Anwar's Story

~ G I N ~

---

I can’t fight. I can’t fight. I can’t fight. Gin thought repeatedly. She came back to her senses as the structure collapsed above them. An arm pulled her away from the falling rubble. Her lungs inhaled more dust and dirt than she thought possible. Her legs sluggishly moved as she painfully struggled to keep up with Anwar. She breathed in more and more dirt the faster she ran. Her vision began to get cloudy as she tripped over debris.

Keep going. She repeated in her mind. Keep going. Keep going...

Then finally, they were out of the building and back to the grimy village from before. She coughed up the dust and breathed in the cleaner air.

“We’re…we’re alive. Right?” Gin said with a worried laugh. “Excuse me while I cough out my lungs.” She coughed out the remainder of the dust.

Anwar looked her over quickly, scanning for injuries. There were none, and she seemed to have calmed down now that they were out of harm's way. Things had turned out exactly as he had hoped.

Not wanting to worry Gin further or discourage joviality, Anwar gave a covered grin, "Not enjoying the dust? Perhaps it is time to get you your own mask, then." He jested as he brushed off the dust on him, "It is not just for style, it would seem."

He quickly added with a wink, "Though it would be a shame to hide such lovely facial features as yours."

If he could keep her from focusing on the danger and the death with his classic flirtatious levity, then any annoyed retorts or slaps to the face would be well worth it.

“So…ahem-” she whispered in case more enemies were near, plus she was exhausted from the run so it was reasonable. “Where are we?” she asked, looking around the alley the two had apparently escaped into.

Before Anwar could say anything, the vroom of a truck muffled out every noise. Anwar grabbed Gin and pulled her down behind a crate that was conveniently placed in the alley, and out of view of the drivers before they could see her.

Gin had never seen a truck before--mostly being because she was secluded on the temple her entire life--though she had heard of them from people on the outside. She peeked over the crate and saw who was driving the truck. Thugs, assassins and chi-blockers, wearing the same armor as the ones from before.

“-let them get away. There were only two of them. That man wasn’t half-bad, but that girl-ugh- she definitely needed to do something with her hair.” a woman said, pouting as she rubbed her swollen, purple cheeks.

“You know, I didn’t think it was actually possible for you to get even more annoying. But I guess even you can surprise me.” a man said.

The two chi-blockers from before, Gin recalled. She did not say anything to Anwar because she figured he noticed them as well.

The truck drove off down the road with an escort of assassins, all armed with guns and various other weapons. Once the two could no longer see nor hear the assassins; Gin looked at Anwar silently with a ‘what now’ expression on her face.

- Anwar -

---

Before the vehicle had vanished from their sight, Anwar was ready with a plan. He gave Gin a confident look and gestured to the truck, "Care to join me for a pleasant ride through the countryside, al'ezeyz?" He smiled his hidden, devilish smirk. "It will be quite exciting, no?"

---

The pair followed the assassin's truck on horseback until the rumbling vehicle finally slowed to a stop. The two chi blockers continued to bicker for a few moments as they exited the truck and made their way into a nearby building. It was crumbling and ruinous much like the town, but had been barricaded and fortified in order to serve as an outpost.

It wouldn't be easy sneaking in, but it had to be done. The identity of whoever ordered the attack on the air temple was still unknown, as well as their reasons for doing so. Anwar slipped off of Neres's back, his curved blade in hand and at the ready. He had promised to protect Gin, and he was sure she would never be safe as long as the monsters responsible for her grief still lived.

The masked man offered a hand to Gin to help her off the horse, "It would be best if we... were silent for a time." Anwar brought a finger to his covered lips, "It would be a shame to ruin things when we're doing so well." There remained in his eyes the joking softness of his usual self, but his tone had adjusted to the danger of the situation.

Anwar gave a heavy pat to Neres to send her off, to which she responded with a scolding nicker before galloping away.

"Stay close to me, al'ezeyz," the man urged his companion. "You will be safe."

---

"Pacing, pacing, pacing. Anxiety's bad for the skin, you know." The female chi blocker gave a melodic laugh as she checked her nails.

The other chi blocker gave an annoyed grunt in his partner's direction, "Shaddup, you serpentine skank. Your voice is grating on my nerves worse than this waiting."

"Serpentine? Fufu~" She smirked with an amused cock of the head as she blew on her drying nails. "Is waiting really so bad? I quite like it. I get to relax and see you tear your hair out." She laughed her lilting laugh full of mockery, "Sometimes you even cry about the silliest things."

