All four of the masters were having a small conversation in the restaurant, with five cups of tea in front of them. They stood when they saw us. We bowed. The five masters still looked the same. Their hair was in buns, so I couldn't tell if it had grown longer.
"Master," I greeted.
"Your Highness," the masters seemed to recognize the king's presence.
"I think we should go somewhere with fewer ears than here," said Master Run. We then moved to the gazebo by the lake. No one was there, but just in case, we created a transparent water bubble to ensure no one could hear us.
"Impressive, Luna Banyu and Valentine," Master Fai complimented us. Oh my spirit we didn't just get complimented by the masters.
"So, have you planned for this, Master?" asked Alas.
"We did, but we didn't know your father and brother would come, so there might be a change in plans."
"We predicted something like this would happen sooner or later. Nothing lasts forever, not even the secrecy of our existence. We still don't know why the Queen Mother is doing this, so it would probably be best to talk with her to prevent any future misdeeds," said Master Fai.
"It sure wouldn't be easy," I said.
"We should pretend to be interested in whatever she's planning and offer to be her ally," Master Run suggested.
"That's a good idea," I agreed.
"She wouldn't trust strangers or small people like us, so King Arthur should take on that role," Master Fai said.
"Luna Banyu, you should disguise yourself as one of King Arthur's guards. The Queen Mother would probably only accept an ally who can benefit her, so King Arthur should pretend to be able to waterbend while you, Luna Banyu, will do the waterbending," Master Run explained.
"Agreed," the king agreed.
"But how are we supposed to convince her to stop doing evil things?" I asked.
"King Arthur couldn't do that himself, as it would cut off the flow of information between the Queen Mother and us… so… I think we'll figure that out once we understand her plan better," Master Fai said.
"Alright," I nodded.
"Cool, I'll visit Archirilio tomorrow," the king announced.
"The rest of you should go undercover as normal villagers," said Master Fai.
"Sounds like a plan," I said.
"Would the masters like to stay in my kingdom? It would be an honor," I offered.
"Alright," they nodded. Sleeping under the same roof as the masters… whoa.
"Ban, please sleep with me," I asked.
"Are you sure?" Ban replied.
"What do you mean, 'Are you sure?' YES!" I insisted.
"This is so big, bruh," Ban remarked.
"I know, right?"
"Ai Moone Mei, or Princess—"
"Don't you dare," I said, smacking her with my pillow.
"Princess Val—AHAHAHHA," we laughed and had a small pillow fight.
"Your Highness? Are you alright?" one of the servants knocked on the door.
"Yes, thank you," I replied.
"Stupid—AHAHAHA," Ban laughed.
"AHAHAHA... hu… Ai Moone," I said, laughing as we both settled down to sleep.
We woke up at around 7 and quickly prepared ourselves. We fed Noodles and Zeus before having a light breakfast, as our schedule for the day was tight. King Arthur and the others took the ship while Alas, Zeus, Banyu, and I traveled with Noodles. We helped pull the ship to make it travel faster. We were supposed to arrive in three days, and we did. The kingdom was still covered in snow, and not many people were around.
"Here we separate. See you later at the beach," King Arthur said.
"Be careful, Dad," I said.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Good luck, Ban," I said.
"Thanks," he answered.
And they went toward the castle. I had a mask on to avoid being recognized, as wanted posters of me and Alas were everywhere.
"You two are… criminals?" someone asked.
"No… someone framed her, and I went to save her," I replied.
"Must be the Queen Mother's doing, huh?"
"Not sure," I said. Oh, right, the masters are here!
"Master… if you don't mind, could you teach us some bending techniques?" I asked.
"Of course, come here," Master Fai motioned for me to come closer to the sea water.
"Come," Master Run called Alas.
"And… what bender are you?" Master Fai asked Kyre.
"Uh, I'm not a bender…" Kyre said.
"Oh, well… it's been a while, but let's start with air," Master Fai said. "Wait, what do you mean, Master?"
"Uh?"
"Don't tell me you think only people whose parents were benders can bend," Master Fai said. "Bending isn't magic. It uses the power of the mind and the electrical current in your body. Kids with bender parents learn to bend more easily because they're used to it, but that doesn't mean kids without bender parents can't bend."
