Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 149

*Air Temple Island. Ten minutes after Yo and Driya left.*

An unusual silence blanketed the playground, a stark contrast to the usual chorus of children's laughter and chatter. It seemed the girls had found something more exciting to do. As the saying goes, "If you don't hear a child, they're definitely up to something."

"Dad and Mom aren't home, and little Celine isn't around either. This is our chance!" whispered Hime, her voice slightly excited. She was always the mastermind behind any adventure.

"We need to act!" nodded Kushi, her partner in mischief.

"I don't know... I don't want to upset Mom and Dad," Tomoko said hesitantly. She wasn't always on board with her sisters' wild ideas.

"I'll check the house, Kushi, you take the garden, and Tomoko, you handle the rest," Hime declared, her leadership skills shining through. There was something in her voice that made you want to listen. Tomoko didn't hesitate for long; deep down, she had an adventurous streak too, though she often tried to suppress it.

Unfortunately for the girls, their words and movements were easily seen and heard by Celine. The island was filled with hidden "watching" and "listening" plants, allowing Yo, Gaia, Driya, and Celine to keep an eye on the children. If the girls had been more skilled, they might have noticed the plants. But their energy far outpaced their control and understanding of their powers. They'd only recently begun proper training.

One person, however, was aware of the entire surveillance system. Shika, being half-spirit and half-human, was a step ahead of her sisters. Sadly for the girls, Shika's abilities didn't hinder her at all. She assumed everyone knew about her powers... Yes, she wasn't very socially adept and a bit scatterbrained, but their father loved her even more for it!

"Father's too protective. Let them see the world as it is, and I'll keep an eye on them," Celine thought to herself, already aware of her sisters' plan. Kushi walked right past her, unaware, as the gap in their powers and abilities was too vast.

Fifteen minutes later, the conspirators gathered again, their eyes gleaming as they held a map of nearby territories, deciding which city to explore.

"Tienhai is too dangerous; we might run into our parents' acquaintances. Let's choose Hinai—it's only two hours away by boat," they agreed. But another problem arose: "How do we get there?"

"I know who can help us," Tomoko smiled. She approached the swings where Shika had been playing and calculated how to pique her sister's interest.

"Shika!" Tomoko greeted her warmly. "Want to join us on a little adventure?" Shika, uninterested, continued eating her melon. Undeterred, Tomoko continued her planned monologue. "In Hinai, there are so many food stalls with delicious treats..." Without a word, Shika gracefully jumped off the swings. Tomoko simply took her hand and led her to the others. Everyone had their weaknesses, and Shika never hid hers.

Soon, they were at the dock, where Driya's rarely seen plant-ship was absent. It was now the size of a large battleship, capable of crushing dozens of Fire Nation ships. Driya continued to improve her creation, giving it a pseudo-consciousness that allowed it to collect flora samples for self-enhancement. Most of the time, the semi-sentient ship sailed the seas and depths.

"The ship's not here," Kushi stated the obvious. She'd only seen it twice in her life, so they hadn't counted on it. Plus, it was unlikely to obey their commands. "Shika, you know what to do."

The girl with tiny, cute horns finished her fruit in one breath, tossing the seeds nearby. A minute later, a well-crafted boat appeared where the seeds had landed. It was no match for Driya's ship, but it would serve their purpose perfectly.

As soon as they boarded, the four were overwhelmed with excitement. Three of them realized this was a real adventure—no adults, just them and the world! The fourth anticipated trying food from every street stall, her obsession with watching food being prepared right in front of her.

"Hime, did you bring the coins?"

"Got it all!" Hime pulled out a small but heavy pouch filled with something metallic and jingling. Money was always in plain sight at home—why hide it when only family was on the island?

Hime then demonstrated her waterbending skills, impressive for her age. The boat shot forward, slicing through the sea. After half an hour, her energy depleted, and Tomoko took over. She dipped her hand into the water, creating spinning air blades that propelled the boat just as fast. Celine followed, increasingly amazed by her younger sisters' resourcefulness.

Soon, the girls were strolling through the city, curiously examining every building and shop. It wasn't their first outing, but this time felt different—they were completely on their own, like real adults!

Hinai wasn't a tourist destination; it was purely a business city. Its proximity to Tienhai made it a hub for traders, which fueled its prosperity. Other nearby cities served as rest stops for travelers heading to the future world center.

If anyone noticed the girls, it was only because of Shika's exotic appearance. But no one bothered to ask why they were alone. The girls were well-dressed, so people assumed their parents were nearby. Interestingly, crime was much lower in cities surrounding Tienhai. Perhaps triads and criminals preferred the best hunting grounds, though logically, these quieter areas seemed easier targets.

