There was a slight gasp from across the room, and the bald man was punched in the face by the thirteen-year-old girl, who then immediately fell back, staring at her fist.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I have no idea why I just did that!”

“… what the hell?” exclaimed Kody, still holding a ball of water in his hands.

The dark-haired teen laughed and closed his lighter.  “I bet I know why,” he said quietly, and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Avatar Aang, I presume.”

The bald man rubbed his jaw, and laughed a little. “It’s all right.” He hugged the girl. “Don’t worry about it.” To Yí Xīn, he said, “Yes, that’s right,” and grinned a little.  He then turned to Kody. “Put it down, would you? I need to talk to you.”

“But do I need to talk to you?” he said, not dispersing the ball. 

Behind him, Shí came around, guns in both hands and trained on Aang.  “What do you want with us, Avatar?” she spat.  Despite the trembling in her body, her guns did not waver.

Aang sighed. “I guess I’ll just get straight to the point, then. I need you to kill me. Or, well, the current Avatar.”

The dark-haired teen stared.  “Wow, you don’t want much, do you?”

The orb of water splashed to the ground. “You have got to be fucking with us,” Kody said evenly.

Ying, for her part, was utterly shocked by Aang’s pronouncement, stunned into silence.

“That’s a hell of a lot easier said than done.  Why?” demanded Shí.

“I don’t believe this. I don’t fucking believe this!” Kimiko started. And then, unlike the others, she kept going. “First, I black out in Omashu and wake up with a pair of swords, hardly able to walk straight.  I don’t know how to use one sword, let alone two! I’d never even seen a real sword until then! Then, my ancestor and apparent preincarnation invades my friend’s dreams, and tells him ‘Oh, you have to take her here, so I can talk to her,’ without telling us why, oh, no, that would be too easy! A-and then, when I finally get here, I get dragged into the spirit world and told destiny doesn’t matter, and I can make it up myself, which makes absolutely no fucking sense, and the worst part is, the person who’s been held up to me my entire fucking life as the ideal, who I should emulate in every way, is telling me this! Then you show up, and I don’t even know who you are, but I slug you, and then you tell me it’s okay and fucking hug me, which is a little creepy! I’m thirteen! Grown men I don’t know shouldn’t be hugging me!  And then you tell me I have to ‘kill the Avatar,’ like that’s simple or right when, for some bizarre reason, I sort of remember what happened last time someone told me to do that, and it wasn’t even me, and it sure as hell wasn’t pleasant! So, fuck you and fuck your quest. I want to go home, I want things to be normal again, the way they were before Mom died.  LEAVE ME ALONE!” And, with that, she fled the room in tears.

“Kimiko!” yelled the teenager.  He ran out after her.

All and sundry were utterly poleaxed by the sudden outburst, prior arguments forgotten. It was Kody who broke the silence.

“So how long d’you think she’d been holding that one in?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” announced Shí.  “I don’t truck with spirits.  I’m leaving.”

“For once, I agree with soldier-girl,” said Kody. “Cueball McArrowhead can shove it.”

“Okay… maybe just coming out and saying what I wanted wasn’t the best option,” Aang said, rubbing his temples. “Look, you five are uniquely suited to this task.  You might be the only ones who can do it. Do you really want more people to die?”

“Lots of people die all the time,” said Kody. “What’s that got to do with me?

“And in case you didn’t notice?  Two of us are gone now,” added Shí.

“If you don’t, he’ll tear the world apart, trying to save it,” Aang said. “And I know those two are gone, but I can’t leave this room, so I can’t exactly go after them.”

“Well, I’m not going to go get them,” Shí snapped at him.

“I’m not killing anyone,” Yĭng said flatly. “I’ll do everything within my power to stop the Avatar, but I won’t kill him. Killing is wrong, and if I were to do so, it would make me no better than he is.”

At this, Kody actually snorted. “Can you really be that naive?” he said. “‘No better than he is’… you read too many damn comic books.”

