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“Oh, In the heat of the battle yeah you know I'm not giving up
Cause' I fight for what matters yeah you know that I fight for love
Not afraid of the fire, or the flame oh I'll rise above” – Warrior by Anna Graceman & Jlyn
Earth Kingdom, 250 BG
Nestled off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, a once vibrant island now bears deep scars. A towering figure kneels by the coast, cradling a smaller woman dressed in a finely woven red shirt. The woman held her in such a manner that one could believe she held the sun itself. The scene is almost picturesque, yet the air is thick with the stench of blood.
A surprise attack by a well-coordinated group of Chin loyalists overwhelmed the couple during a private affair, the celebration of their 20th anniversary. Over a hundred fell under the avatar’s burning white gaze, yet they succeeded where their leader failed, and struck a blow that brought the Avatar to her knees.
As the sunset, the waves pounded the coast. Each relentless surge of the waves mirrored the tall woman’s anguished cries, as she cradled her lost love in a final, tender embrace. The whispered “I love you’s” were bathed in sorrow. The bronze-eyed woman took her last breath that night, ripping out a large chunk of the avatar’s heart as she went. A heart that won’t be healed for hundreds of years, as it waits patiently for the return of its missing piece.
Unknown, 82 BG
The vision of the future is grim. With each possibility that flashes before his eyes, Angi grows increasingly concerned. He cannot bear to watch the destruction that his precious children of fire will wreck upon the world. Maybe it's not too late, other spirits whisper around him, the Avatar is a force who can beat insurmountable odds to return the world to balance.
No, Agni thinks as he watches the legendary Earth avatar take their last breath and cries of a new son of fire fill the air, the downfall has already begun.
Agni quickly starts to act, plans forming in his mind. He wishes he could stop it all. Yet, there are limits even the great sun spirit cannot overcome. The air-nomad genocide will happen even if he wishes to interfere. Any attempts to prevent it would simply delay the inevitable, and the aftershock would be even more painful.
Resigned to these constraints, Agni narrows his focus to a singular, attainable objective. He must seek out a formidable firebender, one who prioritizes service to the Avatar above loyalty to their nation.
Beyond his reach are the souls that have fully transitioned into the spirit world. However, those in Limbo, still bound to Earth by unfinished business —a lover waiting for their other half or a single mother watching over their child—drift unanchored. They linger in the space between worlds, their influence limited. Yet, they can still derive solace from the subtle interactions they can initiate: sending a comforting breeze or igniting a candle to guide their loved ones through the darkness.
Agni surveys the souls waiting in Limbo, quickly pinpointing one that has started to fade into the open spirit world gateway. With great sadness, Agni froze the unaware soul in the place, his presence shielded. He knew that this was the loyal-hearted firebender he was looking for. The bronze-eyed firebender held the record for the longest time spent in limbo at a staggering 182 years. Several times throughout the years, the firebender resisted crossing over, ignoring the call of the spirit world by sheer force of will — a refusal to abandon the love of her life to traverse the world alone. But as her tether passed on, so did the firebender’s defenses as she drifted towards the gates desperate to reunite with her love.
It pained Agni that he couldn’t allow that reunion to pass, the soft-hearted firebender, who tied their honor to their loyalty to the avatar, was the only one he could count on to remain true to the cause, to understand the importance of balance and peace between the nations.
With a snap of his fingers, a new portal opened, and the bronze-eyed woman disappeared into the void.
Kyoshi Island, 99 AG
Rangi awoke with a gasp. Her disciplined military training was the only thing that prevented her from crying out as agony surged throughout her body. Rangi’s entire body felt like she was on fire. Spots danced in her vision and her eyes closed against her wishes, giving in to the pain. The heat threatened to consume her from the inside out. Rangi could feel panic sinking in despite her attempts to squash it. She had never felt so disconnected from her chi, her flame, in her life. A firebender’s flame is innate to their being. To be at war with one’s flame is one of the highest forms of disgrace a bender can experience. Rangi had heard horror stories of a bender that lost their flame and was kicked out of their clan for bringing dishonor to their family.
“Breathe Child-” an unknown voice echoed in her mind. Rangi could not make out the rest of the sentence as her head pounded. She took a stuttered breath in and out, her mind clearing enough to make out more words.
