Rae was relieved. Claire had admitted that Rae was "hers" and that no one could take her away. The threat from tomboyish Princess Manaria had faded. The fact that she had been toying with her because she had a crush on her, rather than Claire, totally caught her off guard. She didn't expect that. She wasn't as good with determining people's thoughts, especially when it came to romance. This was unexpected because she had been pursuing Claire since she first reincarnated into this world. This bliss would not last. Unexpected visitors who had just gone through a struggle of their own, saving their world from firebenders who had dominated the world, would be appearing in the Bauer Kingdom.

Something in the universe brought together these two groups, perhaps because the Avatar was the bridge between two worlds or due to some transdimensional being who lorded over the multiverse but vowed to never interfere unless absolutely necessary. Whatever the reason, they met one another.

Out of nowhere, a fourteen-year-old young woman with dark brown hair, a bald light-skinned twelve-year-old boy, a twelve-year-old black-haired girl, and a sixteen-year-old young man with dark brown (and black) hair dropped from the sky. They seemed to be losing control until the boy grabbed them all, riding on a movement of air he'd dubbed the "air scooter." Rae and Claire watched this with amazement as these four people came from the sky. They weren't sure why they were there, but Rae was annoyed. They had disrupted a nice time she planned to have with Claire.

Before she could say anything however, Claire went on the attack, wagging her finger. "Now, that is very impertinent the way you descended from the sky...it was very improper...very ungentlemanly." The bald boy turned his head to the side. He was confused. Hadn’t her eyes been sparkling when she watched him from the ground with her...girlfriend?

"Weren't you amazed at my air scooter? Isn't it cool what I can do with the air?"

Claire let out her trademark laugh, making Rae tremble in joy. She always loved when Claire acted this way. This personality quirk may have annoyed some, but it would always be precious to her.

"Maybe I did for one split second...but that was a momentary lapse in my judgment...it will never happen again!...hrmph!"

As he was about to extend his hand, the young woman behind him pulled him away. "Let me handle this...sweetie." He nodded. Perhaps she could smooth over things better.

"There's no need to be annoyed...ma'am," she began. She tried to be as polite as she could.

Pointing at herself, she said, "I'm Katara." Then moving to the side a bit, she pointed to the bald boy, "this is my...boyfriend, Aang." The sixteen-year-old man, with a burn scar on left side of his face, spoke. "I'm Zuko."

The light-skinned twelve-year-old girl, with sea foam green glazed-over eyes, grinned. Since she was visually impaired, she relied on her ability to "see" what was around her with her earthbending powers. "I'm Toph. I can’t see either of you...because I'm blind...but I really like your laugh, lady!"

Claire was getting a bit more annoyed. Then came the kicker: "Lady, can I touch your face?...I try to get a sense of people when I meet them." Rae came between them. She couldn't let this happen.

"Miss, I won’t let you touch my dear Miss Claire’s face...that would be a travesty...that's only for me to touch...when we make sweet love!"

Claire tried to play her off. "Rae, you say such silly things...you don’t mean," but then added, "I guess I wouldn’t mind if you did it with me…"

Rae was a bit taken aback by Claire’s boldness, in this instance. She hadn’t expected that. She wondered if something was off with Claire, but decided to teaser her instead.

"You want to do it with me?" Rae asked inquisitively. Claire's face was as red as a tomato. "That’s not what I meant!" she shouted. Zuko was rolling his amber eyes. Did these two women have to flirt in front of them? Shouldn’t they...get a room instead?

Rae sensed his hostility somehow. Thanks to her dual casting ability, she could move earth and water at will. As it so happened, two members of this group, either called the Aang Gang or Team Avatar, could do the same. However, she did not have the power to use fire like Claire. Perhaps that elemental ability fit with her personality.

"Do you have something against me and...my Miss Claire?" Rae insinuated while staring at Zuko. He was quick to anger, but still listened to reason. When Aang's gray eyes met his own, he took a step back and withdrew before he could reveal his firebending to Claire and Rae.

Aang came between Rae and Zuko. "There's no need to fight! I'm starving...let's get something to eat." Everyone could come around to that idea. They walked into the cottage where Rae and Claire were staying as part of a vacation from school. Both had hoped to relax. While it would be annoying to have guests, both realized they had to host this unexpected group… for now.

