Chapter Text
Rangi over the course of her career as sifu for the Kyoshi warriors, grew to regret the phase of the girls’ training when they would be given the opportunity to face their teacher on the lei tai. While of course Rangi was the more skilled of her opponents, and most often the match ended in a draw at best, as the student approached their graduation, that gap of skill would close more and more. That, also paired with the years of stance training and rigorous conditioning she imposed upon the girls over the years, a chance without consequence to face their sifu, It was, well...
Rangi hit the mat.
The only breaking force between her and unconsciousness was the back part of her wrist preventing the momentum for a full concussion. For a moment she forgot who she was fighting, where she was fighting, who she was... Her vision was blurred and distorted until she could make out a hand before her face. Without a second thought she took it and was pulled to her feet. She rose to her smug looking student waiting so eagerly waiting to be scolded for making a fool of her teacher. Rangi looked at the girls' bright eyes and breathed through her nose in frustration, pressing her palm to her head as the room continued to spin.
“We are done for today ladies.” Rangi stated, The few students without the chance to face her eyed one another in suspicion “You have earned it.” She continued as she pulled her hand quickly from her forehead to regain the authority to dismiss them. The aspect of her statement that rewarded them felt bitter, until she softened her expression from exasperated to only slightly annoyed. The student collected their things in relative silence, not willing to celebrate the reward at the expense of their teacher’s pride.
The last girl waited till the others had left to speak with her. She wore a soft smile as she stepped towards her gently, “Thank you Sifu Rangi.” She said softly, placing her fist against her open hand in a bow, courteous enough to honor her with a salutation from the fire nation. Rangi taught the girls never to apologize for winning a fight.
Rangi placed her hand on her shoulder, “You're welcome.” she replied, meeting her eyes. The students' whole face began to light up at the acknowledgment. Rangi stared deeply at the excitement in her face, “Now go meet up with the other girls, I am sure they have a lot to say to you” Rangi replied, using all her strength to smile at her, a rewarding gesture only the most dedicated of the warriors received. The girl’s happiness overtook her and without the slightest bit of self control, she wrapped her arms around her master in an embrace. It knocked more wind out of her than the hit ever could.
Rangi reluctantly held her back until before the girl broke from it. Her front as the hard-willed dangerous sifu had been washed away more by then that excited embrace than any defeat she could have suffered on the mat. When the girl let go she was satisfied knowing their relationship was undamaged, that Rangi still loved and cared for even the students that bested her. “I am sorry about that at least, Not knocking you down.” She replied as a joke. Sifu Rangi chuckled and began to gather her supplies into her bag, anxious for the situation to be over.
“It’s all fine, Just don’t tell the other girls about that. Keep it that Avatar Kyoshi is the one you can all get a hug from.” Rangi joked as she gathered her things and took out her keys.
“I will keep up the code Sifu.” she replied. The girl quickly fled out to the girls awaiting her, they funneled her into the group with whispers of praise. Rangi proudly caught snippets from the porch as they all shuffled away. Rangi locked the door and went on her way home, as the sun began to slowly set beside her.
—
When Rangi arrived home she found that Kyoshi had a mess up of paperwork slew across the kitchen table that she was working through. Since Jinpa had retired she didn’t have any desire to replace him, and took on much of the work with just the two of them. She didn’t look up right away and Rangi was thankful, the mark the girl had made against her collar bone had been darkening to a bruise on her walk home. She sat across from her and picked up the first letter she saw.
“You’re home early.” Kyoshi stated as she straightened out an assortment of letters to be cast aside to kindle the stove.
“One of the girls today knocked the wind out of me, I didn’t even see it coming.” Rangi explained. “I dismissed them early as a reward.”
“You should be proud then, you train them well.” Kyoshi continued as she picked up the next stack to begin to sort through. “That might be what you get for being such a rigid unbending teacher.” Kyoshi said with a smirk. It was supposed to be flattery, but Rangi was feeling something else.
She flipped the letter over to see that it was from their daughter, “Koko finally wrote back?” She said she looked at her.
“Oh yes, I was waiting till you got home to open it.” She responded.
Rangi turned the letter over to its seam and raised her hand to the crease to press her nail under it, her fingers refused to turn rigid enough to break the seal. She was puzzled before rationalizing that she had fallen on that wrist earlier today. She grasped the letter opener from Kyoshi’s side of the table and angled it under to break it instead.
“No Nails?” Kyoshi’s asked
“I fell on my wrist today.” Rangi responded as she opened and looked at the letter. She couldn’t read it, the impact still blurred her vision slightly, more than that she could feel Kyoshi’s gaze strongly upon her.
“You fell?” she asked suspiciously.
“A student swept me.” She lied, somehow being tripped was better than being knocked out by a teenager.