"Gh!" The man's face blushed bright red as he flailed his muscular arms about defensively, "Th-! Th-that was o-o-one time, you-- you wench! A-and I wasn't crying!!!" He frantically screamed at her from across the room, "I--I'm allergic to flowers so--"

The woman laughed even more, "So you weren't just moved to tears? When that sweet, little girl caught you looking at the flowers--"

"Shaddupshaddupshaddup!!!"

"--and offered you one of her precious daisies, you weren't so touched by it all that you began to sob like a child?" The woman laughed again, taking pleasure in sadistically teasing her companion, "Crying and crying, you wouldn't stop!~"

The man had been unable to dodge the verbal killing blow she had just landed on him. Instead he absorbed the attack, and became enraged.

"It... it...!" The assassin's face transformed into that of a wild beast's, "WAS ALLERGIEEEES!!!" He lifted the thick, wooden table at the center of the room with a scream of fury and hurled it into the wall with a great explosion.

The table crashed partway through the wall next to the woman's head, like a giant dart that had just missed the bull's-eye. The woman laughed nervously, her hair blown to one side, "M-my bad. Ahaha..."

---

Anwar sheathed his sword. He had nearly grabbed Gin and fled the spot when that table suddenly crashed halfway through the other side of the wall. He breathed a sigh of relief now. They hadn't been discovered--

A hostile voice yelled from behind Anwar and Gin, "What was that?! Are we under attack?!"

A group of assassins ran into the room, investigating the sudden explosion when their eyes landed directly on the two intruders. Anwar quickly readied his blade and stepped in front of Gin.

"Intruders!!!" One of the assassins yelled, "Over here!!!"

More assassins ran into the room, weapons in hand. Too many to take on in a direct fight. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay alive with that many attackers and keep them off of Gin. There was only one choice.

Anwar kicked the table out from the wall, revealing a small hole. It was too small for Anwar to escape through, but he hadn't intended to be the one to use it.

"Gin!" He pushed her toward her only chance at escape, "Run to Neres! Hurry! I will hold them here!"

---

Gin had slipped through the hole, leaving Anwar alone. Well, except for the dozen or so assassins waiting to attack. But now, with Gin gone, there was nothing holding him back... Anwar chuckled, his jade green eyes glimmering with bloodlust as he sheathed his sword. A few of his attackers laughed. A muscular woman with legs as large as tree trunks laughed the loudest, "Fool!" She howled, "We don't accept surrender!" The assassins continued to laugh.

Anwar smirked, changing his stance, "Nor do I."

With a blast of hellish fire, Anwar threw back the assassins, setting them ablaze and consuming most of the room in flames...

~ G I N ~

---

“Idiot!” Gin said before Anwar pushed her through the hole. She did not want to leave Anwar behind, abandon him to the mercy of countless assassins. But, what could she do? Staying would do only get the both of them killed. The best thing currently was to get out herself and hope Anwar can do the same.

Gin crawled through crack and was out again. There was not as much dirt to breathe in or debris to trip over as the previous escape route, but that did not mean it was the most comfortable of escapes she had made.

“Ah-” Gin screamed as something wrapped around her legs, knocking her to the floor. Before Gin could react, it dragged her through the dirt. Gin clawed into the dirt and her surroundings with her fingers tips, desperately struggling to stop herself. The rope painfully tightened its grip on her legs.

A person stepped up to Gin, but as she looked up at the attacker; something flew towards her eyes and her vision went black.

- Anwar -

---

As the now ablaze building collapsed overhead onto the scrambling assassins, Anwar took the chance to escape. He plowed straight through the horde of assassins--who were more preoccupied with extinguishing themselves. A few grabbed for him, but he was quick to leap out of reach and send another blast of flames in their direction.

By the time Anwar made it outside, the rest of the assassin group was running toward the burning base. Making sure to brush off a stray flame that had caught on the edge of his cloak, Anwar disappeared into the bushes in the direction of Neres and, he hoped, Gin.

Just as Anwar was no longer in sight, the assassins left behind in the building piled out of the door with a frenzy of smoky coughs and wheezes, followed by a flurry of relieved sighs as they dropped to the ground. Before the approaching group of thugs could ask what happened, a coughing assassin answered.

