can either try, or we can die! Your call!”

A screech pierced through the cavern walls. Kyoshi wondered if her hearing may have been damaged from being unable to cover her ears. “Fine! Try!”

She could feel Rangi thrusting her leg out. “Come on! Just! A little! Flame!” Rangi gasped. “Kyoshi, don’t stop! Keep running!”

The terror in Rangi’s voice set her on edge, she was about to ask when the screech from behind explained it all. The wolfbats couldn’t be more than a few feet away. She pumped her legs as hard as she could, they felt like they were at risk of falling off. Her vision blurred as sweat and tears dripped into and from her eyes. This couldn’t be how they died, she wouldn’t allow it.

Rangi’s leg kicked a few times, like a match attempting to strike. They launched forward every other kick as Rangi’s boots made contact with the animals’ faces. Then finally…

The cave lit up.

Kyoshi could feel the heat coming off her back, could feel her feet leave the ground as Rangi propelled them forward with a giant fire blast. They launched forward several yards, the squeals of the wolfbats quickly getting farther away as they burned or stopped their chase to avoid the flames. It didn’t take long for Rangi’s flame to splutter out, or for Kyoshi to topple over in the air. She fell forward onto Rangi, the torch sliding a few feet away.

Kyoshi could hear the cries of the wolfbats getting closer again, the animals realizing the danger was gone now that the flames were out. She quickly curled her body over Rangi’s defensively, hoping they’d tear her apart and get bored before they were able to get to her friend. The sound grew louder and louder and then-

The earth shook and the cries were cut off.

Panting Kyoshi pulled away from Rangi, eyes locking which shocked brown eyes. They quickly looked behind them and saw the corridor they’d come through was now sealed tightly shut. The sounds of the wolfbats becoming more distant, as they were leaving the walled area.

The two girls panted as they stared at the dark space.

“Was…that…you?” Rangi asked through puffs of breath.

“No, I think this accursed cave is alive…” That should’ve scared Kyoshi. But instead, relief ran through her like a tidal wave. She used the last of her energy to encircle her arms around Rangi and collapsed on top of her. “Haaaaah, we’re safe. We’re safe!” she laughed out, rocking the girl under her side to side.

She felt Rangi smacking her back in protest. “H–hey! S–stop that! Get off!”

“Make me!” Kyoshi was laughing so hard tears were starting to sprout from her eyes again, this time from happiness. “You’re going to have to firebend me off!”

“W–what’s the matter with you? Are you crazy?!”

She didn’t let the insult get her down, in fact it bolstered her. Kyoshi nuzzled her face into the crook of Rangi’s neck and spoke through giggles of mirth. “Ye–ah! Crazy alive! We’re alive! We’re alive!”

Rangi spluttered. “Barely, dumbass! We’re still trapped in this cave!”

“Yeah but we’re still alive! We haven’t died yet!” Kyoshi’s laughter grew more and more with each rock side to side.

Rangi’s smacks slowed down, and seemed to struggle with speaking. “T–that’s— The, snrk,” coughs and restraint snorts started to emanate from the smaller girl. “That’s the stu…pi…dest…” Unbridled laughter rippled through Rangi’s chest, unable to be contained. “That’s the stupidest thing to be happy about! We’re still in danger!”

Kyoshi’s giggles grew stronger. “But we’re safe for now! So I say it’s going pretty good!”

“Good?!” Rangi practically howled, she was now gripping Kyoshi’s back, hugging her and rocking side to side at the same time. “If this is good, then the bar is so low.”

“The bar is on the ground!”

“We’re on the ground!”

Laughter rippled through the two girls like waves lapping against a sandy beach. Ebbing and flowing. Completely lost in the relief of the moment.

After she finally caught her breath, Kyoshi pulled herself up, resting her forearms on either side of Rangi’s head. She beamed down at the girl below her, who smiled back still caught in the middle of her laughter. And she felt like she was back at the estate, safe and happy.

Kyoshi’s heart stopped for a moment as she took Rangi in, a warmth starting to spread throughout the deepest reaches of her body. Her eyes drifted down to Rangi’s lips, still split open with laughter, and reveled in her beautiful smile.

Her lips were so close, she could just barely make out a warmth radiating from them. Beckoning. Kyoshi couldn’t help but close her eyes and dip her head forward and–

In an instant she found herself looking at the cave’s ceiling. She’d been pushed off.

“W–we need to get moving if we want to get out of this damn place!” Rangi said, scrambling to her feet. Back facing away from Kyoshi.

Kyoshi looked onward, feeling like the wind was knocked out of her. Was she moving too fast? Or maybe Kirima had been wrong about everything? She clenched her jaw once, swallowed a big breath, and pushed her disappointment down.

No, dummy, now is not the time to make-out with your best friend. You need to focus on getting out first! Then…you can figure out where you stand.

Kyoshi stood up and grabbed the torch, amazingly, it was still lit. Such a resilient thing. But it was low, they’d have to strike the next one relatively soon.

She sighed, but tried not to let the disappointment flood into her voice. She tried to keep it light and friendly. “You’re right, we should get going.” Kyoshi put a hand on Rangi’s shoulder but she flung it off.

“Don’t touch me!” She finally turned to face her half-way,, but didn’t meet her gaze.

“Wha– Oh, come on! How many times did I just save your life?!” Were they really going to go back to fighting? After what they just went through?

“I still don’t trust you!”

“I thought we already discussed this!”

“We discussed you and your feelings about Yun! Nothing else!” Rangi thrusted a finger at her.

Kyoshi groaned and leaned against the cave wall. Rangi was right, but this was getting tiring. She proceeded to softly bang her forehead against the rock instead of answering. After a good amount of time passed, Rangi spoke up again.

“Is that…blood on your robes?” Rangi started wiping her hands on her pants, apparently some of the dried blood had transferred onto her.

Kyoshi made a motion to the top of her clothes. “Yeah, wolfbats. Had to fight a few when I first entered the cave.” Then she made a motion towards her pants, and tried but failed to hide the bitterness in her voice. “This? That’s your handywork. Thanks for that by the way, it was real pleasant.”

“You did worse to me…” she grumbled.

“In what way?” Kyoshi looked at her astonished.

“You tried to kill me!” Rangi stomped her foot to punctuate her anger.

“What?! When did I do that?!”

“Oh, where to start!” Rangi rolled her eyes. “I can probably name at least five attempts for every encounter!”

“If this is about what Kirima did, that wasn’t me! I told her not to–”

“I’m not talking about that damn waterbender, I’m talking about all the shit you pulled! Like in Youke! Ring any bells?”

Kyoshi held her hands up in surrender, yeah… That night wasn’t a good look for her, even if it had been a misunderstanding. “I wasn’t trying to kill you!”

Rangi pointed at her face. “Bullshit! You slammed an entire town block into my fucking face!”

“I was trying to catch you! You fell off the roof!”

“You threw me off the roof!”

“I–it was an accident! I was trying to firebend! I swear!” Kyoshi shook her head furiously. “A–anyway you were chasing me and throwing fireballs at my head!”

“Because you snuck into my room!” She slammed her finger into Kyoshi’s chest. “Like some kind of prowler! What’s your excuse for that, huh?”

Kyoshi started to sweat. “Is it better or worse if I say I didn’t know it was your room?”

Rangi’s eye twitched.

“Then what about when you attacked me in my room?!”

“When did I– Oh, right I tripped.” Kyoshi scratched the back of her head. “Okay, that was my fault. But why did you leave a window wide open?! That doesn’t seem very safe, a very dangerous person could’ve–” She cut herself off, Rangi looked like she wanted to murder her.

“I really wanna strangle you right now…”

Kyoshi paused for a moment. “Alas, too bad you can’t reach.” She did her best to not crumple when Rangi walked over and gave her shin a swift kick.

“Who can’t reach what now?”

“Okay, okay! Payback to what I did to your ribcage! I yield!” Kyoshi cried, jumping on one leg while clutching the other. “Maybe sleep next to a wall instead of in the middle of the damn room next time!”

Rangi ignored her and continued on. “And what about when you made it so I almost got hit by those soldiers?!”

Kyoshi looked at her like she was crazy. “Almost hi–I pushed you out of the way!”

“No! You used that big ol’ head of yours to block my vision–”

“Leave my big ol’ head out of this!”

“Then what about when you drowned me?!”

Kyoshi threw her hands up in the air. “Must I repeat myself? You. Were. Running. At. Me. With. FIREBALLS! And I wasn’t trying to drown you! I was making it so you didn’t follow me over my shitty bridge! And you told me when we first met you could swim! You practically bragged about it!”

“What kind of idiot doesn’t know how to swim?!”

“I don’t know? Someone who doesn’t have– No that’s not the point!”

“Yeah the point is you keep trying to kill me!”

“I! DO! NOT!”

“Oh? And all the boulders to the face?”

Kyoshi grabbed Rangi by the shoulders. Rangi attempted to fling her off, but Kyoshi kept firm.

“Wha– Gah! Get off! Let me go!”

“The only reason I flung boulders at you is because you keep attacking me!” Kyoshi shook her. “You keep chasing me! I have every right to defend myself!”

“But–”

“Every! Single! Time! You run up, fists blazing! Anyone would run or attempt to defend themselves!” Kyoshi shook her again, Rangi kept grabbing at Kyoshi’s forearms but her prying yielded no results.

“I attacked you because you killed Yun! You’re clearly dangerous and–”

“I DIDN’T KILL HIM!” Kyoshi bellowed, silencing Rangi. Rangi’s face flashed with hurt before blurring over, tears sprung up in Kyoshi’s eyes and fell from her face. There was no stopping the dam now, no more compartmentalizing. Everything she had put off had finally come crashing down. “I didn’t kill Yun… I didn’t kill Kelsang… I–I didn’t….kill…anyone…”

Her breaths came out sharp, short gasps.She felt her legs weaken, her grip slip down from Rangi’s shoulders. She found herself kneeling on the ground, her face buried in Rangi’s stomach as she gripped at her side and waist and sobbed.

“Jianzhu killed them! He tricked me and Yun into meeting a spirit! Yun died saving me from the spirit and– Jianzhu killed Kelsang!” She shook Rangi with each word, for emphasis and from the sobs that wracked her body.

“But Jianzhu said you killed a spirit–” Rangi whispered, she had no fight in her voice.

“The spirit took Yun and pulled him into the spirit world after he identified me as the Avatar! Come on, you’ve seen how horrible my bending is! Do you really think I could beat a Spirit, as well as Jianzhu and Yun?”Kyoshi stole a glance up to Rangi, tears and snot streamed down her face. She must’ve looked pathetic. Rangi could only look back down at her in shock. “Why? Why won’t you believe me?”

Her face moved back to Rangi’s stomach, clung to the girl like a lifeline. Then, she felt Rangi’s hand move and rested on her back. Lightly clinging to her robes. This unleashed another wave of sobs and wails from Kyoshi. It took a long time for Kyoshi to calm down enough, but when she did, when she had finally felt like she let out most of her grief; she was left with just the cold hard hatred she had for Jianzhu, and her need for revenge.

“I hate him. I hate Jianzhu,” Kyoshi was able to control her breathing. The mere memory of her true goal hardened her enough. “I have to kill him… To avenge Yun and Kelsang… He…

“He took everything from me,” Kyoshi gritted out after a moment of seethed breathing.

“Everything?” Rangi said it so softly, it was almost like a whisper.

“He killed Kelsang, and Yun…” Kyoshi took a shuddering breath. “He turned you against me…”

Rangi’s grip on the back of her robes tightened as Kyoshi sobbed harder. At some point Rangi started to pull her up.

“Come on,” she said, voice so hoarse. She struck the last torch that was on the ground, she must’ve fished it out of Kyoshi’s rucksack from where she stood. “We aren’t going to get out of here at this rate.”

Slowly, she pulled Kyoshi along.

___

The hour was going by fast. They didn’t talk much. Kyoshi…well… The way Rangi ignored her cries hadn’t really given her a vote of confidence. At least Rangi didn’t seem… Well, she wasn’t trying to kill Kyoshi. She was happy for small miracles.

As for Rangi? Kyoshi couldn’t get a read on her. She held Kyoshi’s sleeve for a good while, coaxing her through the labyrinth. Once Kyoshi’s cries and hiccups had simmered down, she’d relinquished her and handed the torch over to her. Minimal words were used, but she’d wanted to see if she could try making flame in her palm.

No dice. Whatever she did to the wolfbats was just another miracle in this messed up situation.

And so, the fire on the torch dwindled down lower and lower. No end in sight for the two. The situation was getting dire, but neither wanted to vocalize it.

Kyoshi looked at the ground, trying to assess just how bad their situation was.

The torch is dying, and I don’t have anymore… Well, there is one good thing, I think there’s food and some water in my bag…but it won’t last forever. And escaping without light is…

Before Kyoshi’s thoughts could spiral more down deeper, she felt herself run into something. It was Rangi, she had suddenly stopped watching.

“Hey! Watch it!” Rangi grumbled.

“Gah! Why’d you stop?” Kyoshi mumbled. Rangi was spikey and it hurt.

Annoyed, she grabbed Kyoshi’s cheeks with one hand and forced her to look ahead. “There’s a door here, dummy!”

Kyoshi blinked, and sure enough. There was a door. A big door. A big…round door?

Rangi released Kyoshi’s face and grabbed her by her lapels, dragging her over. Obviously wanting the light. She started to inspect the door, poking and prodding at it with her fingers. “Could this be a way out? But how do we open it?”

She attempted to push on it but it didn’t budge. Kyoshi splayed her free hand over the door, it felt like earth. It was earth. Perhaps she could bend it?

“Step back, let me see what I can do,” she said, taking out her fan. Once Rangi was in the clear, she dropped into the best horse stance she could, and began to bend. She pulled and pushed at the element, and after a brief moment of hesitation, the earth finally gave to her. The circled door rolled to the side, and Kyoshi stopped when it was far enough for them to squeeze through.

“Good job, but your horse stance still sucks,” Rangi said. Then she swiped her leg and hit Kyoshi’s ankle, and Kyoshi toppled backwards. “See? It’s weak.” Then she walked away.

Note to self, fix my horse stance… Kyoshi thought, quickly standing back up and following Rangi.

“This isn’t an exit…” Rangi said, ominously.

Kyoshi stepped through and waved the torch around. It was a large chamber, filled with statues carved into the walls. Stairs led down to the base of a bigger statue. After a moment, Kyoshi realized what the two large stones at the bottom were.

“It’s a tomb,” she finished.

Rangi started to descend the stairs, heading towards the burial. “But of who?”

“The two lovers…” Kyoshi mumbled.

Rangi stopped and her head whipped around.

“F–from the legend, you know? We’re in the Cave of Two Lovers! There was a sign…” She could feel her face warming.

Rangi relaxed and continued walking. “Oh, we’re in that place,” she muttered. “Also, I wasn’t exactly paying attention to any sign, I just followed the shirshu through a hole.”

“Oh…I see, that’s…fair,” Kyoshi forced a small, dry laugh. Her palms felt sweaty and her heart was beating a tad erratically. Rangi seemed to know about this place, of course she knew. Rangi knew pretty much anything, and Kyoshi was a failure of an Earth Kingdom Citizen. Regardless, for some reason that made Kyoshi feel…well… She had to know how she knew. “H–how do you know about this place? I’m from the Earth Kingdom and I only found out last night.”

Rangi was crouched down, inspecting some scriptures on the tombs. “Around? Maybe in school? Or at a festival, it’s more of a fable there than it is here. Not really focused on.”

Kyoshi shifted her feet side to side to let off her nervous energy. She needed to know what version of the story she learnt. Was it like what Lek learned? Or what Kirima learned?

“O–oh? Well, care to…elaborate? I’ve only heard it once, maybe it has a key into getting out?” Kyoshi fished, hoping Rangi would take the bait.

She did.

Rangi sighed and started rattling off the tale. It was delivered more like a bored lecture than the gravitas that Kirima had given it, but Kyoshi liked it all the same.

“Long ago there were two women–” Kyoshi’s heart did a flip. Rangi frowned, her fingers gliding over the stone. “Well, it looks like there might be some differences between this version and the one I learned. It appears there was a woman and a man,” she said the word with a lot of disdain.

Rangi continued rattling off the story, it was the same as what Kyoshi had heard the night before. At the end, Rangi did mention the difference with who lived and died but all in all, the tale remained the same.

“Huh…that’s…interesting,” Kyoshi mumbled. Trying not to sound too excited. “I wonder why there were those changes…”

“No idea,” Rangi said gruffly. Unfortunately, she didn’t take Kyoshi’s bait the second time around. She seemed a little upset now.

Do I push or… No, maybe I should move on.

“So what are you looking for?”

“I’m trying to see if there’s a mechanism, or maybe a clue on how to get out,” she grunted. She’d gotten on her hands and knees and started poking around.

Kyoshi allowed herself to watch her for a brief moment, before quickly looking around the room. It wasn’t polite to gawk. Her eyes drifted up and around. Behind them, there were two giant figures carved into the cave wall, one had long hair and the other had a topknot. They appeared to be mid-kiss, and above the statues read an inscription.

“‘Love is brightest in the dark,’” Kyoshi read. Something tickled in the back of her brain.

It’s like the song. What was it? ‘Trust in love?’ Or was it ‘Love as your guide?’

“What?” Rangi looked at her confused, then her eyes widened as she saw the statues.

“I–I heard a song about this place as well, something about trusting in love or it being your guide…” Kyoshi fidgeted with her sleeve. She wasn’t sure where she was going with this. But the words love and lover and with Rangi being here… Well, she couldn’t help feeling giddy for some reason.

Instead of being interested in what Kyoshi just said, Rangi put her head into her hands and sighed. Before leaning her back against the statues. Defeated. “We’re trapped.”

