Fire in the Sky (TLOK)

Chapter 18: Preparation to Attack

I opened my eyes. Clouds tore into tiny bits, like the cotton candy I used to buy Jinora at the market. It all mixed together into a purple-blue expanse. It was far too quiet, far too pretty to be the sky of Republic City. Somehow, I was in the Spirit World.

I sat up. Everything felt so light. The grass tickled my arms. The wind was a melody.

"Yume?" I looked around me. It was like before, just an expanse of nothing, infinite fields of grass. I was near one tree with yellow leaves and flowers. It bowed against the wind, rustling in the calm air. I only shifted upon seeing a figure appear in the distance.

They were covered in a grey cloak, white hair peeking through the hood, a shriveled hand on a stick, shuffling forward. I rose, walking towards the figure. I felt cautious, but curious. Even if the person attacked me, I could firebend in the Spirit World.

"Hello?" I tried. We were close enough to see each other clearly. The hooded figure looked up. I took a step back, witnessing a face that had seen age, perhaps seen more in her lifetime than I had. A scar ran down her left cheek, rising up to golden eyes that seemed cut like a snake's. Her white hair was pinned back, with two strands set to frame her face.

"Uhm," I shifted where I stood, "Do I know you?"

"Thought I felt something change."

"Excuse me?"

"I rarely come down from my cave, but this annoying sprite ball told me there was something interesting in the fields."

The old woman's mouth curved into a smile, though it looked more mocking than genuine.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The old woman shrugged. She walked past me, heading towards the tree.

"Uh, hello?" I turned around to follow her. She paid no attention to me, only slowly settling down under the tree, leaning her back against the curved trunk. Her eyes were closed now, and the hood fell off completely. She had a small little topknot, flat against the back of her head.

"What would you say, is your greatest weakness?" She didn't open her eyes as she spoke, but her head turned towards me. "Hm?"

I stood in front of her, slowly sitting down on the grass.

"..." I shook my head, looking around. I needed to get back to the others, I needed to get back to my family!

"I'll let you go, if you talk to me."

"You're the one that brought me here?"

"Your dragon did." The old woman cracked one eye open. "I'm just using that to my advantage."

I narrowed my eyes, "How do you know my dragon?"

"Everyone knows the dragons." The old woman snorted, "You live here long enough, you hear things. Now, answer my question."

I settled back in the grass, trying to pull bits out of the ground. They didn't budge. My greatest weakness?

"I'm not strong enough," I said, wrapping my hands around a chunk of grass.

"You're a dragon child, aren't you already powerful enough?"

"My dad left me." I gritted my teeth, "He didn't want me to go with him. He left me to... I don't know, "defend Republic city" when I know I could've protected my entire family from those equalists."