Avatar: The Legend Reborn - Book 3: Harmony

Chapter 6: Darkness Within

Book 3: Harmony
Chapter 6: Darkness Within

Kinlei

Dawn at the Northern Air Temple. Deep in meditation, Kinlei faced the sunrise as a cool autumn breeze carried the sweet smell of cherry blossoms, the fragrant pink petals being whisked away in the wind. The rays of the golden sun washed over Kinlei's face, filling her with warmth.

Yasmin's voice brought her back to the material world. "Hey, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Not at all, I was just meditating." Kinlei replied.

"You know, I've always wondered, what's the purpose of all this meditation stuff? I mean, I know you can use it to cross into the Spirit World; I've done it once myself; but other than that, I don't get it. What does it do?"

Kinlei tried to think of a way to explain it. "Have you ever thought, you just need to sit down and contemplate your life? That's what it's all about. Daily meditation sessions allow us to reflect on our actions and evaluate our goals, so we can be certain we are acting accordingly with our morals and our principles. We must go about our lives via careful planning, not reckless impulse."

"So... you basically just sit around contemplating your existence?"

"Basically."

"Huh, well Jade was looking for you. She said we're waiting until nightfall for the extraction, and she wanted the three of us to hangout. Senlin Bao has a day spa. She said you'd love it." Yasmin explained.

"A spa? That doesn't sound like Jade. Did she hit her head or something?" Kinlei wondered.

"I was wondering the same thing. I don't think we should be wasting time on a spa day when we have this investigation going on, but she insists. She's waiting at the airship."

Kinlei sighed. "I'm coming, I just gotta change out of my night robes."

The Airbender unfastened her belt and slipped off her cotton robe, rolling it up and tying it down with the belt.

"Whoa, hey. Stop stripping in front of me, floozy." Yasmin said jokingly.

Kinlei laughed. She knew Yasmin was just kidding. The two of them had a sort of friendly rivalry, and would rib each other over just about anything they could. It started out as a bitter one, with both of them fighting over the same boy. After that it quickly escalated, to the point they even tried to kill each other once... during the middle of a civil war... when they were on the same side. That was a long story, but it was nobody's fault. Then, after Kinlei had been dating Jiansu for two years, Yasmin was revealed to be the mother of the kids he didn't know he had. That was awkward. Finally, after a series of fortunate events, Kinlei became the children's stepmom, and she and Yasmin made up, developing a strong friendship. Not to mention they saved each other's lives multiple times during the civil war.

"Ooooh. Nice undies." Yasmin teased.

Kinlei, red from embarrassment, protested. "Hey, these are 'workout' clothes. I wear them to the gym. Anything else is too uncomfortable to wear under my wingsuit."

"Okay flash, whatever you say."

Kinlei put on her wingsuit and zipped it up. She released the flaps and leaped into the air, leaving Yasmin to walk all the way to the airship. "Looks like I got the last laugh. Have a nice walk."

"Hey, you... ugh!" Yasmin groaned.

Jade was waiting for her on the top deck of the airship. "Oh hey, good morning. Did Yasmin find you?"

"Yeah. She filled me in on the spa thing. Are you sure that's a good idea? With everything we've got going on right now?"

"Of course Kinlei, just trust me. We've got all day to fill. Let's loosen up and relax a bit." Jade insisted.