Yĭng glared at him. “Violence begets violence. I will not be part of the cycle. And,” she said, turning to Aang, “before you tout your own accomplishment in ending Sozin’s War, let me remind you that ten years later, the Fire Nation was again at war, with itself. I will do anything else. I will lay down my life, I will bend and break every other moral rule I have set for myself to stop that maniac from slaughtering innocent people. But I will not kill.”

Then she spun back to Kody, still glaring. “Why don’t you go bring them back?” she told the waterbender, coolly. “It would be rude to not at least hear the man—ghost—whatever out.”

Kody heaved yet another deep sigh and buried his face in his hands. “And you really believe all that crap you spout. Gods save us from idealists.”

“Just go,” said Shí, “and spare us your whinging.”

Yĭng folded her arms and kept glaring at the waterbender until he complied.

Feeling the collective glares on him, he groaned. “Fine. I’ll go drag the sideshow back. Don’t blame me if they complain.” Without waiting for a reply, he stomped off.

Aang, for his part, slumped to the ground, sitting cross-legged. “This was so much easier in my head.”

 

“Kimiko!” yelled YÍ Xīn again, running after her.  “Kimiko!”  He caught up at last, catching her by the shoulder.

“Leave me alone,” she snapped, pulling away, angry tears still running down her face.

“No,” he said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder again.  “Kimi, look at me.”

She shook her head, and stared at the ground, shaking, hands clenched into fists. “This is it, isn’t it. My destiny.” She spat the word. “I’m going to spend every lifetime I ever get born into chasing the Avatar.”

Yí Xīn gently enveloped her in a protective hug.  “No, kid, that’s not it at all,” he said softly.  “Remember, you have a choice.  You don’t have to do this.  Baldy’s got no right to put this on you.”

She pulled away, shaking her head. “I’m Zuko’s heir, remember? The White Princess. Nobody knows ‘destiny’ better than me.”

“Kimiko…”

It was at that point that Kody cleared his throat loudly.

Yí Xīn whirled, pulling his lighter out and flipping it open once more.  “Go.  Away,” he snarled.

“You were sent to bring us back?” was all Kimiko said, her voice still a little uneven from rage and tears.

The waterbender’s hands shot up defensively. “Okay, listen, hothead, you don’t like me and I like you even less that you like me. But Little Miss Optimist insists that we hear Cueball out, and she’s paying me.  So come in and listen and afterwards you can all go take a long walk off a short bridge for all I care. Now, are you going to come or am I going to drag you?”

“We’ll come,” the girl said, quietly. “Or at least I will.”

Yí Xīn glanced at her.  “Where you go, I go.”  He glared at the waterbender.  “And don’t call me ‘hothead’.”

“Lead the way.”

“Would you prefer ‘flamer’?” said Kody, turning on his heel and walking back.

Yí Xīn snarled something impolite at his back as he followed with Kimiko.

When they got back, Aang looked up, and heaved a sigh of relief. “Hi, guys. Look, I’m sorry I just laid that on you so suddenly. I shouldn’t have.”

Kody stared at the spirit for a moment. “So apparently the powers that be aren’t too picky about who gets the whole avatar deal, huh?” he said.

“You wanna tell us what makes us so special?” Shí demanded.

“Yeah. Um, well, there’s two different systems of elements. There are the four elements, earth, air, water, and fire, and then there are the five elements, earth, water, fire, metal, and wood.  Teachings about the five elements had mostly faded by the time I came around, but, for some reason, you each represent one of the five elements.  The Avatar is the peak of the four. If the five combine themselves against him, they might be able to take him down.”

“…you made that up,” Yí Xīn said.

“No, he didn’t,” Yĭng replied.

“So let me get this straight,” said Kody. “We five were brought here by seeming coincidence to fulfil some destiny to save the world from the evil Avatar?”

“Actually, it really was a coincidence,” Aang said.

Kimiko snorted, but didn’t say anything. Whatever her ancestor had told her the night before, she was convinced that destiny and some sadistic team of deities had conspired to bring her here.

“Oh, why didn’t you say so?” Kody replied, plastering on a big fake smile. “Sign me up!”

