She was practically choking on air. How many years had it been since she left Agna Qel'a? Leaving was a mistake. She'd never left before without her parents, not that she would ever have the chance to do that again. She had chosen this for herself though. She had foolishly chosen this for herself. What would everyone else think?
She'd left without saying goodbye to her friend. He would probably go looking for her regardless of the brief note she had left behind for him that told him not to. But no matter what the outcome here was, it would be too late.
Her heart was beating hard enough that it felt as though it had somehow wormed its way up into her throat as she stared at the vast expanse of ocean ahead of her. Her mind was racing. Every possibility flickered through her mind until it became a blur of chaos and terrible things that could happen. She felt frozen in place and struggled to both slow her breathing and get enough air.
It was a mistake to leave Agna Qel'a. A mistake to think that she could leave. A mistake to think that she would live past this incredibly stupid decision. She would likely die in the ocean somewhere on this stupid piece of ice-
Miyuki woke with a gasp so sharp, she nearly choked on it as she bolted up. Her eyes darted around to survey her surroundings, only then noticing that she had readied a water whip. She took in a slow, deep breath and let it go.
That was right.
She had traveled on a block of ice when she left the Tribe too. It hadn't crossed her mind when she set off for her hometown like this again. It was almost undoubtedly this setting that caused her to have such a terrible dream.
Miyuki took another deep breath in as she closed her eyes. She wasn't that scared little girl that ran from the Tribe anymore. She didn't like the way that this place was making her revert back to old habits that she thought she had shed long ago. To a mindset that she thought she had long since freed herself of.
Things were different this time. She was different. That alone was more than enough. Right. That was more than enough. Miyuki folded her legs under her and allowed her eyes to fall shut once again when she was settled. She drifted back to sleep.
Three hours until she hit the gates of Agna Qel'a.
·:*¨༺ ★ ༻¨*:·.
The gates loomed over her as she stood on her block of ice. Miyuki was contemplating how she wanted to make her literal entrance back into the Tribe, and she had to admit— Brute force was looking like a pretty appealing option at the moment. It would be easy though to simply blast a hole right through the gates and stroll in from there.
The only thing stopping her was the impact that it would have on her brother. She didn't have to live here, but this was his home, and he would have to hear people whispering about her every time he passed by or walked into a room for the next span of time no matter what she did today. She couldn't add to his burden intentionally like that. Even if there were going to be rumors anyway, she would try to keep things as tepid as possible. Her stomach managed to do a couple flips before she forcibly quelled them. Oh, what she wouldn't do to get rid of her emotions entirely.
She heard them before she actually saw them. The sound of ice freezing over the water pricked at her ears and she shifted her stance immediately to destroy the incoming attacks from three sides before she shifted again and froze their boats in place in turn. It lasted for only a moment, given that their boats were filled with waterbenders, but it made her intentions clear, at the very least. She could already hear the commotion she had caused with her little show of retaliation.
She walked over to the boat that seemed to contain the squad leader, freezing the water under her feet with each step. His face looked vaguely familiar, but his name was nowhere in her mind to even recall. The man's eyes widened in shock as though he never expected to see her alive again after she left the Tribe. "You're Miyuki? Yukio's daughter? The girl who left?" Obviously, he remembered her though.
So that's what they were calling her now: 'the girl who left.' She folded her arms. "That's right."
His gaze hardened. "You have some nerve coming back here after the disturbance that you caused right before you left."
There was never any rest for the weary here, it seemed. Miyuki shook it off with a curious tilt of her head. "And here I thought that citizens could enter and leave Agna Qel'a freely."
"They can."
"Ah, I see." She nodded along reasonably. "Then a woman learning to bend is now considered to be a crime so serious that my citizenship was revoked?"
"Of course not-!"
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Then on what grounds are you to deny me entry?"
The man's shoulders slumped as he sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Showing up at the gates like some intruder is no way to do it. Out and about in the world, and you've already forgotten the rules and how to respect your elders. This is what happens when you leave the Tribe." The man heaved another heavy sigh as though scolding a disruptive child. "Come along then. Maybe you'll learn to recover your manners before you leave."
