BOOK ONE: VOID

CHAPTER SEVEN: THINK LOCALLY, ACT GLOBALLY

The fourth step up the shoddy wooden staircase would creak loudly if stepped on, so Dashtu leapt lightly over it, so as not to wake his sleeping neighbors.

Dashtu was in a good mood. He and Ali had moved to Republic City in search of work. Ali had found them jobs as dishwashers in a seafood shop, and the owner of the shop had even given them a room to stay in. It was in a neighborhood of Si Wong desert immigrants called the Dregs, and while it was run down, it reminded Dashtu of home.

They had been working for a few months now, and Ali's demeanor had improved drastically. He was no longer sullen or bad-tempered; he seemed to have found a new drive and purpose in life. Dashtu prided himself on having a positive influence on his brother. Maybe exile was the best thing that could have happened to him. Maybe they could return home, eventually.

He pushed back the flimsy cloth that served as a door and entered the small room. Ali was sitting on his floorpad, lacing his moccasins. He was preparing to leave for work, having graciously volunteered to take the overnight shift.

"How was work?" asked Ali.

"Same as usual," replied Dashtu. "Oh, an interesting thing happened. The police came to the shop." He saw Ali stiffen. "Don't worry," he assured his brother, "they weren't looking for immigrants. They were investigating this old woman. Aru Wong, do you remember her?" When Ali shook his head Dashtu continued. "Apparently she was poisoned!"

"Hmm," said Ali. He looked thoughtfully into the air, then stood up.

"Well anyways," said Dashtu cheerfully, "I'll let you get on with it. Have a good day!"

"You too," Ali replied as he strode out the door.

Dashtu took off his work clothes and flopped onto his own floorpad. He smiled, despite his exhaustion. Today was going to be a good day.

The breezes blew briskly across the harbor as Nourma sat on the Academy roof overlooking the shining waters of Republic City's harbor and tried to meditate. She focused on the Four Great Truths, she contemplated the mythic Way, she counted the buildings across the water. Finally she gave up, giving an exasperated groan. "This isn't working!"

"No kidding," remarked Linus, appearing behind Nourma. "Watching you meditate is like watching a tuna-salmon climb a tree."

"Is that supposed to help me calm down?" Nourma asked through gritted teeth. "Because, if it is, it isn't working either."

Linus sat down beside Nourma and began talking, probably something about inner balance. Nourma didn't have the energy to listen to him drone on.

For the last few months Nourma had been steadily improving in her studies. Her marks were better, and no one called her "that ignorant desert girl" anymore. She was a natural at airbending combat; only a few other students were willing to spar with her anymore. To her delight, she was gradually learning how to operate her wingsuit. Granted, she could only do a few slow laps around the courtyard, never more than a measure above the cobblestones, but she could fly. Nourma was even getting used to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Nourma especially enjoyed travelling to the University each week and dictating Linus' stories. She loved hearing about his harrowing adventures in the ancient world: how he had braved a monsoon on open waters to learn waterbending, how he had accidentally blown up a hill while learning earthbending, how he had (unsuccessfully) tried to tame a dragon while learning firebending. Sifu Opal and Doctor Je Sig were enthralled by the stories as well, but more for their historical value. Xuexi was so enamored by the ancient account that she would go to ridiculous lengths to eavesdrop on Je Sig's office. Last week had seen her posing as a janitor with an oversized handlebar mustache doing a very meticulous cleaning of the office door.

But despite the recent positive changes, Nourma felt a hollowness inside her. She missed her family and the desert, but the void was deeper than that. As she probed the reason for the empty ache, she suddenly realized it was Mehdi. Her and Mehdi had spent maybe twelve cumulative minutes together in the past week. She missed her friend. Mehdi was constantly busy with his Acolyte duties and now, apparently, helping the Republic City police.

Nourma had been shocked when Mehdi sprinted out of the train a few days before. She had worried all afternoon, and was relieved to see him return that evening in ruined robes. And, just yesterday, Mehdi had foolishly agreed to help out the police again, this time earning a bruised face for his troubles. That was Mehdi. He would always jump eagerly into something without thinking of the consequences. Nourma had never minded that, as long as she could join him. But now Mehdi was too busy to trespass, to cause mischief, to go on adventures.