“How the hell do we represent the five?” Shí wanted to know.  “Just because my last name means ‘metal’ doesn’t mean that—”

“…uh, actually?” Yí Xīn said slowly.  “My last name means ‘fire’.”

“Mine means ‘earth,’“ Yĭng added.

“‘Wood,’“ Kimiko muttered.

Kody muttered something under his breath. There were a lot of profanities in there, but the word “water” had snuck in somewhere.

“So, basically,” Kimiko said, “we have to do this.”

“Wonderful,” snapped the soldier.  “Do we at least get an instruction manual?  Hints?  Weapons, maybe?”

“Fuck that,” said Kody. “I’m done hearing you out. Forget about my money, I’m out of here.” With those words, he turned and made for the way out.

Aang made a quick motion, and the doors slammed shut and sealed themselves.

“Hey!” yelped Shí, scrambling away from him.  She tripped when her bad leg caught and landed on her rump with a cry of pain, her wound torn open anew.

Yĭng let out a cry of dismay and went to the soldier. “Are you all right?”

“Fine!” she snarled.  “I’m perfectly fine!”

The Senator’s daughter backed away a bit, biting her lower lip, but accepting the older woman’s decision.

Kody simply stared at the door, as if trying to shatter them by sheer force of will. “So that’s it, then,” he said calmly. “We don’t have a choice.”

“That’s—” Aang sighed. “Look, is it too much to ask that you guys just discuss this, before rejecting the idea out of hand?”

“Of course not,” said Yí Xīn bitterly.  “We’re destined.  Oh, wait — no, we aren’t.  We’re just the best the spirit world can scrape up.”

“We have to do this,” Kimiko added quietly. “It’s our destiny. And, more importantly, it’s our duty.” She turned back to Aang. “I’m sorry for my outburst earlier.”

She bowed to him, hands positioned the old-fashioned way, open palm above fist.

Now Aang looked upset. “You guys can decide not to do this if you really don’t want to. But you’re our best hope for stopping my reincarnation before he destroys the world. I’m not telling you to do this. I’m asking you.”

“You have a funny way of asking,” snapped Shí.

Aang sighed again. “I’m asking you to take on my successor. I’m telling you to seriously consider and discuss it before deciding not to.  Will you do at least that much?”

“Depends,” replied Yí Xīn.  “How much will you tell us about this… quest?  You say we have to combine, how in the world do we do that?  Do we have to go it alone, or what?”

“Well, you can get help along the way, obviously. But, when push comes to shove, it’ll be you five. Oh, and you’ll have your spirit animal guides, too, of course,” the bald man replied.

“Oh, of course,” said Kody, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Mustn’t forget that.”

“Spirit animal guides,” said Shí.  “And how, precisely, do we get these guides?”

Aang waved his hand again, and five necklaces appeared. “When you get to the right place, you’ll rendezvous with your guide, and he or she will take up residence in your pendant.”

“Oh look,” quipped Yí Xīn before Kody could.  “We get accessories.  Do we get transformations too, or is that too sentai?”

The bald man laughed. “No, no transformations. Not usually. Weird things happen with spirit guides sometimes.”

“Yeah, thanks, don’t want any,” said Kody, dropping the chain that had materialized in his hand. “Find another coincidence. I want no part of this.”  He turned back toward the door and opened a flask, intent on opening it forcefully.

“It won’t open,” Aang said. “Not while I want it to stay shut.”

“How certain are you of that?”

“Very certain,” Aang said. “Go ahead and try to open it, if you want.”

Kody growled a bit… and corked the flask.  “This doesn’t mean I’ve agreed.”

“I know,” Aang said. “All I want is for you to seriously consider it. Will you just do that much?”

“Will it get us out of here any faster if we say yes?” asked Shí.

Aang nodded. “I’ll leave as soon as I get you all to agree to seriously consider what I’ve asked.”

“Fine.  I’ll think about it,” said Yí Xīn.  Ying nodded, as did Kimiko. 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” said Kody. “But fine, whatever shuts you up.”

“All right, then. It was really nice meeting you all,” Aang said, and vanished.

“…So.  What do we do now?” asked Shí.

