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Everyone in the Four Nations knew of three spirits controlling life, death, and the afterlife. The Almighty Mother, Alanna, the White Spirit of Life, influenced life. She had given birth to humanity. She embodied good, purity, virtue, love, and life. Her counterpart, Anto, the Black Spirit of Death, exemplified pure evil. He represented corruption, sin, hate, and death. He was the Master of Death, and he and his former lover, Alanna, were locked in an eternal dance.
However, the spirit that controlled the hereafter was Lady Meng Po, Magistrate of Souls. Whenever a person died, their soul would first go to Lady Meng Po's tea house. There, you'd be served a special tea. The tea made the drinker speak nothing but the truth. It allowed her to see and hear the individual's heart and soul. After the first cup, she'd give you a second cup.
If it was sweet tea, you'd ascended to the paradise known as Fields of Evergreen. You'd be sent to the Valley of Shadows if it was bitter. Only a select few were allowed to be reborn into a new life. The three spirits had to work in harmony to do their job. However, they were flawed. Sometimes, things slip through the cracks, and they're overpowered.
Such was the occurrence one day. Depending on the type of energy we put out during our living lives can play a significant factor in the afterlife. Or what that energy still does in the land of the living. In Man's World, today was the anniversary of the false Avatar Yun's death. Because he'd been full of such hate and anger after it was confirmed that Kyoshi was the Avatar, his negative energy remained locked into the location he despised the most.
Lady Meng Po had given the young man bitter tea. So, he ended up in the hellish realm of the Valley of the Shadows. Most souls accepted whatever fate they'd been given. But not Yun. His anger was so great that even his dammed soul would not accept his fate. Instead, over the past year, he'd been growing stronger. And on the anniversary of his death, the vengeful spirit gained enough strength to break free from this hell! Unfortunately, lady Meng Po had been assaulted during tea time.
The eye-catching spirit lay unconscious for hours after the breach. Then, finally, both Alanna and Anto showed up. Each had sensed something had thrown off the delicate balance of their dance. They were shocked by its state when they reached Lady Meng Po's humble home! It was as if the full fury of the Avatar State had been unleashed in the modest house. Quickly, the two spirits unearthed the unconscious body of Lady Meng Po.
"Are you alright, Magistrate? Who did this to you? What is going on?!" demanded Anto, who glanced at Alanna. The white-haired noble came rushing back in after checking the bridges.
"Anto, something terrible has happened! Souls are trying to escape their afterlives! They are causing havoc! Look, I know you love chaos and disorder, but even you realize what happens if the balance of life and death is thrown off!" she exclaimed.
"I'm not stupid, Alanna! I know the dead must remain with the dead! Their spirits don't belong to the living world anymore! This is not the chaos I relish!" he shouted angrily.
"Please, don't fight," whispered a voice as they glanced at the raven-haired beauty in Anto's arms. Lady Meng Po was slowly starting to stir. The other two spirits gazed worryingly at their friend.
Lady Meng Po was a creature of outstanding beauty. Hair as dark as a moonless night in dozens of rolls and braids. Her face was a smooth, polished mask of breathtaking beauty, but a smoldering fire was in her dark almond-shaped eyes. She wore a gown of the finest silks that resembled twilight colors. Embroidered on the dress were dozens of chrysanthemums and magnolias. She had dozens of accessories adorning her body as well.
"Meng Po! What happened?!" demanded Alanna, to which the timeless beauty replied.
"A vengeful spirit has escaped the Valley of Shadows. He seeks to take what is most precious to the one his obsession centers around. As a result, Avatar Kyoshi and her family are in great danger."
"The Avatar? Why is it always the Avatar?!" demanded Anto, and Alanna gave him a look.
"Is this the time or place for that thinking, Anto? We've got a dangerous dark spirit on the loose! And the Avatar is the bridge between our worlds! So why wouldn't the Avatar be in danger?!"
"I fear you misunderstood, Lady Alanna. It's not Kyoshi who is in danger. It's who is most precious to her, the one she loves the most," coughed Meng Po.
"I thought her firebender girlfriend could handle herself well. I've witnessed how badass Rangi is. I strongly doubt even the most vengeful spirit would be able to take her on," Anto replied.
Alanna shook her head. "It's not Rangi this spirit after. It's Kyoshi's daughter they are after. We must warn the Avatar! Obsidiana has suffered enough already! I don't dare even think what that spirit will do to her!"