Miyuki bit back her snide comments and went past the gates with them. This was precisely the sort of welcome that she was expecting to get. She nearly rolled her eyes as she watched them open the gates. The job of one bender was being done by ten. As inefficient as ever.
"Not going to raise a hand to help now, are you?" the old man grumbled.
She flashed a brilliant smile in his direction. "I'm not sure what you mean. It's against the rules for women to bend, is it not? I was merely respecting the rules and 'recovering my manners.'"
He cast her a hard look before falling silent.
When she was a child, there was always a certain joy that welled up in her chest when they returned home after a long trip. She wasn't sure what it was that she was feeling now upon seeing the familiar canals and streets, but it certainly wasn't joy. She could feel the eyes on her the moment they entered the city, and their gazes almost felt as though they were weighing her down. She took a moment to remind herself that she was only going to be here for a short while and that there was no need to stir the pot. Calm. She was calm. If she focused hard enough, all their whispers faded into the background like grains of sand blowing in the vast expanse of the desert.
She watched for a moment as they made their way down the streets, and she started to get an idea of where they were trying to take her. "Tell me, squad leader. What do you intend to do with me when we reach Central? Take me straight to the Council? Lock me up? Or do you intend on doing both?" The older man turned to her and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Regardless of what you plan on doing, I suggest that you let me off here."
"Or what?"
"Or the city's about to get a reminder of the reason I left to begin with. I'm confident that I've seen far more action than some of these green warriors you've got with you."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Of course not, that would be a crime. I'm presenting you with a choice: writing a report explaining how I got into the city or writing a report explaining why the fifteen or so warriors under your command were defeated by a single girl. Take your pick."
She watched as the man toiled for a moment. It was a tough choice, apparently. He took in a deep breath at long last and sighed. "Men, stop." The boat came to a halt and he glanced at her. "You are your brother's sister. In the worst way possible."
She smiled graciously. "A sound judgment." Miyuki stood, and in one fluid motion, hopped onto the sidewalk, using her bending to form a small foothold of ice in the canal the moment her foot touched the surface of the water. She bent the ice away the moment she lept from the foothold. She spun around and tucked into a polite bow. "Thank you for bringing me part of the way," she announced for everyone watching to hear before rounding the corner and disappearing from their line of vision.
She might have to deal with the consequences of that decision later. She knew that much. But as she glided down the sidewalks, she didn't regret it.
Her feet stopped her before she realized where she was. She looked up and her breath caught a little in her throat when her gaze landed on the quaint building that she called home for most of her life. It had been a long time since she had a fixed place to stay after leaving this place, if the Fire Nation ship didn't count. She found herself standing outside of it for a moment longer than necessary, simply taking in the view before her. It was silly. Being sentimental about things now.
Miyuki chided herself for her sentimentality and stepped inside. As expected, it was dark inside. Her brother wasn't home then. She left her bags by the door as the vague memories of all the time she had spent here flickered through her mind. Playing with toys on the floor with her brother and goading her father into joining them, helping her mother with the house chores, studying with her friend... Things like that.
She clicked her tongue. There wasn't much use in dwelling on things that would affect her mood. Not like this.
She took in a deep breath, threw open the windows, and set about tidying the mess that her brother had left behind.
·:*¨༺ ★ ༻¨*:·.
Being back was weird, to say the least. Everything was completely different and yet entirely the same all at once. In a similar vein, the house itself looked a little different, but her room looked exactly as she had left it. The people milling by were on a different schedule than she remembered, but they were the same people more or less, even if their timing wasn't. All in all, she felt off. Very off.
It was getting to the point where it was unsetting. The house chores had hardly kept her busy enough to keep her mind off things and she hit the point where she decided to go out and buy some new clothes before freshening up. Even that was done now though.
She was resorting to fixing her hair to pass the time. She was in the middle of braiding it back into its usual half-up-half-down style when she began to fish around for something to hold it in place in her mother's old dressing table. Her fingers grasped at something with an unfamiliar shape and she found an old hairpin embellished with a crescent moon. She stared at it for a long moment.