“I’m doing this,” Kimiko said. “Whether or not you guys stay involved is up to you.” She picked up her necklace. “Destiny and duty,” she whispered, then clutched it, almost convulsively, and put it around her neck.

“Where you go, I go, Kimi,” said Yí Xīn, putting his own necklace on.

“I’m still not killing anyone,” Yĭng said, flatly. “But Kimiko’s right. It’s our duty to stop him.” She slid her own necklace on over her head.

Shí frowned at her own necklace.  “Hey, if it’ll take that bastard out, I’m all for it,” she said, and put it on.

All gazes immediately fell of Kody, who scoffed. “I’m sure it’ll be a jolly good time, really,” he said, “but you can all take your destiny and your duty and stick it where the sun shines not. Find some other idiot.”

He began to storm out when Yĭng blocked his way.

“Everyone who’s surprised, please raise a hand,” Yí Xīn said dryly.

“Please, Kody,” Yĭng said, quietly, ignoring Yí Xīn. “We need you.” She laughed a little. “I’ll even keep paying you, keep you on as my bodyguard, if that’s the only thing that’ll get you to come.”

“Look,” he said, trying to choke back the rage, “You’ve been… tolerable, but you don’t want me. I’m not a save-the-world type. I’m sorry.”

She took a deep, shaky breath, fighting back tears. “Please.”

Kody’s eyes met hers, and silence filled the rooms. “Aw, dammit,” he muttered. “Please don’t cry— you’re crying. Godsdammit.” A pained expression spread over his face.  “Oh, fine,” he snapped. “If only so you’ll stop guilt-tripping me. And I still expect to be compensated when this mess blows over!”

Smirking where Kody couldn’t see, Shí twirled her pinkie; Yí Xīn stifled a snort.

“Thank you!” Yĭng said, delighted, and spontaneously hugged him. “Thank you so much, there’s no way we’d be able to do this without you.”

“Gah! No hugging! No damned hugging!” He struggled in her grip for a moment before pushing her away.

“So that’s decided,” Yí Xīn said.  “So… now what?”

“I don’t know,” Kimiko said.

“Well, first we need to find our spirit animal guides,” Yĭng suggested.

“Great. Wonderful.  Did Avatar Aang,” and there was scorn in her voice when she spoke his name, “happen to leave us directions?  Or do we just wander the world until the current Avatar finds out about us and comes after us directly?”

“Well, let’s think,” Yĭng said. “Where might one find a spirit animal for each of the five elements?”

“Don’t look at me,” said Kody.  “The only place I ever found animals was my grocer’s freezer.”

“Yours would probably be at the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole,” Yĭng replied, matter-of-factly. “Most spiritual place in the ancient Water Tribe holdings.”

“Never been,” he shrugged. “Parents buggered off long before I came along.”

Yí Xīn shrugged.  “And I’m somewhere in the Republic of Fire, obviously.”

“Okay. And… Kimiko, yours is probably in the Foggy Swamp, that’s the most woody special place I can think of,” Yĭng said, biting her lip again. “Mine is… I don’t know. Ba Sing Se or Omashu, maybe?”

“Looks like I’m the odd man out,” said Shí.  “Metal.  Psh.”

“What about something connected to the Bei Fong family?” Kimiko suggested. “Toph Bei Fong was the first Metalbender, wasn’t she?”

“The only Metalbender,” added Kody.  Once again, every gaze was on him. “Don’t look so shocked,” he snapped, rolling his eyes. “I do read.”

“Good for you.  Can you do maths as well?” Yí Xīn asked mildly.

“Of course. Two plus two equals shut the fuck up.”

“Can we not try to piss one another off, for once?” Yĭng snapped.

“I’m with the diplomat,” said Shí.  “We should get moving, too.”

“Whose amulet do we get first?” Kimiko asked.

“Closest one,” said Shí immediately.

“Furthest,” Yí Xīn said at the same time.

“… Okay, whose is closest, and whose is furthest?” Yĭng asked.

“I can’t believe we’re on an actual fetch quest,” said Kody, mainly to himself. “I knew I should have played more video games growing up.”