“I thought you don’t teach them to sweep, I thought that wasn’t a thing” Kyoshi had caught her in the lie her eyebrow was raised at her, it was all very humoring to the avatar.
“I think she kicked me in the face” Rangi replied, setting the letter down for a moment ready for the teasing that would ensue. It wasn’t like she could read it anyway.
“Think?” Kyoshi replied.
“She could have punched me, She jumped and spun into it. I didn’t see her coming.” Rangi refused to look at Kyoshi, a deep resentment for her defeat boiled up to her chest and lit up her cheeks. Something she was less okay with then teasing began.
Pity.
“Rangi...” Kyoshi responded, coo’ing at her in a way Rangi swore she used to use with their daughter. She bent the water from the glass she was drinking out of, causing it to take on a dull hue as it pressed itself to her fingertips.
“I am fine Kyoshi.” She pleaded, turning her head like a child refusing vegetables.
Kyoshi stood up anyway, about to press the water to her cheek. “Rangi cut it out, show me where she hit you.” Kyoshi responded. Rangi rolled her eyes and unbuttoned her shirt slightly. A black and blue mark had extended its way up her collarbone and under her chin. “Get it over with if it makes you feel better.” Rangi said bitterly, crossing her arms over her stomach.
“She could have broken one of your ribs Rangi.” Kyoshi responded as she put her other hand on her shoulder.
“I know what a broken bone feels like.” she sneered. “Are you healing me with the water you were drinking from?” Rangi accused her as Kyoshi pressed her hand to her neck, it glowed across her skin.
“Rangi I think we have been married long enough that you don't need to worry about a little back-wash.” Kyoshi responded sarcastically, some days it felt Kyoshi lunged at any opportunity for an insinuation like that. Rangi heard the joke and refused to laugh when she turned back Kyoshi was eyeing her with that stupid lop-sided grin. Kyoshi knew what came to mind at her comment.
Rangi smirked for the first time that evening, feeling at ease as the water that gravitated from Kyoshi’s fingers seeped away the black blue surfaces of the damaged skin. Some swelling went down in her jaw, and against the bad mood Rangi was holding so desperately onto, she felt a little better.
Most of the water dissolved in the healing process, the rest was cast away back to the glass. Kyoshi sat closer to her, trying desperately to meet her eyes, “You really didn’t have a good day did you?” Kyoshi asked.
Rangi crossed her arms and shrugged, “I guess I didn’t.” She replied, “But I don’t want to go on about it.” she continued. Kyoshi raised an eyebrow at her as Rangi looked away.
“Okay” Kyoshi replied as she sat back, and continued to sort the letters.
~
Later that evening Kyoshi sat up in their bed, reading and rereading the material she had written as she scanned for potential error. In her hands she held part of a manuscript for a memoir that encapsulated the island’s history. Being divided from the earth kingdom, the island became almost nationless and with decades of separation came its own customs and history that she immortalized in writing. Rangi called it "The Kyoshi Commentaries". Kyoshi was less a fan of the alliteration, but kept the title since it made her wife happy.
Her pen scratched a note of the margin to add more detail. Rangi, feeling slightly guilty for the mood she was in earlier, sat up next to her, placing her chin on her shoulder in an attempt to draw her attention.
“What did you write about?” She asked curiously, knowing Kyoshi enjoyed someone to listen to her about the subject. Kyoshi smiled a little bit, not taking her attention away from the page as she felt her wife’s keen eyes on her.
“It's about just the island’s economy. It's not too exciting. I am honestly surprised it hasn’t made me fall asleep yet.” Kyoshi explained.
“Read it to me.” Rangi said as she scooted a little closer, taking up Kyoshi’s side of the bed more. Kyoshi smirked, wrapping her arms around Rangi’s shoulder, pulling her closer and rubbing delicately down her arm. She began to read in her polished-marble voice that Rangi fell in love with.
“The Island of Kyoshi has operated dually off a trade-base and money-based economy. The island has three primary means of production, The first and most notable being a model of the mercenary soldiers inspired by the Fire nation colony Sei’naka in the form of professional guard women. This was put in place to supplement the supply and demand crisis...”
Rangi would never hear the other two as her eyes began to shut. Kyoshi trailed off and raised her shoulder a little.
“Are you falling asleep on me?” Kyoshi asked, prompting Rangi’s face up suddenly, Rangi yawned and cracked her eyes back open,
“That ridiculous, of course the soft muttering of my wife’s voice beneath warm covers are not putting me to sleep. How could you even say that?” Rangi replied sarcastically, Rangi snuggled up a little closer.
“You are impossible” Kyoshi replied as she scratched delicately up the back of her neck.
“Keep going...” Rangi yawned and placed her head on her chest.