"Fire... bender..." he choked a little, "Masked. Didn't-- khgh-- get a... look at 'im."
The pile of assassins beneath him nodded in unison.
"But he was big... and really strong," someone added.
The pile nodded another time.
"And tall!" Another cried out.
The pile of assassins nodded once more.
"...Kinda cute though," one of the female assassins added.
The pile of assassins debated for a few moments... before nodding again with a few shrugs.

One of the recently arrived assassins turned to the slowly collapsing building. "Is he dead?" He questioned the pile, "Did you kill him?"

The ash covered assassins were silent for a moment.

"Yup, he's dead."
"Totally... dead."
"More dead than me!"
"Yeah, we, uh, killed him."
"I killed him myself!"
"It was a team effort."

A woman in the pile shushed the others and quickly whispered to them, "What if he's not dead?! We'll all get in trouble if we say we killed him ourselves!"

The ash covered assassins were silent for another moment.

"Actually, Fuu killed him!"
"Yeah, Fuu got the guy!"
"Fuu killed him straight dead."
"Nice work, Fuu!"
"Fuu took out that monkey-lizard with ease!"

Everyone turned to Fuu, who had just arrived with the other assassins.

Fuu blinked and scratched his head. "I did?"

---

Anwar finally arrived at the top of the rocky slope where he knew Neres waited for him. While he caught his breath he could hear cheering from behind him. In the distance, the assassins were celebrating and carrying a very confused looking man away with a few cries of "Hip hip hooray for Fuu!"

Neres's whinny snapped Anwar's attention back to the task at hand.

"Mareer-mor, atheyr," Anwar chuckled, accepting Neres's happy nuzzle, "But you are not who I worry for right now." Anwar tried to contain his anxiety as he called out for Gin and looked beyond Neres.

Gin... was nowhere to be seen.

Anwar's heart clenched painfully. He frantically scanned the area below for any sign of his charge. Nothing. He watched the assassins' retreat to see if she was held captive. Nothing. He even checked his saddlebag in case she, or anyone, had left a note. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing...

She was gone. He had failed.

He was... nothing.

- Anwar -

---

Anwar collapsed with heavy breaths, his chest heaving with fatigue. Strands of his soft, raven hair slipped out from his mask and beads of sweat dripped down his chin. It was nightfall now and Gin was nowhere to be seen. An entire day of searching all in vain.

The dark warrior slid down the crumbling shack he was propped against, almost sliding into the ground itself. He looked ready to faint with exhaustion, undoubtedly because he had been searching tirelessly for hours upon hours. Resigned to failure for the night, Anwar's eyes slowly closed under the sparkling night sky, the cold, evening air nipping at his masked face.

An annoyed whinny stirred him from his premature slumber as Neres rubbed her wet nose on his cheek.

Anwar let a small, bittersweet smile flicker across his face for but a moment, before he sighed and pulled himself up. Neres was right. He couldn't sleep here. This was, after all, the place where it had all happened. The charred remains of the building he had brought down around him were hidden by the night, but he could still smell the dusty ashes in the air.

He would find her.

Revitalized for a short time, at least, Anwar pushed himself away from the building toward Neres. Before he had taken another step, however, his foot tapped something small and light. He brought his gaze down and his heart clenched.

Gin's flower.

The unmistakable blue of the flower seemed to shimmer under the moonlight, like something from another world. Anwar's hand caressed it for a moment, delicately, before he clenched it tight. He was going to find her, and this flower would find its way back in her hair once more.

"Wha'sa matter, sonny?" A wrinkled voice cackled.

Anwar snapped around, sword in his hand. He may have also let out a small (manly) squeak of surprise, but that was never to be mentioned. Ever.

An old lady sat on a burnt log near him. She laughed again, "Wha'? Lost yer date? Eheehee!"

Anwar stared in confusion and suspicion, "Y... you!"

"Hey!! Is that any way tah treat a lady!? A lady likes bein' talked at with her name, boy!" The old prune spat back, waving a bony finger familiarly at him.

Anwar raised an eyebrow. For once, he wasn't in the mood for games, but he played along all the same in the hopes she might know something. "Well, my dear, lovely lady," Anwar laid it on thick, "You never did give me your name before. Alas. Perhaps if we were better acquainted first then--"

"Wha's that?! I can't hear ya!! Speak up, ya devil!" The lady cut off his attempts at charm.

