Chapter Text
The warm light of the lamp escaped between the closed curtains of the modest apartment in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se. Modest, of course, when compared to the Avatar’s mansion in Yokoya, but comfortable enough for one or two people accustomed to the good life and luxuries. The space was wide and clear. A large bed, elevated on a cedar platform, dominated the center, while a bathtub was partially hidden behind a screen decorated with a scene of the floating world. Facing the window, a heavy desk completed the room, but the space between each piece of furniture was more than enough to walk around comfortably. A full-length mirror, with a wooden stand, was the only thing that seemed out of place, standing next to the bed that had been decorated with red silk camellia petals, representing deep love, enduring affection, admiration, and passion.
Rangi walked past the mirror, wearing nothing but a thin lotus muslin tunic as red as the camellias, still rubbing her straight hair, black as midnight, with a small towel that had absorbed most of the moisture. She stopped when she saw her own reflection and tossed the wet piece of cloth onto a chair in the shadows, which the flame next to the headboard of the bed had failed to reach.
She observed herself in the reflective surface for a couple of seconds before untying the ribbons of her only garment and letting it slip down her body until it made a nest at her feet. Her skin, usually as pale and uniform as the snows of the poles, had acquired a light pink tone from the hot water in which she had been submerged for the last few minutes. Her hair, falling over her shoulders, was the only thing that contrasted, at the same time giving her the appearance of a sublime and wandering spirit. Everything about her; her skin, her defined muscles, the exact proportions of each of the mounts that stood out from her snowy landscape... everything was perfection. Except...
With a grimace of frustration, Rangi twisted her feet and turned as much as she could to observe in the mirror the cause of her great disappointment: that scar that occupied a place below her ribs, as if a sharp bolt of lightning had entered her to extinguish her own light. Well, the reality had not been very different from that, since instead of lightning, it had been the rock dagger that her former friend, the false Avatar, had used in their last battle to take her life. Had it not been for Kyoshi saving her with a precarious healing technique, Rangi would not only have suffered her first defeat in battle, but also her last. It took her months to become herself again, to completely recover her fighting spirit. But that fragility hurt her more than any wound; her pride was fractured, and the mark on her back was a constant source of shame.
“The scar is very small,” Kyoshi’s voice rose from somewhere in the room. “Don’t let it bother you.”
Kyoshi appeared from behind, wearing a matching tunic to Rangi’s, and wrapped her in her arms. Rangi instinctively leaned her head onto the Avatar’s shoulder, and a sigh of relief escaped her. Both had shared the tub, and Rangi suspected that Kyoshi had held back just to avoid fighting for space, giving each her own moment. From that sanctuary, Rangi looked at the image of both of them in the mirror, and a smile appeared on her lips. She recognized that having Kyoshi as her support compensated for each of her failures.
“That doesn’t stop me from remembering my defeat,” she insisted anyway, perhaps to hear more of Kyoshi’s loving flattery.
“But we won,” Kyoshi whispered, getting closer to her ear. She wanted her to understand that they not only had been above Yun in their last encounter, but that Rangi had also always been ahead in Kyoshi’s heart. “You won.” She tightened her arms with more force, eliciting a small moan in response. If Kyoshi had ever doubted her feelings for Yun, it was a hesitation that she had resolved long ago.
The combat between them and Yun was over. Only after making sure that Rangi was safe under the care of the old Water Healer Atuat, did Kyoshi go to the rubble of the mansion in search of her fans. With her own hands, she removed stones and debris, using her elemental control with moderation so as not to cause more damage to the area where the injured lay. Without her weapons, it was difficult for her to manipulate the earth with her usual precision, and she didn’t feel confident enough to use careful control.
On her way, she happened upon what had been Yun’s room. She didn’t want to look in there despite everything. He had always been possessive of his space and the fact that his corpse was on a cart at that very moment did not mean the seal was broken. However, she had to. A quick and superficial glance that didn’t allow her to analyze the pieces of half-full jars, yellowed scrolls, and other artifacts whose function was not clear at first sight; and among it all, she found something familiar that she could identify by scent alone: Fire Lilies.