“North Pole is closest,” Shí replied.  “Republic of Fire is furthest.”

“I’d prefer to… not go to the Republic, not just yet, if it’s all right,” Yĭng said, a little worried. “I’d really rather not tempt… well, never mind. I vote North Pole, then…  swamp, then Bei Fong estates, then Ba Sing Se, then Republic.”

“Makes sense to me,” said Shí.  “That’ll be the fastest way, since we don’t have a flying bison.”

“Man, I don’t care if we take a detour to the moon,” said Kody. “Let’s just get this crap over with.”

 

One story above, a slender, pretty woman carefully got up off the floor and slid to a window.  Noiselessly, she hauled himself out of the temple and shimmied to the ground, where she quickly headed for the ghost town.

A shorter, lean, heavily-armed man was waiting for him there. “What did you find out?”

“There could be a problem,” said the woman, drawing her long hair over his shoulder and braiding it.

“What kind of problem?”

“The soldier girl and her new friends met up with two others.  And then one of his past lives spoke to them — and charged them with killing him.”

The man arched an eyebrow. “Any idea who the other two are?”

“I have no idea about the boy, but the girl…”  She smiled predatorily.  “There’s something special about her.  She spoke of meeting her preincarnation in Omashu… I think she’s the White Princess.”

“Well, fuck,” the other said, evenly.

“Yeah.”  The woman filled in her companion on everything he’d heard.

“So, it seems to me that we have to stop them before they get their amulets.”

“Yep.  Even killing one of them ought to do the trick.”

“Better safe than sorry. Let’s kill all of them.”

“Except the princess,” she reminded the shorter man.  “He still wants her.”

“Right. Except her.”

“Flip you for killing the soldier girl.”

“Sure. You got a coin on you?”

The woman nodded, slipping a coin from her pocket and balancing it on her thumb.  “Call it.”

“Heads,” the armed man said.

With a small ting sound, the coin was flipped into the air.  The woman’s arm lashed out and grabbed the coin out of midair; she slapped it against the top of her other hand and held it out to her companion.  “Survey says…”  She moved the catching hand.  “Heads.”

“Guess that means me, then,” he said, and stretched.

“I’ll take the fire kid,” the woman said.  “Should quell the little princess if we off her guard-dog.”

“All right. Then who takes the diplomat, and who takes the deranged waterbender?”

“You can have the crazy dude.”

“Afraid to get your pretty face broken?”

“Damn straight.”

The shorter man rolled his eyes. “Try not to seduce the diplomat too much while you’re killing her, all right?”

The woman batted her eyelashes.  “Can I seduce you instead?”

“I can kill you. In a variety of inventive and very painful ways.”

“You really do know how to get a man into bed, don’t you?”

“Better believe it.”

The feminine man laughed, then sobered up in a flash.  “So do we ambush them as they come out of the temple, or pick ‘em off one by one?”

The armed man frowned. “Might be better to do it now, while they’re all still bickering and haven’t learned to deal with each other. On the other hand, if we wait ‘til after the initial Unity of Purpose phase is over, it might be easier.” He shrugged.

“I’m sure the fire boy and the water man will take care of that right fast.”

The other nodded. “So, we head for the North Pole. Try to beat them there.”

“We’ll have to be careful of the waterbender, though.  He’ll get stronger the colder it is.”

“Which is why we go for him at midday, when he’s weakest.”

“And the fire boy is strongest.  Luckily, I don’t think that will count for very much.”

The other man nodded. “Soldier-girl isn’t a bender, so we don’t need to take that into account. The diplomat isn’t, either. And even though the princess is, she’s half-trained at best, so that shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

“What disturbs me is how she found a guardian in fire boy,” said the pretty man thoughtfully.

“And how she got away in Omashu,” the other murmured.

“Yes…”  Silence for a moment.  “It’s best to take him out before he gets stronger.”

“Agreed. Which is why the North Pole’s gonna be our best shot.”

“Should we tell Tetsu and have him meet us at the Pole?”

“Good idea.”