As they went inside, Rae remarked, "It may be a challenge, but I can make some food for you all." She was a full-time maid after-all. So, she could whip up something quickly.

In no time at all, she made some sandwiches. They were on brown bread covered in mayonnaise and topped with cut cucumber slices. She even went to the effort to cut each sandwich in half. This was something new that Rae had tried. Claire always thought these sandwiches were stupendous. The food was assembled on a set of plates across the wooden table. Rae happily announced the food. "I made some cucumber sandwiches for you all… enjoy!"

While Aang was unsure, Katara snatched one of the plate and shoved it in . To encourage him, she remarked, "it's okay, sweetie, they are vegetarian." That put him at ease.

"As long as they are vegetarian...it's against my beliefs to ever...eat meat."

Claire's mouth was full, as she munched on one of the exquisite sandwiches, marveling at this wonderful creation. Zuko and Katara were also eating the food she prepared. Rae had a chance to ask Aang about himself. After all he had broken up her almost-fight with that annoying man.

"So...Aang...how can you can also control air? You don't even use a wand?"

Rae already guessed the answer, since she had watched many anime in her previous life, including those featuring women wearing sailor uniforms fighting against villains trying to shroud the world in darkness, or middle-school and high-school students who gained magical powers. In her estimation, this person and his friends probably had innate abilities. If he confirmed her assumption, she would know for certain that he was not originally from Revolution but had come from the outside… somehow.

Aang chuckled. Who would use a wand to control the elements? What would happen if the wand got broken somehow? It seemed cumbersome and silly. "Yeah, I can bend air itself...I'm the last one of the airbenders...my brethren were wiped out by the Fire Nation...years ago."

Zuko piped up. "While I wasn't part of that reprehensible genocide, I have been working to make the Fire Nation better… as the new Fire Lord." Rae felt sad for Aang. She wondered why this Zuko person was with him. But, she didn’t question it. She wanted them all to leave as soon as she could, so there would be more time she could spend with Miss Claire.

Out of nowhere, Zuko conjured fire in his hand. This frightened Miss Claire at first, while amazing Rae. "It is improper to do such magic inside of this cottage...it is unbecoming!"

Seeing that no one else agreed with her, since they were amazed by his firebending as much as those eating a candlelit meal or sitting on logs around a campfire, she groused. Hrmph! "If you must do...that thing...it must be outside...I will teach you how to not be...so reckless."

While Claire's tone annoyed Zuko, he didn't want to get into a fight, not now. He was trying to get better and control his anger, to make sure he didn't have any hostility toward anyone. "Fine," he curtly replied. Both walked outside the cottage.

Rae didn't completely trust Zuko around Miss Claire. She motioned Katara and Aang to follow her. Toph sat at the table and chowed down on more of the sandwiches, along with other fruits and snacks, which Rae had recently placed there. She had seen Zuko in action before. Since she could sense tenseness within Rae, she did not want to get herself involved in interpersonal disputes, especially not between them. She had done that before and...it hadn’t always gone well with her. As it stood now, she had no romantic partner, and that was OK!

Before she knew it, Zuko was concentrating his elemental ability and brought about a fire whip. Surely, he could have redirected lightning, fired small blasts of fires through two of his fingers, created powerful fire blasts with an enormous flame, or even fireballs. Sometimes his fire was even hot enough to melt chains. He wanted to control his actions by remaining refined and reserved. He wouldn't be propelling himself through the air with firebending, at least not this time.

"That was majestic," Claire marveled. This response made Rae nervous. She didn't want Claire catching feelings for this newcomer. She soon realized that Claire was only being competitive. "That fire whip was something, but can you change your fire into a bullet, a lance, a wall, or even a magical ray! That’s only something I can do." She used her wand to fashion a magical beam. She fired it right at Zuko, who barely dodged it. The magic spell it sliced the ground next to him.

"That’s my Miss Claire! You are really the Crimson Queen!"

Although Rae's response embarrassed her, she was ready to keep going. Zuko turned around and began firing fireballs with some of his fingers. He refrained from doing anything too dangerous. This was only a demonstration, not an actual battle. He didn't want to hurt Claire.