Dry petals had escaped from a broken jar. Apparently, Kyoshi was not the only one who kept the remains of those aromatic flowers for which Yun used to send her mischievous and seductive glances that made her blush. Whether those flirtations were born of genuine love or the arrogance of an Avatar used to getting his way was something she would never know. And, if at any moment Kyoshi had been in love with him, that feeling had vanished long before she realized that another, greater and more sublime feeling had been born for the Firebender.
Indeed, Rangi had won.
Kyoshi leaned in, placing a kiss on Rangi’s shoulder, then gently descending down her spine. Her warm breath raised the tiny hairs on the Firebender’s back. But, just when she was expecting a little more of that caress, her companion stopped, focusing on the healed wound. Kyoshi kissed it with infinite tenderness, once and again, causing a soft giggle and a hint of doubt in Rangi’s voice.
“So you want to play that game, huh?”
Without waiting for a reply, Rangi turned toward Kyoshi and leapt onto her as she straightened up, hanging firmly from her shoulders to eagerly kiss her neck. The scar that marked Kyoshi’s throat, from right to left, became the exact guide to distribute her caresses. Kyoshi offered no resistance. She let herself be a pillar for Rangi’s support and moaned softly to show she was pleased to be her foundation.
When Rangi reached the end of that line, it seemed fair to raise the bet and she descended down the Avatar’s body, dragging Kyoshi’s tunic with her.
“But it’s not fair that I’m the only one who’s naked,” Rangi declared, her voice playful.
Kyoshi’s breathing began to deepen, and in a gesture of submission, Kyoshi allowed the muslin garment to fall to the floor, joining its counterpart. A scar of perhaps six or seven centimeters curved over her chest, while another, twice as long on the opposite flank, ran across her abdomen at the level of her liver; so Rangi slid through the valley between her delectable breasts, leaving a pair of wet kisses on each mark—she would return later to savor the feast she had left behind. For the moment, and in keeping with the strategy, she took Kyoshi’s hands to leave a kiss on the back of each, before turning their palms upward and entrusting them with a dozen tender, loving touches of her lips. The scars there branched out in so many capricious directions that the young woman thought this round of affection would find its own way, through the lines.
Rangi ended up on her knees in front of the natural forest of the Avatar’s groin, but she didn’t give in to the temptation immediately. She took a moment to look up and see if the beautiful green eyes had followed her movements, or if they preferred to remain behind closed eyelids, in a mysterious wait for a just reward. Kyoshi’s silly smile was all Rangi needed to know that impatience hadn’t stolen her focus. Rangi put her hands against Kyoshi’s thighs and pushed her slightly.
“Sit on the bed, Avatar,” she ordered with an unexpected softness in her voice.
The push was not nearly powerful enough to make her stumble, but the master of the elements let herself fall anyway. The long stride her legs gave her, one of the advantages of her height, allowed for a soft landing, narrowly avoiding a real collision with the wooden base of the bed. It was a deliberate movement, and she didn’t bother to hide it.
The reaction was completely to Rangi’s liking—this was such a disciplined Kyoshi—that the girl only needed to take a couple of steps on her before Kyoshi opened her legs. The Firebender settled between them and with both hands made her way to their point of origin. Both craved the contact. The Avatar’s devoted companion decided to delay no longer. She opened her mouth and began to absorb every drop of moisture, which she knew was not just a remnant of the bath they had taken.
On the other hand, the view Kyoshi had from there was splendid. She could see her own reflection in the mirror, being lovingly attended to by her most beloved person, while also contemplating her from another perspective. Putting the mirror there had been a good idea. Kyoshi could feel and she could also look at Rangi, whose back marked the position of her muscles with every movement, and the close-up of her powerful thighs and smooth glutes excited her just as much as knowing that the young Firebender had agreed to this solely to please her.
A moan died in Kyoshi’s throat, perhaps trying not to let her emotion overflow, or for Rangi not to take the gesture as a sign of the great power she held over her. But her attempts failed when her hand moved with an uncontrollable instinct to grab the black hair and pull it toward herself. A small whimper from Rangi woke her from the trance and Kyoshi let go at once, startled as if she had put her hand into a bonfire. Rangi looked up over Kyoshi’s bushy brown hair, and the Avatar could barely make out the mischievous smile that appeared on her companion’s fleshy crimson lips. Rangi took the transgressing hand back and placed it on her own crown, indicating to Kyoshi that it was okay. If it was Kyoshi touching her that way, Rangi was more than willing to indulge her outbursts.