"Does that mean we can actually master all four elements?" Alas asked.
"Indeed, Akosua Alas," Master Fai said, looking proud.
"Well, let's just start practicing," Master Fai added.
Master Fai looked proud when he found out I could bloodbend. It felt great to be complimented by him. He taught me how to counter fire attacks with waterbending, build stronger shields, bend water faster, and more.
"Kyre?! You're a bender?" the king asked as he arrived. We bowed.
"I guess so… The masters told me anyone can bend."
"So, what's her plan?"
"It's bad. She's planning to expose waterbending more. She wants her people to know that she's the most powerful and that everyone should fear her. But that's not all. She feels that disabled people and the elderly aren't useful to advancing the kingdom, so they should be wiped out. Basically, anyone who doesn't follow her commands, as well as the elderly, disabled, or unemployed, will be eliminated. I understand that she wants to move the kingdom forward, but I don't think that's the right way. She gave reasons, but… you know yourself."
"Whoa," Kyre shook his head.
"There's going to be a mass murder," the king said.
"Do the other royal family members know about this?"
"I don't know. I didn't see them anywhere in the castle," I replied.
"Damn it, are they imprisoned?" Banyu asked, looking concerned.
"Oh spirits, that doesn't sound good," I muttered.
"They're planning the mass murder for two days from now, at 4 in the morning," I said.
"How do we convince her to stop? How do we make her realize this is wrong?" the king asked.
"A kingdom can't be called great no matter how advanced it is if its ruler is feared but not respected by the people," the King said.
"Yeah, that's true," I agreed.
"No, but she said she'll only do this until the kingdom is great. Then she'll stop and regain the people's respect," I added.
"Ck, god," the king muttered.
"I'm sorry, but I think convincing her would be a waste of time. We should practice bending and stop her during the mass murder in two days," I said.
"I agree, Master Li," Banyu said.
"Yes," said the king.
"We need to stop her inside the castle before the villagers see bending activities," I said.
"Alright, we'll need more people. Is it possible for Your Highness to convince the Queen Mother to give you the Aisling villagers under the excuse of teaching the guards waterbending?" Master Fai suggested.
"Yes, of course. I'll see her again tomorrow, while the rest of you can practice bending," I said.
"That would be great," the king replied.
"It's quite late now. I'll cook us dinner," I said.
"Thank you, Luna Valentine," the masters said.
"It's nothing, masters," I replied.
"Sorry, our house is a bit small," I apologized.
"No problem," the masters said.
"Your house? My daughter?" my father asked.
"Yes, Dad. We built it ourselves using the money we earned from selling Pori fruits," I said.
"You really couldn't stop mesmerizing me, could you?" he said, looking impressed.
"Aha, like the book said, we can't rely on anyone… wait… the book…"
"It's Mother's, isn't it?" Alas said, finishing my thought.
"Yeah, it must be!"
"What book?" father asked.
"We found a book inside Zeus' pocket a few years ago. It taught us everything from etiquette to bending. Okay, I'll go cook first," I said.
Alas and I prepared dinner while Banyu prepared tea for the masters. They also taught us how to cook faster with our bending abilities. It was amazing. The next day was a long one. The villagers returned to Aisling Village, and they looked so different, as though their souls and happiness had been taken from them. Banyu hugged her mother. They all looked so pale, their clothes dirty. Some villagers recognized me and came in for hugs. Seeing them like this disturbed me, so I decided to throw a big buffet party for them tonight. They at least looked better knowing the masters were here to help us. We explained our plan to stop the mass murder inside the castle. They didn't have many options, so they agreed.
"And… I guess I'm still learning…" I muttered.
"And… I have another announcement to make," Alas' voice trembled, cracking with the weight of his words.
"To everyone here," he began, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I can't promise that we'll survive, that we'll win, or that everything will be alright after this. I can't promise you safety, or happiness, or peace. But what I can say—what I must say—is thank you. Thank you for your courage. For standing beside me tonight, knowing the risks, knowing that tomorrow, we might lose everything we've ever fought for. Every life we've built could be lost in an instant, and yet here you are, choosing to fight. I owe you everything."