"Well, I can tell you who escaped. It was Yun, for his rage won't cease even in death. So send word to the guardian you had bestowed the child," Meng Po said before she passed out again.
"Lady Meng Po!" Anto shook her again, but she remained unconscious. He turned to face his former lover. "I'll send for the Healer of Spirits. I should remain here to care for her. I also have more experience with fighting. So, I should be able to keep the other souls seeking to escape at bay. No offense, Alanna, but you never held a blade!"
"I don't take that as an offensive, Anto. You're merely stating a fact. Do what you can here. I must contact Hope and pray that Yun's spirit hasn't harmed her yet!" with that, the beautiful woman vanished.
In Man's World, Kyoshi enjoyed tea with her lover and Hei Ran. They'd just put Obsidiana down for her nap. Which was a good thing as they didn't want their daughter to see how sad they were. Today was Yun's death day, and everyone had slightly mixed feelings regarding it. Kyoshi and Rangi remembered the kindhearted side of Yun. The side both had a crush on.
However, the image of that kindhearted young man was shattered when they remembered what he'd become. Ruthless, cold, and vengeful. The pain from the chaos and death he'd created in his desire for revenge still haunted them and most of the world. Again, no one had meant to lie; it was a simple mistake. Hei Ran and her friends couldn't locate the next Avatar.
They hadn't done anything intentionally malicious to Yun. The only one to intentionally hurt him was Jianzhu. He was the one who left him to die at the hands of Father Glowworm. Jianzhu had caused a catastrophic domino effect with his cold-blooded actions. Too many had paid the price for what had happened, all because of a single mistake! So, for now, the three women wanted to shield their precious little girl from their turmoil.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream was heard coming from Obsidiana's bedroom. All three women turned sheet white and bolted to the girl's bedroom. They're shocked by what they saw before them. First, they saw a strange cat girl spirit. The feline spirit seemed to be battling a shadow figure. A figure that was blacker then black. The shadow seemed to be holding something tightly. It looked like a ball of pure white light.
The shadow backhanded the cat girl and chuckled darkly. Then it spoke! "Kyoshi! You and I have some unfinished business!"
"Who are you, Dark Spirit?! What are you doing here?!" demanded Kyoshi, noticing that her daughter's body was too still.
"You took my life. I'll take the life of the one you hold most dear! If you don't want your daughter's soul to rot in the Valley of Shadows forever, you'll do as I say!"
"Who are you?! What have you done to my daughter?!" she demanded again, getting ready to unleash the Avatar State on this malevolent spirit.
"Don't get any ideas, Kyoshi. If you try to hurt me, I'll cut your daughter's lifeline. I've only removed her soul for now. But I will destroy her body so her soul can't return if you don't do what I want."
"You fucking bastard!" as she moved closer, only for the shadow to hold up the orb of light.
"Temper, temper, Kyoshi. Again, you try to kill me? I'll kill your daughter's body and soul."
"Kyoshi, please," whispered her lover and even Hei Ran looked scared, glancing at her granddaughter's motionless body.
Kyoshi calmed down. "What do you want, Dark Spirit?"
"Meet me at Lady Meng Po's home in the Spirit World in an hour. Come alone. I'll tell you more there," with that, the dark spirit vanished with Obsidiana's soul!
"Obsidiana!" as the three women surround the child. She was barely breathing, but clearly, no one was home.
"She's not there, I'm afraid. I'm sorry I failed you," the cat spirit apologized.
"Who are you? What's going on?!" demanded Kyoshi.
"I'm your daughter's pet and spirit guardian. Alanna sent me to protect your child from evil. That dark spirit was the vengeful spirit of Yun. Even in death, he cannot rest in peace. His anger is too great! He's only grown stronger in death then he was in life. He still seeks to claim what he believes was stolen from him. He still wants to be the Avatar." Hope explained.
"Oh, Agni! What does Yun intend to do to our daughter?!" cried Rangi in anguish.
"Alanna believes he means to switch places with Kyoshi. He wants her soul to rot in the Valley of Shadows while his soul takes possession of her body. So he'd finally be the Avatar."
"How is that possible?!" demanded Hei Ran, holding her granddaughter tightly.
"You know of Lady Meng Po's three teas. Suppose he can get Kyoshi to drink the bitter tea of the damn. Then he'll have a shot of drink the tea of rebirth."
"If I must forsake my own soul to save my child, then I shall! I will NOT let anyone in this world or the Spirits hold my child hostage!" declared Kyoshi.