The hair of the Fire Nation inhabitants was more than an aesthetic element. It was really a warrior’s crown, a symbol of honor that was flaunted and protected. Kyoshi knew this; not even she would dare to touch it without permission. But Rangi’s response to the audacity was deeper than any rule. Kyoshi’s heart gave an extra beat of joy, and with the granted consent, she let her fingers run through the dark strands before cupping Rangi’s face in her palms.
“You’re always so generous with me,” she murmured, her voice as soft as a caress. “But I’ve been thinking about repaying you.”
She pulled Rangi up, who debated for a second between desire and the feast she had in front of her. But seeing the sparkle in Kyoshi’s eyes and the promise on her lips, she finally gave in. Their mouths joined in a kiss so full of fire, that Rangi felt her entire soul being absorbed by the Avatar’s. Kyoshi fell back, dragging the other woman with her, whose smaller body, soft as the skin of camellia petals, intoxicating and comforting as a cup of tea in winter, made it difficult for her to regain control.
“I have something saved that I want to show you,” Kyoshi said awkwardly, through gritted teeth.
“Mmmh,” Rangi purred against her. “Really?” She broke the kiss, but stayed so close that the brush of their lips made her tremble. She whispered, in a playful tone, “I don’t know all of your Avatar tricks yet?”
Kyoshi let out a nervous chuckle. “This has nothing to do with elemental control.”
The Avatar was so excited by the positive response that she slipped out from under Rangi so abruptly that it made her bounce on the bed, leaving her stunned and not understanding what she was running from. Kyoshi moved toward the wall closet and slid the door open to rummage desperately among the perfectly folded blankets. The words she was mumbling were unintelligible.
“What are you looking for?” Rangi asked, her head buzzing with curiosity.
“It has to be here. I left it before I left,” Kyoshi replied, her voice tinged with a subtle panic.
“Hey, as much as I’m enjoying this view, you’d better come here now or I’ll start getting dressed.” Rangi’s tone was a sweet threat, but Kyoshi stood up straight, alert, knowing she wasn’t joking.
Just when she was about to give up, her hand found the hidden object. Her eyes lit up, as if she had just found a treasure. “Got it!” With astonishing speed, she hid the arm behind her back and cleared her throat.
Kyoshi approached the bed with slow, measured steps, feigning a calm she wasn’t actually feeling. She propped herself on three limbs to keep the relic hidden, and she approached Rangi with the most captivating smile she was capable of. The Firebender would have laughed if anyone else had tried to seduce her in that way, but this was Kyoshi, and she was a sight to behold. Rangi loved her Avatar’s clumsiness in matters of the heart so much that she only wanted to make her feel secure in her attempt.
“And... What is this surprise?” Rangi asked, playfully tangling one of the locks of hair that fell over Kyoshi’s cheeks with her finger.
The Avatar’s confidence evaporated instantly. “I... “ she stammered. “I don’t know what you’ll think of this. I didn’t have time to talk to you about it before, so I... I want you to see it!” Kyoshi put both hands in front of her and showed her the cylindrical and elongated object, made of black leather and with cotton straps hanging from its triangular base.
Rangi thought it looked like a boiled sausage about to burst its casing, but she knew immediately what it was. She took it with a hand, with complete nonchalance, and shot a look of satisfaction at Kyoshi, who felt her nerves shattering. “And how, exactly, do you want us to use this?” Rangi’s question came with the strict voice of a professor, although there was also a glimmer in her eyes that said: “Go ahead.” Then she gestured to measure the length of the ties around her waist, when a broken voice interrupted her.
“No...!” The sudden tone of Kyoshi made Rangi tense, her eyes opening wide. “I mean... I was thinking of using it... with you.”
Rangi frowned and her lips twisted, trying to decipher the hidden message. Was there something more to it? Kyoshi shook her head and snatched the attachment from her hands. The action was quick, almost exasperated.
“I mean, I want to be on top...” Her freckled cheeks flushed with blood, feeling the heat all the way to her ears. “Between your legs...”
It took the Firebender a couple of seconds to process the information. But suddenly, her snowy skin melted from the heat of a flame that lit up in the center of her body. “Oh.” Rangi’s voice was barely a whisper. “If... if that’s what you want...”