Claire was impressed. Sensing that Rae was giving her the evil eye, she didn't want to cause any more fissures. She was much more aware of such social issues than Rae would ever be. "I think that is all for now, Mr. Zuko…unless any of you...can use fire magic too."

Rae lamented that although she was a dual-caster, she only had the affinity for controlling earth and water. Aang stepped forward. He was the Avatar, after all, and his girlfriend was watching.

He began showing off. He breathed fire from his mouth and fired steam from his hands. He could also, thanks to Zuko's training, redirect lightning, or create strong and destructive fire streams when in the Avatar State, while also melting through solid stone. His gray eyes looked fierce.

"That was great, sweetie," Katara remarked. She kissed him on the cheek, making him blush. Rae could see how loving they were with each other. She wished she could do the same with Claire. At least Katara's brother, Sokka, wasn’t there. He would be complaining about how close Katara and Aang were getting, annoyed at their personal displays of affection. Claire almost looked envious to Rae.

"Miss Claire...are you getting jelly?...would you like a kiss on the cheek too?" Rae probably said more than she should. But she couldn't help herself when teasing Claire.

"Jelly?" Claire said, clearly annoyed. "It would be improper to do so." While this dampened Rae's spirits, what she said next surprised her: "I suppose I wouldn’t mind it...under the right circumstances...if there wasn’t…" and she trailed off.

Rae was surprised at how forward Claire was being. Did she really want a cheek kiss? She couldn't stop herself. She quickly moved in and put a smacker on Claire's cheek, making Claire's face turn the color of a ripe raspberry. "Rae...you are being...so Rae…" she said, unable to put a sentence together.

Zuko would have been annoyed to see this, but knowing what magical power Claire possessed, he did not want to cross her. He calmed himself down so he didn't shout at them. At that very second, Toph joined them. She wasn't always the best at reading situations, but she could tell that Claire and Rae had an elevated heart-rate. She guessed what it meant.

"I knew you both were together...did you kiss or something?" she asked. This embarrassed Claire and Rae more than anything else. Toph thought she had said something wrong, until Katara whispered in her ear. "Don't tease those two lovebirds too much...I think they have feelings for each other, but haven't totally realized it yet...we can't push them into it."

Katara decided to take the initiative. "Let's continue on magic demonstrations…I'm a waterbender, so I'd like to show you my water-whip!...it's a technique I came up with on my own!"

She used water from the nearby dew and puddles to bend the water at will, showing immense ease and precision. While she didn't show it this time, she could also manipulate the water inside clouds, along with ice, snow, and even freeze people, turning raindrops into weapons, transport water bubbles, and remove water from plant life. She refused to manipulate body within living things. That was known as bloodbending which she learned from the deluded Hama. Even so, her abilities were so advanced that she could heal chi paths within someone's body, including her own body.

Rae was impressed and drawn in by Katara's blue eyes and brown skin. Both shined in the sunlight. However, she knew that she wasn't doing this for her, but to show off to her boyfriend, Aang. Rae had to do the same for Claire. "You may be able to use a water-whip, but I can do so much with water too...I am a dual-caster after all!" Katara had no idea what that meant. The next thing she knew, she heard two words which almost striking fear in her: "Absolute Zero."

The violent magic spell froze the nearby wooden post and shattered it into a million pieces. If Rae had this much power, then what else could she do? She was unaware that Rae had a similar healing ability, which only worked when it came to neutralizing and counteracting effects of particular poisons. She could also augment the strength of another person’s spell by "enchanting" it.

Of course, she could also freeze a target in a large block of ice, or put up a wall of water to defend against fire magic. Katara could do both of those things as well. She could manipulate water vapor too, but not to such an extent that an opponent’s vision would be obscured with fog, or cast a sleep spell which put whoever was targeted in a deep sleep, or even unconscious on the spot.

Before she could say anything more or Aang could show off his waterbending abilities, which involved controlling huge waves of water, or even control water at remote distances when in the Avatar State, Toph stepped forward. "If everyone is showing off now...I'd like to give it a go!"