When they saw each other, they used the same inside jokes they had used in the village. But those jokes were tired, used, worn out. There was no spark in their brief conversations anymore, only a rote recitation before returning to their separate lives. Maybe, Nourma thought, this is what growing up feels like.

"...isn't that right, Nourma?"

The question startled Nourma out of her thoughts. "Erm, yeah, that's right," she answered weakly.

Linus frowned. "You haven't been listening to a word I've said. I would have thought that an Airbender Master wouldn't be so rudely ignored by such a young novice."

Nourma put on an injured air. "I've been trying to meditate! But there's so many distractions."

"I actually had the same problem when I was a student. Let me guess, your head is in turmoil, full of thoughts zipping around up there." Nourma nodded.

"Instead of fighting that turmoil, you must embrace it. You must make it work for you. Look at the ocean." Nourma regarded the choppy waves in the bay. "See how it's in turmoil too? But eventually, if you stare at it long enough, you'll find patterns, repetitions, order."

Nourma watched the waves slosh into each other, sending other waves careening in all directions. There was no order here. But after a while she saw the same part of the bay rise and fall; a cresting whitecap turning to a blue-green depression, then back to a whitecap.

"Your mind is the same. Let those intrusive thoughts come. Don't dwell on them. Let them pass. One pops up, another leaves. One leaves, another po…"

Linus' voice fell off suddenly, and Republic City winked out from view. It was just Nourma alone on her patch of tiled roof. The darkness all around her was swelling, dancing, broiling. It surrounded her and filled her with infinite permutations. Nourma was aware of a slight aura around her. She looked at her hand. There was a line drawn across her palm that revealed the fiery light inside. It glowed with the fury of the setting sun, only much brighter and much hotter. She glanced at her other hand. This one had a splotchy rash on it. Its glow was less intense, like the morning dunes reflecting the rising sun. Nourma felt no pain, but she felt the onset of pain held back like a rising tide. The tide fell back and Nourma could feel the agony approaching. The tide rose and Nourma could feel the approach of happiness welling up within her. The orange light flickered and faded and finally went out, leaving her cold and alone in the dark.

Suddenly the pain hit her in full force. It tore through her shoulder and Nourma screamed out, falling to her knees onto the cold, metal floor. She was alone in a pitch black room. There were harsh scrabbling noises outside the door. People, bad people, coming to take her. The door swung open and the bright light poured in. A dark shape with a terrible mask grabbed her and threw her outside. She landed outside in the ice, and the snowy whiteness of it all blinded her. She could feel herself sinking down into the cold mass. The glacier enveloped her. Nourma was blind, unable to move, and scared. But she felt a small flame of joy deep within her, and she laughed at the world of white.

But now that wisp of joy was extinguished, and Nourma found herself kneeling in black mud. Her ears were ringing and her limbs were shaking from exhaustion. She felt someone roughly jerk her hair back, exposing her naked throat to the dull, brown air.

She cried out in terror: "Please, you don't have to do this!" A pause. Then the hand came down and Nourma's world exploded into a pulsing, violent red, growing brighter into shimmering orange, then to a bright yellow, and finally pure white.

Nourma collapsed onto the clay tiles, and the feel of the rough roof brought her back to reality. The sounds of the harbor ships gradually returned, and Nourma could make out the worried frettings of Linus.

"...you hear me? Nourma? Oh please answer me! Nourma!"

Nourma rose slowly to her feet and tottered a little as the world spun around her. She sat down cross-legged and felt out her injuries. To her surprise there was no pain anymore, just a dull memory of agony. Her limbs were still shaking, but not from exhaustion. Nourma felt her body trilling with a surge of energy she had never felt before. She wanted to climb the highest dune. She wanted to run for days.

She wanted to fly.

Nourma turned to the still stammering Linus. "It's alright, I'm fine," she said weakly.

"I beg to differ," retorted Linus, grateful at Nourma's recovery. "I have never seen anyone have that reaction to meditation. And I've been doing this for a long time." His snarkiness returned as the worriness faded. "I refuse to believe that a young novice Airbender would have that powerful a meditation." His bushy white eyebrows furrowed. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

The adrenaline was still coursing through Nourma's body. "I dunno," she said carelessly, "maybe this has something to do with me bending fire."