Kyoshi pressed her lips into a pout. “What do you mean, ‘if I want’?” she reproached with a hint of anger. “I want you to want it!” The words echoed in her mind, and she instantly regretted them. She turned her head and hit her thigh with the edge of her fist, the frustration was palpable. “Dammit! I didn’t mean for it to sound like that.”
Rangi let out a soft giggle and took Kyoshi’s face in her hands, stroking the smoothness of her cheekbones with her thumbs. “Hey, it’s okay.” The sweetness in her voice was like a comforting balm. “I want to do it.” She took the accessory from Kyoshi’s hands, brought it to her hip, and with an unexpected delicacy, began to tie the straps behind the Avatar’s back and between her thighs.
Surprise paralyzed the young woman, who could only stay still while Rangi moved with an almost solemn reverence, tightening the straps as if preparing Kyoshi for a sacred ritual. With every knot she secured, Kyoshi felt a piece of herself being handed over—a moment unfolding like a dance where Rangi would surrender entirely to Kyoshi’s touch, trusting her to guard her even in the dark. Rangi ensured the harness was snugly fitted with a gentle tug on the erect shaft, making Kyoshi cover her mouth to smother an unexpected gasp: she had just discovered the base featured a subtle ridge on her side, caressing her as well.
The Firebending smiled broadly, the corners of her lips curling across her face without a trace of shyness, before leaning back and resting her weight on her elbows. She parted her heels with impressive skill—never lifting her knees—placing each foot beside her partner. It would be the master’s task to forge her own path to the center of her core. And though Kyoshi wore the extension, it was Rangi guiding the experience, her eyes conveying everything left unsaid. Kyoshi’s heart thudded with an unfamiliar fury, a mix of desire and the immense weight of protecting Rangi, of honoring what had been entrusted to her.
“It’s alright, Kyoshi. Let’s skip the foreplay.”
The tall girl stood frozen at those words. Her companion was about to take a massive leap, asking to be allowed to fall without a safety net to break the descent. “Are you sure?” Kyoshi’s voice trembled.
“If we’re doing this, it needs to be intense.”
This was a side of Rangi that Kyoshi had yet to encounter—one that thrilled and terrified her in equal measure. What if it proved too much for their first time? They had been intimate before, of course, though Rangi usually took control, taking pleasure in Kyoshi’s reactions as she arched under her touch, reveling in the rhythm of giving and receiving passion. But no matter how wild things became, they had always taken the time to lay the groundwork. Jumping straight into the climax felt... recklessly bold.
Rangi’s lips parted slightly, revealing the tip of her tongue. She might have been parched, eager for what was to come, or perhaps anxious about the ache of opening herself for the first time to an object of such proportions. Yet if fear crossed her mind, she showed no sign of it. She simply lay back, waiting for Kyoshi to understand without further prompt.
Kyoshi swallowed hard. Her palms—a bit rougher than Rangi remembered—traced a path down her lover’s thighs like an exact incantation unlocking a hidden vault. Positioning herself above, she guided the new extension to the threshold of their junction. The contact was slow, barely a featherlight touch that made them both shudder as Rangi held her breath. But when the suspense grew more agonizing than the thought of what lay ahead, the Firebender placed her hands on Kyoshi’s lower back, pulling her down. Driven by Rangi’s own force, Kyoshi leaned forward and sank low, drawing a soft sigh from her partner at the initial press of their join.
That sigh, however, swiftly became an internal gasp. This surpassed the sensation of mere flesh; it was a commanding presence stretching her boundaries in a whole new way. Rangi had never felt anything like it—a blend of initial fullness paired with the promise of overwhelming power. It was Kyoshi’s vastness rendered tangible: the capability to grant or claim life in the most exquisite fashion.
In that moment, Kyoshi knew she had crossed into the most intimate, hallowed sanctuary—a space surrendered to her entirely. She began to move with a tenderness that caught even herself off guard, their bodies floating into a rhythm of soft, deliberate friction. With every inch they merged, a low groan broke from Rangi. Each movement from Kyoshi was a question, and every breath from Rangi the answer needed to push further. The heat radiating from the Firebending was the same warmth that had sheltered Kyoshi on cold nights along their journey, but it quickly spiraled into a whirlwind of pure excitement, threatening to turn into an untamed storm at any second.