Anwar's annoyance only rose, and he gave an exasperated look to Neres who seemed to be thinking the same thing as him (or maybe she just had gas again).

"Hey, hey, there, boy! Where ya think yer walkin' off tah?!" The granny screamed behind her two remaining teeth.

"I... am not walking anywhere? I haven't mov--"

"OI! Come back here, ya punk! I see you, leavin' me behind!!!"

Anwar rubbed his face with frustration, "I wish I was leaving you behind, mareer-mor," he muttered.

Maybe he should leave! It was clear this woman was delusional, deaf, and blind. What help could she possibly be?

"Now, now," the old lady stood up from her perch on the log (which fell apart completely after her wrinkled buns had lifted up). She grinned smugly, "Yer not gonna leave before I tell ya what ya wanna know!" The crazy woman stabbed another bony finger toward him and cackled madly. The finger in his face might've made even Anwar blink (maybe from the smell), but since she had actually pointed at a large bush next to her instead, the dramatic effect was lost.

How blind was this woman? Anwar crossed his arms expectantly, albeit with amusement.

The woman smirked even wider, "Dontcha wanna know where that pretty young thing o' yers was taken?"

Anwar's eyes widened. Okay, he was a little impressed. Guess there was more to that crazy, old lady act she had going than he thought.

There was silence. To the old lady, it was deliciously dramatic! To Anwar, it was damn annoying. The old woman took a wheezy breath...

...and started to doze off rather unimpressively.

---

Ming flipped a blade across his fingers with boredom. He was sick of waiting in silence while Wu had her "girl time" (*shudder*) with the prisoner. Don't get him wrong!--He instantly corrected in his head-- It wasn't that he needed Wu around to keep him entertained, it was just, y'know, really really boring when she wasn't there to argue with. Yeah, that was it.

Ming tensed, slipping his blade into his pocket warily, as he entered.

"Oya?" The voice he loathed most of all (even more than Wu!) uttered from the doorway, "All lonely?"

Ming didn't look at him. His hair stood on end whenever it came to this guy...

"Must be very, with no Wu," the man smiled. "Sad she has new friend?"

Ming only scoffed.

"No worrying," the man covered in shadows sharpened his eyes, "She's not here for long."

Ming knew that, and so did Wu. This girl would be just like all the others... no matter how special the boss claimed she was.

"Fushhushuu," the man hissed with laughter and slid out of the room.

Ming sighed with relief, and stared after him. Well... it looked like he wasn't the only one bored. But it wouldn't be long now. Tomorrow the tournament would start and the boss would be in an unhealthily happy mood.

Everything was in place... so why did he feel so sick?

The sliding door to Gin's "cell" opened suddenly, and out came Wu (along with a cloud of flowery perfume). Her hair was curled and done up quite extravagantly, with soft strands falling down right onto her-- AHEM. Sizable attributes.

"Hm!" Wu snorted, "Well, well... Look who's redder than a radish in a curry!"

"I--!! S-s-s-sh-shaddup!!!" Ming squeaked pathetically.

Choosing to ignore him this one time, Wu brought a perfectly manicured finger to her glittering lips. The tournament was tomorrow. Ming was sure to participate, but her?

Ming sighed, scratching the back of his head, having read her mind. "You don't have to, you know."

The lovely lotus of the field, Wu, smiled deviously, striking a seductive pose (it was just a regular pose but, lordy, everything this woman did was seductive). "Can't let you get too confident! Someone has to give you a taste of reality." She winked, "Wouldn't want your face to get even uglier!"

"Hag."

"Troll."

Ming and Wu grinned, looking away from each other.
They'd make it through this, even if they "couldn't stand each other".

---

"This is a very bad plan." Anwar flexed his exposed arms, readying himself for combat as the cheers of the crowd echoed in the distance.

"This was yer plan!!!" The old woman howled.

"Shhh, qadeem," Anwar winked devilishly, "You are much prettier when you are silent."

The old lady responded by hissing at him like a spider-cobra.

"If anyone can do it, it's you, sir," the old woman's son (the middle-aged man who had led the gang against them from earlier) reassured the dark-skinned warrior who required no assurance.

His fellow gang members behind him pumped their chests and cheered their support for Anwar. (It was a long story)

Anwar smirked and ran a hand through his hair, no longer restrained by his mask and head cover. He felt naked without his dark robes (not that it was a bad thing). His carved, tan abs were now on full display of everyone and Anwar quite enjoyed the attention.

