The Legend of Ba Sing Se ○ ATLA

1 ○ The Legend

"Come on, Kiiya, sock 'em!!"

The underground arena shook with the force of the blow the man took from the agile combatant he faced in the ring. The crowds around erupted in crazed cheers, knowing full well they were about to make good on their bets and wagers.

Most would go home tonight with their sacks filled to the brim with copper, silver, and even gold pieces. Those who were foolish enough to underestimate the wrath of the unassuming woman in the ring, however, would grumble home empty-handed-- all the while, still totally starstruck by the spectacle they would bear witness to.

The massive, burly man in the ring was a worthy opponent to anyone-- stacked in height and muscle, which probably made up for his lack of common sense. In any other match he would win out of brute force-- but this match in particular caught him completely off guard.

He frantically wiped the dirt from his face and shook his head side to side, attempting to recover. His efforts to re-stabilize himself were quickly cut short by the abrupt thud of a hilt dealt upside his chin.

A bell sounded, marking a foul move. The crowds booed at the opponent who struck the bad blow. One more hit like that and she would be disqualified. Worse-- the expectant audience would lose their massive bets.

"What?" she retorted to the crowds with her arms stretched out. "You didn't sound that way when he did that to me!" A pink welt on her chin proved her point, but the disapproving yells only got louder as the audience's greed overtook their sense of good sportsmanship.

Enraged at the foul, the massive man at the other end of the ring let out a deafening growl, and leapt up to strike another blow.

The young woman was ready. Agile and quick, she dodged the charging man and drew her broadswords again from their sheaths, creating a dissonant grating that echoed through the arena. She pivoted on her heel, and staying low to the ground, and danced around her opponent, swords flashing through the air. The two struck each other's weapons again and again, the shiny metal flying faster than cat owls through the air.

The man kicked out his massive leg to trip the woman. She was flipped upside down, and dropped heavily to the ground, the blow knocking the wind out of her. Her vision went white as another kick to her stomach sent her flying to the other side of the arena.

The crowd went mad. People jumped out of their seats and flung themselves against the metal bars that encased the fighters in the ring.

The girl tried to get up, but her arm slipped out from underneath her and she hit the ground again. Dust flew in the air and settled in her eyes, making her vision even hazier. The only thing she could make out were the hysterical screams from the stands surrounding her, and a tall, blurry mass barreling towards her at an alarming rate.

"Kiiya!! Get up!!"

One voice in the crowd was different than the rest. It was the reminder that without Kuari in her life anymore, she was the only one capable of taking care of herself-- and the ones she loved.

That was enough for her.

With her good arm, she shoved herself to the left with as much force as she could muster, missing the charge by her lunatic opponent by just inches.

He yelled out in pain, crashing against the stone wall in front of him. He pulled himself back up, then screamed again in frustration as he realized he never even hit his opponent. The woman stood up as well as she could, grunting with the effort it took. She quickly took a stance and bolted away from the man.