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"I'm going to follow her," Rue said, looking at Kuilak for acknowledgment. She would've taken off without it though, as her tawny wings were already unfurled, the feathers dancing in the light breeze.

Kuilak nodded, his deep, night-blue eyes giving away all his worry and anxiety.

Rue immediatly hurled herself into the air, flying quickly after the bi-bender. "Setsuko!" she called out, her voice carried by the wind.

The call didn't reach Setsuko in her distant state. Rather, she just flew on, not really collecting much from the world around her as her mind swam with thoughts.

Rue was glad of her sharp, raptor-like vision as she was able to spot Setsuko. She beat her wings harder, speeding up as she passed through an air current.

Kuilak stood his ground, a sickening pang of worry striking him. There was something wrong about Setsuko. He had seen her tune out the world for periods of time before, when she was forced into doing things she desperately had not wanted to do, but never had it been as extreme a case as this. But Kuilak continued simply to stand there, staring into the horizon where his wife and her friend had flown away. Only the crying of Li brought him back to reality. Kya carried her little brother towards Kuilak, who took him graciously, trying to calm the young boy. "Father," Kya began softly, "What's wrong with Mother?"
And for once, Kuilak could not answer his daughter.

"Setsuko!" Rue repeated, the air current carrying her closer.

Setsuko at last landed, not knowing where she was nor entirely how she got there. She shook her head to clear it. This was so crazy! All she wanted was to be back home on a normal day following the normal routine and for her children to be there with her, safe, unharmed, not in danger of crazed spirits.

But how was she handling the situation? Was she doing it right? Was it really a good idea to fly off the way she did? She wasn't sure. There were just too many thoughts crowding her flooded mind, all of which were confusing and unappealing.

Rue folded in her wings, dropping the last foot or two towards the ground. "Setsuko?" she asked, hesitantly. Her wings were warm against her back, but she ignored the excess heat, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Are you alright?" Only when the question came out did she realize how stupid a question it had been, but despite how she longed to choke back the words, she was unable to. She inhaled softly, waiting for a reply.


Gale followed behind Sumi, nervousness making his heart flutter and pound in his ears. He felt Maddy slip her hand into his; it was a rare gesture, but he appreciated it nonetheless. It meant she was as nervous as he was.

"No!" Setsuko's first response was sudden and harsh. She took a deep breath. "I mean, yes. Well, no. I mean...oh, I don't know!" Her face twisted with emotion. "This is so weird! I feel like it shouldn't be happening!" She confessed. "It seemed so much easier when we were kids. I mean, it was just as weird, but it almost seemed more...believable, you know?" She sighed, a great defeat shining in her eyes; her voice lowered. "I guess that open part of me may very well be gone forever."

Kuilak remained where he had stopped, staring into the distance where Setsuko and Rue had disappeared. "If only I could do something," he murmured sadly.

"Nothing is gone forever, Setsuko," Rue said sternly, the tone of her voice surprising even herself. "Nothing." She acted on impulse, wrapping her arms around the bi-bender in an embrace of comfort and friendship. They had stood together against hard-ships and trials before, and they would stand together again.


"Sumi? Do you think we've gone far enough?" Gale's voice cut through the air, the question ringing in the silence. Personally, he wished to turn back...this cave was creepy.

Setsuko wanted to pull away, but she couldn't. She just allowed Rue to embrace her, a stead stream of warm teardrops falling from her face.

Sumi stopped. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts, that he had forgotten that they were even walking. "Oh. Yeah, I guess so." But before they could even turn around, they were stopped by a rasping voice.
"And just who are you?"

ooc--Man, it feels good to roleplay a WC part again! XD

Ooc:// IKR! I'm grinning like an idiot right now, just because I'm happy to see this up and running again.

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Rue felt a few salty drops splatter against her arm, but ignored them. They only made her squeeze Setsuko gently, a sign that she was there, and always would be.


Maddy pressed a hand against her mouth to keep from crying out in surprise and sudden fear.

Gale managed to speak. "G-Gale," he stuttered. The voice came from behind, and he was afraid to turn around. So he stood as if frozen, his only movement slight trembling.

"I...er..um...Natsumi," Sumi stuttered, frozen to the spot.
"Natsumi?" The voice cackled. "Isn't that a girl's name?" Sumi blushed prominently, a flush of anger and embarrassment rushing through him. "It's a long story!" He said, voice cracking slightly, only adding to the embarrassment.

Ooc:// That made me laugh...

And you know, I'm going to have to call you Setsuko instead of Katara now. Just for the sake of WC and TSC. ^^

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Maddy spoke past her dry mouth, which was a miracle in itself. "I'm Maddy." While her voice trembled, it didn't crack and she didn't stutter, like Sumi or Gale.