Her memories of her parents were vague now, but it was probably something that belonged to her mother at some point. Considering the fact that it didn't seem as though her brother had gotten married since she left, it was a safe bet to say that she could use it. She lingered on the thought for a moment longer before deciding to use it. She glanced at herself in the mirror. Looked decent enough to her.
Zuko and Zhao were on course to arrive tomorrow or the day after, meaning she had today to do whatever she wanted. She wondered if she would be able to get her hands on something to read or find someone to fight. Both seemed like appealing options right now, and she wouldn't mind either or both.
Miyuki went into her room and put on an old coat that she had left behind before venturing back outside. Someone who would have books she could borrow probably existed, but who? Or maybe it would be better to just go and see if she could buy some? She pondered her options when the door opened.
"Miyu." The tall young man at the door was wearing clothes of fine quality. A white collared coat with long flowing sleeves and gold trimmings. The armor on his shoulder was a similar black and gold and the clothes under his coat were a rich, indigo. His dark hair was cut unevenly, presumably on purpose, and reached his shoulder on one side while just barely reaching his ears on the other, but despite it all, it was obvious that this man was well-off.
He rushed to her and pulled her into a ribcage-compressing embrace without warning. She felt the wind literally get knocked out of her when he did.
"Izuki-" She tapped his arm. "You're hugging me too tight. It hurts."
The young man laughed lightly and let go of her, eyes practically brimming with tears. "And how else would I hug my dear baby sister who returned after months of silence?"
"I'm not a child anymore-"
"I know you're not, but in my heart, you'll always be my baby sister." He took his coat off and set his sword down. "You should tell me next time you plan on coming back."
Ah. She did have time to tell him, but it would have involved a lot more lying than she would have liked. It was probably for the best that she had forgotten to. "I would have, but it was a bit touch-and-go for me. I practically rushed here because-"
The two stood when the door was flung open, and Izuki regarded the pair of waterbenders who barged their way into the doorway. Izuki cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. How may we help you?"
"The Chief would like to have a word with your sister, Izuki." He, whoever it was, was expressionless as he declared their intent.
Miyuki put a refreshing smile on her face. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of a meeting with Chief Arnook himself?"
She stopped to glare up at the man who grabbed her wrist, yanked her out of the house, and threw her onto the sidewalk.
"Miyu!"
She glanced at her brother, who stood down when he saw the look she was giving him. She stood and bent the snow off her clothes. It was a mistake to let go of her once they got her wrist because he wouldn't get it again.
She turned back to the waterbender who had grabbed her right wrist, and tutted, "Is this how they taught you to treat a lady?" She bent the snow on the ground into shards of ice with her left hand and they swirled around her, sharp points oriented outwards towards the men. Like she said, it was a mistake to give her use of her arms again so quickly. "I'll come with you both quietly if you keep your hands off me." She smiled sweetly despite her obvious threat. "Promise."
The men raised their hands hesitantly and she sent the ice shards flying into the ground fast enough that they whistled through the air as a show of power. It seemed that all of Lieutenant Jee's 'more force' advice didn't go to waste, considering that she found a way to apply it to her waterbending. Their eyes widened and she smiled at them innocently. "Lead the way, gentlemen."
The walk to the royal palace itself was quiet and felt much longer than it should have, given that their house wasn't very far from it to begin with. She could feel the stares and hear the whispers all the way there, but rather than make her lose her nerve, they made her feel all the more calm. Still, they were a distraction.
When she managed to more or less ignore them, she began to think about why the Council would call her there and what she should say in response. By the time she walked into the audience hall, she had long since decided on three plans of action depending on how they opened.
She glanced around at the audience sitting in the stands before ducking into a polite bow. "Chief Arnook." She put a pleasant smile on her face as she addressed the man at the center of the Council. To his right was his daughter, Yue, and to his left, the elderly waterbending master, Pakku. "I must admit that I was surprised to hear that you wanted to see me so soon after my return. Truly, you are a leader to be admired. Just like family, you've noted my return home." She kept careful watch on the man to see how he intended to reply to his favorite turn of phrase being used right back at him.
"Miyuki, I'm glad to hear that you feel that way. The days leading up to your departure and your departure itself caused quite the stir, but your return even more so, it seems," the chief began. "I called you here today, not only to welcome you home, but to ask you what has prompted you to come back."