Kyoshi sighed and continued “Upon the severance of the peninsula the marine life faced dramatic environmental causing disruptions to the food chain resulting in a form island gigantism, minimizing the trade value of animal agricultural over the course of several decades...” Kyoshi trailed her voice off on purpose to see if she still was paying attention.
“And then what?” Rangi replied with her eyes shut and a smug smirk.
“Are the sweet nothings of Giant Koi’s impact on the foreign trade doing something for you?” Kyoshi replied sarcastically.
“Oh you have no idea...” Rangi muttered, finally beginning to trail off. “I lose sleep over it.”
“It seems like you gain sleep over it.”
“I would if you would put down the work and fall asleep with me.” Rangi replied. She sat up for a moment and delicately drew the glasses from her wife’s face, smiling at the way Kyoshi looked at her through them. Rangi folded them and set the tiny pair on her bedside. Kyoshi set the papers down on her night stand and ran her hand across Rangi’s cheek, quietly studying the way her face lit up when she did so. The moment came and went, Rangi chuckled at just how drawn it was. She kissed Kyoshi’s thumb that came closest to her lips and folded herself back onto her chest, taking a grip across her stomach to get closer. Kyoshi’s hand draped down her back as she wrapped her other arm up between her shoulder blades pulling her closer gently pressing her nose to her hairline.
“You need me to rattle the bones of the girl that kicked you?” Kyoshi whispered as her hand crept up the hair at the base of her neck.
“No, I should not have to ask you to do that. You should have just done it by now.” Rangi replied stoically, feeling better in Kyoshi’s loving and protective arms. “Besides, It's not her fault I am probably just getting burned out, it happens to everyone.” Rangi said, content with the conclusion.
“Burned out?” Kyoshi asked, wrapping her hand around her chin to nudge her face up to look at her. She jokingly moved her head from side to side, then up and down to analyze her inquisitively, “Who are you, what have you done with Rangi?” She asked. Rangi suddenly unravelled herself from the embrace and turned to Kyoshi as she sat with her legs folded beneath her.
“Kyoshi we aren’t exactly 17 anymore.” She explained, trying to be nonchalant about the situation.
“I know but we aren’t exactly like other people..” She said back in defense, Rangi could hear the concern in her voice growing and wished she hadn’t said as much.
“We still are getting older though.” Rangi said with a soft and loving tone to her voice, “You even need reading glasses now, It's just one of those things that comes with time.” She said in her last attempt to make the situation feel normal. Kyoshi in a moment of candor reached out and took a strand of her hair in her hand before letting it go gently.
“Rangi if there’s something wrong with you I want to know.” Kyoshi said, reaching for her hand. “Even if it's not a big deal we can just see a healer check what’s wrong and I can fix it.” Kyoshi continued.
Rangi held her hand in return, not wanting to concede, but also not stubborn enough to argue, “I will see a doctor in a few weeks, It's too busy now.” she said giving up. Kyoshi gave her a nod in agreement, and Rangi took the opportunity to lift the mood. “You know fire-nation women age like dirt right? I will look like I am in my twenties forever until one day I will get a foot shortener and look like a dropped custard tart." She explained jokingly. “You will probably even have some passionless pet names for me, like turtle-duck or moon-lily.” she finished with a smug look to say she’d won.
Kyoshi pulled her in and kissed her head “I look forward to it sunshine.” She replied sarcastically Rangi could feel the smirk she had against her hairline. Rangi, pressed closer, pushed her down with her leg and stretched her arm across her chest to her shoulder, fitting her face under her chin for the millionth time. Kyoshi's arms held her waist. It all was so warm all of a sudden, and their eyes drifted shut before either could say goodnight.
—
Later in the night the two became uncoiled, Kyoshi slept flat on her back with Rangi curled beside her as a sharp shooting pain her wrist grew more and more apparent till it forced her awake, grabbling the injury as it pulsated.
Rangi cursed at herself as she pressed her hand, begging the pressure to provide some relief. Rolling to the side of her bed-stand, she opened the drawer for bandages beginning to wrap her injury vigorously until her avatar stirred from the noise. Rangi hearing this let go of the wrappings and sighed. As shameful as it was to her, it hurt so much she could cry.
“Kyoshi...” Rangi muttered, on the cusp of tears.
“Yes my love?” Kyoshi stirred
“It’s broken.'' She replied with a pain derived much less from her wrist and more from her wife being right all along. Kyoshi rolled her legs over the side and stood from their bed, looking down at her wife still sprawled on her back messing with the bandages.
“I will get some water” she replied. Rangi smiled, clutching her wrist as she pressed herself against the bed.
“I love you.” she said cutely, staring at the ceiling.
“I love you too Sunshine.” she replied. Rangi rolled her eyes before laying back, awaiting her wife’s return. The name didn’t feel so weird.