The cheers finally urged Anwar on and he stepped confidently into the arena. After all, if there was one thing (beside flirting) that Anwar was good at...

...it was kicking ass.

- Kyoji -

---

Before the Avatar knew it, he was inside the arena desperately dodging the swords and fists of his opponents. Kyoji's strength was no match for the other fighters. He had to rely only on his bending. The opponents Kyoji faced in the previous rounds were taken down, for he used their own dim-witted minds against them. But this next fighter? . . . The fighter caused fear to grow in the small boy's thoughts.


"I'm starting to regret this decision." Kyoji muttered to nothing as he watched the dark, attractive man across from him. He wiped the small droplets of sweat from his slightly reddened forehead and panted heavily. He was slightly hunched over and his feet began to ache. Kyoji was not ready for another fight but he had no other choice.

Maybe this man isn't as strong as he looks. He was horribly mistaken.

- Anwar -

---

A loud gong resonated in the air between the screams and cries of the arena-goers. Somewhere, amidst all that cheering was a crazed old lady, her criminal son, and his gangster lackeys all shouting the same name.

Anwar. Anwar. Anwar!

"ALLLLRIGHT," a beefy woman in a stained smock roared above the noise into her Cabbage corp. brand microphone. She stood on a balcony pedestal, a groaning pig above the mass of squealing piglets looking for blood all around her. "Another one ready to get chopped!"

She waved one arm to the young boy in the opposite corner, "Still standing in the Dragon corner! The cutie with a feisty bite--THE LETHAL LIMA BEAN!!!" She turned her head and muttered under her breath, "Can't believe he's still kicking."

"And THEN," she swooped her hand to the other side of the arena, "in the Tiger corner, the sexy newcomer-- who I say can come visit me in my corner, hrr hrrr-- the EXOTIC WONDER OF THE EAST, ANWARRRR!!!"

The ripped, tan man flashed a seductive grin and his private cheering section went wild. He heard quite a few swoons from the crowd, as well (and not all from women).

"You got this, boss!" The old lady's son yelled.
"Get him black 'n blue!" One of his henchmen cried.
"Show him yer the king!" Another shouted.
"EAT HIS INTESTINES!" The creepy one screamed.

...How had he picked up those guys again?

---

"Ma!" The old woman's son had shouted as she entered their rundown shack, "There ya are! We was lookin' everywhere for--"

The man's throat caught and he squeaked in terror as a familiar, dark-skinned, robed figure also walked in.

"Ah, back here again," Anwar purred with a wary, yet dangerously amused look around. "You have redecorated. A few more holes in the walls than before." He curled his nose, "Also a few more dead rats?"

There was deadly silence in the room.

Anwar smirked, an aura of danger rising off of him. His plan had been to intimidate them into submission if they got unruly, but... that seemed to be quite unnecessary...

Before Anwar could even utter a threat, the whole of the gang flung themselves onto the ground in submission before him. Their heads pressed deep into the floor and he even heard a few sniffles! Were... were those real tears!? Mareer-mor, he couldn't handle tears.

"PLEASE..." They cried in unison, "PLEASE FORGIVE US!!!"

Anwar blinked, totally at a loss. Angry thugs? He could handle that. Suspicious thugs looking for revenge? Easy, easy. But repentant men seeking forgiveness? How was he supposed to handle that?!

They turned their heads up at him expectantly, tears in their watery eyes that looked ready to shatter with just a word.

"I... uh," Anwar grunted stiffly, giving a flustered nod of forgiveness. He almost preferred fighting them to this.

---

The crowd was swelling with impatience, and Anwar knew what everyone wanted to see. This young boy they had him paired against looked barely out of adolescence. Small, light frame with worried, unsure eyes. He was a noble, too. Anwar could tell. An air seemed to surround him that Anwar knew all too well--that feeling of disconnect with the outside world. But... there was something in his eyes that he just... felt. Like his eyes were older than him.

Anwar chuckled at that thought. How poetic. He really was becoming more like the old man.

The rounded lady announcer was still shouting above. "You know the rules, boys!" She pointed to the large wooden sign dangling above the arena. The words were written in blood red, and a hand print was smeared along the side.

"Only one rule!!!" She shrieked with maddened excitement, "DON'T. MAKE. A. MESS!!"

With a loud crash of the gong, she jumped into the air, "BEGIN!"