Everyone nodded, as Katara stepped back, joining Zuko and Aang who watched while leaning against the outer cottage wall. Rae prepared herself. Using her heightened seismic sense, she manipulated the earth to send a rumble toward Toph, who barely dodged the attack. This terrain didn't impair Toph’s abilities. In fact, it enhanced them. Seeing that she wouldn’t have much of an advantage on the ground, Rae somersaulted through the air, and fired a number of projectiles, including a water meteor, which comprised a huge sphere of rock propelled through the air by water. She chose not to use the Cocytus technique which combined water and Earth magic, freezing everything within the epicenter.

As Rae touched earth again, allowing Toph to "see" her again, she put up an earthen wall made of tungsten carbide, allowing her to deflect any of the projectiles sent by Toph, while firing earth spikes and stone arrows. She refrained from using tungsten carbide bullets. Concentrated on throwing projectiles toward Rae, she was quickly imprisoned by a thick rock wall by Rae after she pointed at her and said: "Shut."

This immobilized Toph briefly, before she took down the rock wall. She bowed toward Rae. "You are a very worthy opponent, Miss Taylor...I hope to spar with you again sometime." On some level, Rae hoped the same. She was surprised that Toph could do so much even though she recognized that Toph was visually impaired, only able to "see" thanks to her earthbending powers.

"Toph, I am in awe by how you can command the earth…even with your visual impairment! It is most...impressive." Claire began to get uneasy. Before she could step forward and say anything more, Katara whispered into the ear of her boyfriend. She wanted him to do a demonstration.

"Sweetie, go ahead and show them what you can do with Earth magic!" Aang nodded, agreeing to Katara's request. Rae could tell how much Aang and Katara loved each other. She believed deep down that one day her relationship with Claire could be like that, although she wasn't sure how to get there.

Aang moved his hands back and forth. It was almost like he was molding the ground itself. He concentrated it into a huge boulder and sent it flying into the air. To smash it apart, he sent a massive rock column. While this would have causing the rock pieces to rain down on them, he used his air magic to blow the pieces away. Somehow the rock pieces barely missed the nearby houses and caused no damage whatsoever. This was lucky, as when he had been fighting the Fire Nation with his friends there were times entire towns were devastated during battles with them, which he somewhat regretted.

While he didn't show this to them, he could also detect objects through use of seismic sense, thanks to training from Toph, and form earthen armor for his own protection. Unlike some other airbenders, his earthbending was more defensive, either creating shelter, walls, or restraints. If he had gone into the Avatar State, he could have manipulated huge columns, turned rocks into pebbles or sent them flying at high speeds, or create massive chasms in the ground itself.

Everyone was clapping and impressed. One of Rae's affinities was earth magic too, but her skills were nowhere on the level of Toph nor Aang. This inspired her to improve her abilities with magic spells not just to garner Claire's admiration, but to protect her in case of harm.

"Twinkle toes, why don’t you show them your wind magic?…Since you are an airbender after all." Toph's request was welcome, but he didn't appreciate her calling him that name, at least not in front of people that he didn’t know very well. But, he wouldn't let that bother him.

"Fine. I can do much more with my wind magic than moving some rocks around…and the air scooter...let me show you the power…of an airbender!"

Although he had mastered all four elements, controlling air was the one he was most familiar with, and had the deepest connection to. He had to keep his skills sharp if he wanted to protect not just his girlfriend but the rest of his comrades. He could have wowed them with a tornado or manipulated air which would lift or deflect heavy objects. He didn't use air in a deadly way since he was a pacifist, after all. He grabbed his glider and used hands to airbend himself into the sky, flying across the town and enjoying himself. They were all amazed, but Katara was the most effusive.

"That looks good, sweetie!...you look so majestic going through the sky...like an eagle!" This embarrassed Aang greatly as Katara shouted this so loud that almost everyone in the town heard her, and looked up, seeing Aang flying through the sky. They were puzzled and confused. Who was this bald-headed kid flying above their city? They had no idea.

In no time at all he came back, not wanting to attract any more attention to himself. Katara had made him blush enough already. Having put his feet back on the ground, Rae remarked "Aang, you are one great senshi... but you are no senpai to me." Aang had no idea what the words "senshi" or "senpai" meant, nor did Zuko, Katara, or Claire. Rae could see they didn't know what she was talking about.

"Oh…it's nothing" she said, brushing off their concerns, and added, "Aang, you might get along with Misha...since she is skilled at wind magic, and can even channel it into a sound so it can be a weapon!"