He paused, his voice thick with emotion, as if the weight of his own words was threatening to pull him under. The room was so quiet you could hear the ragged breaths of everyone in it.
"And to the masters," Alas continued, his voice catching, "thank you. For being here, for believing in us. For offering your strength when we had none left. For being the warriors we needed the most."
His eyes lingered for a moment on Kyre, his brother, standing there, silent and strong. "And to my brother… Kyre. You're not even a bender, but you've given more than anyone could ask for. You've thrown yourself into this fight with everything you have, and you've risked it all for me, for this kingdom, for us. I don't have the words to thank you."
There was a long, heavy silence as Alas' gaze turned to King Arthur. "And to you, King Arthur," his voice quivered. "There's no way to express what I feel. You've been more than a king. You've been a father. I never imagined I would have a father, but here you are, standing by my side, giving me strength when I thought I had none left. You've shown me what it means to be loved and to be cared for, and I will never, ever be able to repay you for that."
His words hung in the air for a moment before he whispered, "And Mei…"
The crowd was breathless. The words that followed shook everyone to their core.
"I know we never had a mother growing up, not in the way we should have. But Mei… when I think of the word 'mother,' it's always your face that comes to mind. You've been more of a mother to me than anyone else ever could. I don't say this because of the speech you gave me on my birthday. I say this because you've shown me care, and compassion, and love when I didn't even know what that looked like. Thank you, Mei. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I know I've been difficult, I know I've hurt you, but I swear… I love you. I love you so much."
There was a long pause. Mei's eyes were brimming with tears, and Alas reached out, gently wiping them away.
"And then… there's Banyu," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion, cracking like glass. "You, my friend. My comrade. My strength. Through every trial, every battle, you have stood by me. You have been my rock, my shield, my constant in this storm. And now, here I stand, trembling, and yet there's one thing I know with every ounce of my being…"
He paused, gathering his courage as the words caught in his throat. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
"Banyu, your eyes—your eyes—they calm the storm in my soul. Your voice, it's a balm to the chaos inside me, soothing every shred of fear and doubt. Your touch… it heals me in ways I cannot explain. Every wound, every scar, every broken piece of me… you make me whole again. You are the missing part of me, Banyu. You complete me in ways I never knew I needed."
Alas' breath was shallow, his heart racing, and yet, somehow, he spoke the words he had held inside for so long, the words that could shatter or save them both.
"Banyu… will you be my princess? Will you be mine?"
His voice cracked on the last word, and the world seemed to pause. The air between them grew heavy, thick with the weight of those simple words, and yet they held the power of a thousand unspoken promises.
The crowd erupted into cheers, but it wasn't the celebration that mattered. It was the raw vulnerability in his words, the truth of the moment that stilled the world around them. Mei's heart ached as she watched, unsure of what this meant for her.
Banyu's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, each one a silent testament to the love that had quietly bloomed between them. Her voice, soft and trembling, barely more than a whisper, broke the stillness, "Yes, Alas. Yes."
The world seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting for the moment to unfold. And then, in a slow, aching heartbeat, they were in each other's arms. Time, as if caught in the magic of their union, stopped altogether. The air around them grew warm, the world faded, and all that existed was the steady rhythm of their hearts, beating together in a perfect, fragile harmony.
In that embrace, there was no war, no fear, no pain—only the promise of forever, shared in the quietest, most intimate of moments.
Alas turned to face the crowd once more, his voice breaking as he spoke the final words of the night. "Alright then, everyone. Tomorrow is going to be the hardest day of our lives. We don't know what will happen. We don't know who will make it out. So rest, if you can. Rest, because tomorrow we fight. Ai moone, everyone."
"Ai moone," the crowd echoed.
As I lay in bed later that night, my heart ached for the uncertainty of the future. The events of tomorrow loomed over her like a shadow, threatening to swallow everything they had fought for. But before sleep could take me, an alarm rang out—a harsh, urgent sound that tore through the silence of the night.
It was 3 AM. We had no time to waste.
The air was thick with urgency, and the world seemed to hold its breath as time slipped away. Every second felt like an eternity.