She heard a snort followed by a coughing fit from Linus. "Are you," he stammered after regaining his breath, "are you telling me that you can bend fire as well as air?"

The incredulousness of Linus' question dampened Nourma's haphazardness, and she hugged her legs. "Well, yeah. Only once though. But wait…" Nourma turned on Linus, "I already told you that!"

"Not likely. When?"

"When we first met. In the desert! Don't you remember?"

The ancient spirit scoffed. "How am I, with ten thousand years of memories, supposed to remember every little statement from every little child?"

Nourma looked at her hands. They had stopped shaking, but she could still feel the tingling energy from within. "Linus," she asked softly, trying to keep back tears, "am I the Avatar?"

"Not likely. You said the current Avatar is still alive. And that's another issue I'd like to bring up with you, because I would very much like to meet…"

"Linus?" Nourma interrupted. "Have there ever been any evil Avatars?"

He saw the tears welling in her eyes, and the fear behind them, and tried to console Nourma with objective, rational history. "No. There was a line called the Pale Avatars who were more 'bad' than usual, but this was more a product of their upbringing and not any inherent…" He trailed off when he saw Nourma hunched over, looking into the distance. Linus was silent.

They watched the clouds roll off the snowy peak overlooking the city. After a few minutes Linus spoke up. "Nourma," he began, "I don't know if you are the Avatar. But I do know…"

The harsh noise of a clanging gong rang out, disturbing the calm air. Nourma stood up automatically, forgetting Linus, and started down off the roof. The gong called all the students to the central courtyard in cases of emergency. During Nourma's time at the Academy, she had joined the assembly in the courtyard five times: two times for Airbender missions (which Nourma was not invited to), two times for fire drills, and once because a rebellious student had decided to pull a prank in the middle of the freezing night.

With her Airbending robes blending into the sea of orange and white, all that singled Nourma out was her silver hair shining bright against the backdrop of brunette and jet-haired pupils. She found her place among her classmates and tried to stay still. The images from her meditation, Linus' words, the mystery of the assembly, and her lingering restless energy all caused Nourma to fidget. She overheard a classmate ask what was going on.

"I heard it from Sifu Meru," came the whispered reply, "that there was an avalanche in the Sunset Range. It damaged the Rocky Run track." For some reason, Nourma felt a twinge of fear.

"There's no snow in those mountains," retorted another student. "You're thinking of a landslide."

"You're both wrong. The proper term is a rockfall. The local terrain is too dry and steep for…"

Nourma never registered the precise distinction between a rockfall and a landslide because her mind had just remembered a once-trivial fact: Mehdi was returning on the Rocky Run train. Her mind darted to and fro, trying to recall the pertinent details.

When Mehdi found out about his assignment to pick up and escort a shipment from Zaofu he gleefully told Nourma. Indeed, he wouldn't shut up about it. Nourma had heard of the City of the Iron Flowers from her more worldly classmates, and she was excited (and more than a little jealous) for Mehdi. She didn't give him the satisfaction, however, of seeing her eagerness.

Mehdi had said he was leaving on the overnight train, and returning at midday. Someone was talking to the assembly, but Nourma paid him no mind. She stuck out her tongue, scrunched her face, and tried to calculate the travel times. The Sunset Range, according to Nourma's hazy recollection of maps half-glanced at, was about two hours south of Republic City. It was three hours before noon now, so…

Nourma brushed off her calculations; she knew the answer in her heart. Her friend was in trouble. She was going to help him.

She was aware of the assembly breaking up. Her Fire Nation friend strode past her, but Nourma tugged at her sleeve. "What's going on?" Nourma inquired.

"There's a train headed towards a gap in the track," Nourma's heart froze. "A few of us are going to make sure it stops before it...well...before it's too late."

"I'm coming with you," Nourma announced.

"No," said a voice behind them. Nourma turned to see Sifu Opal, already wearing her flight suit. The flexible red fabric hugged her body tightly, while the billowy black wings hung from her arms, affixed at three strong points to the sides of her suit. Opal was pinning her short hair back, but her firm green eyes never left Nourma's.

