[Plot Topic] The Hotaru Twins, Warriors of Fire (Lyssa, Kouzai, Yukina, Mistdrake)

Lydia half listened to what Kaede had to say. The trick with the black lightening was pretty cool, and the fact that she'd learn all of the neat tricks. As the waiter brought out the steak Lydia's eyes lit up. It looked like a real good steak. She began to devour it, sort of using her fork for the purpose of lifting it to her mouth, As she explained how the world was going to end Lydia stopped, steak hanging from her mouth. "So, we're going to help save the world? Deal. When can we start." She said, carefully keeping her steak in her mouth. Taking a big bite and setting the rest of it on her plate she looked at her brother, then at Kasai. "I'm ready."

Kaede listened to Kasai as the lightening ball appeared in her hand. The lightening intrigued him and he wanted to learn it. He wanted to leave right there and go train. The waiter brought him some soup with his sister's steak and he sipped at it while he listened to the girls talk. There was going to be danger and trouble, and it perked his interest. "Deal." He told Kasai as he drank down the rest of his soup. He was hesitate, worried about his sister getting into the middle of all the fighting, especially when they still didn't know what they were up against. Looking over at Kasai, Kaede smiled and set his bowl down. "Whenever you are ready, Miss Kasai."

Kasai nodded, "Alright, then we'll leave now," she said placing four gold pieces on top of the table for the food and the waiter.  "Let's go!" she called, dragging the Hotaru twins with her, "Take your food to go, if it's not portable leave it.  This world wont save itself.  I promise when this is all done and we have some free time I'll take you back all right?"  But just as they exited the restaurant there was an explosion far off in the distance.  Kasai instinctively pushed the Hotaru twins back into the restaurant to keep them safe.  With a watchful eye she scanned the surrounding city, and saw airships and soldiers storming the streets.  "What the hell-?" Kasai started but another rocking explosion resinated through the air and smoke started to billow from the palace.

Alyssandra ran towards her with guards surrounding her.  "What's happening?" asked Kasai as soon as she reached the Princess.  "We're under attack!" she cried, "They appear to be Imperial nobles.  It's a coup d'etat!  We need to get out of here now!"  "A coup d'etat?!" exlcaimed Suzaku with worry.  Why would someone try to overthrow the Empire?"  Alyssandra didn't answer, instead to instructed Kasai and her young wards, now returned from their safe hiding, to run towards the massive tower where the Empire kept their airships.  They were going to escape on an airship and head to the Shadow Lands to be with the Spirit King.  Eldunar was going to send airships to the other nations to allow the other royals to escape before meeting up with everyone else there.

This much Kasai remembered, and what followed was a blur of rushing between soldiers, killing evil soldiers.  Ducking behind and over dead and dying civilians.  It was especially hard to overlook the crying, or in some cases, dying children.  But right now, world safety and these Warriors were more important.  "Move!" Kasai called from behind her charges.  She got behind them to ensure they'd be safe.  She was responsible for them, and she'd make sure no harm would come to them.

"Wait, what?" Lydia said, surprised at the sudden Coup. "What's going on? Why is this happening?" She had no idea why people would want to do this. The empire had never done anything bad to her itself. Had it? These people were clearly crazy. Then she saw the blood. It was the first time she'd seen a man dead. There was blood on the ground. She screamed and grabbed her brother. Then everything goes dark and she wakes up when they finally make it to the air ship.

Kaede swallowed what was left of his soup before following Kasai out the door. The explosion shocked through him, but he listened to her as she pushed them both back inside the restaurant. The area around them shook as Kaede pulled his sister into his arms and held her. "We are going to be okay." he told her as Kasai came back. He nodded and moved in front of her, pulling Lydia up with him. He tried to move as quickly as he could and still heard her yelling to move faster. Keep Lydia safe and just listen to Kasai Kaede told himself as they moved where Kasai directed them.

Just a few hundred feet from the Airship Tower, Lydia fainted. "Dammit," hissed Kasai. She dashed forward and grabbed Lydia from Kaede's side, tossing her over her shoulder. "Keep moving!" she cried, forcing Kaeda forward. Something blew up not too far behind them. Stopping but for even a moment could meant their death. Finally the group reached the elevators, but Kasai had no patience for waiting. "Come on!" she cried, cramming everyone on to the elevator. She would move it herself if she had to, and that's what she was going to do.