From her perspective, Rangi gazed up at Kyoshi’s powerful, supple silhouette moving over her, and her mind was involuntarily drawn to an old memory: the outskirts of the Avatar mansion in Yokoya, where she had been scolding Kyoshi for letting bullies push her around, when suddenly Kyoshi leaped on top of her to shield her from the clay barrel about to crash down on them. She remembered the solid, unyielding weight of Kyoshi pressing down on her, bringing a blush to her cheeks for reasons she couldn’t comprehend back then. But now she knew. That feeling of safety and total surrender was the very same one filling her tonight, only transformed into a passion she could never walk away from.
Their breasts brushed with every thrust, making them gasp, while the growing sheen of sweat between them turned their friction into a warmth of its own—one entirely distinct from the elemental fire burning within. Yet, despite Kyoshi’s imposing height and the muscles flexing and easing with each stroke, Rangi did not feel subdued. In that moment, Rangi might have been the smallest creature in the world, yet the most overwhelmingly happy. She wrapped her arms around the Avatar, longing to melt into her, feeling her move millimeter by millimeter deep inside.
Rangi’s groans grew more urgent, a melody that quickened Kyoshi’s spirit and drowned out her own ragged breathing. Kyoshi let her arms give way, collapsing the remaining space between herself and Rangi’s heart. There was no Firebender, no Avatar—only two bodies merged into a primitive pulse. Just as Rangi was surrendering to the bliss of those frantic drives, she felt a sudden caress seeking out the core between her thighs. Somehow, despite there being no room to spare, Kyoshi had slipped her hand down, and with a precision only a woman could offer, her finger found the exact epicenter of the storm. The deliberate pressure on that delicate, sensitive point set off a wave of intense, delirious tremors that surged through the Firebender’s muscles like lightning, far sooner than she had anticipated. Rangi’s nails dug into Kyoshi’s back with the ferocity of a wild beast as ecstasy swept through every fiber and curve of her being.
A final, drawn-out sigh slipped from her lips as she crossed the point of no return.
Even as the Firebending went rigid, shuddering under the peak of her climax and the rougher friction brought on by her inner contractions, Kyoshi kept the pace, eager to prolong the moment. Rangi didn’t stop her—couldn’t even speak—as a raw cry fought to tear free from the depths of her throat. It was obvious Rangi wanted to hold it back, to refrain from yielding to raw instinct, but it was simply too much. Eventually, Kyoshi’s ears had to bear the brunt of it, and her stoicism paid off. The quivers and contractions of the smaller frame ignited her own fury, driving her over the edge. Rangi’s bliss was the only catalyst she needed. A surge of heat rushed through her body until a tremor climbed from her pelvis straight to her chest, leaving her overwhelmed by the rising electricity beneath her skin. With one last, sharp thrust, Kyoshi surrendered to her own release, her gasp dissolving between their bodies.
* * * * * * *
In the calm that followed the ecstasy, their universe had been reduced to the warmth of their bodies intertwined under the sheets. While it had been a different experience, the love and affection between them remained intact after the months they had been separated in recent times. All that mattered in this instant were their affectionate caresses and their hearts returning to their natural rhythm.
Now, only the light aroma of incense and the warmth of both their breaths filled the room. The light from the fire outlined the contours of their skin. Kyoshi, with one hand on Rangi’s back, felt the breathing of her companion, who clung to her chest. Rangi’s fingers, always so precise, were sketching the scars on her skin, as if they were reading a secret map that only she knew. Her black hair, loose and shiny, cascaded over Kyoshi’s chest, like a dark waterfall over her skin.
“Hey, Kyoshi...” Rangi’s silky voice broke the solemnity of the moment. “Where did you get... that toy?”
It took several seconds for Kyoshi to understand the question. When she did, she returned to her nervous chuckle. “Uhm... from... a toymaker, obviously.”
Rangi propped herself up on her elbow and, demanding an explanation, fixed a severe gaze on Kyoshi. Kyoshi’s response was a shrug.
“You’re not serious.” Rangi was incredulous. Kyoshi bit her lips and the silence turned to ashes when the Firebender exploded. “Are you seriously saying that a person who makes toys for children knows about our intimate activities?!”