"Young lady, you've given too much!" the vendor exclaimed when Shika handed him a gold coin—nearly a week's earnings!

"I want it all," Shika mumbled, pointing at kilograms of raw meat.

"Uh, okay," the skewers vendor stammered. "Maybe she has a big family..." But reality was, he couldn't grill fast enough to keep up with the young customer's voracious appetite. The juicy meat disappeared into her stomach almost instantly.

"Take it all!" Shika's commanding tone and serious expression made her sisters uneasy. It seemed they'd unleashed a gluttonous monster...

For the next hour, Tomoko, Hime, and Kushi did nothing but carry treats for Shika. They already regretted bringing her along...

Fortunately, even Shika had her limits. In the following hours, they explored shops undisturbed. Hime and Kushi spent an hour in a weapon store, handling every item. The poor clerk couldn't speak, knowing the value of the girls' seemingly ordinary clothing. He immediately recognized their noble background. They then indulged Tomoko's love for beautiful clothes, spending another hour and a half trying on outfits.

"The sun's setting soon," said a satisfied Tomoko, hugging a massive bag filled with dresses.

"It was fun, but time to go home," sighed a tired Kushi.

They'd left their boat outside the city in a small forest, avoiding the busy port where their unusual group might attract attention.

As they trudged deeper into the forest, Shika's little nose caught something interesting.

"Someone's grilling fish," she announced.

Near their boat, a group was indeed cooking fish. Soon, the newcomers noticed the girls.

"Jin! Hey, Jin!" one man, with a typical criminal's face, nudged his friend. His clothes were worn, and his sword looked neglected. "Look at those girls!"

"What are you on? What girls in the forest?!" But when he turned, his mouth dropped open. His expression turned eerily friendly. "Kids, what are you doing here?" His oily gaze scanned their figures.

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"Definitely rich—we can demand ransom!" his accomplice whispered excitedly. "But let's keep one for ourselves, yeah?"

"Shut up, you'll scare them!" the other hissed.

"Dirty, smelly bodies, unintelligent faces..." Hime began listing. "Enough to assume you're bandits!" It probably should've sounded scared, but not when spoken by Yuki's children.

"They're not afraid of us," one grumbled.

"The fish... it'll burn..." came a voice behind them, making them jump. Shika sat calmly by their fire, flipping the fish.

"How'd you get here?!" the bandits asked in unison, though their words were too crude for the girls to fully understand.

"Prepare, villains! Kushi Iron Fist will crush you!" one girl was eager to fight real bandits.

"Leave one for me!" Hime shouted, sweeping one bandit away with a massive wave. Her motto might as well have been: "The bigger the move, the cooler it is!" Kushi sent the other flying with a stone pillar that erupted from the ground. "They're so weak..." she grumbled.

"Yeah, didn't even last two hits," Kushi sighed.

The two losers, already battered by life, now sank to the ocean floor. Lao and Roku's crackdown on crime had made many criminals afraid to even enter cities. Why weren't they resurfacing? One was truly unable—Kushi had broken his arm and injured his spine. Even if he were unharmed, he wouldn't have stood a chance. Celine disliked how they'd looked at her sisters, so their souls would soon join the Spirit World. Fast-growing seaweed, as if alive, ensured no favorable outcome for the bandits.

After a small feast courtesy of the bandits, the girls prepared to head home. But before they could board the boat, Hime and Kushi were lifted into the air as if they were naughty kittens.

"They didn't learn anything useful today," Celine admitted to herself, met with three pairs of submissive eyes. The fourth pair was more interested in a nearby crab...

"Oh! Hi, Celine! Good thing you're here! We were playing at home and suddenly ended up here!" Hime lied without blinking.

"I heard your conversation when you were still at home," Celine said. If she were fully human, a vein would've popped on her forehead.

"Heh-heh," Hime laughed awkwardly. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy..."

After a half-hour lecture on their wrongdoing, Celine resorted to drastic measures:

"I'll have to send you home much earlier," she sighed, feigning reluctance.

"I don't want to go home!" Tomoko, Kushi, and Hime said in unison. "We'll obey Sister Celine!" they continued synchronously.

The girls spent most of their time elsewhere. Tomoko returned to the Fire Nation, where her loving mother Ursa and adoring Azula awaited. Hime went back to the North Pole, straight into the arms of Kai, Katara, and Yui. Kushi was eagerly awaited by Shizuka, Suyuki, Jun, and Tof.

They only visited Air Temple Island during their so-called vacations, which they looked forward to immensely. All of Yuki's daughters had become close friends, so no one objected to their gatherings. Another reason for their enthusiasm might be the lack of peers in their respective homes. Here, they were all the same age, and they didn't need to pretend—life in the palace imposed certain restrictions, after all.