"Have you lost your mind, Kyoshi?! You want to face enteral damnation?! No one has ever escaped the Valley of Shadows!"
"Correction, Yun is the only one to escape. But I will not allow anyone else to harm our child, Rangi!"
"We've no choice but to play his game. So let's do it," Hei Ran sighed. She picked up her granddaughter, and the group headed to the spot Kyoshi used for meditation. Kyoshi quickly released her spirit into the Spirit World.
Kyoshi had taken little time to arrive at Lady Meng Po's home. She knew instantly that this was different from what the house usually looked like. The home was depleted, cold, and cast in shadows. Still, she entered the home and saw the devastation wrought within it. She was shocked when she recognized the three spirits chained to the wall! Even if she hadn't met them personally, everyone knew what they looked like.
"What have you done, Yun?!" demanded Kyoshi as the dark shadow figure slithered into the room. He cackled madly as he took on his proper form.
"So you're foolish enough to come here. I believed you to be smarter then this, Kyoshi. But what else should I expect when it came to this stupid brat?" he still clutched Obsidiana's soul tightly.
"Yun, no one meant to lie or hurt you. It was an honest mistake! Please let go of this senseless anger! Allow yourself to find peace. Please let my daughter's soul go!" begged Kyoshi.
"Your words are meaningless, Kyoshi! Don't think you can sway me to reconsider. I believe it's now time for tea. So shall we have some?" he gestured to the table.
Kyoshi sat at the low table where an old teapot with teacups lay. "Yun, I know your plan. But it won't work since you don't know which tea is which!"
"Correction, I do! I forced it out of those useless spirits. I threatened if they didn't tell me the truth, I would unleash every dammed soul on both worlds! So here's what we're going to do.
You'll drink the bitter tea, and I'll drink the tea of rebirth. Then I'll be reborn, and this time I'll be the Avatar. Because if they don't transfer your powers to me? Then I'll kill your daughter on top of unleashing the damned! So drink!" he pointed to the tea on the far left. He picked up the tea in the center.
Kyoshi, without hesitation, sipped her tea. Surprisingly, it didn't taste bitter, but she made a face as if it did. Yun smiled evilly as he drank his tea, which tasted different from the bitter tea he was forced to drink when he initially came here. They both glowed for several minutes. Then, Kyoshi started to fade away while Yun became more solid. While Kyoshi had become a spirit, Yun was alive once more!
"Yes! I'm alive! Now, you'll be sent to the Valley of the Shadows! And I'll return to the Land of the Living! I'll finally be the Avatar!" he laughed maniacally.
"No, you won't," smiled Kyoshi as she started to turn solid again.
"What?! What's going on?!" as he started fading into oblivion.
"You failed to understand the meaning of sacrifice. There is no more significant act of true love then willingly laying one life down for another. That's why I've earned the tea of rebirth.
On the other hand, you received a fourth unknown tea that is only available should there be a jailbreak. The tea of oblivion as you'll fade into nonexistence permanently. I'm sorry it came to this," Kyoshi apologized as Yun's soul faded into oblivion.
The other three spirits binds disappeared, and Lady Meng Po's tea house was finally restored. "How did you know, Kyoshi? How did you know about the final tea? Since its unknown, so how did you know?" demanded Lady Meng Po asked.
"I've learned a great deal since assuming my duties as the Avatar, Lady Meng Po. I have also learned a great deal since becoming a mother. I fully understand the true meaning of sacrifice. Since Obsidiana came into my life, I'd gladly give up everything, including my life, to keep her safe. Only a mother would know what ultimate sacrifice is.
And since sacrifice is the greatest act of love, I had nothing to fear. I figured you had a backup plan in case this ever happened. I also figured, along with the backup plan, the only way to ensure it never happened again was to destroy the evil spirit permanently."
"Well, you surely are cleverer then I imagined, Avatar Kyoshi. Allow me to restore your daughter's soul to her body. I hope you're not upset that I sent a guardian to protect her."
"No, I'm thankful, Lady Alanna. When we meet again, it will be on better terms. But, till then, I must return to my family."
The three spirits agreed and helped restore Obsidiana's soul to her body. Anto even promised that he wouldn't harm Obsidiana since even he was disgusted by Yun's spirit's action. He assured Kyoshi he'd ensure her daughter had a long and happy life. She thanked him before admitting to the Spirit of Death. He had moments of kindness. Everyone was pleased and became closer then ever afterward.