"You have not finished your training, Nourma. We are dropping into a narrow canyon. You would be seriously injured, or worse, if you came with us."

"But Mehdi's on that train! You can't expect me to sit around while he's in danger!"

Opal glared at Nourma. "I expect you to obey my orders. This is for your own safety. You can't help Mehdi if you're in trouble too." Her face softened and she put a hand on Nourma's shoulder. "One day you will fly with us. When you're ready." She turned quickly around and ran towards the island's small runway where a plane was already idling. The Airbenders would fly to the site, drop from the skies, and save the day.

But Nourma was left alone in the courtyard, watching her more talented seniors and peers rush off to action. She flexed her arms; she still felt the energy from before still reverberating within her. "I am ready," she muttered, half to the departing Opal, half to herself.

The bell was ringing for midday classes, but Nourma ignored it. She stole into the women's dormitories, opened her wall locker, and pulled out her own flight suit. It was not weather stained with experience like Opal's, rather, it sported tears and patches from Nourma's rough landings. Nourma grimaced, thinking of her novice attempts at flying. But this time was different. She could feel it.

There was a secluded spot, below the Western lecture hall, that overlooked a long drop into a calm lagoon. This was a favorite diving spot of students, and they prided themselves on keeping it a secret from the teachers, not knowing that the teachers had dove into those same waters years before when they themselves were novice Airbenders. Nourma crept up the slippery rock and looked down into the water a measure below. She made sure her side straps were securely fastened to the webbing around her abdomen. She sent a test blast of air backwards into her wings, causing her to stumble back a step. She tested the prevailing winds for any gusts. Nourma was prepared.

With her rubber soles slapping on the smooth stone, Nourma ran to the edge and cast herself off. She plummeted down towards the azure water. By twisting slightly and throwing her fingers back, Nourma send a gust across her body, catching her wings and lifting her up into the air.

It had worked; to her jubilation, Nourma was flying. Not some training lap under constant supervision, but actually soaring through the air like an eagle-stallion. She felt elated. Her body responded fluidly to her every command. If Nourma wanted to drift right, she knew exactly the correct way to tilt her left arm and lower her right leg. If she wanted to climb, her feet dipped down and her chin raised up unconsciously at exactly the right angle. The salty breeze from the waves below her stung Nourma's face, but she gladly endured it.

Once Nourma's head cleared, she started thinking of the way to Mehdi. It was important, she reminded herself, to stay close to the water. The red flight suits stood in stark contrast to the harbor, and she was eager to avoid detection. The Sunset Range was southeast, so Nourma banked to her left. Once she was away from Republic City she would find the monorail track and follow it to the landslide.

"Rockfall," Nourma corrected herself. Once there, she would board the train, find Mehdi, and get him to safety. Sifu Opal would be angry, she thought, but she would also be impressed. Nourma had heard stories of the adventures Opal and her friend had been on when they were kids. Opal would understand.

Nourma could see a glint of sunlight reflecting off something shiny. That was sure to be the track. Nourma adjusted course slightly, but her right arm dipped down to far, sending Nourma wobbling dangerously to the right. She tried to steady herself with a firm blast, but she overcompensated and sent herself tumbling down into the surf.

Sputtering, Nourma broke the surface and started to tread water. She needed to get in the air again. Mustering all her strength, Nourma sent a gale of air shooting out beneath her. She rose maybe an arm's length into the air before the cavity of bubbles underneath her collapsed, and she fell back down underneath the waves.

Nourma broke the surface again, coughing, her hair draped over her eyes.. The restless energy had left her, replaced with cold, numb emptiness. Nourma realized how very tired her limbs had become. But her lungs still had enough energy for her to tilt her head up and scream.

"WHY? WHY GIVE ME THIS POWER IF I CAN'T USE IT? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

The silent sky gave no answer. The waves rolled on unchanged. Nourma treaded and fumed in impotent rage. Then she started swimming towards the far shore, her tears flowing into the salty sea.

The monorail sped on through the crisp, clear morning. Brilliant rays cast by the rising sun drew deep shadows in the rugged cliffs. When the rays did find the rock face, they illuminated dazzling veins of mica, quartz, and granite hundreds of measures high. The Rocky Run was a triumph of earthbending and metalbending, cutting through the treacherous and beautiful Sunset Range. Passengers on the monorail were treated to some of the finest sights in the Earth Confederacy: towering spires and plummeting cliffs amidst a stunning geologic mosaic.