Anwar wasted no time in rushing forward with a crack. The crowd may want to see blood, but Anwar had no intention of spilling any of this boy's. That said, he also had no desire to lose.

In the blink of an eye, Anwar was nose-to-nose with the boy, his blades pulled back ready to strike.

"Care to play a game, saher?" He whispered darkly into the boy's ear.

Maybe this would be a fun fight after all.

- Kyoji -

---

Kyoji cringed as he heard his arena title. It wasn't his decision. The people at the arena decided it for him, and Kyoji, not wanting to be rude, went along with the horrible name. The Gong's loud boom rang in his ears.

The Avatar blinked and suddenly his opponent was right in front of him. He felt the other man's breath against his ear, this caused Kyoji to become terribly uncomfortable. Kyoji leaped backwards and his feet kicked up dirt and dust.

Dang, that was way too fast for me. Kyoji continued to breath heavily. He backed away slowly as he flexed his hands. The ground began to shift in its position. The Avatar could feel it under his feet.

- Kyoji -

---

The young Avatar took a step back as his sweat beamed down his petite face. Kyoji took a large breath right before instantly diving his fists into the dirt floor, causing large snake-like stone spikes to shoot from the ground upwards, and whip towards Anwar with great speed. Dust flew across the arena. Dirt and small rocks were shot out as the stone spikes moved. They were meant to move underneath Kyoji's opponent, knocking the exotic fighter backwards.

Once the spikes were almost at Anwar, Kyoji quickly swung his arms backwards, then to the front in a circle shape. A large rock shot from the ground and Kyoji kicked it towards Anwar. It flew towards him with a huge amount of strength and speed. Again, Kyoji swung his arms back and two more smaller stones levitated from the dirt floor and were thrown at Anwar. Causing dust and pebbles to be thrown in all directions. The Avatar could hear the shouts and 'woohs' of the audience.

Ignoring the noise, Kyoji dug his boots into the dirt, and kicked forward three smaller rocks one after the other. He was exhausted, but he knew he had no choice but to win. And Anwar wasn't going to surrender. Fighting was his only option.

- Anwar -

---

Five seconds into the match and the crowd was already on the edge of their seats. Dirt and dust covered the arena from the young earthbender's barrage of power and everyone scanned the arena for the outcome of the attack. No one had expected that little kid to pack such a punch. In fact, it was a show of power that Anwar himself had not expected.

That didn't mean he wasn't ready for it, though.

The dust slowly cleared around where Anwar had been standing.

Only rubble remained.

The crowd rustled in their seats in disappointment and excitement. The handsome challenger was nowhere to be seen...

To be heard, was another matter.

"What a pretty dance, saher." Anwar's melodically smooth voice echoed from the rafters above. "You must teach it to me sometime."

At Kyoji's feet a dagger whistled through the wind and carved a path into the earth in front of him. It sliced into the dirt mere inches before him.

Anwar was quick to appear from the shadows, and in another breath he was nose-to-nose once more with the young boy, pinning him to the ground.

"Perhaps you can teach it to me later," he purred, "when we're alone."

- Kyoji -

---

Kyoji began to cough as he tasted the dust around him, but he still remained in his form. He blinked a few times before trying to see his opponent. Only, he saw nothing. The audience was just as confused as he was.

"What a pretty dance, saher." Anwar's voice echoed through the arena. Kyoji instantly looked around him, searching for the missing fighter.

The Avatar looked back to the front, only to see a dagger shoot down from the ceiling and land right before him. A slightly feminine yelp escaped the raven-haired boy's lips as he jumped backwards, almost falling on his back. Though, Kyoji did not need his own clumsiness to fall. Anwar already had it covered.

Before Kyoji could even blink, the handsome fighter was right on top of him, pinning the small Avatar to the ground.
"Ah, ow!" Kyoji muttered under his breath as his head hit the hard dirt. He felt his face heat up a little bit, and he began to panic.

"Perhaps you can teach it to me later, when we're alone." Anwar said to Kyoji. He could barely move with the 'Exotic Wonder's' weight on him.

"No, get off me you pervert!" Kyoji shouted as he tried to push the larger man off of him. Kyoji could feel his rage boiling inside him.

"I said. Get. Off. Me!" The boy shouted before he shoved his hands forward and a wave of burning red fire poured out, knocking both fighters backwards. The fire was very weak, so no harm was done. The audience made a loud gasp and people began to whisper in their seats. Kyoji still lay on the ground. He stood up and caught his breath. More sweat poured down him, his heart began to beat rapidly.