Kyoshi kicked the ground, she wasn’t used to seeing Rangi so…defeated. She was usually the one pushing Kyoshi forward. Either to…push back against the Yokoyans, or lighting a fire under her ass and chasing her across the Earth Kingdom. Kyoshi took a deep breath, it was her turn to be that for Rangi!

“Well we got in one way, so there has to be an exit. I mean they–”

“They’re dead,” Rangi griped. “We can’t ask them for directions, for all we know this is the end!”

“W–well we haven’t looked around the rest of the room, maybe there’s–”

“With what light?!” Rangi gestured to the torch in Kyoshi’s hand.

Kyoshi looked down and her eyes widened. She hadn’t realized how much it’d shrunken down. It probably wouldn’t last ten minutes. Maybe even less than that…

Once it was gone, they would be trapped.

“I can’t firebend still, you aren’t a firebender–”

“I can firebend,” Kyoshi said meekly, but Rangi ignored her.

“We are– We’re going to die. In this cave, surrounded by rocks and statues. We’re–” She growled once, and punched the nearby wall. Then she leaned forward, her head resting against the stone. “And now our only hope to get out is, what? Trust in love? The hell does that even mean? What a bunch of…”

Kyoshi looked at her, looked at the girl she loved. So defeated. And felt a resolve she’d never felt before begin to roar inside of her. She wasn’t going to let them die. It didn’t matter if they were going to be stumbling around in the dark, she’d get them out! In fact, she’d bend this whole mountain to her will before she let that happen! She was the Avatar, damn it!

There’s gotta be a way out of here. How did these two meet all the time? Kyoshi looked back up at the monument of the two Lovers. Oma and Shu.

‘Love is brightest in the dark.’ Kyoshi thought about the curse. Love, huh?

Was that really the key to getting out? Trust in love? Trust in… her love for Rangi? Well that was something she certainly could do! But how could she–

Inspiration stuck her like a bolt of lightning. She knew how to get them out of this! But… would Rangi agree to it?

Kyoshi’s heart began to thrum, it started small but soon, like a boulder rolling down a mountain, it became thunderous.

Kyoshi took in Rangi’s small frame, her strong back, the way her black locks cascaded around and stuck to her pale neck. Warmth started to flood her as she thought about how much she wanted to touch Rangi. How much she loved her. Every curve, crevice, and spike.

“That girl is obviously and hopelessly in love with you!” Kirima’s voice from earlier echoed in her head.

I hope you’re right, Kirima. Kyoshi swallowed. Because if you aren’t, I’m probably going to die right here and right now. And it won’t be because I’m trapped in this damn cave…

“Rangi… I have an idea,” Kyoshi said, low and with intent.

“What is it?”

“Before I say it, I–I just… I need you to hear me out, ok? Can you do that?” Kyoshi sighed.

“Fine, what?” Rangi repeated, annoyance still in her voice.

“I need you to look at me first.”

Rangi sighed but she complied. Kyoshi felt her breath hitch. Eyes still a piercing bronze, starless night hair sticking to her pale skin. The dark circles under her eyes gave her a tired look that accompanied her annoyed features. But to Kyoshi, she couldn’t look any more beautiful.

Kyoshi felt her skin prickle as she worked up what she was about to say. “You remember how the Two Lovers used this cave as a means to meet up, right?”

Rangi nodded.

“And how they built this tunnel system and anyone that followed would be trapped in here forever?”

Rangi nodded again, not sure where Kyoshi was going with this.

Kyoshi touched the statues. “Well, I was told the only way to get out of here was to ‘trust in love…’”

Rangi stiffened and gave Kyoshi a measured stare, but finally nodded.

Kyoshi’s hand moved up to the inscription. “And here it states ‘Love is brightest in the dark.’” She looked back at Rangi, her face was indiscernible. “Basically, I think there’s a connection.”

“Brilliant observation, what gave it away? The fact they both use the word ‘love’?” Rangi said dryly. “Or was it the kissing statues that spelled it out for you?”

“Rangi…” Kyoshi gave a reproachful tone. She could feel Rangi putting up walls again.

“Just…what is it? What is this grand idea of yours?” Rangi turned away and started pacing in a circle. Agitation was rolling off of her. “What? Do you think we should perform some act to break this ‘curse?’” A bark of humorless laughter escaped from her mouth. “Like a kiss or something?”

“Yes,” Kyoshi responded seriously.

Rangi stopped in her tracks mid-stride, one foot partially raised in the air. Neither girl moved a muscle as Kyoshi’s statement hung in the air and silence overtook the cave.

It felt like an eternity, but the silence was broken by the deep breaths Kyoshi could hear coming from Rangi.

“What?” Rangi growled out. “What did you just say?”

Kyoshi steeled herself, lifting her chin up as she did, “I said ‘yes’.”

“Yes? To what?”

Kyoshi’s face was a marvel of utmost seriousness. “To us kissing. I think we should do it.” Then she cowardly added. “To trick the cave or curse or whatever is keeping us here…”

In an instant, Rangi whirled around on her heel and was poking a finger into Kyoshi’s chest. A familiar action. She was sure if Rangi’s firebending was working like before, she would be burning a hole through her robes.

“ARE YOU INSANE?!” Rangi bellowed.

“Maybe a little.”

Rangi’s eyes widened and spluttered. “So this really is your angle? I knew it! Lowering my guard so you can strike! Well I won’t let you–”

Fearing Rangi was about to run away, Kyoshi quickly placed her free hand over the one Rangi was poking her with, and laid them both flat against her chest. Forcing Rangi to feel her steady heartbeat. Rangi’s eyes bulged in shock and tried to twist her hand away, but Kyoshi held firm. She needed Rangi to feel her sincerity. Since she realized words weren’t enough.

“Let go! Let me go you–you–”

“Rangi, think about it. I’ve had countless opportunities to ‘take you out’ if I wanted to. If I wanted to do that, I would’ve done it back when you collapsed! I wouldn’t have saved you with my firebending!”

“You! Can’t! Firebend!”

“Yes I can!”

“Then prove it!”

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!”

Rangi’s eyes narrowed and then looked away with a glower, all while gnawing at her bottom lip. It was a low blow, and Kyoshi knew it. Even Rangi didn’t know why her firebending was malfunctioning.

Kyoshi visibly softened, afraid of the mental anguish she may have just caused against the girl she loved. Her next words were spoken with more care. “Rangi… maybe whatever’s going on with your firebending, it’s what’s happening with mine. I–I can’t control it. It won’t listen to me… I need a firebending master. Maybe you can help me–”

“I don’t believe you!” Rangi screamed, her eyes closed. Trying to shut out Kyoshi’s truth. “I don’t believe you! You just want to manipulate me so you can achieve your sick, twisted desire of watching this world fall apart at its seams! You just want to watch the world burn!”

“I don’t give a damn about the world!” Kyoshi bellowed, causing Rangi to look back up at her in shock. “I’ve said it a million times already and I guess I’ll keep saying it until I get it through your thick head: The only thing I give a damn about in this life is you, Yun, and Kelsang. And now? You’re the only one I have left. I want to do this because I don’t want you to die in this cave, Rangi! I don't want you to die at all! Why can’t you see that?!”

Rangi’s eyes screwed closed again, and her freehand grasped at the side of her head. “I–you–gah! What makes you think I’m going to die in here?!”

Kyoshi rolled her eyes. “You’re firebending is out of whack, we’re going to run out of food, our last torch is about to go out any minute now. We’re trapped in this maze that keeps changing, the wolfbats really want to eat us, and there might be a shirshu still loose around here. Oh! And spirits know if there’s any other giant beasts we should be worrying about! I dunno, what do you think, dummy?”

“Shut up! I’m not a dummy!” Rangi protested. Even as a mess, apparently she couldn’t let an insult stand.

Kyoshi couldn't grinned at how childishly riled up Rangi was. Perhaps it was an old sense of normalcy leaking back in?

“I don’t know, you’re acting pretty stupid right now! Absolutely no self-preservation!”

“That’s not true!”

Kyoshi leaned forward into Rangi’s space. “Oh really? Then why is it you’re more keen on dying then trying an idea that might save your life?”

Rangi snorted. “Us kissing is going to save my life? You sure think highly of yourself, hm?”

Kyoshi gave a wry smile, trying not to let the dig get to her. “Nah, if anyone's got the life saving lips here, it's you.”

Rangi's breath hitched as Kyoshi tightened her grip over her hand.

“Y–you're ridiculous…” Rangi growled, however, it didn't have any bite to it. Kyoshi could’ve sworn her face had started to light up, but it was hard to tell in the dying light.

“Maybe so, but I'll do anything to keep you safe…”

Rangi's jaw flexed. “Even if it went against what I wanted?” Kyoshi felt Rangi's hand begin to curl into her, grabbing at the fabric of her robes beneath them.

“Maybe? If death is what you want then yeah.” Kyoshi's voice got low. “Is that it? You'd rather die than kiss me?”

In an instant, Rangi jerked her arm towards herself, pulling Kyoshi closer to her face, nose grazing nose.

“You don’t know what I want,” Rangi said, eyes half lidded, there was a defiant air about them. But that defiance belied the way her hot breath hit Kyoshi’s lips enticingly. Almost like they were caressing her. Coaxing her forward.

Kyoshi moved her hand from Rangi’s to her cheek and gently stroked her cheekbone, Kirima’s words echoing in her head, giving Kyoshi the courage to say and do what she needed to next. “I think I do.”

Closing her eyes, Kyoshi closed the gap between her and Rangi’s lips. Warmth flowed through her, spreading and touching every inch of her being, all attached to a single focal point where her skin met Rangi's.

Rangi’s lips felt so much warmer than when she performed CPR on the other girl hours earlier, warmer and better than even in her dreams. It was intoxicating and she wanted more.

Kyoshi relinquished her grip on the dying torch, letting it drop to the ground.

“Great going, stupid,” Rangi whispered against Kyoshi’s lips. Kyoshi could’ve sworn she felt a curve of a smile forming. “Now we lost our ligh–mng!”

Kyoshi had taken the opportunity to deepen the kiss, licking into Rangi’s mouth, relishing in the heat of her breath and tongue. She moved one of her hands to Rangi’s hair and wove her fingers through it. The other, now free, hand to the small of Rangi’s back, pressing their bodies closer together. Rangi let out a soft noise, and soon returned the kiss with about as much vigor if not more than Kyoshi was giving.

Rangi was fisting the cloth of Kyoshi’s robes so tightly, Kyoshi was surprised they hadn’t been ripped off her yet. She pushed into Kyoshi, to the point Kyoshi lost her balance and had to brace against the wall of the monument.

Always so competitive. The thought bubbled to Kyoshi’s mind as she slightly opened her eyes as her back pressed up against the wall. As she did, she was greeted with the wonderful sight of Rangi kissing her with complete earnestness.

This was how it should be. This was how it should’ve always been. And with that, Kyoshi closed her eyes again and sighed into the kiss, letting herself be enveloped by the warmth of it all. The feeling of something stuck finally being dislodged within her.

The duo kept at it in the dying light, stray moans and satisfied sighs escaping every so often. Needy hands exploring what they could despite the armor that blocked their paths. They had completely forgotten their objective, their dire straits, and all the trials they had faced since leaving Yokoya.

Kyoshi found she didn’t care about anything else except what was going on at that moment. Only cared about the glowing girl that was in her arms, and the mouth she wanted to worship.

It was almost a shock to her system when Rangi pulled away from the kiss. “Kyoshi–look up–the lights–mmh!”

Kyoshi chased her lips, silencing her with another kiss. Lights? What was she talking about? Actually, now that her attention had been split to not only focusing on kissing Rangi, why did it feel like the room had gotten brighter behind her eyelids.

Kyoshi opened her eyes and was met with Rangi’s half lidded ones in return. Face flushed and panting, lips kiss swollen. She looked beautiful. Especially with the new lighting.

Wait? Lighting?

Kyoshi looked up, and was met with hundreds if not thousands of blue glowing crystals. They weren’t scattered willy-nilly, they all clumped together. Like they were making a path.

“Crystals?”

Did we cause this?

“They must only light up in the dark,” Rangi said beside her, smoothing a hand through her hair. She must’ve detangled herself from Kyoshi when she wasn’t looking.

Oh, that makes a lot more sense.

It then dawned on Kyoshi. “Oh! That must be how the two lovers found each other! They just put out their lights and followed the crystals!”

That’s what they meant by love is brighter in the dark! The answer had been in front of them the entire time! Maybe it was a good thing their firebending wasn’t working, it would’ve really screwed them over if it had been.

Kyoshi let out a relieved laugh, they were going to be ok! They were both going to get out of there alive. She turned and looked at Rangi.

“Wow, I guess that means we didn’t need to–”

The duo looked at each other with wide eyes, the reality of what they’d done finally hitting them. Kyoshi felt the heat rising in her body again as her eyes zeroed in on Rangi’s lips, before quickly looking away out of embarrassment. Already thinking about wanting to go back for more.

Right, even if they didn’t need to, they’d kissed anyway. And Kyoshi was happy that they did. And she wanted Rangi to know it too.

“Ra–”

“The exit must be this way,” Rangi said, voice even and devoid of emotion as she walked past Kyoshi. “Let’s get going.”

Kyoshi felt the air deflate out of her. Did she mess up? Did she misread the situation wrong? Was she so focused on herself she didn’t see how Rangi really felt?

Her eyes started to spin. No no, she definitely seemed into it! Kyoshi thought, recalling how Rangi kissed her back and the feel of the firebenders hands on her.

Was it just a moment of weakness? Or perhaps… Rangi had been faking it? They did think they had to do something to make the curse lift. Maybe Rangi was just trying really to sell it to the curse?

Kyoshi’s heart sank, but decided to put it aside for now. They needed to get out of there first. Then she could address her romantic feelings for her friend.

They walked in silence along the path, the crystals providing excellent lighting.

“So…does this mean you’re going to stop chasing me?” Kyoshi asked, testing the waters.

“Not a chance,” Rangi grumbled.

Kyoshi looked at her, shocked. “B–bu–but, I saved you! We– c’mon! Doesn’t that–this mean something? You know I’m not a threat!” Kyoshi spluttered at her.

Rangi didn’t say anything, she just kept looking forward.

Kyoshi sighed, shoulders slumped, and lips forming into a pout. Ok, maybe it’ll take a bit more to convince Rangi to her side again. But she was determined!

As they walked, Kyoshi noticed the blue lights of the crystals looked like they were getting dimmer in the distance, swapped out for the sun’s more natural white and yellow light.

“Is that–? That is! It’s the exit!” Rangi exclaimed.

Kyoshi lightly smacked Rangi on the shoulder with the back of her hand. “Race you to the exit!” she beamed at the shorter girl, and then darted off.

“H–hey! Wait up!” Rangi yelled after her.

Kyoshi could hear the familiar thuds of the military grade firebender boots from behind her. They were gaining, but Kyoshi could tell Rangi wasn’t as fast as she usually was.

“What’s the deal, slowpoke?” Kyoshi laughed.

“I’m not slow!” Rangi yelled back, indignation in her voice. “You just have abnormally long legs! And I’m tired!”

“Well these abnormally long legs are kicking your butt!” Kyoshi picked up the pace, going into a full on sprint. She heard a slew of curse words being rattled off behind her, which caused Kyoshi to laugh even louder.

Kyoshi ran out of the cave first, with Rangi not far behind. She stopped on the plateau well before they got to the edge, and dodged out of the way of Rangi lunging at her.

“Missed me!” Kyoshi giggled as she dodged out of the way of Rangi’s slow grab.

“Get–gasp–back here–gasp–you asshole!” Rangi glared, going for another lunge.

Kyoshi dodged again. “Sorry, but you’ll have to get me the hard way.” She smiled at Rangi affectionately.

Rangi stopped attempting and chose to rest her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Kyoshi took the opportunity to do the same, her smile slowly fading as she took Rangi in.

“You really are going to keep chasing me, aren’t you?” Kyoshi asked.

There was a long silence as Rangi caught her breath, but once she did she finally spoke. “Yes,” Rangi said, not looking up from the ground. “If you run, then…yes. I won’t be far behind.”

“And there’s nothing I can say that will change that?” Kyoshi’s smile started to completely fade as her heart rate slowed.

“No,” Rangi said, shaking her head for emphasis.

Stubborn till the end, huh? Well I can be stubborn too.

“Can’t you give me a little leeway?” Kyoshi teased.

“I’ll give you a ten second head start,” Rangi announced, standing back up and dusting herself off.

Kyoshi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wha—what?! Ten seconds?!”

That’s all?!

Rangi narrowed her eyes at Kyoshi. “Take it or leave it.”

Kyoshi closed her eyes and threw her head back. “Fiiiiine!” she groaned.

They both took a moment to look at each other. And just stared. Expressions unreadable. There was no anger, no killing intent, no heat. They were simply just two people standing calmly by the cliffside.

Kyoshi swallowed, and decided to make a choice.

“Ten,” Rangi started counting as she stared directly into Kyoshi’s eyes. Kyoshi returned her gaze.

“Nine.”

“Eight,” Rangi’s eyebrows furrowed. Kyoshi hadn’t moved. And she wouldn’t.

“Seven…”

Rangi took a tentative step forward. “Six.”

Kyoshi still didn’t move. She just kept her eyes on Rangi. Steadfast and confident.

Rangi took another step. “Five.”

Then another. “Four.”

Rangi took multiple steps forward. “Three.”

She was now within arms reach of Kyoshi. “Two.”

They stared at each other. Gray eyes boring into bronze. A stormy sky clashing against the hardy Earth. An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

She was done running.

Something in Rangi’s unreadable expression softened slightly as she took in all of Kyoshi one final time. Her lips slowly parted as she reached her hand out to Kyoshi’s face.

“One,” she whispered as Kyoshi’s breath hitched.