“It’s alright, your body just needs time to adjust, you were under a lot of stress, the pain will go away soon I promise, just stop fighting,” the voice continued.
Rangi ground her teeth not wanting to give in to the voice, even one that she hallucinated in the thrones of agony, but before she could even attempt to fight it, a wave of tiredness overwhelmed her, and her vision turned black.
The next time Rangi awoke, she felt like a new person. Her inner chi was calm and as she reached inward, she was embraced with its gentle warmth. The fire in her muscles was gone. Her body felt stronger than it had in almost 15 years. Rangi took stock of her surroundings, she noticed that she was currently lying in a pile of snow, underneath a cluster of bushes. She could hear waves nearby and deduced that she was close to the ocean. Rangi brought herself up into a kneeling position, the bushes provided her with enough cover to further assess her situation without drawing attention to any potential hostile forces nearby.
With relief, Rangi noticed that she was still wearing her military armor. Her topknot was intact and secured firmly on her head. The sword Kyoshi had gifted her for her 25th birthday was sheathed at her side. It was a beautifully crafted steel blade with a red and white hilt and a gold-plated dragon pommel. The blade was engraved with the stylized whetstone symbol of the Sei’naka clan.
But to her shock, Rangi’s body mirrored her 20-year-old self, as if she had been transported back in time. The long scar on her left forearm she received protecting Kyoshi from an assassination attempt eight years ago was missing. As if a locked gate had opened, memories of her 20th marriage anniversary and the surprise attack flooded back in. The last thing she remembered was dying in Kyoshi’s arms. The relief she felt when she determined that Kyoshi was relatively uninjured. How grateful she was that the last moments were spent staring into those warm green eyes that she loved so much. It is the duty of the bodyguard to die for their charge, there is not a more honorable death than that.
Rangi gripped her right flank, in between the buckles of her armor as if she expected the arrow shot by Chin’s loyalist to still be stuck in her side. Even if the arrow wasn’t the deathblow Rangi knew it to be, the skin was unblemished as if it had never been stuck. This level of perfection was beyond even what the most skilled water-bending healers could accomplish.
Rangi pushed the impossibilities of her situation to her situation to the back of her mind, focusing instead on locating the fastest way back to Kyoshi. She did not have to look far. Directly across from the brushes she resided in was the back of a statue she would recognize anywhere. The finely sculpted statue of Avatar Kyoshi, constructed a year after her famed battle with the tyrant Chin, was in the southernmost village of Kyoshi Island close to where Kyoshi separated the Yokoya peninsula from the mainland. Rangi felt the tension in her chest lesson instantly. She was home, everything would be alright.
With less concern for stealth and more concern for the hunger and pain in her stomach, Rangi started to make the familiar trek to the center of the village.
Suki was keeping an eye on the avatar and his water tribe friends while they enjoyed the banquet the village prepared to welcome them. She was shocked and honored to be in the presence of the avatar. None of the villagers ever expected to be near Avatar Kyoshi’s reincarnation. Like the rest of the world, they had given up hope on the Airbender’s return. Aang’s story was truly remarkable. His water tribe friend’s attitude on the other hand left a lot to be desired. Suki smirked to herself, she and the other warriors would make sure to correct his sexist notions before the avatar left Kyoshi Island.
Suki was shaken out of her musing by the ringing of the island’s attack bell. Niyin, one of her fellow warriors who was on patrol rushed in, “We are under attack! A fire nation soldier is here, they knocked out An-Me, Lima, and Farih when they attempted to ambush her.”
Suki, Niyin, and her remaining sister warriors rush out to face the soldier. A worried Aang and his friends followed close behind.
The scene that Suki finds when she arrives baffles her. The tall muscular warrior, with form-fitting armor indicative of the fire nation, was hovering over Suki’s fallen sisters with a flicker of confusion on her otherwise pensive gaze. As Suki remained close to the Avatar, Niyin and her remaining sisters attacked the Fire Nation soldier. Suki’s eyes widen as her fellow warriors are taken down in an impressive show of hand-to-hand combat skill. The lithe female soldier was the most skilled non-bender that Suki had ever seen. They didn’t even unsheathe their sword to fend off the attack. If they weren’t the enemy, Suki would have taken more time to bask in admiration of the warrior’s skill.