"Did... Did the..." The announcer started to speak but stuttered. "Did this Earthbender just Fire bend?! Not possible, could this be..." The voice shouted. Kyoji was at a complete loss for words. Without thinking, he simply pointed at the other man and shook his head.

"He uhm... He did it..." The boy stumbled to say.

- Anwar -

---

Anwar crossed his arms in silence as he looked over his young opponent. He had casually brushed away a stray spark that had touched his hair while the audience reacted around them. The shouting and screaming had died down almost instantly into awe and wonder. Only whispers and confused grunts could be heard over the announcer's equally stunned voice and Anwar took the time to think.

He wasn't afforded long, however, as the boy pointed straight at him and in a shaky voice tried to shift the unwanted attention. Lucky for him, attention was just what Anwar needed.

"Ah, my secret is out," Anwar suddenly chuckled, running a hand through his hair in a very Anwar-esque pose, "My mistake."

Certain that all eyes were on him now, Anwar gave a bounce and shifted into his most natural fighting style.
And here he thought he was going to go easy on the boy... but things were just too interesting to let them end now.

With a surge of heat and power, Anwar kicked his legs in a flip and scorched the pillars beside his raven-haired opponent in what appeared to be a warning--but was really just him showing off. The now blackened pillar glowed a molten orange as the heat from the blast easily showed the exotic warrior's strength and thus appeased the audience. Anwar smirked to himself, pleased with the change back to normality in the crowd as they resumed their cheering and swooning. They seemed to have bought it. Ah, foolishness really did have its uses.

Anwar rolled his back and stretched with an intimidating aura. "I won't go easy now, little boy," he lied rather convincingly. "You may have tricked me into revealing my little secret, but don't think this fight is over."

Anwar gazed directly into Kyoji's eyes, filled with warning, "I'm sure others have noticed as well. You are in a dangerous place, saher." Anwar spoke every word sharply, trying to speak more than what he said. "You best tread lightly. You are dealing with power larger than you realize."

And with that, Anwar leaped forward and continued the fight.

- Kyoji -

---

After the tan fighter burned the pillar, Kyoji simply froze in place. "I was right?!" The boy muttered to himself. Kyoji didn't know what to think of what Anwar had said. Immediately he thought it was a threat, but something about it sounded strange. The Avatar took a small step back, waiting for the opponent to do something. Unfortunately, Anwar leapt towards him.

Too fast... The raven-haired boy was getting beat badly as the fight continued. He had pushed his body too far, and there was nothing he could do to match Anwar's strength and power. No, I can't lose here. I've done too much to lose now.

"It seems 'The Lima Bean' has reach his end, can he fight!?" The announcer shouted over the screams and cheers of the crowd.

"No, I can still...fight." Kyoji tried to stand his ground, but his body hurt. And he was weak. For the boy, it was over.

"All 'The Exotic Wonder' has to do is one more attack, and he's won!" The voice yelled once again, Kyoji could hear the audience yell things like 'kill him' or 'killing blow'.

Am I going to die? Like this...? Kyoji felt pathetic. Mother... Father... What can I do?

- Anwar -

---

Anwar had played around long enough.

With a roll and a flip forward Anwar kicked out his young opponent's legs, sending him falling to the ground. Anwar stepped over Kyoji, standing above him with a foot keeping him pressed to the earth. The kid was done. All that was left was the final blow.

The crowd screeched with excitement. Some cheered for blood and some cheered for the fight to continue. Too bad for them Anwar had no intention of granting either wish.

Anwar slipped his curved, ornate dagger from its sheathe and spun it around dramatically.
It was time for a stylish finish.

"They say blades shine the brightest," Anwar smiled with clouded eyes, "before they hit their mark."

With one final spin Anwar struck.

The crowd erupted into utter chaos. Men and women alike fell over each other, pushing to see the killing blow... only to yell in confusion and anger when they saw the dagger dug into the ground beside Kyoji.

Anwar chuckled at the audience's disappointment and started to exit the stage. He faced the other way from his defeated opponent and smiled, turning his head back for one last glance.

"I wonder," his eyes fell on the relinquished dagger, "how bright did it shine for you?"

With a wave of his hand he continued walking. "Hold on to it for me, will you? Think of it as a gift."