In that exact moment, Kyoshi felt a familiar cool feeling wrap around her stomach.

No! Not again–!

It was soon followed by a familiar yank upwards, and she was falling upwards into the air.

She heard the sound of earth rumbling and saw Wong and Lek earthbending at Rangi. Rangi was able to avoid being hit until they backed her into the nearby mountain side, and earthbent restraints around her.

No! I was just about to– We were– Kyoshi struggled against the water whip that was carrying her, but to no avail. She didn’t know how to break free. And when she landed on Pengpeng’s saddle, Kirima noticed her flailing and opted to encase Kyoshi’s body completely in ice. Leaving only the head exposed.

“No! Rangi!” Kyoshi screamed as she flailed against her icy prison.

“Gah! Will you hold still?! We’re trying to save you!” Kirima bemoaned.

“Rangi!” Kyoshi continued to yell at the firebender, but Lek and Wong had returned to the bison by now, and they were quickly increasing their distance from her friend. “Rangiiiiiiii!”

Kyoshi threw her weight harder towards the saddle’s edge, and found herself leaning against the saddle. She would’ve thrown herself over it, if not for Wong and Lao Ge getting there in time to hold her back.

“What on earth is your problem?!” Wong bellowed, throwing Kyoshi back as she attempted another escape. “We’re saving your sorry ass, and you keep trying to throw it in her line of fire! You’re lucky you took the oaths and are our sworn sister, otherwise we’d let that fire breather roast you!”

“She wasn’t trying to roast me!” Kyoshi screamed at them. “We were– We were making progress!”

“And that progress was her chasing you out of the cave like a mad woman?!” Kirima yelled back. “Or how about her lunging at you? What about how she raise her hand and was about to attack–”

Kyoshi’s eyes widened. They’d completely misread the situation from their aerial viewpoint! “N–no that’s not– We weren’t fighting, we were–” Oh did she even have a way to describe it? Playing? Sounded it a tad childish, though she did feel like a child racing Rangi out of the cave. A moment of levity after an arduous situation.

“We were playing!”

“Playing?!” Kirima looked at her incredulously. “Ok, you’ve really lost it–”

“No I haven’t! We were just happy we got out of the cave! We were working together and… We were making up! And you lot ruined that!” Kyoshi couldn’t help but thrash against her icy prison in frustration.

Kirima was so taken aback, she stopped her arm movements to rub her hands over her face. “Oh sweet sailor’s seaweed, I can’t with this girl…”

“What’s the issue? Isn’t this what you guys wanted me to do?! Make up and bring her with me?” They wanted her to make up with Rangi, and then Rangi wouldn’t be chasing them any more. Didn’t they want to work together?

“When the hell did I say that?! I said you should make up and prance about, not that she could follow us?!”

“You said to get on my knees and tell her I love her! What do you think I was going to do next?!” Kyoshi yelled as she thrashed about.

“I said she might not stab you anymore! I didn’t say that I wanted her to join us!” Kirima yelled back over the wind, she resumed her arm movements in rapid motion so that the ice would hold against Kyoshi.

“Plus there’s probably a shirshu still wandering down there! I don’t want Pengpeng to get hit by its tongue again!” Lek yelled over the railing.

“It’s still down there?!” Kyoshi screamed, practically flinging her body over the saddle. She was caught once again by Wong and Lao Ge.

“Calm down will ya?! I doubt it’s gonna attack her!” Wong yelled.

“It’s probably high off your scent and the bison’s, the girl is probably fine,” Lao Ge said in an even tone.

After a few more placations, Kyoshi finally stopped struggling. She looked out over the horizon, to where Rangi was.

It’s fine. I’ll… I’ll bring her with me next time. Her heart swelled with hope. She said it herself, where I go, she’ll go too. We’ll meet again soon… I’m sure of it!

________

Rangi watched as the bison disappeared in the distance. She should’ve been angry, but she wasn’t. An odd calm had finally washed over her. There were no more hallucinations, and no more voices in her head except for her own.

It looks like they’re going back North to Northwest it seems. She closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths through her nose. She kept it up as she felt a slow build up of energy coursing through her. Once she felt the familiar build up had reached the point she wanted, she let it loose, and exploded her way out of the earth bindings the daofei had trapped her in.

She had only taken one step forward from her prison when she felt the ground rumble, and she fell to her knees to stay steady. A giant hole in the side of the mountain opened up, creating a new cave entrance. She watched as a shirshu darted out of it and looked around. It turned back and regarded another animal, a giant badgermole, as if to give it thanks, before it sprinted off into the forest. Once the shirshu was gone, the badgermole turned around slowly and walked back where it came from, closing the entrance behind it.

Rangi blinked at the scene that just happened in front of her. Well… one less thing to worry about I guess… And one more mystery answered too…

Rangi dusted herself off and checked to make sure she had everything with her, including her rucksack. Once she found everything was in order she descended the mountain. She only had one thought on her mind, the same thought since she’d left Yokoya. It was to catch up with Kyoshi.

It took an hour or so for Rangi to descend the mountain safely. While her firebending was back, it felt weak. Like a body recovering from an intense sickness, but recovering nonetheless. She didn’t want to push it.

She would take an earthbender’s approach to this chase now: slow and steady.

She wandered the forest for what felt like forever, until she heard a familiar clicking sound. She followed it, and was met with an abandoned ostrich horse clucking away. It approached her, happy to have found a human again. Maybe it was the one she abandoned back in Hongcun Village outside Omashu. Or maybe it belonged to one of the scientists that she also abandoned. It didn’t matter, it was hers now.

Rangi patted the steeds beak gently before mounting it, and steering it in the direction she wanted to go.

Just you wait, Kyoshi… Rangi thought as she began the ride at a breakneck pace. I will find you.

_____________________________

Days pass, and Rangi had found herself at a new roadblock to her destination.

The Great Divide. She sighed inwardly. It was a wonder of the Earth Kingdom. No one knew how it was formed, just that it was a really big hole that stretched for miles. And she needed to get across it.

She sighed again. She had hoped she would’ve caught up to Kyoshi before she ever encountered it, but it seems luck wasn’t on her side.

Rangi kicked her steed to keep moving, and she moved along the cavern, looking for a good place to descend into the canyon.

“Well what do we have here?” a voice called out from the forest as she passed. “You don’t look like you're from around here, Miss.”

Rangi’s eyes moved towards the voice. She saw a group of multiple men slowly clamor out of the treeline. Judging by their attire, they were probably daofei.

Great, fantastic. She thought sarcastically. She didn’t have time for this.

She turned her head and continued down her path, opting to just ignore them. But was forced to stop when a giant earthwall erupted in front of her and blocked her path.

“Where do you think you’re going little girl?” The same voice sneered. Rangi turned around and saw a man with multiple tattoos in a bridge stance. He was an earthbender, and possibly their leader. “You can leave, but give us everything you got. If you’re good, maybe we’ll let you leave with some of the clothes on your back.”

“I’ve been having a rough few months, I don’t recommend testing me,” Rangi said in a low voice, thick with warning. The daofei were obviously stupid, she only had her small rucksack and the clothes on her back. As a target, she should’ve appeared like she wasn’t worth the trouble. Maybe they thought her steed would fetch them a pretty penny?

“Oh? What are you going to do about it?” The man started to cackle, and his buddies joined in. “Are you going to fight us?”

Rangi flexed her fingers against her reins. While she felt more normal than she had before, she still wasn’t at a hundred percent. She would just have to make do.

“Yes,” she said, dismounting from her steed. “Yes I am.”

__________

____

A/N: Ahhh! The girls are fighting! 0_0 Oh wait now they’re kissing. 0w0

“This was not the turn of events she was expecting” Yeah but it was for ME. >:3c I’d like to thank Oma and Shu and their secret tunnel for giving me an in-universe McGuffin to put these two goobers in a *~situation~* uwu

Anyway, poor Rangi. Doesn’t know how to process if Kyoshi’s trying to kill her or seduce her (tbh, the latter might be more likely to kill her >:3c TT0TT) Too much for a Topknot to handle after waking up from a nap u_u Also, soooo Kyoshi, finds out the girl she likes might be in love with her, doesn’t connect that said girl is freaking out because Kyoshi seems to be stripping down (to one layer before undergarments). Ugh, they’re both so irritating >_> (I love them :3c).

I’ll have you know I rewrote the damn kiss situation like 3 damn times. TT0TT The original intent was to not have them kiss and then….well…characters gonna character I guess. 8U

“Us kissing isn’t gonna save my life” girl Kyoshi used her lips to save you last chapter, your math aint’ mathing u_u

Hmmm looking back through the older chapters…did I do a math oopsie? Or was a vague enough -thinking- Tbf I think I was still working on the rough timeline of Kyoshi’s world (cherryblossoms are in the beginning of RoK which indicates spring, but there’s already dried fire lilies which indicates summer….but I’m going to take a guess that it’s spring tbh).

Reusing the ch 14 map here, I know Rangi moves at the end but we’ll see it mapped out next chapter.

Anyway, I think we’ve reached a point where Rangi might be on the upswing. uwu So happy for her and- Uhoh. I’ve appeared to have lost a shoe…. Shu? Haha…shoe pun. But really I’ve lost my shoe, must’ve dropped it somewhere. -thinking- Gonna go retrace my steps, see ya next chapter. 8U

#rise of kyoshi au #rangshi #rangi #rangi sei'naka #rangi seinaka #shadow of kyoshi #rise of kyoshi #kyoshi #jianzhu #hei-ran #the hunt for kyoshi #hunt for kyoshi #salty fics

8 notes · View notes

swiftsaltsweet · 10 months ago

Text

Two Knives Chapter 6: Kyoshi- We Didn't Start the Fire

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi

Rating: M

Summary:

Things have been stressful for Kyoshi. First, she sang a poem and now the whole kitchen staff thinks it’s about Rangi, and is sure that there will be gossip. Then, Yun asks her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. Now Rangi’s acting strange. It’s becoming a bit much for Kyoshi’s small corner of the world.

(Canon Divergent AU- Kelsang wasn’t the one who heard the poem?….aka What if it took longer for them to realize Kyoshi was the Avatar?)

Other Sites: AO3

A/N: I really like the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire”~! :3c

Slight spoilers for Legacy of Yangchen. The spoiler is a reference to a play in the novel. It’s very minor and not….really plot relevant. But I wanted to warn in case someone wants to go into Yangchen 100% spoiler free.

Hey, weird question. Y'all ever had an idea and thought 'lol this is fun/funny' then you got to it and like....now you're unsure but hey you're here now and it's everyone's problem? No reason, just asking for a friend hahah >x> *sprints away to the end notes*

And slight trigger warning for possible slight/mild homophobia. I left it up to interpretation tbh.

_____

“Your mother’s gotten really fixated on hot squats recently,” Kyoshi mused as she held the firebender close. Her head rested on top of Rangi’s, carefully avoiding the pins on her head. The only sharp object on the girl at the moment.

The spiked armor laying on the floor of the carriage. Thanks to the carriage, the two girls could be as close as they wanted without anyone bothering them.

Not like they had much of a choice to spread out in the carriage with all the cargo they had packed in there. But they would use whatever excuse they could use.

Kyoshi and Rangi were well on their way back from Hongcun Village, a village north of Qinchao Village. Iit was known for being a hot spot trading post as well specializing in weaponry dealing and repairs. They had to ride with another passenger to Hongcun, but on the way back they had the whole ride to themselves and they were making the most of it.

Rangi hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She never cared that much about hot squats before, she was more of a horse stance fanatic.”

Kyoshi had seen Yun have to do horse stance a few times, but today it seemed like it was hot squat hell for him. Yun hadn’t had a chance to see them off, all thanks to Hei-Ran wanting to begin his training before the sun even came up.

Kyoshi shuddered, thankful she never had to do either training exercise in her entire life, and was hopeful she never would.

Rangi suddenly laughed. “What’s got you all shaken up?”

“Just thinking about the nightmare of horse stance,” Kyoshi mumbled. It was a popular form for earthbenders, she used to see the villagers perform competitions for who could hold it the longest. It looked like hell.

Rangi detangled herself from Kyoshi, and readjusted in the seat so her head was laying on Kyoshi’s lap. “It’s not the worst thing ever.” Then she thought about it for a moment. “Ok, it’s up there.”

Kyoshi started to run her fingers through Rangi’s hair. “If it’s only ‘up there,’ then what’s the worst thing ever?” she chuckled.

Rangi looked at Kyoshi then turned her head and looked away, deeply troubled. She seemed to have taken Kyoshi’s question a little too seriously.

“Sorry, that's…..not something I want to think about.”

Kyoshi bit her lip, she had a distinct feeling of what might’ve been the source of Rangi’s uneasiness. The words came out before she could stop them. “Is this about Yun asking me to join as a companion?”

She cursed herself in her mind, she wanted to enjoy the day with Rangi, not upset her!

But instead of making her more upset, Rangi's tense face softened a bit, to Kyoshi's surprise. “In a way.”

“I won't do it if you don't want me to!” It had been what she wanted to say to Yun back when he first made the proposition.

Rangi blinked, and then finally looked back at Kyoshi. Her eyes glistened with a far away look in her eye. Rangi wrapped her arms around Kyoshi’s waist, and buried her face into Kyoshi’s belly.

Kyoshi did her best to hug Rangi back, considering the awkward angle. “I just want you-no, us to be happy. So, if you don’t want me to become a companion, I won’t do it.”

Kyoshi didn’t really need the glory of Avatar companionship. She was just happy in the section of the world she carved out for herself. If she had to wait for Rangi and Yun to come back every so often so that Rangi felt at ease, then it would be an easy trade.

They stayed like that, Rangi grabbing Kyoshi like her life depended on it. Kyoshi rubbing soothing circles into Rangi’s back.

Rangi let out a sound of air, it almost sounded like a laugh. “I’m not sure.”

Kyoshi blinked. “Huh?”

Rangi let go of Kyoshi and sat back up, she took one of Kyoshi’s hands and started tracing the lines of her palm. “I’m not sure….. if you should take him up on his offer.”

Kyoshi felt her eyes start to spin, the contradiction coming from Rangi overloading her brain. “I-I thought you were livid at the idea….” She distinctly remembered the firebender shaking with anger when it was first brought up.

“I was, but then he raised a good point.” Rangi took a breath. “It might be good for you to learn how to defend yourself. I’d rather you didn’t have to learn because you were becoming a companion, but….” She sighed.

Kyoshi’s eyes stopped spinning, the contradiction was unraveled and solved.

She turned to Rangi and gave her a lopsided smile and jokingly said, “But I have you to protect me.”

She expected Rangi to roll her eyes and push her, maybe even make a disgusted noise like she did when Kyoshi said something similar after the jar incident. But instead Rangi shook her head with a saddened expression as she looked at the ground. “But what if I’m not there to protect you?”

Kyoshi moved her hand so Rangi wasn’t playing with it anymore, but to hold it instead. “What do you mean?”

Rangi sighed. “Well, what if I go on the mission with Yun, and someone attacks his home? What if you got hurt because of that?”

Kyoshi squeezed Rangi’s hand and laughed. “That wouldn’t happen.”

“But how can you know that?” Rangi looked at her with a worried expression.

Kyoshi didn’t. “So you want me to join you on your adventures so that won’t happen?”

Rangi shook her head. “No, that's……more terrifying. The Avatar has to confront some of the worst people and situations imaginable, I don’t want you near that.”

Kyoshi sighed. “So you just want me to learn how to defend myself?” She could do that, within reason. But she wondered how it would fit into her schedule. Kyoshi had a feeling more sleep would be sacrificed.

“If that isn’t too much trouble……”

“Are you going to train me?”

Rangi raised an eyebrow. “I’m not an earthbender, Kyoshi.”

Kyoshi shook her head. “No I-.... I don’t think earthbending is in the cards for me. But maybe some hand to hand? To start off? Then I’ll look into what I can do about my earthbending.”

Rangi tilted her head and closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then opened them. “I suppose that could work. But what is it with you and earthbending? You always avoid it.”

Kyoshi sighed. She avoided the topic for the past two years, it was about time she explained herself. At least of all her secrets and issues, this one wasn’t that hard to talk about.

“I can’t really……bend….well.”

Rangi snorted. “I figured as much when you refused to stop the jar from falling!” She gave Kyoshi a playful shove. “I’ll have you know, your little stunt almost gave me a heart attack. You really know how to make a girl fall for you.”

Kyoshi stared at Rangi surprised, Rangi’s joke sailing right over her head. “Wait, you’ve liked me since back then?!”

Rangi's face fell in horror. “Kyoshi!”

A grin grew across Kyoshi’s face. “Just kidding!” She pulled Rangi into a hug before the firebender could get back at her. Kyoshi had pieced together that Rangi had liked her as far back as that. She just wasn’t sure exactly when the firebender had fallen for her.

The jar…. Come to think of it, that was the same day I sang that poem.

“I can’t bend small objects,” Kyoshi continued as Rangi struggled against the snuggle. “I can only, uh, ‘go big’?”

Rangi stopped struggling and looked at Kyoshi. “Isn’t that a little backwards?”

Kyoshi nodded.

Rangi thought about it for a moment. “No, I don’t think that’s the best way to describe it. You just need to learn control. Sure, that level of control needed might not be common, but everyone needs to learn control regardless. You just…. need it more than others!”

Kyoshi never thought about it like that, she just thought she was a lost cause. Leave it to her super talented bender girlfriend to make it easier to digest.

Kyoshi hugged Rangi harder as the firebender cuddled in closer. “That being said,” Rangi started, “I feel like you exercise a bit too much control in some aspects of your life.”

Rangi pressed her hand to Kyoshi’s chest, and proceeded to trail it down the length of Kyoshi’s body, searching for the opening in Kyoshi’s robes. When she did find it, she planted a warm kiss on Kyoshi's jaw as her fingers raked soft skin. Rangi’s fingers were warm on Kyoshi’s bare skin.