For Mehdi, riding in the dark cargo hold wedged between a crate of widgets and an industrial blower, the sights passed by unobserved. He had relished the task of picking up special Airbender equipment from Zaofu, seeing it as a chance to explore more of the world. He had said as much to Nourma, bragging about travelling around the world while she was stuck in some dusty classroom.

But the reality was far different. He had arrived in Zaofu in the dead of night, and the city's massive platinum domes and beautiful sculpted architecture were shrouded in darkness. Mehdi only had time enough to verify the equipment, scrawl his name on the paperwork, and board the boxcar to secure his inventory for the long ride back to Republic City.

The train started a slow, tight turn, following the path of the canyon. The contents inside the various crates shifted slightly, causing Mehdi to look up from his book, surreptitiously borrowed from the Academy library. His small electric lantern cast a faint, dusty light in the hold.

Suddenly Mehdi heard a penetrating boom from somewhere in front of him, slowly devolving into a dull rumble. He felt the vibrations roll through the heavy air, as sharper vibrations pierced the rail underneath him. Mehdi jolted up as the train gradually came to a stop

Mehdi looked around. It was very still, save for the faint sounds of the worried commotion from the passenger car behind him. He started climbing up the crates and straps towards the ceiling hatch, marked by a thin perimeter of sunlight. Something was happening and Mehdi wasn't going to wait around in the dark to discover what it was.

He was reaching for the hatch release when he heard louder, more urgent screams and yells emanating from the passengers. Mehdi froze. The noise was stilled with a curt shout. There were footsteps in the vestibule. Mehdi heard a metallic ka-thunk, signalling the decoupling of the passenger cars from the front of the train. The rear door slowly opened. Instinctively Mehdi jumped back down and switched off his lantern just as the intruders switched on theirs.

Hiding behind a rough wooden crate, Mehdi followed the interplay of dull light and shifting shadows on the ceiling as the lanterns moved around the car. He tried to quiet his breathing. Luckily, Mehdi's new carmates wore heavy boots that clomped on the steel floor and made no attempt to be discreet with their speech.

"Lee, go up and get this train moving again. Have the conductor get to the drop off point and bring him back here."

There were assorted footsteps spreading out across the hold. Mehdi silently snuck back and wedged himself between a large box and the steel wall, trying to keep out of the growing light.

"Hey boss, I found it!"

Now the footsteps hurried to the opposite end of the car. There were muted cheers as the straps were loosened and the lid pried open. The train started moving again with a rough jerk, and Mehdi steadied himself against the cold interior wall. He tried to listen as hard as he could, as if hearing would give him understanding.

There were running footsteps slapping along the corridor. "Boss!" announced a breathless voice, "that crazy old conductor! She locked the train into forward gear. I can't use the brakes!"

The boss' voice was icy calm. "Where is she now?"

"She jumped!"

"She jumped?"

"Yeah, well, she had a parachute."

There was a smattering of low curses, including a young voice muttering, "that would have been nice for us to have."

"No matter!" the boss shouted, "we can drop the cargo on the move. Get those lines ready." Mehdi heard the sounds of zippered bags opening and nylon ropes uncoiling.

A small voice spoke up. "Hey boss, how are we gonna get the cargo past all these other boxes?"

"Don't think if you can help it, Ban," came the reply, "you're better at bending than brains. We'll dump all the boxes out the door. We're only getting paid for this crate. Those uptight Confederacy snobs can always buy more stuff. Open the door!"

Rich light flooded the car as the crisp mountain air swept away the stale darkness Mehdi had been accustomed to for the past nine hours. He squinted and shivered. From his vantage point he could see the eleven or twelve thieves clearly for the first time. They were dressed in diverse clothing in various states of disrepair. Their hair was unkempt and their faces were sallow. Their boss was a broad, strapping man with a bushy black beard wearing a patchy gray suit. Mehdi looked down at his own attire and silently cursed. Today was the wrong day to be wearing bright orange robes.