My hands shook as I changed, the cold biting into my skin, but it wasn't the chill that gripped me—it was the fear. The kind that twisted in my gut and gnawed at my soul. We had no time. We couldn't afford any more hesitation. The weight of what lay ahead pressed down on me, suffocating me.
I rushed to the center of the village, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. The others were already there, their faces a mix of exhaustion and determination, but none of it could mask the quiet terror that lingered in their eyes. And then I saw him. Alas.
His face was pale, drawn, the exhaustion of the past days etched into every inch of his being. But in his eyes, there was a fire, a fierce determination that flickered through the fear, burning so bright it almost made my heart stop.
"Hey, Mei," he said, his voice low, hoarse from the strain of the coming battle. But even in his exhaustion, there was something that steadied me—a sense of comfort that only he could provide.
"Hey, Ryu," I whispered, but my voice betrayed me—thick, laden with worry. The weight of it all was too much, pressing down on my chest until I could barely breathe.
"Hey.. mei.. uh I'll need you to save the rest of the royal family members. The Queen Mother will recognise you and send you to the prison. Take care of the guards and bring the royal family members and stay high, make sure no one sees you," all my efforts on forgetting the prince was destroyed in a second. I would reminisce the good times I had with the prince again. But I need to save his family.
I wished Estevao's here. His ice bending could really help us. He's really smart too. We left the magical creature in the village to protect it. We arrived in front of the castle's gate. I had no other choice then to bloodbend them. I took a deep breath before the huge castle gate was swung open. The masters, me, Alas, Banyu, Kyre, and my father stood in front of a huge waterbending army ready to charge at us at anytime. The Queen Mother walked towards us elegantly in her winter coat. I was shaking already.
He took a deep breath, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flash of something—a sadness, perhaps, or maybe just the realization that what we were about to face would change everything. "I need you to save the royal family. The Queen Mother will recognize you. She'll send you to the prison. Take care of the guards. Make sure no one sees you. Stay high, stay hidden. I'll do my part here."
His words hung in the air, heavy with their meaning. The Prince... his face haunted me in that moment, a constant ache in my heart that I couldn't escape. I had tried, God knows I had tried, to push him away, to forget him. But there was no forgetting now. No escape. Now, I had to save his family, save everything he loved.
I nodded, my breath catching in my throat. "Good luck, everyone," Alas called, his voice strong, but there was a tremor beneath it. A quiet sorrow that seeped into my bones. I couldn't shake the feeling that it might be the last time I heard his voice.
Together, we soared into the night, the weight of our mission pressing down on us like an invisible hand. We left the magical creatures behind in the village to protect it, but the silence as we flew felt deafening. Each beat of my heart echoed in my ears, each second that passed pulling us closer to the unknown.
The castle loomed ahead, dark and unyielding like a beast waiting to devour us. But we had no choice but to face it. We had no time for fear.
I inhaled sharply, steeling myself. The guards at the gates would never let us through. I knew what I had to do. The thought of it sickened me, but there was no turning back now.
I bent the air around me, focusing, narrowing my thoughts as I bloodbended the guards into submission. The gates groaned open, and we stepped into the shadow of the castle. The cold air sliced through me, but it was nothing compared to the gnawing fear that twisted inside my chest. Then I fly in past the big castle garden into the castle hallway, finding the family members. And then she appeared—the Queen Mother. Regal, untouchable, her icy gaze sweeping over us as though she had already won. She didn't flinch, didn't waver, even as she saw me stand against her.
The guards seized me, dragging me toward the prison, their hands cold and unforgiving. The chains bit into my wrists as they threw me into the cell I once knew too well. Where were they? Where were the royal family? What had she done to them? I couldn't afford to waste time. My heart pounded in my chest as I bent the water, unlocking the cell door with a swift motion. I snuck past the guards, moving like a shadow, my mind racing. I had to find them, had to save them. There was no room for failure.
But the Queen Mother's cruel words echoed in my mind, growing louder with each passing second: "If she bends, kill her."
There was no turning back now. There would be no mercy, no second chances. This was it. The line had been crossed. My life, my choices—they were all leading to this moment, this fight. But I couldn't stop now. Not when everything was at stake.
I was done running. I was done hiding. Now, I had to fight.