Kyoshi groaned at the sensation. She lowered her body down the length of the seat so Rangi could climb on top of her. She needed more of the firebender's contact on her. “Trust me, I don’t want to exercise any control when it comes to this.”

“And yet you do,” Rangi hummed, her lips making her way to Kyoshi’s neck.

Kyoshi responded by grabbing Rangi by the hips and grinded hard against the firebender. Rangi let out a moan into the crook of Kyoshi’s neck, causing them both to press in harder against each other for more friction.

“It’s not me, it’s the people who keep interrupting us,” Kyoshi forced out in low gasps.

Rangi snaked her free hand to Kyoshi’s hair and gave it a tug, making Kyoshi expose more of her neck’s pulse point. “Well it’s a good thing we’re alone now, with a lot of time until we arrive back at Yokoya.”

Kyoshi squirmed delightfully when Rangi’s lips made contact, warmth radiated through Kyoshi’s body with each pulsing beat. She was going to enjoy every moment of this bumpy carriage ride. She was just thankful that the road had smoothed out for the last few minutes. It was so smooth, it was like they weren’t even moving at all!

Wait…..

“Rangi, stop,” Kyoshi forced out the words she would never want to say. She had a bad feeling.

Rangi did as she commanded, but she gave her a disapproving look.

“Are we still moving?” Kyoshi asked.

Before Rangi could answer or question, there was a knock at the door and the driver’s voice could be heard. “Misses? I’m sorry but we need to st-”

The look of fury that Kyoshi saw flash across Rangi’s face could’ve melted a volcano. Like a flash of lightning, Rangi quickly straightened her clothes, grabbed her armor, donned it, and ripped the door open before the driver could finish his sentence.

“WHY?!”

The driver flinched, not expecting such a reaction. Kyoshi would’ve felt bad for him if he didn’t just interrupt a possibly life changing moment for Kyoshi…. And if she wasn’t so preoccupied with staying out of his line of sight and readjusting her clothes to look presentable again.

“T-the, uh, the spokes-I mean the wheel? It’s busted we need to replace it-”

“Again?! This is the second time! Just replace it and don’t bother us!”

“Second? Oh, that was a different carriage! I-I mean! It will be! It’ll just take a few hours to get the part. In the meantime, we’ll be in Qinchao Village while we wait-”

Rangi slammed the door shut. Took a few breaths. Then turned to Kyoshi with the saddest deer puppy eyes Kyoshi had ever seen.

“I think the universe hates us.”

Kyoshi laughed, in a sense relieved to see Rangi was just as frustrated as she was. She finished straightening up and took Rangi’s hand. She gently rubbed the top of it with her thumb. “Let’s try to not make the driver hate us too.”

_____________________________

Qinchao Village was a strange place. Most residents belonged to the Chin Clan, which made most people feel like outsiders as they walked through the same-faced streets. They had strange holidays not celebrated anywhere else in the Earth Kingdom, and made it known their loyalties lied with the village over the Earth Kingdom as a whole. Only their wealth allowed most to overlook its strangeness.

Kyoshi had only been there once before, with the other maids on a day off. While Master Jianzhu had told them to be careful, nothing bad had happened and they got home safely. However, Kyoshi couldn’t help but shake a strange feeling of dread she had the entire time she was there.

And the same feeling started to overcome her as she and Rangi crossed the threshold into the village. She looped her arm around Rangi’s, and pulled her close as she did.

“Everything alright?” Rangi asked.

Kyoshi sighed and whispered. “Master Jianzhu warned us this place can be a bit…..interesting. I just can’t shake the feeling that these guys are just waiting for an opportunity to burn me alive.”

Rangi snorted. “I’d like to see them try.” Right, Rangi would probably redirect the flames back at the village if they tried to burn either of them. Still didn’t mean they shouldn’t be careful.

The dread subsided a bit upon seeing how relaxed Rangi was, but it still hung deep within her being. It most likely wouldn’t leave until the girls left the village.

The two decided to wander the village. Enjoying various wares at the bazaar. Enjoying tea at a nice teahouse. They even watched a small puppet show of an old story called ‘The Lost Slipper’ that was in the central square. The group of children let out an uproarious cheer when the hero was revived at the end and the evil minister had to dedicate his life and fortune to repent.

Rangi took Kyoshi’s hand as they left the crowd, heading back to the carriage to see if it was ready yet. “You know, legends say that Yangchen herself changed the ending to that play.”

“Really?”

“Yup, apparently she hated the original ending, so she boo’d it.”

Kyoshi giggled. “Hard to imagine an Avatar such as herself doing such a thing.” Kyoshi tried to imagine the perfect, holy Avatar booing a puppet play and throwing a tomato at the stage.

Rangi laughed back. “I know, right?”

“So what was the original ending?”

Rangi pursed her lips. “I think the hero dies? So the hero’s life is traded so the evil minister can be taught a lesson? I don’t remember, the original ending is only survived by word of mouth nowadays, but it’s not very popular anymore.”

Kyoshi grimaced. “I can see why, doesn’t seem like a pleasant ending. Not a fair trade.”

Rangi nodded in agreement.

They kept walking hand in hand, ignoring the stares they got. Kyoshi wondered if it was because she was holding hands with Rangi, an act that didn’t seem out of the ordinary for two girls to do. Or if it was because they were obvious outsiders in the village.

As they rounded a nearby corner, something collided with Kyoshi's side. Kyoshi’s stumbed a bit as someone was knocked to the ground. “Gah!”

“Hey! Watch where you're going!” Rangi yelled at the person who ran into Kyoshi.

Kyoshi looked down and saw a square-faced boy with a sullen expression.

“Rangi, it's ok,” Kyoshi pulled Rangi behind her, still not letting go of her hand. Kyoshi then held out her other hand to the boy. “I'm sorry about that. Please be careful, you could hurt yourself.”

Kyoshi tried giving him the kindest, softest expression she could muster. Regardless of how kind her face may look, people tended to assume she was overly aggressive just based on her height alone. She tried to overcompensate to not scare the boy.

The boy looked at Kyoshi's hand that was extended, then at the one that was still being held by Rangi. From where he sat, the boy took his wooden sword and slammed it into Kyoshi’s shin. Kyoshi let out a high pitch noise. She released Rangi's hand as she clutched at her shin and bounced on one leg.

“Quick, Chin! Let’s get out of here!” one of the other boys called after the one with the sword.

The boy named Chin scrambled to his feet as he ran off, yelling about how he’d conquered a giant. She had a feeling her stature wasn’t the cause of his outburst, but that he was just spoiled brat.

As he ran away, a part of Kyoshi couldn’t help but think his name was stupid. Did those kids just call him Chin, when they’re also part of the Chin clan? Or was Chin his first name? So his name was Chin Chin? The strangeness of it all was about to give Kyoshi a headache.

“Hey! Get back here!” Rangi yelled at the boy, but Kyoshi grabbed her by the shoulder. Partially to keep Rangi from making a scene, but mostly for Kyoshi to keep her balance.

“Rangi, it’s fine. Don’t leave me here alone,” Kyoshi said pitifully.

Rangi sighed, annoyed, and helped hobble Kyoshi over to a nearby bench. “You know this is just reinforcing why I’m afraid to leave you alone. First Earth Kingdom peasants can out bend you. Now random eleven year olds with wooden swords are ready to take you out!”

Kyoshi grinned. “Oh no! Looks like I’m just going to need to be glued to you at the hip at this rate.”

“I bet you’d enjoy that,” Rangi smirked at her. “Wait here, I’m going to get some ice.” Kyoshi gave her a pitiful look in response. “Really, it’ll only be a second, I’m going right through this door.”

Kyoshi sat on the bench, trying to block out the pain of the welt forming on her leg. She looked around, and had a distinct feeling villagers of the village were staring at her. Among groups, from their stalls, and even through their windows. So many eyes, hidden in various crevices. And they felt like they were multiplying.

We should get out of here…..soon. Kyoshi thought. She didn’t have scopophobia, but most people started to develop some anxiety similar to that the longer they stayed in the village.

When Rangi came back into view, Kyoshi’s worries didn’t ease as much as she thought they would upon seeing the firebender. If anything, she got more anxious. Afraid of what they could do to Rangi.

Rangi held some ice wrapped in cloth. Without being prompted, Kyoshi began to roll up her pant leg, a nasty bruise started to form, it hurt as badly as it looked. Rangi knelt down and gently pressed the ice to Kyoshi’s leg.

“Tch, that brat, why I-”

“Rangi, it’s fine,” Kyoshi tried to soothe. It really wasn’t but…. she really didn’t want either of them to get into a fight with a child. Especially if it got back to Jianzhu and Hei-Ran.

Rangi moved the ice around, trying to find the best angle that would cover most of the wound. “I have half a mind to drop him into the ocean……”

“Rangi…..” Kyoshi bemoaned. “Dropping people into the ocean is bad.”

Rangi gave Kyoshi a deadpanned look. “Not for me.”

Kyoshi needed to come up with something to distract Rangi. Lest her girlfriend spent the nights delivering sweet justice to annoying children as the local boogeyman.

Kyoshi looked down at the injury on her leg and started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Rangi asked.

Kyoshi took her injured leg and tapped Rangi lightly with it. “Hey look, we match,” Kyoshi laughed.

“This isn't something I want to match,” Rangi pouted.

Kyoshi ignored her. “It’s the same leg and even the same spot. The only difference is that you’re the one on your knees this time.” Kyoshi couldn’t help but smirk a bit at her little innuendo at the end, waiting for Rangi’s reaction.

Rangi bit her lip, as if biting back a smile. “Ok, I’ll admit, I do like seeing you on your knees.”

“Is it because it makes you feel taller?” Kyoshi couldn’t help but joke. Rangi lost her fight and smiled, then she smacked Kyoshi’s good knee.

“Though, I do wish we were in your room doing this. I kind of like this new angle of you.” Rangi tilted her head to accentuate her point. Kyoshi watched as the angle moved the dark tressels of her hair to the side, and revealed her smooth, pale neck. Almost like she was offering it to Kyoshi.

“Oh?” Kyoshi inquired. Pleased to see where this conversation was going.

“It makes me want to try something,” Rangi batted her eyelashes at Kyoshi. She placed one hand on Kyoshi’s knee, to onlookers it looked like it was an act to steady herself as she remained squatted down. But she let her thumb wander farther in to graz Kyoshi’s inner thigh.l

Kyoshi’s face blazed a glowing red as she stood up suddenly, ignoring the pain in her leg. She was excited to find out what it was. “Will the carriage do?”

Rangi’s smile grew. “It’s a little cramped but maybe we can make do? I’m sure we can find something else to do if it’s not possible.”

Kyoshi grabbed Rangi’s hand, and the two hurried back to the carriage. The pain in Kyoshi’s leg quickly became an afterthought.

_____________________

“Kyoshi, your hands are…. so…. warm!” Rangi moaned into the crown of Kyoshi’s head as she gripped Kyoshi’s hair tightly, pushing the maid’s head harder into her chest. Kyoshi was thankful the firebender removed her armor again, it was a lot more pleasant for her to have face shoved into Rangi’s soft chest rather than a metal plate.

Unfortunately for the two of them, the carriage was too packed to try what Rangi wanted to do. But Kyoshi had found she was able to continue where she left off from the night prior. Which was a good trade all things considered.

And that’s how they got into this new position. Rangi straddling Kyoshi’s lap, and Kyoshi’s hand down Rangi’s waistband. Trying to keep the firebender anchored was about as much of a struggle as keeping her quiet.

The carriage hit a bump, which caused fingers and other body parts to slam into new spots, and shift a little harder than the rhythm was previously established. Rangi let out another moan, this one much too loud.

Kyoshi made a mental note of where her fingers were, so she could try to recreate that again at a later time.

“Rangi,” Kyoshi pulled her face away just enough so words could be heard and formed. “You…. need to be…more…quiet…. Or the driver might stop us…..again!”

She felt Rangi’s chin bob up and down, but Kyoshi had a feeling she wasn’t really listening. Kyoshi should probably change tactics before they had another close call.

If the small sane part of Kyoshi was keeping track of time correctly, and she probably wasn’t, they were about an hour away from Yokoya. Which meant…..they had an hour to look presentable again. Which meant….they should stop.

With a forlorn sigh and great difficulty, Kyoshi removed her hand from Rangi’s pants.

“Don’t stop!” Rangi whined, and Kyoshi almost complied. She felt Rangi pull away and lift Kyoshi’s face up to look at her. “Please, don’t stop.” As she spoke, a small puff of steam escaped her lips.

Kyoshi gazed at Rangi revantly. Rangi’s eyes were soft and melting like liquid honey, her hair was loose and coming undone, and her face had a light sheen from sweat and steam that she had been creating. She looked like a mess, and Kyoshi loved it.

“You’re a mess,” she smiled, breathless.

“Only because you made me like this,” Rangi whispered back.

Kyoshi forgot what she was supposed to not do, and leaned up to kiss Rangi. Rangi met her halfway with a steamy, open mouth kiss. It felt like they were exchanging the steam between them. Exchanging their heat. If Kyoshi had the ability to think at that moment, she would’ve wondered how she could be matching a firebender’s warmth like that.

The kiss broke when the carriage hit another rough bump, sending Rangi almost flying. Kyoshi snagged her around the waist and kept her anchored with one hand, and used her other hand to stop one of the stacked packages from falling on them with the other. And then had to repeat the process when the carriage hit another bump.

“He could make the ride a little smoother,” Rangi grumbled as she shifted off of Kyoshi.

Kyoshi laughed as they began fixing themselves up. She leaned over and drew the window curtain back and opened the window to let the heat escape.

“Maybe we should open the door too? Just a crack?” Rangi proposed as she tied one of the knots on her armor in place. Then she started fanning herself.

Kyoshi did as she asked. “What? Can’t take the heat? Then why do you generate so much?” Kyoshi laughed.

Rangi blushed. “I-I don’t know, I’ve never emitted this much before. Not even when I was angry.”

So Rangi was like this because Kyoshi had that effect on her? Well that was some of the best news Kyoshi had heard in the past month.

Kyoshi finished propping the door open. Just as she opened her mouth to tease Rangi some more, she felt her body fly back from the sudden jolt in the carriage as it started barreling down the road.

Kyoshi threw herself over Rangi as packages started to fall, the door to the carriage flinging open and closed until it finally stayed closed from a stray package falling in front of it.

The vehicle felt like it was out of control, or maybe something worse.

“What’s going on?!” Rangi bellowed to the driver. Kyoshi hoped the man was still at the helm

“D-daofe!” He screeched.

Kyoshi felt Rangi throw them to the ground, or really on top of the sprawled out packages. There was a twump on the seat they were just sitting on, and Kyoshi looked up to see an arrow poking through the seat.

“Kyoshi, whatever you do, do not leave this cart!” Rangi whispered in Kyoshi’s ear. Then she twisted around, threw her leg forward, and kicked the carriage door back open before jumping out before Kyoshi processed what was going on.

Before Kyoshi could decide if she wanted to follow Rangi’s order or not, the carriage took a hard turn and flew her to the other side away from the door. She caught a long box that landed on her stomach. The carriage kept moving side to side, flinging Kyoshi all around, until the feeling of weightlessness hit her.

She and the packages started to float and then gravity kicked in. The cart and everything inside slammed to the ground, Kyoshi becoming sandwiched between the cart and multiple packages and crates.

Kyoshi felt the carriage wobble left and right. It wasn’t going to remain upturned for long. When the carriage started to tip towards the door, she threw herself out of it, taking some of the packages with her.

Kyoshi hit the ground with a hard thump, the long package that she caught earlier falling out of her arms next to her. Not long after she hit the ground she heard a crash. Kyoshi looked up and saw the carriage a splintered mess against a boulder and a tree.

Kyoshi tried to sit up and found herself extremely dizzy. She felt something warm running down her neck and put a hand to her head. It was wet.

Not good. She thought as she pulled her hand away and saw the red on her hand.

The sound of a tree branch snapping caught Kyoshi’s attention. Her head whipped around to a treeline, hoping to see Rangi. Instead, a tall tattooed man brandishing a bagua dao sword stepped out from between the bushes.

The daofei grinned wildly when his eyes fell on Kyoshi. Dread shot through Kyoshi, not because a daofei was approaching her, but because she saw him wipe blood off of his sword.

Where’s Rangi?! She screamed in her head, trying to strain her ears for the familiar blast of fire being combusted through the air. But all she could really hear was the ringing in her head.

“Well look what we have here,” the daofei snickered as he approached Kyoshi. Kyoshi was able to get into a sitting position, but she was in no shape to stand just yet.

The man raised his sword above his head. “I’m going to have fun with you.”

Kyoshi quickly grabbed the long box that was near her, and held it above her head with both hands. The sword came down and the box stopped it with a metal clang!

“What?!” the daofei yelled. And then he proceeded to let off a series of swings at Kyoshi. Kyoshi tried her best to block each one, fairly easy since the barrage came down at similar angles. As if he was just playing with her, wanting to tire her out. But each hit was met with another metal clang, and the blade never slashed through whatever was blocking the sword.

The man stopped, breathing heavily but with a smile still on his face. Kyoshi felt her grip on the package slipping and realized he’d decimated the box completely. She tried to regain her grip on the box, but cut her hand on the object inside, causing the box to drop on her lap.

She looked down, and saw Tagaka’s iconic green jian sword. Kyoshi’s eyes widened as she realized this must’ve been what Jianzhu made Rangi drop off the day prior. He wanted it to be looked over by the expert smithies from Hongcun.

Kyoshi began to pick the sword up by its hilt as she crawled away. She was going to need more space if she was going to have a chance of standing up to fight back.