The boss told two women to push the nearest crate out the door. The crate moved slowly to the opening, teetered on the edge, and toppled over the side. "I sure hope nobody wanted those cabbages!" cackled one of the thieves.

Mehdi paid no attention to the quip, for he had just glimpsed the stunning expanse of the Sunset Range. The climbing sun turned the jagged peaks and towering pillars to the west striking hues of red, orange, and purple. The train continued slowly on towards the breach in the track as crate after crate fell out the door. But for a few seconds, Mehdi was transfixed on the most beautiful view he had ever seen.

"Hey!"

He had stared too long. One of the thieves noticed him and ran towards the hiding place. The other thieves turned and looked at the unwanted observer. Mehdi ducked back between the crate and the wall wedging himself out of the thief's grasping arm.

Suddenly Mehdi felt the walls of his enclosure bearing down on him. He grimaced in pain as the side of the crate bulged out towards his chest.

"C'mon kid, get out of there," said the boss. "We don't wanna hurt you, but we will," there was a menacing pause, "if you don't cooperate."

As if to emphasize this the crate pushed further towards Mehdi and a yelp escaped his lips. The metal retreated and Mehdi was free to scramble out of the crawlspace into the waiting arms of the thieves. The boss looked down on him.

"Tell me truthfully boy. What are you doing in here?"

"Nothing. What are you doing in here?"

The boss grinned and grabbed Mehdi's robes, marching him to the open door. The stiff breeze blew back Mehdi's hair, and the fresh air felt cold on his face.

"No more sass. Tell me the truth!"

Mehdi was about to reply with a witty retort when he glanced down and the words died in his throat. He gazed into the abysmal depths of the canyon, slowly passing by as the train continued on towards the gap. The bottom yawed up at him, and Mehdi could not even gage the distance. The highest he had ever been was the top of his village's radio tower, and that was a infinitesimal spire compared to this. He opened and closed his mouth wordlessly like a dying koi-salmon.

The thieves laughed heartily. The boss leaned in close to Mehdi, and Mehdi winced at his vile breath. "Listen here boy. I'm here to do a job. You're a complic-"

A blur of red whizzed past Mehdi, blasting the boss back into the car. Mehdi teetered on the edge unsupported for a terrifying moment, terror filling the depths of his stomach. He was just starting to fall when another red blur collided with him. He staggered back into a nearby crate and looked at his rescuer. To his supreme surprise, it was Sifu Opal. Her normally kind emerald eyes blazed with fury.

"Get down!" she whispered harshly. "There's going to be trouble!"

The boxcar exploded with the caconophy of combat. Bursts of fire were quickly extinguished by stronger bursts of wind from the rapidly arriving Airbenders. Opal shoved Mehdi behind a crate and deflected an incoming punch to the head. She ducked, rotating on her heel, and blasted the attacker into the ceiling, watching her fall back heavily to the floor.

Mehdi crouched low to the ground and moved quickly, looking for cover. While crossing an aisle he accidentally tripped up one of the thieves. The thief flailed his arms, trying to regain his balance. An Airbender grasped the thief's arm tightly and swung him face first into a crate. The thief sent an errant fireburst behind him, but the Airbender dodged it easily and replied with a sustained rush from his outstretched arms, pinning the thief against the crate's webbing. With a few deft moves, the Airbender wrapped the Firebender's wrists with cargo straps, securing him to the crate.

Mehdi heard the boss' voice yelling hoarsely above the din: "Get the goods out of here!" There was a whir of rapidly spinning rope, and Mehdi saw a metal crate push its way past benders and boxes before falling out the door. Its descent was slowed by a hastily rigged set of ropes and pulleys anchored to the ceiling of the car.

A scraping and screeching sound of twisting metal filled the air, along with a sharp jolt,. There was a brief expectant silence in the car, followed by a massive, shrieking explosion from outside. The echoes reverberated around the canyon as everybody looked around, searching for the source. A thief poked his head outside, paled, and shouted back into the car. "The locomotive's gone over! We've gotta get out of here!"

Two voice spoke next. The boss yelled "get to the crate!" while Opal shouted "out the back; get everyone on the tracks!"

