With what the siblings had seen of the Earth Kingdom so far, Ba Sing Se caught them off guard. Its magnificent walls and gorgeous architecture, the peaceful atmosphere, the smell of tea drifting out of tea shops. They walked the streets slightly behind the bard, who led them where ever they were going.

They'd said goodbye to Dvalin before approaching the station to the city's train. According to Venti, he knew where to hide. He explained that flying bisons were thought to have gone extinct with the airbenders. Apart from that, he refused to speak about the airbender genocide much. As curious as she was, Lumine decided not to pressure him into sharing anything. As carefree as Venti acted, she could tell it troubled him. Whenever it was mentioned, he moved with a little less energy. Just like he gained energy whenever Aether showed any sign of being an airbender. No wonder Aether was his favourite.

Venti found a comfortable square and then began to play his music. He soon drew a small crowd that gathered to listen to his strumming and singing. For a while, Lumine contently listened. The music was simple, but beautiful, like something from an age forgotten. It didn't take long for the first coins to be tossed towards him.

Aether wasn't willing to let Venti have all the glory. After a few songs, he pulled some leftover peaches from his bag and began to juggle. Lumine giggled, remembering him having learnt the art at a campfire in another world. She remembered the boy, Luke, who had been his teacher and a good friend of hers. He'd been a singer too, but while Venti's voice was light and clear, his had been gruff.

When the occasional coin started being tossed to Aether, Venti upped his game. His next song had no words, but had clearly been written for a virtuoso. His fingers danced across the strings at astounding speed, not once hitting a wrong note. As impossible as it seemed at such speed, a beautiful melody came into being. For a while, full attention was returned to him, until Aether managed to coerce an earthbender into making him five small light rocks. With a concentrated grin, he tossed them with surprising skill. Had he been practicing?

Venti huffed and took an alternate approach. His next melody was simple and didn't attract much attention. That was, until he started singing and all his heart spilled out.

'Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile, tiny shells
Drifting in the foam'

While the melody didn't stand out much, Venti's raw emotion brought it to life. His normally clear voice broke at the perfect moments, as if he were acting the song as well. But after all these years, Lumine knew genuine grief when she saw it. All the emotion was real.

'Little soldier boy
Comes marching home
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home.'

Aether had stopped juggling, touched by Venti's emotion. Some of the observers were disappointed, having preferred his lively juggling act to a heartfelt folk tune, but a few listened with awe. In fact, one man in a green coat marched straight up to Venti.

'Young man, Ba Sing Se needs more talents like you. How'd you like to join my theatre company for a production of— Hold up!'

Venti disappeared, not even picking up his money. Watching the bard wander off so downcast stirred Lumine to her very core. She shifted over to Aether, who was stuffing his juggling earnings into his pockets with a solemn expression.

'I don't like seeing him like this...'

'Me neither,' said Aether.

When a child tried to snatch Venti's earnings, Aether gathered the coins. Looking at his impressive number of coins, Aether suggested, 'Maybe we can buy him something that'll cheer him up.'

Alcohol was Lumine's first idea, but she decided that wasn't a healthy coping mechanism. Deep down, she knew what would cheer Venti up and it was impossible. But she knew the second best thing. So, she told Aether to practice his meditation.

* * *

From the confines of the room Venti and Aether's savings had rented, the two airbenders secretly honed the supposedly extinct craft. In spite of her jealousy, Lumine wouldn't even try to control another element until she understood the natural laws of this world. Therefore, it was time for some research.

She kept her head low, uncomfortable with the attention her clothes were attracting. Then again, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She was quickly able to approach someone and request directions to the library.

A gasp escaped her when she reached the library. It was an enormous building, surrounded by scholars carrying books whilst sharing wisdom. A painter sat nearby, capturing its glory on a canvas. Somehow the grey of its walls came to life through the strokes of his brush. It wasn't at all unfaithful to the real thing though. How could grey be so vibrant?

Lumine was grateful to be able to enter without anybody asking for her ID or a library card. Even more people were inside, pouring over the millions of books. Spines of all colours and sizes—admittedly largely green and brown—were plucked out by different hands. Some whispered to one another, comparing notes. Others glared at those very people.

In swift steps, she wandered through the library, keeping an eye out for any topics of interest. Bears. No. Vegetables. No. Earth Kings. No thank you. Water Tribe romance. Yeah, no. She couldn't help but be amused by those flocking around those bookshelves with irrepressible smiles.

After what felt like a three hour search, Lumine finally found a section of interest. It was larger than many of the others, spanning over a couple of rows that were separated into subsections. After a moment's thought, she picked out a volume on bending in general, waterbending and airbending.

At a table, she began to pour over the general volume. Bending supposedly stemmed from chi and was only present in its respective nation. She supposed that explained why Razor had surprised Venti and the Fire Nation soldiers so much. Luckily, living amongst wolves, there was no-one to judge his abnormality.

A few lines later, she found the exact passage she'd been searching for:

Bending multiple elements isn't possible for most people. While some firebenders can manipulate lightning and there's a group of earthbenders that call themselves sandbenders, these are just different branches within an element. Only one person possesses the ability to bend all four elements, namely the Avatar.