“Don’t put so much weight on your back foot, it leaves you unbalanced,” the soldier said with an assessing look at Niyin who lay on the ground with the wind knocked out of her. Before anyone could react, the soldier continued to speak with an intimidating charred rasp, leveling a look in the direction of Aang and the water tribe siblings. “As much as I appreciate your dedication to stealth training, I suggest we postpone such activities in the presence of esteemed guests.”
Aang was in a trance. He was drawn in by the soldier's porcelain doll face and shining bronze eyes. His entire body lit up with warmth when Fire National bowed to him. He was overcome with a sense of happiness, but he couldn’t determine the source. Weird, Aang thought to himself, he could have sworn blue was his favorite eye color.
Noticing the shocked and blank stares she received, the soldier continued to fill the silence with a crisp fire nation bow directed towards Aang. “I’m Captain Rangi of Clan Sei’Naka, I apologize for the swift greeting, but I have urgent business with the Avatar.” With her eyes locked on Suki, Rangi continued “Could you direct me to Kyoshi, or Captain Sho, either would suffice.”
Aang broke out of his daze at the mention of Avatar. He needed to protect his friends and the Islanders. “Wait I’m the Avatar! Leave my friends alone, and we can talk it out?” Aang internally winced as his words came out more like a question than the confident statement he intended.
“Hey Jerkface, stay away from Aang!” Sokka shouted as he raised his boomerang to attack. He was held back by Katara’s grip on his arm.
Suki stepped forward to help de-escalate the situation when it was clear that despite the annoyed glare directed at Sokka, the soldier was not interested in attacking, “There’s no one named Sho on the Island. I’m the Captain of the Kyoshi Warriors. Avatar Kyoshi has been dead for well over a hundred years.”
“What, Kyoshi Died-“ Rangi’s expression betrayed her strict fire nation discipline for a moment, and she let out a rare show of emotion. Confusion was prominent on her face, but a trained eye could make out traces of fear, agony, and dismay as Rangi tried to make sense of her situation.
Is this a Joke, did she get transported into an alternate dimension where Kyoshi wasn’t the avatar? Rangi was at a total loss for how to react. Where is Kyoshi? She can’t be dead!! If this wasn’t her reality, she had to figure out how to get back, Rangi refused to live in a world without Kyoshi’s presence. The Avatar can be reborn, but Kyoshi is irreplaceable. Rangi’s thoughts continued to spiral, If Kyoshi died and she wasn’t there to prevent it – her honor would never survive such a disgrace.
“Aang!” Katara shouted, letting go of Sokka to reach out to Aang as he let out a pained gasp and gripped his head. Before Katara could reach him, Aang's eyes glowed white and he disappeared in a tornado of dust. The imposing figure of Avatar Kyoshi, in full battle glory, appeared in his place.
Suki and her sister warriors who had recovered from the assault, stubbled back in awe at the sight of their patron and fell to their knees. Sokka shouted something in the background, but no one was focused on his words.
Kyoshi ignored the chaos happening around her. She only had eyes for the light of her life. The firebender who talked to her in her dreams, whose face and presence she had never forgotten regardless of the time spent apart.
“Rangi-“ Kyoshi choked out, her voice laden with love.
“Kyoshi-“ Rangi responded through her shock, equally breathless.
Kyoshi stepped forward as if to reach out to her wife, but the reality of her situation sunk in, and she continued to speak to not waste the limited amount of time she had in control of Aang’s body.
“Rangi, listen to me, we have little time. When I passed into the spirit world, my first thoughts were of you. I couldn’t find you and neither could Koko……” Kyoshi stuttered with emotion before steeling her resolve, “I don’t know who sent you or why, but I know that you have been transported to the future. The Island and its people are not the same as the ones you left, but our teachings remain strong.” A proud glance is directed at the Kyoshi warriors.
“This is not the future I want for you, the forces that brought you here are out of my control. You will hear many stories of the disastrous state of the world. Darkness is spreading. The four nations do not live in harmony. Most of the blame lies with me, much more than Roku would claim. I’m sorry Rangi, so sorry for the burden placed upon you. But, please watch over Aang as you always did for me. Help him learn about his power. The Avatar needs the guidance of a strong firebender more than ever.”