“Wait, let me explain. It’s not what you think,” Kyoshi said, trying to calm her. “The story is a Little... long. It happened a while ago, before Ambassador Quin arrived in Ba Sing Se...”
And while Rangi looked at her with a mix of anger and curiosity, Kyoshi told her what happened in the Lower Ring.
There she had found the crafts workshop. Various string toys, pinwheels, and kites hung in the windows, while the tables displayed small miniature carriages, all kinds of animals made of wood and clay, as well as metal tops. The sight stopped her in her tracks, filling her with a longing for the kind of childhood she never had. The only toy she truly treasured was the clay turtle that her adoptive father Kelsang had given her the day they met, and yet, she deliberately turned the clay to dust and threw it from a hill so the wind would carry it away. Avatar Yangchen had been clear when she told her that this toy was one of the Air Nomads’ relics and that it was essential for that toy to return to them before the Avatar cycle would once again fall upon an Airbender. “I could just buy one of the turtles they have here and take it to the Southern Air Temple instead of the original,” Kyoshi thought. But she discarded the idea as soon as she realized that it couldn’t be any other. Her turtle had been unique, and she was very clear about that. “The Air Nomads would never accept a copy,” so she gave up on the idea and was about to move on when the mature voice of a woman caught her attention.
“Avatar Kyoshi! It’s a pleasure to have you here!” It was not common for the residents of that part of the city to be happy to see her, so the welcome was a small caress on the Avatar’s spirit. “Would you like to take something? Is it for a boy or a girl? It’s very generous of you to consider getting a gift.”
Kyoshi hesitated, unsure of saying that she was only passing through when the woman seemed so happy. She didn’t realize that she was falling for the vendor’s strategy to secure a sale, and in fact, it worked. Kyoshi began to casually look at the batches of toys that decorated the shop, until a strange-looking item caught her attention.
“Excuse me? What is that?” She pointed to a kind of post made of black leather, which had a handle at its base. It was like a thick, rounded sword.
“That’s a club for herding deer-cattle. Ranchers use it to get their herds on the right path,” the woman replied, quickly adding to the information when she noticed the Avatar’s look of surprise. “But don’t worry, it’s just a toy. It doesn’t really hurt.” The vendor took one of the pieces and flexed it between her hands, showing its elasticity. “See? It’s just a little stiff to keep its shape, but I could give you a good series of blows with this and it wouldn’t hurt you.” She laughed, trying to minimize the threat and any negative implication she might have left implicit.
However, Kyoshi had seen potential in the peculiar object, and since she was already hooked by the artisan’s sales pitch, she ventured to ask: “And can you make... uh... special toys?”
For a second, the vendor was speechless, trying to decipher the message, until a broad, malicious smile replaced her friendly demeanor. “Oh, I see. You’re one of those customers.” She winked and tapped herself on the hand with the leather club she was still holding. Her cheerful, friendly attitude gave way to a suggestive and dominant pose. Kyoshi’s face needed no paint to turn completely crimson with the color of blood. “It’s alright, dear, I know people like you. I’d be happy to make a special order for the Avatar.”
“What?! No! I... not...” Kyoshi put her hands out in front of her and shook them nervously. Her voice trembling with uncertainty. “And what do you mean by ‘people like me’?”
“Don’t be ashamed. I’ll be discreet,” the woman reassured her. “I know my business. I’ll have one of my messengers deliver the piece to you as soon as it’s finished. I assure you that you’ll be satisfied with your purchase.”
Kyoshi was raising a finger to protest when another voice, that of a young woman accompanied by a child of maybe seven, blew past her.
“Can you show me that kite? My son wants me to buy him one.”
“Of course! I have kites of many shapes and colors. Would you like to see some?”
The vendor focused entirely on her new client and Kyoshi understood that the best thing was to disappear before she herself ruined her own discretion. She got lost in the streets hoping that the woman would forget her promise, only to be filled with mixed feelings days later when the toymaker’s messenger knocked on her door. How she found out her address was something she preferred not to investigate. She received the package, as discreet as that woman had told her it would be, and she had no choice but to accept that she had made a good purchase. She even gave the messenger a tip.