The man let her crawl away while laughing, it was obvious he didn’t see Kyoshi as a threat. She stood up and held the sword out in front of her.

The daofei’s laughter grew more boisterous as he saw her ready the sword, and slowly started walking towards her. “Aw, that’s cute. You think you can fight back?”

He quickly rushed her and swung his sword at hers. She barely had to move to block the oncoming attacks, he was hitting her sword on purpose. After a few hits, Kyoshi understood why. The vibrations of the metal hitting each other were too foreign and numbing for her as it radiated through her arms. She wasn’t going to be able to hold the sword for much longer.

“You’re holding out longer than that firebender!” the daofei jeered gleefully at Kyoshi.

Kyoshi felt a surge of fury rise through her at the mention of Rangi. She slammed her foot down to anchor herself, and pushed with the sword. “What did you do to Rangi?!”

To the man’s surprise, he started to be pushed back, but only a little. While Kyoshi had height on him, he had more muscle than her.

The daofei’s smirk became strained. “Oh the firegirl? Don’t worry, you’ll see her soon. We’re all going to have a lot of fun-argh!”

Kyoshi’s eyes felt like the sun glared right into her eyes, and a surge of strength hit her as at that instant. She threw her whole weight and strength against the man and flung him back.

She went to pursue the man, to follow up her attack, but when she put her other foot forward, her leg buckled. It was the leg she’d injured earlier.

She caught herself by stabbing the ground with Tagaka’s sword. Her legs bent into a deep stance as her arms gripped the sword for support.

The daofei picked himself back up, but instead of readying his sword, he dropped into a stance himself. “I like a girl with a little fight in her!” He thrusted his arm forward and a large boulder soared through the air at Kyoshi.

Kyoshi felt the sun’s blinding light hit her eyes again, and the surge of strength hit her once more. She took one hand off the sword’s hilt, and thrusted a palm outward. She felt a push as she made contact with her natural element, stopping the boulder midair.

“Geh?! What?!” the daofei yelled, unable to budge the earth she now controlled.

Kyoshi clenched her hand into a fist, and with the last of her strength, twisted her torso and the rest of her body downward, her fist colliding with the ground below her.

The boulder slammed into the ground with ease, and soon sank into the pit that was created by a fissure that appeared in the ground. A fissure that started at Kyoshi’s fist, and branched outward as the earth shook.

The daofei screamed in terror, and scrambled to get out of the way of the growing hole. She watched through blurred vision as the man ran off into the forest. Kyoshi wanted to find Rangi or go after the man, but she felt her body slowly sinking to the side. Exhausted.

As her vision started to waver further, she saw fur Water Tribe boots walk into the corner of her vision.

“Don’t worry, kid,” a gentle, deep voice with a thick accent spoke to her. “Everything’s going to be just fine. Rest.”

Kyoshi lost consciousness just as she was hit with intense déjà vu.

_________

A familiar brown ceiling came into view as Kyoshi opened her eyes. Déjà vu.

She felt warm, warmer than usual. Déjà vu.

But it wasn’t the air, this time it felt like it came from the weight of something on top of her. Multiple blankets. Not déjà vu.

She turned her head to find someone familiar sitting there. Déjà vu.

But it wasn’t Rangi this time. Not déjà vu.

“Kyoshi!” Kelsang cried as she turned to him. He looked like he’d aged since she last saw him. Strange….. He looked better this morning.

“W-he-” Kyoshi’s voice cracked. Dried out. Déjà vu. But she pushed through. “Where’s Rangi?”

Kelsang took a glass from nearby and helped Kyoshi drink it. Déjà vu. “She’s fine, she’s resting in her room. I’ve ordered her and Yun to stay out of here until you’ve recovered.”

Kyoshi felt her being lightened a bit, knowing Rangi was alright. Then her morale sank when she realized she couldn’t see the girl just yet.

“I’m awake now, so can I see-”

Kelsang shook his head. “No, Kyoshi. We need the healer to look you over first.”

“Why? I feel fine!” That was a lie, she felt tired. Very tired. She was fighting a war against sleep and was losing. Stupid body, stay awake. You just woke up!

“Kyoshi, you’ve been asleep for three days!” Déjà vu.

Hasn’t this happened before? What’s going on?

“Kyoshi, what happened?” Kelsang asked. He placed his hand over hers in a soothing fashion.

Kyoshi’s mouth started to speak before her murky mind caught up to her. “Our carriage was attacked by daofei? Rangi and I got separated. I was in a crash…. Then a daofei caught up to me, and we fought. I think I used a sword to defend myself at some point? And then we fought with earthbending. And I….I guess I used up too much energy?”

Kelsang pursed his lips and nodded. “Do you know who made that fissure?”

Fissure? Kyoshi wracked her brain, but nothing came up. “The two of us? I’m not sure. A lot was happening really fast.”

Kelsang nodded and smiled, then he stroked the top of her head. The sensation made her relax, but that relaxation made her slip more into sleepiness.

“I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Safe. Right, she couldn’t sleep until she saw Rangi. She needed to see with her own eyes that she was safe too. “Kelsang, please, I need to see Rangi.”

Kelsang’s smile grew a little sadder. “Kyoshi, I think even if I ran to get her right now, you’d fall back asleep before she’d arrive.”

Kyoshi shook her head, the energy it took made her eyes feel heavier. “No, I’ll stay awake. Please, go get her….”

“She’s busy at the moment, Kyoshi.”

Busy? But I thought you said she was in her room resting. Kyoshi could feel the world dizzying around her. “Bus-but….you said she was-” she slurred

“Shhhh,” Kelsang hushed. He pulled one of the blankets back over Kyoshi’s shoulders. “She’ll still be here when you wake up. Just rest for now, dear.”

The panic in Kyoshi’s being was taken alongside her consciousness, as sleep hooked its claws into both of them, and sunk them down to the dark abyss.

_______________

The people who were there when Kyoshi woke up were Auntie Mui, a Water Tribe woman, and, once again, Kelsang.

According to Kelsang, Kyoshi and Rangi were lucky that one of their visitors to the mansion had happened to be a healer. That was the reason Kyoshi didn’t have any major wounds when she woke up. He consoled her that Rangi had also gotten her own treatment as well.

The Water Tribe woman stated she couldn’t find anything wrong with Kyoshi, only that her chi had been diminished to a dangerous state the other day. Which is why she was unconscious for almost four days straight.

So Kyoshi really had just exhausted herself. Considering she wasn’t a fighter, that alone explained itself.

Kyoshi spent the rest of the day in the infirmary, attempting to grill Kelsang and Auntie Mui about what had been going on while she was asleep.

The two remained tightlipped regarding most things. And they still wouldn’t let Rangi nor Yun come in and visit her.

The only thing she got out of them was that because of the attack, they’d found out there were daofei skulking about the area much closer to home than Jianzhu was comfortable with. So he was out leading a charge to find their hideout.

Yun was training with Hei-Ran, or he was talking to the Water Tribe ambassadors that had come to visit for tips on waterbending. Kyoshi could only assume Rangi was either with Yun, or still in her room.

But now, Kyoshi had to sit in the infirmary, while she watched Kelsang and Auntie Mui play pai sho.

“Did I do something wrong?” Kyoshi asked the two elders in front of her. She couldn’t help but feel like she was on house arrest. This entire thing felt like a punishment.

“Goodness! No! Why would you think that?” Auntie Mui comforted her.

Kyoshi’s brow furrowed. If Kyoshi wasn’t the one being punished then….. “Then, did Rangi do something wrong?”

The two went silent and looked at each other. Kyoshi could feel each individual hair on her skin prickle. A foreboding sneaking up on her. One that had been in the room with her for a good while, but she was only now fully realizing its presence.

“No,” Kelsang said, resolved in his declaration. “No she didn’t, Kyoshi.”

Kyoshi’s heart began to speed out of control. Something didn’t feel right in that statement. Something had been off in the estate for a while, and she just didn’t understand it yet. She still didn’t understand it. “Then, do other people think Rangi did something wrong?”

Kelsang’s face faltered. “Well-”

“Why? What happened?!” Kyoshi made a move to jump out of the bed, but Kelsang put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back in.

“She let the daofei go,” he sighed.

Kyoshi blinked, confused. “Why?” Rangi hated daofei about as much as Kyoshi did, it didn’t make sense she would let any of them slip by her.

“To save you. She went to get help because she wanted to save you,” he said warmly, but there was some sadness in his eyes. “She chose to save a companion rather than exact revenge, or to save some meaningless cargo.”

“Not meaningless to some, unfortunately,” Auntie Mui grumbled. Auntie Mui slammed a tile down onto the pai sho board. “She saved two lives, but-” She didn’t finish her sentence, just let out a stream of grumbles as she massaged her temple.

Kyoshi’s eyes widened. Two? “The driver’s ok?”

Kelsang nodded with a warm smile. Kyoshi breathed a sigh of relief, then a wave of remorse flooded her. She had forgotten all about the man.

Kyoshi’s hands curled into fists over her blanket. “I don’t understand, why is she in trouble?” Saving a comrade, or just anyone’s life in general, shouldn’t that be rewarded? Not punished?

Kelsang sighed. “She was assigned to protect the cargo first, and hunt down enemies second. Anything else was supposed to be ranked last in her duty.”

Kyoshi’s jaw flexed. She was angry. Angry at what Rangi’s duty entailed for that mission. And angry at herself, because she had caused issues for Rangi……

If only Kyoshi knew how to fight, then today might’ve gone differently. It most certainly was a wake up call for her.

Kelsang put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “She’ll be fine. Just a little reprimand. If it makes you feel better, I’ll throw all this weight around just to make sure she gets off easy!” Kelsang stood up and swung his body side to side, making a show to grab at his stomach.

Kyoshi and Auntie Mui laughed at his antics. And Kyoshi let the gnawing sensation subside. At least, until later.

_______________________________

That night, once everyone was asleep, Auntie Mui and Kelsang helped Kyoshi back to her room. Auntie Mui made a show to tuck her into bed, and told her if she needed anything to just knock on her door.

Kyoshi went along with it, and pretended to fall asleep. She waited until they left, and she heard their footsteps disappear down the hall.

When she knew the coast was clear, her eyes flew open, and she hurried to get ready. If Rangi couldn’t come to her, then she was going to Rangi! She was going to try her own hand at sneaking to Rangi’s room.

Kyoshi flung her door open, and almost screamed as she almost barreled into someone in front of her.

Rangi took a step back in shock, her hand was raised to knock on the door. The same hand flew to Rangi’s heart as she gasped, “You scared me-”

Before Rangi could finish her sentence, Kyoshi grabbed the firebender by the tunic, and comically yanked her into the bedroom; right into a crushing hug.

Kyoshi felt Rangi’s arms flail about for a moment as she buried her face into Rangi’s soft hair. Then once Rangi regained some of her footing, she returned the hug just as fiercely. She wrapped her arms around Kyoshi and clutched at her back.

“I’ve missed you…..” Kyoshi whispered.

Rangi’s response was just one sharp intake of breath, then her body shook. Kyoshi hugged her tighter until the tremors subsided.

“Kyoshi….” Rangi began, breathless. “I keep messing things up…..”

Kyoshi shook her head. “No, you haven't.” Maybe there was more than what Kyoshi knew what was going on, but she would fight anyone who made Rangi feel like she did anything wrong.

Rangi hiccuped out a sob. “No, I mean it, I-”

Before Rangi could finish her sentence, Kyoshi dipped her head down and silenced Rangi with her lips. It was wet, and definitely the coldest kiss the two had shared yet. But it didn’t diminish any of the comfort that it gave.

Rangi returned the kiss as delicately as Kyoshi had given it, but then gently pushed Kyoshi away when she started sobbing into her lips.

“You haven’t messed anything up,” Kyoshi reassured her.

Rangi brought her forearm to her face, and tried rubbing the tears away. Her sobs were broken up with bubbles of laughter in between breaths, “I’m such a mess.”

“I don’t mind. I kind of like it,” she chuckled.

Another hiccup. “You deserve better.”

Kyoshi frowned, not that Rangi could see it. Kyoshi wasn’t sure if she even deserved Rangi. A ray of sunshine that did nothing but provide warmth and light for her. Better? How could anything be better than Rangi herself?

“I don’t think there’s anything better, cause you’re the best!” Kyoshi said enthusiastically, trying to cheer Rangi up.

Rangi let out a scoff so poignant, Kyoshi could visualize an eyeroll. “‘The best,’ what kind of best can’t even protect her own girlfriend?”

Kyoshi took one of Rangi’s hands and held it. “You can say the same about me,” Kyoshi laughed. “I was trying to make my way to you and I ended up snoozing on the forest floor.”

“You wouldn't have had to try to get to me if I wasn’t such a-” Rangi stopped herself. Kyoshi had a feeling Rangi was going to call herself a ‘failure,’ and that alone twisted Kyoshi’s heart into a knot. “Mess. If I wasn’t such a mess.”

Kyoshi raised an eyebrow. “You keep calling yourself that, why?”

“You don’t like messes,” Rangi mumbled. “You’re such a clean freak….”

“A clean freak?” Kyoshi asked with amusement.

“I like that about you. Your tidiness. It’s nice. Very orderly.” Kyoshi could hear a pout in her voice.

“Well, this clean freak still wants this mess,” Kyoshi giggled and kissed the palm of Rangi’s hand. “I still want you.”

Rangi finally pulled her face away from her arm and looked at Kyoshi. Kyoshi’s breath hitched. The tears had stopped but it left behind a sheen that made her face glow. The flush from crying painted her face with a pretty shade of pink, and it accentuated the darkness of her eyelashes. It was so unfair, having a girlfriend who was such a pretty crier.

But behind the tear stained pretty face, laid eyes that were still unsure and full of fear. Kyoshi wanted to incinerate that fear off the face of the planet.

She placed Rangi’s hand over her chest so she could feel her steady heartbeat. To let Rangi know what she was about to say was the complete and whole truth. “I don’t care. I don’t care if you’re a mess. I wouldn’t care if you went and messed up the entire world. I love you, Rangi.”

Maybe she was jumping the gun on what this new feeling was. But Kyoshi knew deep in her being, what she felt for Rangi was love. It was new. It was reckless. It was foolish. It was raw. But it was true.

Kyoshi watched as the fear and anxiety left Rangi’s eyes like dust in the wind. Then she watched as her face melted into unbridled joy. And then watched as that same face disappeared into Kyoshi’s chest as Rangi wrapped her arms around Kyoshi in a tight embrace.

“Oh, Kyoshi!”

Kyoshi laughed as she hugged Rangi back, she felt almost like air itself. “Hey, I just poured my heart out, don’t leave me hang-”

Rangi pulled away and leaned her face upwards as she caressed Kyoshi’s cheek. Then she pulled Kyoshi’s face down into a deliberate, slow kiss. A smoldering warmth slowly but surely spread out from where their lips met to the rest of their being.

“I love you, Kyoshi,” Rangi whispered into Kyoshi’s lips when she pulled away for some air.

The smolder turned into a spark and quickly became a wildfire. Kyoshi quickly used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, spurred on even more with the way Rangi tangled her fingers into Kyoshi’s hair. The temperature in the room started to rise rapidly, and with it, each kiss felt like a hot brand.

Kyoshi pushed Rangi up against the door, letting their bodies mold into one another. Kyoshi felt Rangi’s hands fumbling with the front of Kyoshi’s nemaki. Kyoshi took a step back, with one hand she helped Rangi with the obi, and the other found its way to the door’s lock. She didn’t want anyone interrupting them tonight.

______________________________

Kyoshi laid in her bed a changed person. She was certain of it. She remembered how the other maids talked and gossiped about how sex, love and intimacy could do such a thing. And now Kyoshi was certain……….

Kyoshi was certain this isn’t what they had in mind.

“Kyoshi…..” Rangi’s voice whispered, a bit frantic.

Kyoshi couldn’t move. She forgot how to move. She was feeling too many things at the moment, good and bad, euphoria and dread. So she just continued to stare at the ceiling, horrified. She could feel something gnawing at the corners of her mind, a realization she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Kyoshi!” Rangi harshly whispered, a bit louder, as she shook Kyoshi. Kyoshi laid there, limply, still afraid to move.

“Kyoshi, look at me,” Rangi pleaded, gently placing a hand on Kyoshi’s cheek and forcing Kyoshi to look away from the scandal that laid above them on her ceiling. “What-”

“Rangi, please tell me that was you,” Kyoshi whispered.

Rangi’s face relaxed, relieved to see Kyoshi wasn’t broken and could talk. Then she closed her eyes and sighed, a little exasperated. “Kyoshi, my face was down there.”

Kyoshi groaned. “Well….could it be some kind of…..special firebending technique?”

Rangi scoffed. “Like what?”

“I-I don’t know! Maybe you did something and firebended through me?”

“From down there?”

“Y-yes?”

“I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure whatever you’re thinking would’ve resulted in burnt innards.”

“But it doesn’t make sense! Y-you’re the only firebender here! Why is my ceiling scorched?!” Kyoshi cried, a little too loudly. Eyes flitted to her ceiling where a new black circle resided directly above Kyoshi’s head.

Rangi cupped Kyoshi’s cheek with her hand, and rubbed soothing circles with her thumb. “Shh, I know it doesn’t make sense…..” she trailed off. Possibly trying to figure out how to make sense of what happened herself. Apparently, she couldn’t come up with anything.

They laid there like that for a while. Kyoshi, too scared to move. Rangi, rubbing soothing motions along Kyoshi’s cheek. Finally, after gathering her thoughts, Rangi found the courage to speak again. “Kyoshi…..you…. You firebent!”

Kyoshi didn’t say anything. Kyoshi thought the thing she had to worry about coming out of her mouth most were moans, not fire! This wasn’t in any of ‘The Talks’ she had with Auntie Mui or the other maids!

“But….how?”