She considered looking straight for the Avatar section but decided to continue with the book she'd already picked. If outlined a fair amount of information, such as the Avatar cycle, passing from air to water to earth to fire. It wasn't too detailed but Lumine was glad. She didn't have time for a several hundred page volume; she needed a simple digestible explanation. Based on her discoveries, she'd concluded she and Aether weren't the Avatar but could well present similarly to one. Hence if they had any extra powers, they should hide them. This world didn't need the bombshell of discovering another two Avatars.

She began to page through her book on waterbending, trying her best to memorise the techniques described but it was like pouring water into a sieve. The moment she had finished a paragraph, she needed to read it again. Eventually, she took a deep breath and made a somewhat reckless decision.

Beforehand, she searched for a section on the war. With all the other obscure sections, surely there must be one somewhere. She searched between waltzes and warriors, but there wasn't a trace. Thankfully, a man with dark hair dressed in an elegant dark brown coat was nearby, picking books from the waltz section.

'Excuse me, do you know where I can find the section on the war?'

A dark smile flickered across his lips. 'I wouldn't mention that here.'

She placed her hands on her hips. 'Why not? I just want to research it.'

With a knowing look, he walked away. There was nothing Lumine hated as much as being kept in the dark. She found herself chasing this man, books piled high in his arms.

'Hey, wait up!'

He ignored her, of course, continuing on his way. To her annoyance, he headed to the exit. She resigned herself to asking someone else when he was stopped at the exit.

'Sir, we've told you time and time again. Please register any books you borrow at the desk. Remember, you need to pay a deposit that will be mostly reimbursed upon returning the books.'

'I will pay full rate to possess the books.'

The member of staff ran their hands through their hair in exasperation. 'We've told you, this isn't— Do you even have any money this time?'

The dark haired man grimaced. 'Oh... I believe I overlooked that part of the transaction.'

The library staff held out his arms and gave a sharp look to a co-worker. 'I thought we weren't meant to let him in anymore.'

'Not so fast.' A ginger appeared and stepped between them. 'I'll cover the costs.'

The staff member sighed. 'Sir, please—'

A bag of coins exchanged hands.

'I think that should more than cover it.'

As curious as Lumine found the transaction, this was her best chance to smuggle her books out. She obscured herself from view and slipped the books under her clothes. Since they almost immediately slid down, she was forced to wrap her arms around her stomach which looked rather unnatural. She took quick steps towards the door, desperately hoping she wouldn't be caught. Nobody noticed her until she reached the doorframe and laid a book like a chicken would an egg.

'Not another one,' bemoaned the library staff member.

Lumine froze as if she'd disappear that way. She grew specially uncomfortable when the ginger stooped over to pick up the book. His eyebrows rose in surprise.

'Waterbending?'

'You've got a problem with that?' she snapped.

'Yes,' exasperated a member of staff. 'As I told this man— Oh, he's gone. Huh. Oh, right, yes, you have to go to the desk and pay a deposit, you know. Also, you need a library membership. Speaking of which, can I see your library card?'

Lumine estimated the distance between her and the member of staff, then glanced at the book. Surely she could grab it and run out. Except there were more of them closer to the door and she didn't know how law enforcement worked here. She'd rather not end up in prison this early again.

To her surprise, the ginger chimed in, 'I believe that payment equated to far more than the meager volumes Mr. Zhongli picked out cost. I believe it would cover this no problem.'

'Sir, you don't need to... We're a library. We're not meant to sell books,' they sobbed.

Lumine crossed her arms over her chest too. 'I don't need your help.'

With a smirk, he headed out. The member of staff hesitated, then peeked into the bag. Their face lit up and Lumine took the opportunity to dash out, after him.

'Hey, wait up! I said I didn't want your help!'

'Then why'd you leave? I'm sure if you'd begged they would have made sure you faced justice.'

Lumine glanced back at the library and grimaced. 'Why'd you help me?'

'I paid the money anyway, thought I might as well help a fellow waterbender out,' he said.

'You're a waterbender? I... Who are you?'

'Childe. And you?'

Lumine snorted.

'Now, now, that's no way to treat a new acquaintance.'

'Sorry,' she forced out, earning her a laugh that made her even more sour, 'It's just your parents were pretty uninventive. And I still find it rather odd that you'd help a stranger.'

'You bought a book on waterbending. I was curious and as I said, I'd already paid.'

Lumine hesitated, then admitted, 'I'm planning on looking for a teacher at the South Pole, but I figured I might as well get a head start.'

'I don't think you'll like it there.'

'Excuse me?'

He simply laughed to himself, then wished her luck. She tried to ask more, but he claimed he had work to attend to. He was determined not to give anything away. Lumine was forced to give up and just be grateful that she had some books.

That very night she started, but rather than waterbending, she tried airbending. Once Venti and Aether had fallen asleep, both exhausted from the day's work, she sat, breathing deeply. For a while, she meditated, focusing on her breath, hoping that would help her hone her powers. Then, she strained herself to move a leaf. She tried to channel her breath throughout her body, then to extend it to the leaf. Attempt after attempt failed. The air refused to respond to her call. She wanted to give up and quit, but she forced herself to continue. Just one more attempt. One try and then she'd stop.

Eventually she did stop. She curled up in bed with a small smile because just one of the many attempts, she'd manage to lift that leaf a few centimetres off the earth. She'd been right. The elements were at her command.

* * *

A/N: I'm planning on trying to update every four days but War of the Heart will unfortunately remain my main WIP. Still, I enjoy writing this and hope you all enjoy reading it.