After finishing the story, Kyoshi also sat up in bed, retreating on her elbows until the headboard cut off her escape. There wasn’t enough distance to escape the heat that her beloved’s anger was releasing.
“Hey, she was just a craftswoman like any other!” she weakly excused herself. Rangi’s eyes were two red-hot coals.
But, just when Kyoshi thought the Avatar cycle would restart, Rangi’s face immediately went from its killer phase to a deeply distressed expression. She fell back and covered her face with both hands. “It can’t be...” She was devastated.
“I don’t understand the problem.” Kyoshi moved forward again, cautiously leaning over Rangi’s body, but worried that she had had a heart attack. “Our relationship isn’t a secret...”
“Our relationship!” Rangi exclaimed, lowering her hands violently and making the Avatar flinch. Then, Rangi realized from the fear in Kyoshi’s eyes that it might be a good idea to lower her voice in this conversation. The apartment wasn’t exactly soundproof. “Our relationship isn’t a secret.” Rangi lifted her torso, sitting up so quickly that Kyoshi had to dodge her. “But, Kyoshi...” she took Kyoshi’s hands and put them together in a prayer-like posture; also a way to keep her from escaping, “it’s one thing for us to have decided not to hide, and quite another for other people to know what we do in bed, and how. I mean...” Rangi thought about her words before continuing in a more tolerant tone. “In the Fire Nation, you can get these things too, but it’s a special, highly trusted person who makes them, maintaining the secrecy and confidentiality of their users.” Rangi let go of Kyoshi and it seemed that panic returned to her thoughts, so she held her head in her hands. “Now everyone in the Earth Kingdom is going to know about this!”
Kyoshi leaned in under Rangi’s forearm to get a better look. “Really?” The innocent and mischievous tone made Rangi hesitate. “I don’t see other people here.” Kyoshi lifted the covers and acted as if she were looking for something. “And not here either,” she added. She took the pillow out from behind Rangi and unintentionally, but satisfied, made her fall onto her back. Rangi was confused. Kyoshi appeared in her field of vision again, grinning widely. “Maybe you hid them under you?”
The next thing Rangi felt were Kyoshi’s hands on the sides of her hips, trying to lift her from the mattress before she started tickling her at her waist. The Firebender had no immunity to that. Rangi started to laugh and Kyoshi doubled her attack against her companion’s most sensitive areas, carefully pecking at the skin around her breasts and part of her back when she twisted enough to give her hands some space.
It was a relentless battle in which the Avatar had all the advantage, and when the tears of frenzy had flowed enough, still laughing as if they had drunk cactus juice, Kyoshi hugged Rangi from behind, immobilizing her arms to make sure she was ready to hoist the white flag.
“You’d better sleep,” Rangi said between broken laughs. “You must be tired after what happened today.”
The proposal made a knot form in Kyoshi’s throat. “I don’t want to sleep knowing you’ll be returning to the Fire Nation as soon as the sun rises,” Kyoshi whispered pressed against the back of her neck. Her embrace tightening around Rangi’s warm, naked body. “We just reunited after so long, and now it’s you who must leave. I want to be conscious until the last minute you’re here.”
Kyoshi felt the raw irony of her words. Their reunion had not been the end of a story, but the brief interlude between one departure and the next.
For two years, after Fire Lord Zoryu dismantled the conspiracy against his regime by the Saowon clan, the Avatar dedicated her time to forging an Anti-Corruption Task Force to bring peace to the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. It was the support of Ambassador Quin, the Fire Nation’s goodwill emissary, and her ability to convince Earth King Yi Ming, that gave the group government backing.
However, in the middle of the task, Kyoshi was called to a special mission and had to leave. Rangi acquired the rank of Troop Captain, with Quin’s support, and stayed behind to oversee the performance of the new force. But the Avatar’s absence was the perfect opportunity for the Earth King to pervert the group, using it for his own ends. Chaos flourished and Rangi’s concern turned to despair when Ambassador Quin’s progeny were kidnapped. This forced Rangi to leave the city in search of Kyoshi, who upon receiving the notice, delegated her own mission to her dear daofei friends, Kirima and Wong, to return to the city by her faithful companion’s side. Kyoshi neutralized the threat of the criminal groups, freed the hostages, and advised the Earth King so that he would not fall into the same errors again—what would become her hallmark in the future.