The waterbending master frowned at her. "To think that you would have the nerve to come back after what happened last time."
"Master Pakku, it's good to see that you're still as energetic as ever." Her voice oozed so much honey she felt as though she were giving herself a cavity. "And yes, while there was a scene before I left, Agna Qel'a is still my home."
"That may be so, but your sudden reappearance has caused quite the stir. You caused quite some duress upon returning, so pray tell, what exactly are you here for?" As expected, the waterbending master's response was unyielding.
One glance at the hard look that the elderly man cast at her was enough to know that she predicted correctly in what she guessed would be the most likely flow of the conversation, and that Pakku, rather than Chief Arnook, was the main instigator for this meeting.
Miyuki caught a glimpse of her brother in the crowd watching anxiously. She took a moment to clear her mind of distraction. Then, she composed her expression, and with it, her voice. "I'm afraid that I've come as the bearer of ill news."
The Council reacted strongly to this. The moment she said it, it looked almost as though the entire crowd was pulled taut all at once by a skilled puppeteer. "Miyuki, what do you mean?" Arnook asked.
"In my time away from home, I have made a bit of a name for myself as an informant. I'm sure that the news has reached all corners of the world by now, but the Avatar is alive and well. If my sources are correct, he arrived here not too long ago, am I correct?"
The waterbending master folded his arms. "You are, but where are you going with this, Miyuki? I'll not have you wasting our time."
"The Fire Nation navy has been tracking the Avatar closely in these last few months. If my sources are correct, they will arrive in Agna Qel'a within the next three days." Miyuki waited for the Council to process this information with their gasps, all the while, her expression perfectly composed.
"That is an extremely serious report. Do you have any proof of this?" the chief asked.
Miyuki was quick to shake her head. "I don't. Much of my work is based on collecting scraps of information, piecing things together myself and predicting based on past actions and information. I am well-known for being accurate most of the time, but I cannot guarantee that I am correct. If it's proof you're asking for, I have nothing more to offer than whispers of a certain admiral collecting all the ships of the Fire Nation's northern fleet." She cleared her throat when Pakku began to protest. "However, if you ask the Avatar and his companions, I am sure that they will confirm that they had been running from a specific group of people from the Fire Nation from the beginning of their journey until now, but there is no more that I can offer up as proof that might convince you."
"You can't possibly expect us to accept information without proper backing! Especially for something like this!" Pakku exclaimed. "You're even more of a child than I had thought! Coming back to the Tribe just to cause chaos-"
Every nerve in her body was itching to fight, but she held herself together and lowered her head instead. "I understand your concerns. I had anticipated as much, but I came all this way with no more expectations than to simply tell you what I believe will come next. I realize that my reputation here is less than outstanding for a lot of reasons, but I came back to warn everyone regardless." She took a slow inhale that she knew some people would take as her fighting to stop herself from crying. "Agna Qel'a is my home. No matter how many years pass, nothing can change this fact. I cannot stand idly by while there's a chance, no matter how slim, that my home, my family will be put in danger. I had intended to stay and lend my assistance for the upcoming conflict, but if my presence here has caused such a disturbance that you felt the need to call me to have an audience with the Council by force to address my reappearance, then I will depart as soon as possible."
She bowed then. "I beg of the Council to prepare for the worst. I know my words may not hold much credit, but I could not leave any chance for the Fire Nation to attack without warning you. Thank you for hearing me out."
If it was a fight Pakku wanted, it was a fight he would get. She would sacrifice whatever information she needed, so long as she could still find a way for Zuko to achieve his goal here.
Miyuki looked up when Chief Arnook stood. "Thank you for speaking your mind, Miyuki. The Council will now convene. Everyone else, please leave while we deliberate."
Miyuki bowed to the Council one last time before turning to follow the flow of people out. She looked up when she felt a heavy arm fall around her shoulders and found herself looking up at her brother, who guided her out. "You did well, Miyu."
He didn't say anything more than that, but somehow, it seemed like he saw straight through her scheme. She almost smiled. Well, he was her brother, after all. She never did have an easy time fooling him.