Rangi inhaled. “Do you…. Do you know if one of your parents were firebenders?”

Kyoshi shook her head. “No, my father was an Earthbender, and my mother was an Airbender. I’m pretty sure there’s no firebending lineage in my family.”

Rangi looked at Kyoshi, shocked. “Wait, airbender?”

Shoot. Kyoshi had slipped up. This was a wound Kyoshi didn't like to acknowledge, nor was she in the mindset to open up about it yet. Especially not right now.

“Why haven’t you ever mentioned this before?”

Kyoshi looked away, ashamed. A secret Kyoshi didn't want to share. One she was comfortable taking to the grave.

Something in Kyoshi’s expression must’ve discouraged Rangi from pressing further. “Nevermind, we can discuss that later. First we need to figure out this whole firebending fiasco.”

Rangi rolled onto her back, her arm snaked its way under Kyoshi’s neck, and urged Kyoshi to cuddle into her. Kyoshi complied, nuzzling into Rangi’s neck.

Rangi stared up at the ceiling, as if the scorch mark that she coaxed out of Kyoshi moments earlier would be able to tell her the answers. After a few moments, Rangi gasped. “Spirits above! Forget firebending. How is it you can both earth and firebend?!”

Kyoshi grew stiff. The nagging feeling that had been gnawing at her, had finally clamped its jaws down fully.

“I….I don’t know!” Kyoshi forced out.

No one in history had been able to bend more than one element…..except for one person.

“Kyoshi I think you’re-”

“Don’t say it,” Kyosh nuzzled harder into Rangi. She could feel herself leaving the ground, and needed her girlfriend to be her rock.

“But then that means…..” Rangi didn’t finish the sentence, but there was a seriousness in her voice. Kyoshi could feel Rangi’s body tense as she gripped Kyoshi tighter. More secure. Then she rubbed small soothing circles into her back, as if she could feel Kyoshi’s anxiety rippling out of her.

A lot of time passed before Rangi spoke up again.

“Come on, let’s get dressed,” Rangi said as she rolled out from under Kyoshi, and off of her bed.

Kyoshi stared at her bug eyed. “W-what? Where are we going?”

Rangi placed a hand on her chin, thoughtfully. “We’re going to…..do a little experiment.”

End Arc 1: The Poem

Interlude: Rangi’s Side

_____

A/N: Me, writing the phrase "firebending fiasco”: hey that kinda sounds like “fire sage fiasco”.......this was unintentional but I'm not gonna change it.

Y’know, it HAS been bothering me with the whole Chin thing…..esp after reading RoK. I always thought Chin was his first name, but then there’s the whole “Chin Clan”....so is it a Mario Mario type deal? Or do we not know his first name? I have so many questions u_u

………….. Oh that’s NOT what everyone wants to talk about? “Salty, was that a …fire orgasm? WHy?????” Eyyyyyyy gotta keep you on your toes! >:3c Bet you weren’t expecting this plot development/twist! jaksdfj Fiiiiiine. I thought it’d be funny. (ﾉ≧ڡ≦) (no come back I have a lot of legit serious reasons TT0TT/ but first…..)

Listen, everyone always uses “fire coming out of the mouth” for orgasms in the spicy Rangshi fics, so I decided to play it for a little dramady…… cause I have the humor of a high schooler I guess. TT0TT (in my defense, whenever I see it I tend to cackle cause I can’t really take it seriously dsiljfaklj *sobs* not to discourage from people from doing it, I get the intent and roll with it….but I also think it’s kiiiiiiinda funny)

“So why was this T before M?” Cause alluding to sex is “T” I believe, but then I needed to like…….build up to that moment….. And building up can easily cross it over into M territory (even if I didn’t feel like I was getting that graphic….at first…. u_u). Amazing how I could forget I should do such a thing! :’D Tbh the build up moments weren’t fully conceptualized until I was in the middle of writing so ummmmm yeah. 8U Oops. orz

I mean, I guess I could’ve just jumped to that scene after a “after a few weeks passed” but….that didn’t seem like it was good narrative build up….but I already committed to the twist, which mean slowly building up to that part TT0TT Which meant....~spice~ (I'm not used to writing spice TT0TT)

OK OK BUT FOR REAL FOR REAL! Other than it being kind of a humorous/unique/surprising way of finding out your the Avatar, and integrating it deeply with the Rangshi love story (which is the main focus of this fic, even more so than the other ones I’ve written imo). It was also one of the few ways I could see a reveal happening between the two without other witnesses around. So while I did all that, it was in service to the plot/characters for a reason.

*inhales*.......Ok time to see how much of a mess Rangi’s side is! ─=≡Σ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

#kyoshi fanfic #chronicles of the avatar #rise of kyoshi #rangshi #rangi #rangi sei'naka #shadow of kyoshi #kyoshi #rise of kyoshi au #kyoshi au #rangi seinaka

19 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 1 year ago

Text

My general headcanon is Rangi died early in life, aka in her 30s (which is why she's not mentioned in the other media, plus the angst is too good).

But the idea that Rangi WAS taught immortality by Kyoshi, and stayed alive because Yun/Father Glowworm were still alive in spirit form and are still fucking up the place. And Rangi (and Lao Ge) are the only people who know/can stop YunWorm from messing with reality and it's just been brainrotting in my head for the past few days and I wanted to share. (Rangi's also able to visit her GF in the spirit world. :3c cause it seems the Avatars just....hang out there? TT0TT)

#shadow of kyoshi #rangshi #rangi #rangi sei'naka #rangi seinaka #basically Yun/Glowworm spirit was freed from Yun's body when Kyoshi killed him #and they reappeared back in the spirit world #I think it works better than reincarnation or whatever #but I'm down for both #only post for today (that's not from queue) cause I'm sick ;w;#i just really wanted to share this brainrot

29 notes · View notes

swiftsaltsweet · 6 months ago

Text

Updates

Next week's chapter will be a new fic called "Yokoya Days." It's gonna be small chapters, exploring the blank period of when Yun was found and Kyoshi and Rangi's time in the mansion during those two years. Aka it's a canon compliant prequel. (this and Death of Kyoshi were two fics I wanted to begin and publish since I started Hunt and Thief...but got distracted by other stuff TT0TT).

I've actually reused some ideas for flashbacks in other fics from this one (remixed it slightly to work within the way that fic works. Ex: Rangi/Yun's first meeting in Thief and how he hits on Rangi, and an upcoming chapter in Two Knives with the Masters). Will still use those ideas here cause the scenarios will either hit different, or just have different content entirely.

Well better late than never!

Since it's canon compliant, sadly Kyoshi and Rangi can't get together. ;w; But that doesn't mean I can't explore them becoming friends, and slowly developing feelings for each other! >:3c It's suppose to be about the Yokoyan trio, plus maybe some other fun events, but ofc I'm biased and R*ngshi is taking control. Plus I feel like they have more chances to interact on the estate (both seem to be running around while Yun trains, so like...yeah, they're probs gonna run into each other more often uwu).

I dunno it just feels like a fun thing to explore (and gives me a reason to write gayby!Rangi trying her best™). And I just think it'd be fun to have a lil fic going where there's low to no stakes, and slice of life elements to it. (plus it being short will allow me to write it faster, and give me more of a weekly buffer for other fics *sob* I'm trying to dodge going on hiatus again ok??? *sob*)

Plus it'll be a little challenge, seeing as only Kyoshi can go into town during that time, and Rangi/Yun will have to leave for missions from time to time. So I'd have limited setting to work with. *sob*

No arcs, this is episodic. Most of what I have imagined is during the first year (aka when they babies are all 14).

______

As for Hunt!

Chipping away at Hunt's ch 13-15.....but I might have to split ch 14 into two parts. It's at 5000ish words right now and like.... oof.

I have the ending part done and the beginning part of the chapter started. But if it's 5000 words now and I'm not even like....through the middle part?! *sob*

I mean, who knows? Maybe I'll be quick and concise with all the stuff in the middle?

jaskfdjaf yeah mmmhmmm Ms. Rambler over here being concise? aklsjfkdla Oh oh man hahaha oh...wow. Next thing you'll know pigs will fly.

But yeah it's looking like I'll be splitting the chapter in 2. Which, hey, good news, that gives me an extra week to work with! :'D

Good news, if everything goes as planned, I know a perfect spot in the middle to end ch 14/part 1 at. So yeah, the chapters may end up looking like this now:

Ch 13: The Present

Ch 14: -Redacted- Part 1

Ch 15: -Redacted- Part 2

Ch 16: TBD title (ending arc 1)

Ch 17: TBD title (beginning arc 2)

_______________

I'm afraid this might happen to Thief's chapter too (at 7000ish words and still not done), buuuuut I'm stubborn and want to end the first chapter a certain way so jfkslajf TT0TT We're just gonna have an extra beefy chapter I guess!

Hopefully the other chapters won't be as long *sob*

I'm thinking 3 arcs for this one. Might go into 4, but I need to see how Arc 3 ends up looking like.

_______

Two Knives..... I need to edit Interlude 6 some more. Need to start on the first chapter of arc 2. All scenarios are basically done with Arc 2, I just need to write it out (and decide the order of a few of them).

The story will need to be at least 3 Arcs. But I don't really have the direction I wanna go for Arc 3 clear in my mind.

#salty talks #i'm still deciding “ch 15's” (I guess it might be 16 now?) title #i mean who really knows like there were some parts of chapters I thought would take AWHILE and #and i just got through it fast and was like 'oh ok jkflsdjaf'#don't worry arc 1 and 2 have titles too #lord help us all if I get distracted

6 notes · View notes

sillyfudgemonkeys · 8 months ago

Note

Ooo omg can you show them?🙏 No pressure tho

Sure can~! <3 I posted about it before (first and second), so I'm just going to repost those pictures again ajklfdjs TT0TT Here you go~! :3c (featuring Korra and some other stuff from my Avatar collection)

And then here's Rangi with armor based off the novel's look (rather than Generations or the RPG guide):

I know Kyoshi's skin isn't dark nor freckled. *sobs* There's not a lot of options when it comes to Nendoroids and I haven't gotten around to using the custom face shop thingy u_u (that custom face thingy is...a whole ass ordeal esp with importing so....it's on the back burner for now TT0TT)

I might say screw it and slap Korra's avatar state face on her instead, at least I don't have to worry about eye color!

#i'm not at home so reposted pictures it is!#lilrobinbird #silly asks #silly answers #that's not my complete collection of Avatar stuff (I had have stuff from my college years still back at my parents)#(and I also added more to it since this picture)#linking the prev posts more so-so y'all can see the comparison of Rangi's armor with the original artwork #the colors on the armor vs the cloth for Rangi are reversed but jdfklsajf hot damn if it isn't at least close!#i love my babies your honor #custom nendos #custom nendoroids #i don't want to think about the money spent getting some of these parts ;w;

7 notes · View notes

swiftsaltsweet · 2 months ago

Text

Yokoya Days Ch 9: Kyoshi and Rangi Get in Trouble

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi (Mostly Rangi crushing and Kyo showing signs of attraction) and also showing Kyoshi's crush on Yun (as little as I can cause I'm biased~!)

Rating: T

Summary:

Ever wonder what Kyoshi, Rangi, and Yun were like before the whole Iceberg incident? How they first met? And so on? Aka, little episodic adventures of 14/15/16 year old Yokoyan Trio.

Canon compliant, end game pairings in the actual novel u_u

Other Sites: AO3

A/N: “Kyoshi should have a cool moment” Funny you should say that my dear commenter. :3c Kyoshi should have one here and next chapter (aka the flashback chapter) uwu At least me (and Rangi) think it’s a cool moment. Kyoshi? Darn kid downplays it sadly u_u But it’s still there \uou/

Anyway made it just in time (before midnight my time) this should be the last of the Rangshi bomb day stuff uwu7 Hopefully I finally made up that week I missed fjkldasjfklj A bunch of other amazing writers and artists have also participated in the drop for Kyoshi/Rangi, please check out their work too in the #Rangshi tag! owo

_______

Everything wasn’t alright for Kyoshi. The little green menace and the little red terror would not leave her alone. It felt like they were waiting around every corner to bother her, and she just couldn’t understand why! Especially Rangi.

Kyoshi wondered if the Fire National was making it a secret game to literally hide around every corner Kyoshi walked past. She was damn good at it, and Kyoshi didn’t think her heart was going to be able to take it! Every encounter almost guaranteed a scream of terror!

Oh, and if she wasn’t hiding around a damn corner to scare Kyoshi, she’d come running at her at full speed!

Aren’t they busy? I’m busy, and they’re even more important than me! So they must be extra busy! She tried to reason with herself.

But…Rangi. Spirits, what was Kyoshi going to do? It was like their little spat never happened. In fact, she couldn’t shake the little firebender now! Every new task Kyoshi was given, was now accompanied by the little red terror herself. Kyoshi had no idea what came over the firebender and her need to escort her to every little duty she had, but she really had too much free time.

That was her life now. Day in, day out. At sunrise Rangi would be waiting for her, to damn sunset. And everything in between!

The only time she had a break, when Rangi couldn’t follow her, was when Kyoshi had to go into Yokoya for a delivery… And could you even count that as a break? Not when the locals gave her grief and she was unable to hide the evidence of their said attention. When Kyoshi would return, Rangi would be waiting there. No time to clean up, and the whole ordeal seemed to make her angrier.

But that was the least of her worries. She had more dire things to worry about. Something about her new work companion caused unrest among the rest of the staff. Maids and other servants seemed to part like an Avatar parting the sea wherever she went. Which wasn’t helping her standing in the estate at all.

She needed to separate herself from Rangi as fast as she could. Otherwise, a peaceful life in the Avatar’s Estate was unlikely.

So when Rangi showed up to escort her to her next task, Kyoshi was ready. She’d already gotten the low down from another servant where she was to go to next. So all she needed to do was make her way there before Rangi had a chance to escort her!

…Except… Rangi seemed to have a pulse on when Kyoshi seemed to finish her current task. Materializing almost instantly as soon as the last piece of trash was thrown out or clutter was put back in order. Which led to the current situation she was in now.

Kyoshi sprinting widely through the mansion, with a firebender hot on her heels.

“Why are you running?!” Rangi yelled at her.

Kyoshi took a sharp corner, narrowly avoiding a collision with another maid. “You keep chasing me!”

Rangi nimbly followed her around the corner. “Because you keep running!”

Kyoshi burst through a door and jumped over a crate in front of her. “I’m just trying to get there faster!” she lied.

“You don’t need to ru–” There was a sound, it seemed like Rangi just narrowly avoided running into someone.

“I do if I want to get there fast! Don’t mind me, I can make it on my own! You go wherever you need to be!”

The hard clomping of Rangi’s footfalls grew louder, no more silent running. No more sneaky footfalls. Kyoshi chanced a look back and blanched, Rangi was an honest to spirit, wolfbat out of hell! “Wai– Gah! Just let me escort you!”

“No!” Kyoshi yelled over her shoulder.

“N–no?!” Rangi sounded incredulous.

Kyoshi didn’t slow down. There was no need to, she could make it to her next task just fine on her own! They bobbed and weaved through the back of the compound, hopping over various building materials. But Kyoshi could just not shake her! Even one as experienced as running away as Kyoshi, both from her time with her parents and on the street, Rangi was just too persistent.

Kyoshi rounded the corner to the back entrance of the kitchen, and came to a full stop on her tiptoes, arms whirling at her side to keep balance.

A scream appeared caught in Lee’s throat as Kyoshi towered over him, he was carrying a new, freshly made cake. Decorated beautifully with various colors, it looked like it took hours to make. The duo sighed in relief as they realized Kyoshi wasn’t going to crush him and his charge. And just as Kyoshi started to lower her heels to the ground, she felt a force push her from behind.

“I got you–” Rangi’s voice echoed from behind as she rounded the corner. Kyoshi felt her grab the back of her shirt, but something something ‘law of motion’ or whatever Kelsang had taught her. Happened. Rangi’s moving body came crashing into Kyoshi’s stopped one, and propelled them both forward. Right into Lee.

Both Kyoshi and Lee closed their eyes as they accepted their fate, and crashed to the ground. Cake splattering all over Kyoshi and Lee.

“Wha–why did you stop?! You need to stop doing that–” Kyoshi looked over her shoulder to see Rangi’s face paling. She must’ve seen the cake, and knew she messed up too.

“All morning,” Lee bemoaned beneath Kyoshi. “I spent–hic–all morning on this…”

“I’m sorry, Lee…” Kyoshi mumbled, barely aware that Rangi was trying to pull them both up into a sitting position. “I–”

“WHAT IN THE BLAZES IS GOING ON HERE?!” a voice screeched above them.

Kyoshi’s eyes drifted upward to see a very, very angry Auntie Mui. Face so red that it looked like a very angry apple. Kyoshi couldn’t help but fall and shrink back, even going as far as to hide behind Rangi. She’d never seen Auntie Mui this mad, especially at her, and didn’t know how to handle it.

This is it. This is how I get fired. Kyoshi gulped and shook. Out of all the ways, this really takes the cake.

She watched as Rangi got in between them more, face paled deathly white, and she could’ve sworn she saw a bead of sweat roll down the firebender’s face. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Auntie Mui.

“You two girls are in a lot of trouble,” Auntie Mui said in a low, threatening voice.

_____

Kyoshi must’ve upset the spirits in a past life, because why else would this be happening to her?

Kyoshi, broom and mop and bucket in hand, stole a glance to her left. There she was, the little red terror, still donned in her battle armor ready for any kind of battle… Including this one.

Rangi held the same weapons Kyoshi had in her hands, and Kyoshi let her eyes drift back to the battlefield they would have to share together. The stables.

This is so unfair. Kyoshi griped in her head. I didn’t do anything wrong! It’s all because she…why do they always chase me?!