The fighting halted as the car rolled steadily onwards. The Airbenders grabbed their bound prisoners and ran towards the back door. The thieves ran towards the open side door and the rapidly descending crate. Mehdi now noticed that the thieves all wore a harness strapped around their waists. Three thieves clipped onto the whirring rope and slid down. Mehdi turned to follow the Airbenders out of the back door when he ran face first into the boss. The boss raised his massive hand to slap Mehdi out of the way, but was knocked down when a metal bar struck his back. Mehdi watched as the wielder of the bar stepped out from the shadows. He recognized the face: he recalled a raised scimitar, a kneeling figure, a defiant glare. It was Ali.

There was another jerk, another scream of rent metal. The boss rose slowly, grasping his lower back, as another car crashed into the canyon below. Ali raised the bar again.

"I'm taking over this crew," Ali said, his voice quivering slightly.

"You little traitor," the boss spat back. "You're a fool if you think you can lead this team. But you're a bigger fool," he stepped towards Ali, "for attacking a Metalbender with an iron pole."

Ali froze and his eyes filled with fear. The boss jumped at Ali and ripped the bar in two, leaving only a small hilt in Ali's hands. The boss raised the pole high. Ali cowered and put his arms in front of his face.

At that moment, Mehdi jumped on the boss' back and wrapped his arms around the neck. The boss flailed for a moment, then froze when he felt another jerk, stronger this time, and heard another crash. Ali ran towards the door, fiddling with his harness. The boss cursed and made one last attempt to throw Mehdi off, but the Hami tribe boy held on as tight as a croc-piranha. The boss then bent the metal bar tightly around Mehdi's wrists, making Mehdi cry out in pain. The lumbering man ran towards the door and started to hook up to the rope. Mehdi could see Ali descending below them, and the crate further below, and the bottom further still. He tried to wrangle free, but the bar held him securely to the thief. He moaned nervously as the boss readied himself to step out.

"Well kid, you wanted to interfere," the boss chuckled. "Now look where it got you. Hold on tight!"

They stepped off. Mehdi shut his eyes and listened to the hissing rope fly by. There was a sharp pull in the rope and another massive crash, signalling another lost car. Eventually he felt them slowing, followed by a rough landing on the swinging crate. Mehdi opened his eyes.

Six thieves, including Ali and the boss, had made it out. They were strapped securely to the crate, most looking up at the car above them rolling towards the gap, or down at the approaching ground. Ali was cowering at the furthest corner of the crate.

The boss unhooked himself from the rope, tore a jagged piece of metal off the top of the crate, and advanced on Ali. Ali clambered gingerly over the side, still fastened to the crate, trying to retreat. The boss knelt down and held the serrated metal to Ali's rope.

"I'll cut you down Ali. The fall may kill you, but if it doesn't, I'll still leave you to die, just like you were-"

The crate rocked to one side, and the boss stood up to steady himself. Mehdi looked behind him and saw Sifu Opal, defiantly raising her fists.

"You have one of my Acolytes. I'd like him back please."

One of the Firebenders raised her hand to strike, but the boss gave her a smack on the head. "Don't be stupid! No firebending here!"

Opal glanced down at the contents of the crate, and her eyes widened in surprise and fear. Seeing a moment of opportunity, the boss lunged at Opal with the makeshift knife. Opal spun to one side, dodging the thrust. She blocked a kick from one of the seated thieves behind her as she readied for the next attack. The boss attempted to turn around, but Mehdi's extra weight caused him to lose his balance, and he toppled screaming over the side.

Mehdi felt the wind rushing past him. He saw with incredible clarity the billowing black smoke of the ruined locomotive rising against the bright blue sky. He saw the fiery canyon walls rush past them. Mehdi tensed his muscles and prepared for the impact. He hoped it would not hurt too much.

He realized Opal was following them down, her wingsuit aerodynamically compressed, looking like an red arrow tip speeding towards them. In an instant she was there, attaching a thin rope to the boss' harness with a metallic clink. She spread her arms, and her wingsuit billowed out, the rope trailing upwards. Mehdi felt the rope grow taunt, and then a sharp tug as they swung in a wide arc away from the ground, just barely scraping the tops of the scruffy pines at the bottom of the canyon.