And with that, he was gone from the arena.

The shouting continued for a while as the announcer conferred with the staff behind her on the podium. She shrugged her hands and held up the microphone, still in hot debate with her peers. The words "Can he do that?" and "Is he forfeiting?!" passed through the speakers by accident until finally she jumped forward and screamed into the mic.

"LISTENNNNN UUUUUP!!!!!"

The speakers screeched from the volume at the end, but the crowd had been startled out of their fighting successfully.

"We've never had a fighter, uh, walk away from a fight before it ended... At least, not one that wasn't running away crying," she muttered.

"The judges are deciding though!!!" She continued with an excited yell trying to bring back everyone's interest. "Will the winner be the victor who walked away at the last moment, the mysterious fire-bender and EXOTIC WONDER OF THE EAST, ANWAR?!"

The crowd screamed with renewed fervor.

"OR!!!!" She swung a hand towards Kyoji, "Will it be the defeated boy who was left behind, the stubborn and feisty fighter, THE LETHAL LIMA BEAN?!"

The sound of cheering doubled as the gambling audience pumped themselves up for either loss or gain.

"OH!" She jumped in surprise as someone whispered into her ear. "And we have a decision! The winner is..."

"Is...!"

"THE EXOTIC WONDER OF THE EAST!!!"

Shouts of triumph and boos of anger filled the arena once more.

Anwar smirked, and crossed his arms at the side of the arena. His new brothers of the gang slapped him on the back in congratulations and Anwar could feel his heart quicken at the thought that things were going according to plan.

Gin...
Just a bit longer. Hold on a little longer.

- Kyoji -

---

Kyoji made a small yelp as his legs were kicked causing him to violently hit the dirt floor. The small boy stared up at his opponent, watching the knife in his hand. As the older man stabbed down, Kyoji closed his eyes.

A few seconds passed before the raven-haired boy opened his now widened eyes. The opponent was exiting the arena, Kyoji could barely listen to what he said. His heartbeat had never been as loud as it was at that moment. After the winner was called, Kyoji yanked the knife out of the dirt. A few strands of Kyoji's hair were cut from the blade, leaving small uneven strands of hair on the side of the avatar's head. The small boy tossed to knife away from him and sat up. All of his energy seemed to drain.

What am I going to do now? I let down Kasumi... I let down my family... Kyoji slowly stood up and was headed to the exit. What is she going to say?

~ G I N ~

---

The smell. The disgustingly, sweet smell of perfume and incense. It made her want to throw up. Three days- or was it four? Gin could not remember.

No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried; she could not escape. Her body was deadened every few hours, or so, to keep Gin caged with no chains or bars. How could she escape when she could not even life a finger.

The raven-haired girl was dressed in a colourfully stunning outfit. A blue and gold top with bare shoulders that was tight around her breast and accentuated her curves. A blue skirt with white and gold lace and trims that trailed down her hips. Thigh high black boots and gold, fingerless arm bands were tight against her clammy skin. Her hair was adorned with gold accessories and silver flowers that were pinned into her scalp. Hair extensions that matched her colour were also pinned in the back to create a massive flow of long, long hair. To top it all off, a pink, flower tiara rested gently on her head.

The entire outfit was horrendously uncomfortable.

Her scalp burned and itched, her ears stung from the gems that dangled from her earlobes. Her hair smelled foul from the perfume and weighed a tremendous amount. She had never worn anything remotely similar in her life.

Her eyes were closed as she whispered prayers to herself and tried to sleep, but she was interrupted when she felt a sharp slap! against her cheek.

"Wake up," a man growled, "We'll be needing you soon." The gruff man's empty eyes stared at Gin before he received his own slap to the face from a fellow comrade. The woman from before, Wu if Gin recalled correcty, stood next to the man and glared, her face fixed in a smile.

"Now, now. Is that how you wake up a lady?" She spoke as if she were speaking to an infant. "Leave. I'll need to adjust her make-up now, thanks to you," she lied.

The man hurried from the room, muttering curses under his breath, no doubt at Wu and Gin.

Wu looked at the defenceless Gin in her chair. "Oh, it fills me with pride to see how well I made you look, compared to that droll face you had before," she smiled. "Those boys out there will love you," she leaned in close. "They will love to watch you dance."

Gin began to sweat. Anwar had to be looking for her. He HAD to. Even if he hadn't known her for that long, he would still look for her, wouldn't he?