So, when everything seemed to have been resolved and the troops received a well-deserved rest, Rangi wanted to take advantage of their time by planning this intimate moment in Kyoshi’s apartment. They had been through so much; separation, anguish, that this felt like a deserved reward. But just before they left the military residences and night fell, an official letter from the Fire Lord arrived in Rangi’s hands. Zoryu requested the return of all the distinguished and representative members of the clans to address matters of utmost national relevance.
Rangi felt Kyoshi’s heart beating against her back, a painful rhythm that reflected the sorrow of the inevitable separation. “You know I wouldn’t leave if Mother could handle this. But in her situation...” Rangi broke the silence, her voice succumbing to a shadow of sadness.
“I know.”
Kyoshi delicately undid the embrace and turned to stare at the patterned, transparent veil that hung over the bed, like a fleeting second sky. The image faded and in its place appeared the face of Fire Lord Zoryu, and with it, the bitter memory of the Camellia-Peony War. Kyoshi put the back of her hand against her forehead and her next words came out in a whisper, almost like a thought murmured aloud―“I don’t understand... how can you so blindly follow the dictates of that man?”
She had told Rangi everything, how she had been wrong, and yet the Fire Lord had taken advantage of her every mistake to stoke the fires of discord. Kyoshi herself, who had sworn to protect all, felt indirectly guilty for the clan war and therefore had not found the courage to intervene. If Zoryu had been capable of this with the clan of her half-brother, he was capable of anything.
“Precisely for that reason,” Rangi turned toward her, climbing onto her body as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and in a way, a safe haven. “The message said they need the presence of the most important representatives of all the clans. My mother lost that status when... you know...” she mumbled with shame, almost the same dishonor that Hei-Ran had to face upon cutting her hair at the feet of her Lord. “That’s why I have to be there! I need to make sure Zoryu doesn’t go too far!”
Kyoshi noticed the detail, a small but significant sign of her true stance: Rangi had not referred to him as Fire Lord. And in that moment, the bitterness of Zoryu’s ingratitude softened a little before Rangi’s logic. It was a necessary evil, a sacrifice, and she realized that she couldn’t stop her. Not only because her companion was right, but because she knew she couldn’t do it even if rage consumed her.
Rangi smiled affectionately, and seeing Kyoshi's distressed expression, she leaned in to give her a delicate, long kiss, taking the time to memorize her lips and the intensity of her warmth.
“I’d also like to visit Mother. I want to know if she has recovered from everything that happened,” Rangi added. Kyoshi returned the smile, even if her gaze took a little longer to do the same. She felt the need to wrap Rangi in her arms again, but the young woman escaped from them, moving back just enough to sit astride Kyoshi.
Her mournful attitude had dissolved in an instant, replaced by a familiar fire in her eyes. “Let’s make the most of our time now. Tomorrow we might not be able to talk much when I join the Ambassador’s troops.”
Rangi placed her palms on Kyoshi’s strong abdomen and lifted her hips slightly, beginning a curious dance against Kyoshi’s belly, making her wonder what she was trying to do. When she felt the small electric touch and the precise pressure against the juncture of her thighs, followed by a liberated moan from the Firebender, she remembered that she had never removed the harness from her waist. Kyoshi’s eyes wanted to delve into that dark area created by the joining of their bodies, but unable to discern the details—beyond what her most sensitive nerves were experiencing—she drew her attention upward, to the erect, round breasts that seemed sculpted from the same pride that the Firebender possessed. Then she gazed at Rangi’s beautiful face, as if chiseled from marble, which held her gaze defiantly before lifting her hips and lowering herself onto Kyoshi with her full weight. Then her defiance succumbed to the feeling of completeness that flooded her being.
Kyoshi’s hands found their place on Rangi’s waist, beginning a slow rhythm, more intent on making sure every inch of Rangi’s interior was caressed with painstaking devotion. A rhythm quite different from the passionate release they had experienced a little while before. At that moment, Kyoshi so desperately wished she had control over a fifth element: time, to prolong that night and prevent dawn from ever returning. However, time was something not even the Avatar was able to master from the start.
The rest of the night passed in caresses, kisses, and whispers, until, inevitably, the first rays of light filtered through the window, reminding them that a new day, and a new journey to another destination awaited them.