Laying Lydia in a corner of the caged elevator carefully so she wouldn't get hurt, Kasai climbed from the cage and on to the roof of the elevator. Using her fire bending, she sliced through the cords that kept the elevator down, and within seconds they were careening towards the top. Kasai ducked back into the cage, threw Lydia over her shoulder and grabbed onto Alyssandra and Kaede. There was a crash, and the elevator hit the roof, smashing and compacting in on itself. It was wrecked, but Kasai had jumped with everyone onto the platform where the elevator would've normally stopped. They were safe, shaken, but safe.

Within seconds, the group was back on their feet, dashing into a nearby airship that several guards were keeping a close eye on. One site of Alyssandra and they were preparing to take off. Kasai passed Lydia to Kaede, "Go bring her to an infirmary on board!" she cried explosions, alarms, crew members shouting and engines running forced her to yell, "I'm heading to the observation deck!" Alyssandra and Kasai ran towards the balconies where the Imperial soldiers were stationed. All members of the vanguard, all ready to defend the airship from other airships attacking the capital. As the airship pulled out towards the harbour and the ocean, a paltoon of five airships headed towards them.

Cannons fired, lightning benders shot bolts and blasts of flame headed towards their enemies. Kasai could even see white flames being shot from somewhere down the line of benders. "Keep firing!" cried the voice who was shooting white flames, Kasai couldn't see him clearly, but she heard him loud enough. Within another 10 minutes, all the enemies had been subdued and shot down and the group had made their turn to pass back over the southern part of the Imperial mainland. They were going to double back, dodge the city, and head towards the Shadow Lands. It was risky, but it wasn't as risky as going over the mountains. "I can't believe this happened..." whispered Kasai to herself, looking down at the wreckage of the airships that they had just shot down, "Why now? Why the Empire? Why my home...?"

Lydia awoke and screamed. "Kaede!" She shouted, gasping for breath. "Huh...wha...where am I? What happened?" She looked around the strange room she was in. It appeared she was back on the air ship. Then memories started coming back to her. The woman at the restaurant, being an elemental warrior, the coup. Jumping out of bed she ran to the nearest window and gasped. The city was in flames, more then usual. "No...why would people do this?" She didn't understand why the people would want to overthrow their emperor.

Kaede watched Kasai take Lydia after she had fainted and followed her into the elevator quickly. He wasn't expecting the elevator to crash in the shaft, but braced for it anyway. Getting up quickly, he followed Kasai to the airship, taking Lydia from her shoulders and running for the infirmary as instructed. Canons and explosions sounding around them as Kaede ran into the infirmatry's doctor. "Oh, dear," the doctor directed him to a bed as he spoke. "Please, place her here, she will be okay." Kaede nodded to him before carefully placing his sister down on the bed. I was supposed to protect you, and here you are in the sick ward. He thought as he sat back in a nearby chair. When Lydia awoke, he stood to answer her. "The city was attacked, Lydia. YOu fainted so I brought you here with Kasai's help." Kaede told her, shoving his pride down his throat as he walked up to her. "I don't know who would do this, but I don't like it."

Kasai quickly returned to her young charges, to see how Lydia was doing, and to tell them their current plan of action.  Kasai found them where she thought she would, in the infirmary like she had told them.  "You're obedient, I like students who are obedient," joked Kasai.  She walked over to Kaede and Lydia and looked down at them.  So innocent and kind, so young and yet...about to be thrown out into the big, bad world.  "This is what you signed up for as my students," said Kasai gently, "I didn't know what was going to happen exactly, but I knew it was bad.  I guess that attack was it."  Kasai didn't even want to look out the window.  They were kilometers from the capital, almost clear of the entire mainland, about to head over the ocean.

And even so, a path of destruction, death and burned villages was already apparent on these attackers' clear path to the capital.  "This is horrible..." said Kasai again softly, before turning back to her apprentices, "We are heading back to the Shadow Lands.  To the Spirit King, to the Avatar, to the other Order members and to the Warriors.  We're going towards your future, the future chosen for you by fate.  Do you still want to join me?"  Kasai felt as if she needed to ask, even though they really had no choice anymore.  Why was she being so caring and motherly to these kids?  They were students, not children, let alone her children.  Well whatever the reasons, it mattered not anymore.  Things just got really complicated, that much, Kasai knew for sure.

Lydia nodded to Kasai. She was afraid that if she said anything she'd wind up crying. Her home was going to be destroyed and she could do nothing about it. It made her feel sick to her stomach. Thinking about people she knew growing up killing or being killed just because of some silly politics. Eventually she just swallowed her feelings and turned to her master. "I'm staying. Whatever comes next can't be as bad as seeing this...right?" She said, trying to have some glimmer of optimism. "I'm going to go find my room now, if you don't mind." She said as she started for the door.