Even before the spat, she was always getting chased by those two. This was bound to happen eventually. But, really, she wasn’t at fault! If those two would leave her alone, no accidents would ever happen!

“Tch, the sky looks bad.,” Rangi grumbled, looking up at the sky, as if it was Kyoshi’s fault.

Damn Rangi, I can’t control the weather…

It was best they get started, out of all types of weather, Kyoshi hated rain the most. Especially storms. She had one distinct living nightmare that was burned deep into her soul that always came up when a really bad storm hit.

After rain it’d have to be snow– well, if she was being honest, all precipitation was a negative for her. It always made battling the hypothermia she had to endure that much harder growing up after all.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Rangi grumbled, opening the stable door. The two girls wrinkled their nose as they were hit with the smell of ostrich horse manure. “Ugh, I hate this, this is such a mess…”

“We wouldn’t be in this mess if you knew how to pump the damn breaks…” Kyoshi muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Rangi yelled. Apparently, she didn’t mutter softly enough.

“Nothing.” Or how to regulate your damn voice.

Rangi threw her cleaning materials at Kyoshi’s feet, and crossed her arms as she got into Kyoshi’s personal space.

“No, you have some thoughts, please enlighten me.”

Looks like they were fighting again. Kyoshi tried to keep her temper under control. She had a callous tongue, but she knew it’d only make matters worse if she also yelled. She stepped past Rangi, stepped over Rangi’s supplies, and moved to the back corner wall where there was a shelf. She started reorganizing the various tools and objects on the shelves. Might as well start here.

“Listen you little–” Kyoshi stopped herself before she spoke her little nickname aloud. No need to make her situation worse than she had to.

“Little, what?”

“You literally– Ugh, maybe if you didn’t chase me all the damn time, this wouldn’t have happened…”

Rangi rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Please, if you didn’t run this wouldn’t have happened.”

Kyoshi turned around and smiled through gritted teeth. “Again, if you didn’t chase me, I wouldn’t have to run!”

“But–”

“Uh-huh.” Kyoshi pointed at her with the pointed end of her broom. “Don’t even try to pin this on me, you ran at me first. Any normal person would run away at the sight of you– you–!” She grimaced at the memory of the events. “Do you know how scary you look?!”

Rangi scratched her head and growled, then mumbled something about scaring Kyoshi.

“Yeah you sure did scare me!”

“I was trying to avoid scaring you!” Rangi clarified.

“How? By scaring my own spirit out of me first?!”

“No! I– It just wasn’t my intent!”

“Well you did a piss poor job of it!” Kyoshi rubbed her temple. “So, what? Did you think running at me at full speed was the ideal play?”

Rangi was silent.

Kyoshi let out a long, painful sight. “You…”

“I thought, it would be better if you saw me coming…since you didn’t seem to like…my other methods…” She kicked the ground. “I thought I’d be more approachable if you…well…saw…my approach…”

Kyoshi looked at her flabbergasted. Did she really think Kyoshi would believe she didn’t intend to hide around every corner ready to scare her?!

No no, she…she just doesn’t make any sense. She never makes any sense. Why even bother following her logic.

“Ugh, nevermind, it doesn’t matter. What I want to know is why do you keep following me? Why do you keep bothering me? Are you trying to make my life here harder?”

“No I–” Rangi released an annoyed breath through her nose. “I’m just trying to keep people from messing with you!”

“You’re messing with me!” Kyoshi sighed.

Rangi’s mouth fell open in surprise before she clenched it tightly and glared at the ground, quietly flexing her jaw. Sharp, annoyed huffs of air escaped her nose as she puffed up.

“Fine! I’ll just leave you alone then!” she yelled, kicking the nearby wall. The kick had so much force, it left a dent in the wood, and shook the shelf violently.

Kyoshi’s eyes widened as she saw various items on the shelf start to pitch forward, right when Rangi turned away. Without thinking, Kyoshi shot her arms forward, throwing Rangi and herself against the wall, catching the falling shelf with her shoulder. Some of the items hit her head, back and shoulders as they fell down, but luckily none were that heavy to have done any real damage to her.

Something in the back of her head tickled her, feeling like something like this had happened before. Or maybe it was the barrel of hay that had fallen on her head. Nevertheless, she didn’t dwell on the feeling for long.

Slowly, she nudged the shelf back into place with the shoulder she caught it with. When she felt it was safe enough, she slowly pulled away from the wall. Kyoshi looked down at Rangi, who looked like a stunned, flattened cat. Wide eyes and a red face, she was too shocked to speak.

Without putting much thought into it (or really, thinking about the consequences0, she grabbed the firebender by the edge of her chestplate and hoisted her into the air, then in a few strides threw her out of the shed.

“You’re making a bigger mess! Stay out!” Kyoshi said as she slammed the shed door.

___

A/N: Kyoshi: Rangi scares me Also Kyoshi: -manhandles her like a misbehaving cat-

“I bet you were so damn pleased with that cake pun.” Oh I saw my opportunity and took it. uwu

I think the next chapter will be the flashback to the first meeting with Yun (oh yeah you’re still here, silly boi :3c) and Rangi \uwu/ And then I think it’ll be one more chapter that leads to a breakthrough. (unless I’m forgetting a chapter jfkdaljf) And then we’ll go to Rangi’s side of what was going on (for a bit) before continuing on with the breakthrough.

Anyway, for the next few weeks I’m gonna focus on Hunt’s last chapter of Arc 1, the (new) anniversary chapter for Thief, and at least one or two more Yokoya Day chapters before I go on hiatus. (Yokoya Days might come back sooner than the others cause I’m keeping it at a much smaller word count).

#kyoshi fanfic #chronicles of the avatar #rise of kyoshi #rangshi #rangi #rangi sei'naka #shadow of kyoshi #kyoshi #rangi seinaka #salty fics #kyoshi prequel

4 notes · View notes

swiftsaltsweet · 5 months ago

Text

The Fire Sage Fiasco Chapter 4: The Chase

Characters: Rangi and Yun (Kyoshi variant later)

Pairing: Rangshi (variation, reincarnation by a diff name :'D)

Summary:

It was just supposed to be a normal birthday for Rangi, but everything changed when the Fire Sages attacked!

(AU: What if Rangi was the Avatar?)

Other Sites: AO3

A/N: It’s been awhile~! :3c Sorry went on hiatus and the other fics got top priority. TT0TT Got a portion of this chapter done but hit a roadblock (words weren’t wording).

Was trying to either get this or Hunt done this week, it ended up being this (and even got some parts of the next 3 chapters going jfkldsajfka, inspo really hit me). Also RIP to me, this ended up being a longer chapter than I originally intended. TT0TT

_____

It had been over a week and a half since Rangi arrived at the Eastern Air Temple, and she hated it.

She wasn’t fit for the Air Nomad lifestyle. She wasn’t fit for the clothes! She was used to the multiple tight layers in the Fire Nation Army uniform. She was used to being weighed down by such layers. Layers didn’t bother her. The light, flowy and bagginess of the Air Nomad outfit, however, did.

It was nothing like the crisp and tight clothes that kept the Fire Nationals well guarded and the shapeliness of the outfits kept loose articles from easily catching fire.

The Air Nomad outfits billowed and set her on edge. Any open flame could be a danger!

Oh sure, a simple solution would be to just airbend and not firebender. But she didn’t know how to airbend yet! She tried to make due on her own, but every result ended in flame.

Not only that, but she hadn’t been able to get her mother to talk to her about her outburst after the Toy Test. Every attempt had landed her with the same stern, motherly ‘No.’

Aviva said to not worry, that it’ll come to her as they continue to train. To just be patient until her partner returned, then they could move onto more hands on airbending exercises. That didn’t stop her from attempting to learn some airbending katas while she waited.

That just infuriated Rangi even more. She was a Sei’naka! Sei’nakas don’t fail, Sei’nakas don’t wait. Sei’nakas strive, Sei’nakas perform! They face failure as stepping stones to success. Telling Rangi to wait at the step of failure might as well have been handing her a noose and pushing her off a cliff. If she couldn’t airbend, then she was nothing. She was a broken Avatar and she would continue to be nothing.

Kelsang had tried to console her.

“Airbending is all about freedom,” he had said. “It’s about letting go and being one with the universe, with the wind. Be free! Relax!”

I can’t relax, I’m the Avatar! Rangi growled in her head. And freedom? Bah! What do I know about being ‘free?’ The academy certainly didn’t teach me anything like that. Nothing but spider snakes around every corner…

She thought about the vile that Koulin and her cronies used to fling at her and her mother.

And anyone who’s ever been in the army would tell you that ‘freedom’ isn’t a thing. Her mind wandered to the intense training she went through. Everything that was drilled into her. It was suffocating, not freeing.

But she pushed through all of that, because she felt like there was something waiting for her at the end. And that was–

She gritted her teeth as a lump formed in her throat from the memory of it all. The letter that arrived, the one that said she’d get to be the Avatar’s bodyguard! It was her first taste of freedom for a long while and…it got taken from her…

She leaned her head against the chair she was in. When was the last time she’d actually felt free?

Memories of her little feet running through her family’s garden flashed in her mind. Chasing turtle ducks, catching fireflies. A man standing by a tree with a cane watching over her, dutifully, even as he slowly wasted away.

Her eyes slammed shut. No, she didn’t want to think about that. About him. What use would it do to make herself sad like that?

She put her hands to her face and rubbed at it, massaged it. Trying to push the memory away physically.

How could Rangi explore the concept of freedom, when she had been robbed of it again and again?

She put her hands down and gazed at the Avatar’s relics on her desk. She grabbed the drum and started spinning it, hoping the steady beat would calm her, and then looked out the window.

It didn’t help that her sparring partner and advisor had failed to arrive with the other Air Nomads. And with no timeframe on when they’d really be back! The only thing she could gather from the delay was that they'd made a detour somewhere.

Now everything was behind schedule! No…behind schedule even more! It just made everything all the more frustrating for the poor Fire Avatar.

Since the Toy Test, she’d try to gather info on who her two new upcoming companions are. She’d gotten a fair amount of information on Jinpa. He was a tall, bright young man. Great at Pai Sho. Fair temperament, like most Air Nomads. Nothing wrong with him. Just the perfect Air Nomad from what she could tell.

Sunya? Sunya was a beast of her own, and she must’ve been a fictional one at that! Because no one could or would give Rangi a straight answer!

The younger nuns would giggle or snicker and say that she was ‘free-spirited.’ The older nuns would click their tongues and mumble something about tradition. Rangi wasn’t sure nuns could show disdain, but how they reacted to Sunya’s name was the closest that came to it.

She tried eavesdropping on random nuns’ gossip. You’d think they wouldn’t do that because they were nuns, but some had pretty loose lips. Nothing really helpful. Gossip about a young nun crushing on a local farmer girl, something about the ‘inheritor of Yangchen’s legacy’ (probably about Rangi), gossip about Yun and Rangi’s Avatar status, and the older nuns seemed to hate ‘empty vessels.’ Rangi assumed the latter was about the pots and buckets of water she and the nuns would fetch down the mountain. Rangi thought they always had plenty of water, but she made the effort to get extra just in case.

She'd ask Kelsang if he ever heard of her too. He got uncomfortable and said he didn't really know any of the younger nuns. Something about not having visited any of temples besides the Southern one since Kuruk died.

All in all, her research didn't come up with anything useful. If Jinpa was well regarded, and Sunya was…well…if Air Nomads refused to talk about her, she must’ve not been in good standing? What was Aviva thinking?! Rangi needed a well oiled machine, not defective mismatched pieces!

She sighed angrily as she twirled the toy drum in her hand some more, and looked at the other Avatar toys again. At least she had these. They set her mind at ease when she fiddled with them. That was a blow to her ego, but whatever kept her from blowing her topknot off. She needed to stay in the mindset of an Air Nomad if she was going to get anywhere.

Rangi put the little drum down and picked up the clay turtle, turning it over in her hand and inspecting it. There was something special about this one, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was the way it called to her during the Toy Test? Or maybe it was the way Aviva’s eyes lingered on it? When Rangi asked if she could keep the toys in her room for the time being, Aviva seemed to hesitate at the idea, but conceeded in the end. And when she handed the toys over to Rangi one by one, she seemed to hesitate longer on the turtle.

What’s so special about you? Rangi thought. It just seemed like a normal toy. A normal past Avatar toy, but a toy nonetheless.

Her concentration was finally broken with a knock at her door.

“Come in!” she called out.

Aviva entered the room and bowed. “Avatar.”

When she came back up, Rangi couldn’t help but notice her eyes flicker to the toy yet again.

“Is there something wrong?” Rangi asked.

Aviva shook her head. “No, I just wanted to inform you that dinner was ready.”

Rangi sighed. Air Nomad food… It was another thing she was taking issue with. Back at the academy she was trained to accept all food…but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

She put the turtle down again and nodded. “Let’s go.”

As she approached the door, she caught Aviva’s eyes yet again flickering towards the toy.

“Is something the matter?” Rangi asked, she was getting a little suspicious of the nun now.

Aviva’s eyes instantly flickered back to Rangi. “No, let us go.”

Rangi stopped in her tracks. She wanted answers. “I’m starting to think that one of those toys may be boobytraped.”

Aviva’s eyes widened. “What on earth gave you that idea?”

“You keep looking at them,” Rangi frowned. “Well? Are they?”

Aviva’s mouth opened, and then closed. “No, nothing is wrong with them.”

Rangi’s brow furrowed. It didn’t seem like she was lying… She thought for a brief moment, she wondered why else would someone be so interested in someone else’s possessions. Desire? No, Aviva seemed too apprehensive when looking at them…

“Do you want me to return them? To…whereever you put these toys?” Rangi deduced. They were sacred objects, and she was a grown teenager, she didn’t really need the toys.

Rangi noticed the slight flex in Aviva’s jaw, clearly mulling something over.

“No,” the nun finally said. “You can keep them as long as you’d like, they are yours.”

The nun casted yet another weary glance at the turtle toy. Rangi repressed her sigh of annoyance. The nun didn’t sound like she was lying, but she was definitely hiding something. With nothing else better to do, Rangi decided to pursue this minute issue.

“Come, let us get to dinner–”

“Yes, let’s,” she bounded over to the nun and started leading the way. “Perhaps you could tell me the history of the Avatar’s relics? Let’s start with the turtle.” Since you seem so interested in it.

Rangi noticed how Aviva’s features steeled themselves before speaking again. “They have been with the Air Nomads for centuries. Some say they first originated with the second Avatar, some say it was later down the line. We suffered some great disasters over the centuries, which means we’ve also sadly lost records that would’ve helped us pinpoint their origins…”

Rangi nodded along, the second Avatar would’ve been of Air origins, so that made sense. But the nun still didn’t answer her specific question about the turtle toy…

“Regardless of when they were acquired, they’ve been with us for a long time and thus have seen their fair share of trials.”

Rangi nodded, staring straight through the nun. Any day now…

The nun coughed, feeling the full might of Rangi’s piercing gaze. “That turtle toy has…been through a lot to say the least. Even more so than the others…”

Finally! Rangi mentally threw her hands up in the air.

“They say it was Avatar Yangchen’s favorite toy.”

Avatar Yangchen was three Avatar’s before her, and the most recent Air Avatar. She was stated to be one of, if not the greatest Avatars that’d ever lived. People spoke her name in reverence to this day still. If the turtle was her favorite toy…was that why Rangi was drawn to it? Would that mean the turtle was an Avatar’s favorite in general?

“It was also stolen from us near the end of Avatar Kuruk’s time,” Aviva continued.

Rangi stopped in her tracks and looked at the Abbess. “What? What do you mean it was stolen?!”

Aviva sighed. “I fear it was my fault, I was careless. But no matter, we were able to retrieve it about a year later.”

Rangi frowned. She wasn’t expecting that. But she couldn’t help but notice how vague the Abbess was being. Before she could ask if she knew who stole it, Aviva spoke up again.

“I guess…that’s why I keep eyeing it. I’m afraid it may wander off again,” she let out a light laugh. Probably trying to set Rangi’s mind at ease.

Rangi didn’t buy it. But she held her tongue, they’d arrived at the mess hall.

_______________________________

“Your arms are soooo strong!” one young nun Rangi’s age cooed, flexing her fingers around her recipient’s bicep.

“I bet you can lift a lot!” another hummed, her hand the recipient’s other bicep.

Rangi did her best to eat her rice bowl, ignoring the flagrant peacock pigeoning next to her. This was another aspect of Rangi’s life for the past week and a half. Yun may not have been the Avatar, but he still had the charm of Avatar Kuruk. At least…according to Kelsang.

“By the spirits, it’s happening again,” she heard Kelsang whisper to himself the first dinner they spent there. The nuns were all over the boy then too.

Rangi didn’t care, whatever kept her friend occupied and out of any real trouble. Plus, it also took their attention off of her. The younger nuns seemed to have taken a liking to the both of them. Giggling as they walked past. Trying to get their attention when they walked by a window, and then giggling when they succeeded. Congregating around them as they ate…and giggling some more…

A lot of giggling really. Was this how girls usually acted? She didn't have any female friends in the Fire Nation… Or any friends…in general.

Rangi watched as one of the nuns moved her hand from Yun's bicep and trailed it over his chest.

Apparently there were bold people like this even amongst nuns. Who knew? Rang sure was learning a lot.

At least by the second day, they realized Rangi didn’t really like that kind of attention while she ate (it flustered her ok?!), and more or less backed off. Instead, they turned their attention completely to Yun, who was eating it up.

“Oh he is, do you see how many clay vases he can carry when we fetch water?” the first nun answered.

Rangi snuck a glance at her friend, who was preening so hard it made her want to puke.

“I don’t mean to toot my own tsungi horn, but yeah. I am kinda strong,” he grinned, making a show to flex his arms.