Rangi looked like she wanted to say far more, but all she managed was a promise “I swear on my honor to protect the Avatar.”
Glancing in Katara and Sokka’s direction, Kyoshi continued “Rangi is the most honorable and dependable person I know. She’s no threat to Avatar. I would say she will be a kind firebending Sifu, but it’s wrong to lie to Aang’s companions.”
Rangi who puffed up in pride at Kyoshi’s comments, gave a scowl of contempt that would have sent a lesser man running and yelled in Kyoshi’s face “What was that stupid?!!! I can’t hear you over how weak that stance is. The wind could knock you over! A little trip to the Spirit world is no excuse to go soft!”
Kyoshi simply let out a fond sigh as if Rangi had just recited the most romantic poem, “I love you too” she responded her voice fading into the wind, as her body disappeared and Aang returned.
Kyoshi’s high regard had done wonders for Rangi’s credibility. As the group convened for dinner, the poor firebender was currently being barraged with questions about her connection to Kyoshi from Aang and the Kyoshi warriors alike.
Rangi informed the wide-eyed warriors that she knew Kyoshi since she was 14 years old, yes she was Kyoshi’s firebending Sifu but she wasn’t supposed to be (it’s complicated), Kyoshi was indeed an orphan, but no she wasn’t born on the island (or in Yokada). Yes, Kyoshi married a firebender (what’s wrong with that!). She laughed when the warriors asked how she defeated them, “It would be difficult to defeat me with my own fighting style. I helped train the original Kyoshi Warriors.”
After tolerating questions for over an hour, Rangi’s patience thinned. She had a job to fulfill, and right now she is woefully unprepared. The academy taught her that preparedness is key, and she couldn’t waste another second.
“Why are the nations out of balance? Who’s the threat?!”
Silence settled over the room. Sokka stopped shoveling a meat skewer down his throat to answer, “Um, You are.”
“Excuse me?!”
“What my idiot brother means to say is that the Fire Nation is the enemy. Fire Lord Sozin started the war 100 years ago, after the death of fire Avatar Roku, Sozin whipped out all the Air Nomads to try to prevent the avatar from standing against him in his conquests. Sozin’s son Azulon and his grandson, Ozai, the current Fire Lord continued his war, killing or capturing all the water benders from our tribe in the South Pole. The Fire Nation killed my mother. They’re monsters, bringing death and destruction everywhere they go, Aang is our only hope of stopping them!” Katara tried to break this news gently, but her fury at the fire nation took over.
Rangi reacted as though someone had bent a rock into her heart, she staggered out of her chair, gripping her armor over the top of her chest finding comfort in its presence. Slamming her fist on the table, Rangi growled out “If this is some sick joke, cut it out now, the Fire nation would never act like some assassin…” She spits the word out like the very thought disgusted her.
Aang stared at the ground as he spoke up, “It’s true, I saw the evidence myself at the Southern Air Temple. Monk Gyatso, my friends, all gone, killed by the Fire Nation.”
At Aang’s words, all the fight left Rangi’s eyes, and a heartbroken expression took its place. Rangi quickly choked out words that the group could barely make out. “Kelsang…..Jinpa” She whispered.
Unwilling to break down in front of all these people, Rangi rushed out of the building without another word. She did not stop until she collapsed on her knees in front of Kyoshi’s statue. Her eyes watered and her chest shook as she inhaled sharply through her nose.
The Air Nomads were wiped from existence; Rangi couldn’t comprehend this. The nomads were some of the most gentle and honorable people she knew. For Yangchen’s sake, her wife is half Air Nomad! But to imagine her great nation committing such an atrocity was unthinkable, it tore at the very fiber of her being. In the academy, Rangi had studied how to invade all sorts of fortresses, from the polar ice walls of the Northern Water tribe to the great walls of Ba Sing Se. Yet even her instructors acknowledged that the air nomads were peaceful people, with no standing army, and no defensive infrastructure beyond the precarious location of their temples. The airbenders posed little to no threat to the fire nation. To wipe out such a peaceful people was the highest form of dishonor. To stage such a heinous attack to eliminate the avatar was beyond comprehension, the Fire Nation Rangi grew up in held the avatar in the highest regard.
At that moment, the part of Rangi’s heart that housed her loyalty to the Fire Nation fractured.