They rose upwards, their ascent gradually slowing as they passed Opal. She seemed to hang in midair, then rapidly accelerate past them again towards a small ledge on the canyon wall. Just as the thief and the boy were about to fall back to the ground, they felt the rope jerk sharply, arresting their fall. Mehdi looked up to see Opal securing the line to the rock face. They were safe.

There was another crash: the final car had tumbled off the tracks. Mehdi searched the ground behind and below him. Relieved, he saw that the thieves had survived the short fall and were now unloading the crate hurriedly, carrying what looked like black tubes into the recesses of the canyon. The boss was muttering and moaning as they dangled and twisted on the end of the line. Mehdi wanted to say something proud and condescending to him, but he was too tired and scared. Despite his shaking limbs, sprained wrists, and racing heart, Mehdi still was thankful to see at least one picturesque sight on his trip.

They returned to the Academy late that night. The Airbenders had searched for hours for the remaining thieves, to no avail. When they came across the tracks of ostrich-steeds, they knew it was hopeless. The Airbenders could have searched for days in the labyrinthine passages and find nothing. A team from the railway company came along and rescued the stranded monorail passengers, and then the Airbenders and their prisoners.

Mehdi endured tiring hours of police statements and medical attention. He tried to wave the healers away, but the very act of moving his hands caused him pain. He was relieved when the ferry arrived at the island and its comfortable, familiar buildings came into view through the dense fog.

Mehdi was sure Nourma would be asleep, so after a final concerned inquiry from Opal, he trudged sleepily to his dormitory. He was surprised to see Nourma sitting on his cot, illuminated by a small lantern.

"Hey! How you doing?" Mehdi said automatically.

Nourma rose and ran to Mehdi, hugging him tight. Mehdi winced at the pain. Nourma felt this and withdrew. She burst into tears when she saw Mehdi's bandaged wrists.

"Hey, hey, it's not as bad as it looks," soothed Mehdi, rubbing Nourma's arms. "I don't even need them, but the healers insisted."

"It's not that," said Nourma softly, wiping her eyes. They sat down on the hard mattress. "I tried to rescue you. Opal said not to, but I still tried." She paused. "I'm glad you're alright, by the way. I really am." Mehdi smiled and nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"When I heard about the explosion and you on the train, I snuck out to go save you." She sniffed. "Oh, it sounds so stupid. But I felt this incredible power in me. And I could fly! But the power left me. And what good it this power if I can't use it to help my friends? So what if I can bend fire and air, like some sort of freak? What does that make me?" She looked at Mehdi with questioning eyes.

Mehdi's own eyes blinked heavily. Then he hugged Nourma. "You are still my friend. And you'll always be my friend. No matter what happens. You are still you."

Nourma grinned into Mehdi's shoulder. Then she heard heavy breathing. She drew back and saw that Mehdi's eyes had closed and he was sleeping peacefully. Nourma lay him softly down on the cot and punched his shoulder affectionately. Thank you.

The room was empty when Dashtu returned from his shift at Po's. Ali had still not returned. He had not shown up to work, but Po did not seem very concerned. The rising sun crept through the small paper window, illuminating the dusty air. Dashtu slumped against the wall and tried to think.

Going to the police wasn't an option. They did not have the proper paperwork for residing in the city (neither did most residents of the Dregs), so calling attention to themselves would result in trouble. Ali didn't have any hangouts; the job kept both of them too busy for leisure. Maybe…

Dashtu's thoughts were interrupted by the wall behind him vibrating slightly, sending swirls of dust into the room. He stepped back and stared at the wall. A long, thin crack formed, crossing the wall in seconds. There was a loud creak from the staircase below.

Suddenly the wall disintegrated before his eyes, sending a blast of sand into his face. He crouched down and was immediately knocked over by a dark shape. He scrambled to his feet and raced towards the door. Dashtu collided with someone and felt his arm being pinned behind his back. He cried out in pain.

"The State is arresting you," he heard a burly voice behind him say, "on suspicion of criminal activity. You still retain all the rights of a Citizen of the United Republics..."

Dashtu stopped listening to the officer as he struggled in vain. But I'm not a Citizen, Dashtu thought grimly. I'm just a poor exiled Umara boy. He hoped that his brother was safe. Dashtu stopped resisting as the handcuffs were slipped on. He hung his head. There was no going home now.