Rangi was starting to get first hand, second hand, third hand, fourth hand, basically every type of hand embarrassment from the display in front of her. She had to look away.

Across the mess hall, she watched as a nun approached Aviva. She watched as the Abbess paled several shades and a look of terror flickered across her face for a moment. Then she quickly got up in a hurry.

Rangi narrowed her eyes, wondering what could cause Aviva to respond like that. But her thoughts were cut short when she felt a finger running up and down her wrist and forearm. Rangi looked over and it was another nun her age. Apparently she was one of the last stragglers who were bold enough to still hit on the Avatar.

“I doubt he’s as strong as you are, Avatar,” she smiled sweetly. Rangi just looked at her.

Yes, Rangi preferred women to men, but she wasn’t…used to these kinds of displays. Maybe the Fire Nation was just more prude? Or perhaps it was her upbringing that left her unable to bond with people her age and it stunted her. It’d taken awhile for Yun and her to find a rhythm in their friendship, and she was aware he did all the heavy lifting when it came to that.

That…and she didn’t want to be a repeat of Kuruk. She’d heard whispers on his lecherous nature, and she wanted to be a much more upstanding Avatar. Fill with propriety and dignity. Like Yangchen or Szeto or Salai!

The nun retreated under Rangi’s gaze with a pout.

“Sigh, I’ll admit…Rangi is stronger than I,” Yun gave a forlorn pout, but then sneakily flashed a mischievous grin at Rangi. “You two should feel her arms–”

“I think I’m finished with my meal,” Rangi announced, getting up quickly before anyone pounced on Yun’s idea. She wasn’t about to be pulled into Yun’s games.

She quickly returned her tray to the designated spot and left the mess hall. Not really planning on where she was going. Maybe just wander around the establishment? Regardless, she didn’t stop even when she heard the familiar pounding footsteps.

“Hey wait up!” Yun called out. Rangi kept her pace, she knew he could catch up easily. “Aw, don’t be pouty! I’m just trying to help you out!”

Rangi had no idea what he meant by that. “I don’t need help.”

“Sure you do! You have that angry face all the time! No girl is going to want to approach you if you keep that up!”

Rangi glared at him as she felt her face heat up. “I am trying to be the Avatar, not chase girls! And can you please avoid hitting on the nuns too much? I don't want them to think we're lecherous…or lack class or get mad or–” Or have them realize she may be a loser when it comes to flirting, or talking casually with people in general…but she didn't want to admit that out loud.

Yun smacked her on the back. “See that’s what I’m talking about! You look like you’re ready to murder someone! Live a little! Soon you’ll be in the Earth Kingdom learning earthbending and your dating pool is going to shrink to zero!”

Rangi flexed her jaw. She didn’t want to think about other nation’s archaic issues with same sex relations. She had more important things to worry about. Like airbending…or bending any other element than fire! She’d tried water and earth but couldn’t make a single droplet or pebble move. And spirits help her if she actually made contact with her past lives on one of her multiple meditation sessions. At this point, she was wondering if the Fire Sages made a mistake.

“I have bigger things to worry about,” she snapped. She had no time for his antics, not when she had all this pressure thrusted upon her.

“That bad, huh?” he said, more serious now.

Rangi flexed her jaw a few times. If anyone would know what she was going through, it’d be Yun. He’d understand the pressure. The inability to bend the other elements, the inability to contact his past lives. Though he had the excuse of not actually being the Avatar, it didn’t mean he didn’t feel the same pressure when he was under the belief he was. The pressure to catch up…

“Was it like this for you too?” she asked, softly.

“Yeah.”

“What’s it like being an earthbender?” When it came to the four elements, fire was the odd one out in at least one regard. Fire came from within, but all the other elements manipulated their element from the outside. Air and earth were usually considered opposites, but right now…Rangi felt like she was the opposite of every element. She needed all the help she could get.

“Isn’t it a little early for that?”

Rangi sighed, defeated. “There’s similarities between earth and air, I thought maybe some insight could help with my airbending?”

He was silent for a moment, as he thought. “Safe?”

“Safe?”

“Well, except for the ocean, we have easy access to our element. I mean, you firebenders and airbenders do too,” he laughed. “But there’s just…something about walking on your element. That stability. It’s comforting.

“They say earthbenders look at the ground a lot, and waterbenders usually eye sources of liquid they can snag. To be honest, at least for earthbending, if you’re good enough you don’t need to look. You can just feel it.

“Maybe that’s what you need to do? Open your senses up to the elements around you?”

“How do I do that?” Again, it wasn’t exactly the first thing a firebender did.

Yun shrugged. “What? You firebenders never had an exercise where you felt another person’s fire?”

Rangi stopped in her tracks. Yes, firebenders did have exercises like that. Maybe she didn’t notice before because she was always surrounded by firebenders and heat? She could redirect flame like how waterbenders could redirect water, she learnt it from her mother. It wasn’t a common technique, so perhaps her mother got the idea when she traveled with Avatar Kuruk?

She rubbed at her face, her thoughts were spiralling into too many branching topics again. Nevertheless, it was a start. She’d practice feeling for outside sources of heat and flame, and then she’d try doing the same with air later. Or now…she could multitask.

“Yeah, we do…thanks, I forgot about it.” Her brain had been filled to the brim trying to learn all the new things she needed to be a proper Avatar. She was missing things that should’ve been obvious to her. This whole ordeal was a mess.

“Glad I could help!” Yun grinned at her. “And, who knows? Maybe this is all a misunderstanding and the Fire Sages got it wrong! Then you won’t have this load on your back anymore.”

Rangi grimaced. Yes, she didn’t like the position she was in but… “Then who would be the Avatar?”

The world lacking the Avatar was probably a worse fate than Rangi being the Avatar.

Yun shrugged. “Who knows, it wouldn’t be our problem though. Well, I guess we could still help them out. As support.”

They kept walking around in silence, over all the winding bridges.

Rangi was taking deep breaths, trying to remember her old lessons on feeling heat. She could feel the heat rolling off of Yun, and the lesser heat of some nuns that walked past. And the temperature of a nearby black rock that laid in the sun.

A gust of wind rolled by, and buoyed by her little self taught lesson, she tried to control it. But the wind kept flowing in its predetermined direction, not bothered by anything Rangi did.

Rangi sighed.

“So what’s the worst thing about this place?” Yun asked out of nowhere. “For you that is.”

Rangi looked at him.

“I don’t mean this place is bad, just, like what’s not clicking with you? For me it’s the bathing!” he shivered.

“I don’t really have a problem with the bathing arrangements around here.”

“Yeah cause you get to bathe by yourself!” Yun gripped. Rangi bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t think about that, the Avatar had their own private quarters, so everyone else must’ve had to bathe communally. “Plus the water’s always cold!”

That explains the shivering. Rangi thought.

“I don’t mind that aspect.”

“Yeah, cause you can probably just warm yourself up!”

Rangi smirked. “Yes, I can.”

“That’s cheating! You don’t know real suffering!”

“Well, what did you do for bathing before Master Kelsang and Master Jianzhu found you?” Rangi asked with a raised eyebrow, thinking she’d checkmate him. He must’ve bathed in cold water before.

Yun waved her off. “Where I’m from, water was used for drinking only. It’d be a waste to bathe in. Plus catching a cold was a death sentence, why would I risk that?”

Rangi blanched. “You never bathed until you got to the mansion?”

Yun gave her a sly look. “Nope!”

Rangi’s disgust quickly melded into pity, and then finally, annoyance and disgust in herself. Yun never spoke about his origins. Partially because she never asked, and partially because he never brought it himself. She only knew he came from ‘humble origins’ as Jianzhu put it, but it was apparent it was more dire than that.

She’d used the excuse that it was not her place to ask the Avatar questions, she covered up her own apathy with the sense of duty. She didn’t have that excuse anymore.

“If you want to talk about it–”

“No, I’m good.” He didn’t seem interested in talking about his past either.

Rangi worried the inside of her cheek. Was it because she waited too long to take an interest in him? Or because he really wanted to keep his privacy?

Another thing to worry about. Maybe the nuns had books on how to interact with people?

Yun started to prattle on about Pai Sho, apparently sensing her discomfort and wanting to change the topic for the both of them. She could learn a lot from him. How was he such a natural at this type of thing?

“I personally like to put the White Lotus tile on–” Yun was cut off by a crash, followed by a few screams of several nuns.

Rangi and Yun instantly ran towards the noise. She was on high alert, read for a fight if need be. Perhaps they were being attacked? Was it because she was there? Had her presence endangered these peaceful people?!

They rounded a corner and found a group of nuns surrounding various broken pots of different items, all contents now spilled to the ground. They were looking up at a higher elevation.

“Why you little–!” One of the older nuns started to scream.

Rangi followed their gaze and saw a boy. He donned an outfit similar to the Si Wong tribesmen. Was he an invader? Or maybe he’d been taken in as a refugee and was turning against the Air Nomads? No matter, Rangi needed to deal with him.

“Get down here! You can’t–” Another nun started to yell. The boy twirled his arm for a moment, and then snapped it forward. Something hit the ground to the side and behind the nun, and a cut formed and a trickle of blood fell down her cheek.

“He’s going to kill someone!” a younger nun gasped.

“Hey! You stop that!” Rangi bellowed, charging in the boy’s direction. The boy’s eyes fell on her, and then started running.

“Rangi! Hang on!” Yun yelled beside her. He grabbed the back of her robes and stomped his foot. A pillar shot up under them, and they were soaring into the air where the boy was just at. Rangi used her firebending to right themselves and landed safely on the bridge structure. Then they gave chase.

“What was that he threw?” Rangi asked, sprinting down the long path.

“A rock, I think!” Yun replied.

“Did you move it? So it wouldn’t hurt her too badly?”

“No, I could tell by the trajectory it’d miss and that it was being manipulated even in the air. I think he’s an earthbender, no way he would’ve been able to make it so it nearly missed.”

“He earthbent it?! But he was so far away!”

A dangerous grin spread across Yun’s face. “Yeah, I’m surprised too. This guy seems talented, I hope we catch him, I really want to see what he’s made of.”

They turned a corner and saw the boy running towards a garden. They were catching up. As they turned to continue their pursuit, they heard a loud gust of wind and saw a plume of dust cycloning in the distance near the nuns’ sleeping quarters. They stopped and gazed at the sight. Was the temple being invaded?!

Rangi quickly turned to look at the boy they were pursuing, he’d also stopped to look at the dust in the distance. Then his eyes snapped back and widened when he and Rangi made eye contact, and started fleeing again.

Rangi and Yun shot after him, but as they passed the garden, the boy would fling his arm back and haphazardly throw rocks from the garden at them. Yun easily caught each element, ready to fling it right back.

As they ran, the two earthbenders engaged in a strange game of earthbending catch. Only using rocks that existed above the ground to use as ammunition, but never the stone structures. In fact, the boy even went as far as to catch some of the missed rocks Yun had thrown, right before they damaged nearby buildings. Rangi couldn’t help but feel as if the boy was protecting the place as he ran. Wasn’t he an intruder? This wasn’t adding up.

At some point, they entered through the side of a temple into a chamber with a large statue (a nun in lotus position, meditating). Rangi quickly let loose some flame on the stone ground to disturbed the boy’s footing. The boy jumped in surprise, and Yun quickly used his opportunity to knock the boy completely off balance while in the air with some earth.

Rangi quickly launched herself at the boy when he hit the ground, and got on top of him and put him into a scarf hold.

“Who are you? Why did you attack those nuns?!”

“Ah buzz off! You don’t know a damn thing!” he yelled, flailing around.

Then he looked at her and his face went completely red. Rangi assessed him, he looked about two years her junior, so only fourteen? He had wraps around his body, namely the litham on his head and the sarashi on his arms and legs. He had slightly darker skin than most Earth Kingdom Citizens, light green eyes and… Sandy? Yes, sandy colored hair. That was new. Besides the hair color, he was definitely someone of Si Wong origin. So him being an earthbender tracked. So why was he here at an Air Temple?

The boy’s face was getting redder, and Rangi wondered if she had her hold too tight. It didn’t seem like it, he could obviously breathe and speak.

“I’m going to ask you again, why did you attack those nuns? Why are you attacking this establishment?”

“Attacking this– I’m not attacking this place!” He was looking away now, face growing redder and struggling even more in Rangi’s hold. He was obviously guilty.

“Are you with those people who caused that cloud of dust earlier? The ones that attacked the sleeping quarters? Who are you working with?” Yun followed up.

“Wha– No! No one’s being attacked you dinguses! Except for me!” the boy whined.

“You attacked those nuns!” Rangi shouted.

“I retaliated justly!” he shot back.

“What about the dust cloud?!” Yun fired.

“That’s normal! You’d know it if you lived here, but you’re just a buncha tourist!”

Rangi’s eyes widened. Why did he sound like he lived here? He’s an earthbender! “Wha–what do you mean tourist? Don’t tell me you live here!”

“You bet I do, Gorgeous! You’re the one trespassing! Who the hell are you two anyway? You aren’t Air Nomads!”

“Neither are you!” Rangi countered.

“I’m special!” the boy whined.

Rangi was about to dig for more info when the main door to the chamber blew open. Aviva walked in, her outfit dirtied with dust. “What in the spirits is going on in here?! In Yangchen’s temple no less?!”

Aviva was quickly followed in by Master Kelsang, Rangi’s mother, and a young monk, all looking equally shocked.

Rangi looked back at the large statue, looking at it closely…it must’ve been Avatar Yangchen’s statue. Great, Rangi showing her ass in front of one of her predecessors. It just kept getting better and better.

“H–he was attacking the nuns!” Rangi defended. “We were just trying to catch him!”

“No I wasn’t!”

Rangi flexed and the boy made a choking sound. “Don’t you lie! You broke their vases and then cut one of them with those rocks of yours!”

“They deserved it!” the boy choked out with little breath, and Rangi eased up so he could breathe again.

“Lek!” Aviva looked at him, horrified.

“But they were badm–”

“I won’t hear any excuses!”

The boy, apparently named Lek, kept quiet. A sullen expression wavering on his face. Rangi let the boy go and detangled herself from him. He quickly scooted away from her.

Aviva put a hand to her temple and massaged. “I–oh spirits. This is a mess.”

“What about the nuns’ sleeping quarters? It looked like it was being attacked!” Rangi asked, still sitting on the ground in front of the statue.

“Attack? Oh, no it’s… That wasn’t… It’s a slight misunderstanding.” Aviva’s eyes drifted to the floor as she shook her head. Rangi wondered how the nun was standing upright. She looked like she lost the will to live.

Misunderstanding?! Rangi was getting fed up. She needed straight answers. She’d been blindsided way too many times the past month.

She was about to voice her grievances when there was a crashing sound from above. Something coming through one of the high up chamber windows. Just as Rangi was about to look up, a giant mass of robes fell in front of her with a soft thud.

Rangi’s mouth hung open at an awkward angle as the mass started to move. Then in a flash, quickly sat up, whoever it was they were tall, as they towered over Rangi even as they both sat on the ground.

“Ah! Wait, the lights! Who turned out the lights?!” a voice of a girl came from the giant cloaked figure, her head turning back and forth under her airbending cape that was flung over her head. “Oh! It’s not the lights, it’s my cape!”

She twirled her hands and the cape flew back, and Rangi’s heart stopped. Before her was an oddly dressed nun about Rangi’s age. She had dark auburn hair, copper skin and a long, foxish face with sharp cheekbones. She had dark freckles that were generously peppered across her face. And she was the most beautiful girl Rangi had ever seen.

The girl was dressed similar to the other nuns, but she’d made modifications to her outfit. She wore sarashis on her shins, forearms, and hands (even covering her fingers), similar to someone from the Si Wong tribe. She also had a headband version of a litham wrapped around her head, lacing between gaps of her shoulder length hair. It covered most of her airbending tattoo on her forehead as well. And unlike the other nuns, it didn’t look like this nun shaved her bangs.

All in all, she didn’t really look like an Air Nomad at first glance, but when she opened her eyes, the color of the sky on a cloudy day, it was apparent which nation she belonged to.

She smiled broadly at Rangi, and Rangi felt her stomach flipping like a floundering fish. She was pretty sure her face was the color of the Fire Nation’s hottest volcano. It felt like it too.

“Sorry about that! Need to work on my landing, was a little eager to get here,” she scratched the back of her head bashfully. “I heard the Avatar was here, can you point me to where they are?”

Rangi gulped and just lifted a hand to point at herself. She didn’t trust her voice.

“Wait! Are you the Avatar?!” the larger girl asked, now crawling towards her.

Rangi attempted to get away, crawling backwards until her back hit Yangchen’s statue. Still, the strangely dressed nun kept inching closer to her.

“Y–yes?” she squeaked out, a bit undignified. Spirits help her, it’s not her fault someone so attractive was so close to her!

The nun took her bandaged hands and picked up one of Rangi’s and held it. Rangi could feel steam coming out of her ears.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Rangi nodded, not trusting her voice any further.

“Can I have my toy back?” she asked with sparkling eyes.

_____

A/N: Ngl I felt like I was getting more of a feel for Rangi’s character in this chapter. I feel like she was more fleshed out between this and the next chapter. I think it’s because she’s allowed to do things now, and before she was just….shell shock reacting to everything. Now I think she’s processing it and is back on the offensive. TT0TT

(Lek and his crush on Rangi will never not amuse me jdksajdfa gotta squeeze it in when I can jdfdksafj)

Also the whole flirting thing is a reference to Kuruk flirty with the girlies from the Escape The Spirit World game (I think that’s the name). uwu

#rangi seinaka #kyoshi #rise of kyoshi au #kyoshi au #kyoshi fanfic #chronicles of the avatar #rise of kyoshi #rangshi #rangi #rangi sei'naka #shadow of kyoshi #avatar kyoshi

5 notes · View notes