Shouts of panic from the islanders drew Rangi out of her tortured musings. Rangi hid in a shallow part of the valley behind a rockface to survey the scene and plan a course of action. Four Komodo rhinos approached the entrance to the village. A total of seven Fire Nation soldiers rode on their backs. It was clear Rangi’s understanding of military armor was outdated as the firebender was unable to determine if these soldiers were part of the army, navy, or a specialized task force. Identifying their commanding officer was not a challenge. The young officer, with a large burn scar on the left side of his face, rode alone at the back of the group. Younger officers are not unusual in the Fire Nation, Rangi herself received her rank while she was still a teenager. Yet this particular officer seemed unfit for his rank. Rangi observed the lack of respect his men held for commands. One soldier even dared to subtly roll their eyes in response to his orders. A commander who lacks the respect of his men is no commander at all.
As the officer shouts for the Avatar to come out of hiding, Rangi pushes her lingering feelings of hesitation about fighting her brethren to the back of her mind. Rangi jet steps into the air and launches a fireball at the officer's left flank, while the Kyoshi warriors attack the remaining soldiers. Zuko barely manages to disperse the flame as he is knocked off his rhino. His helmet falls off during the shuffle.
Rangi lands in front of the officer. Her eyes widen as she takes in his appearance. The scar threw her off initially, but now that is closer to him, she notices that he is the splitting image of Lord Zoryu. Had she just assaulted a member of the royal family?! Rangi winced internally as she imagined how her mother, and her clan would react to her actions. Rangi noticed with surprise that the officer’s head was partially shaved, a true symbol of shame and humility, representing the loss of an Agni Kai. If he truly is royal, who challenged him to an Angi Kai?!
Rangi’s battle instincts took charge, and she quickly defused the fire whip sent her way.
“Traitor!! You dare attack a prince of the Fire Nation!” Zuko shouted as he launched a spinning kick.
“You are no prince of mine,” Rangi responded. Channeling positive jing, she lunged forward her fists igniting as she unleashed a rapid series of fireballs. Zuko managed to defend against the assault with a few powerful sweeps of his arms, but the force knocked him back a few feet. Rangi pressed her advance ducking under a fiery lash, she entered into a swivel kick, knocking the prince's feet out from under him.
A soldier, having eluded the Kyoshi warriors, launched an attack from behind with his spear. Rangi, in a seamless motion, drew her sword, parried the assault, and disarmed her assailant. She used the hilt of her sword to knock him out.
Aang had jumped into the fight from above, knocking the prince back off his feat with a blast of air as he tried to get up.
To her dismay, Rangi noticed that several of the soldiers had lit multiple buildings on fire. She needed to get them off her island now. “Leave now” She demanded, pointing her sword at the fallen prince. The prince seemed to realize he was outmatched but did not seem willing to give in.
Momentarily dropping her sword, Rangi raised her arms slowly, her finger splayed wide as she began a precise series of movements. Energy crackled around her fingers in a show of raw power. As she exhaled sharply, Rangi thrust her hands forward, and a bolt of lightning surged forward crackling just above Zuko’s head. With a growl to hide his fear, Zuko and his remaining men retreated from the village, dragging their past-out comrade with them.
Glancing around, Rangi noticed the flames spreading, some even nearing Kyoshi’s statue. Standing at the village’s center, she closed her eyes. Mentally reaching out to sense the flames, she took a deep breath and, upon exhaling, spun her arms in a circular motion. Almost all the flames in the village were extinguished, and the villagers quickly doused the remaining few with their water buckets. Rangi’s knees wobbled slightly with the amount of energy she exerted.
“What was that?!” Sokka cheered as he excitedly ran over to Rangi, exaggerating a reenactment of the lightning kata. Rangi accepted the praise she received from Sokka and the Kyoshi warriors with reddened ears as they made their way back to the governor’s house.
Rangi didn’t know what was going to happen next. Her head was all over the place. Despite her unwavering commitment to the avatar’s cause, she knew fighting her nation was going to suck at her soul, at her sense of honor. But as her mother once said, “Personal honor must sometimes be laid down for the good of others.”
As Aang performed his airbending tricks to lift the spirits of the village children, Rangi watched him collide with a tree. With a resigned sigh, she thought to herself that mentoring this Avatar would indeed be a handful.