This worried Aang since he would never use his wind magic to physically damage something by concentrating sound. However, with his airbending abilities, he could have also used vacuum tear or rupture to remove air in a certain area, or even silence and dampen noise through manipulation of sound waves going through air like Misha. However, he had never tried that on his own. "That sounds nice, Miss Taylor, but…I don’t use my magic in that way...I use it peacefully, not violently."

Claire understood what Aang meant, although she was willing to use magic to protect those she loved, by any means necessary. She reassured him. "Don't worry, Aang, Misha is a nice person...so don’t be put off by her magic…I could introduce you to her sometime." However, she didn't mention Thane, who could also use wind magic. Rae was the one who brought him up.

"Oh, but Miss Claire, you are forgetting Thane…he can fight like a magical warrior, buffing someone's spell, augment physical attacks, surround himself with wind to deflect attack...and even use wind to gain additional mobility...air steps if you will!"

Claire was a bit surprised that Rae mentioned Thane, considering that she knew that Rae was jealous of her affections toward Thane, although she had encouraged their romance at first. When her face got warm, Rae came close and reminded her, "but remember, you are the one for me...Thane is just a prince...I'm the one you love, right?"

Acting shocked by Rae's forwardness (which was no surprised), Claire stepped back. "My word, how impudent! You say such silly things! You know that you are my Rae...and I'd like to do...so many things with you." The last part surprised Rae, who began teasing Claire in response, yet again.

"So, what kind of things do you want to do with me? Do you want to get down and dirty?"

Claire was flabbergasted, her face turning the color of a bright-red apple. She didn't know what to say in response without embarrassing herself even further. "Rae, you are only a commoner...we don’t do things like that...at least not in public...what we do behind closed doors is…"

She trailed off. Zuko decided to say something. He didn't want to anger them, but he also had hoped they would keep their flirting to a minimum. "...your business. We get it. Get a room, you two!"

This insolent attitude almost made Claire blow her top. She was ready to incinerate Zuko to ashes. Rae decided to defend Claire. She had to. She had no choice. "I love Miss Claire like a rose bathing in the moonlight...more than anything else. Zuko, she is my master...and I would appreciate that you not insult her...or else I will...take care of you...and it won’t be pretty."

Zuko took her threat seriously. He knew that she was a dual-caster, who was skilled at using earth and water magic. He wasn’t aware that she had a water slime named Ralaire, who had her own abilities, nor her knowledge of modern-day Japan or her nerdy familiarity with the otome game Revolution, within which the Bauer Kingdom resided. Zuko backed down.

"I...take back what I said...but you two definitely both love one another."

Rae smiled. Her expression completely changed from the anger he had just seen moments earlier. "I'm glad you recognize that...she is the one who saved me...after all."

Zuko didn't know what she meant by that, but he could see that Claire was certainly important to her. Aang, decided that they were interfering too much, after Katara told him that Rae probably wanted more alone time with Claire while Toph registered a rising heart-rate within Rae. He didn't want any additional arguments, as he knew that Zuko could, sometimes, be a hot-head.

"Thank you for your hospitality Ms. Francois and Ms. Taylor...we will be going on our way." While Rae was glad they were leaving, knowing it would allow her to have more alone time with Claire, the response from Claire was different. "Please come back sometime and visit," she began. "You should meet Misha and Thane, Yu who is skilled at using water magic, or Rod who is a fire magic user."

Aang shouted back, "we will!" He whispered to Katara, "let's go sweetie," to which Katara nodded. They left together, riding on an air scooter, with Aang holding Katara in his arms, while Zuko and Toph stood on either side. Where they went after that was uncertain. Rae and Claire were changed by this encounter in more ways than one.

Before Claire could even think, Rae had picked her up, holding her like Aang had done with Katara, in what some called a princess carry, cradle carry, or a bridal carry. This caught Claire be surprise, so she didn't know how to respond. Her face got warm. Rae remarked, "I'll make a bride out of you, yet!" Claire yelped, still in shock. Rae carried Claire inside the cottage and to the nearby bed, which she had recently made, one of her skills as a maid. What happened after that was undoubtedly the most intimate thing that two, or more, people often do in the privacy of their own rooms.