The dawn broke over the island early, and a calm silence fell over the town. A single auburn haired woman walked through the streets, surveying the homes and shops on each side of her with a sort of nonchalance. She tugged at the neck of her coat – a feeble attempt to cool off from underneath the uniform that was clearly not designed for the warming weather. These calm mornings proved to be no solace from the increasing heat, but they were a quiet reprieve from the business and fuss that filled the very streets she walked from day to day. Although most dreaded them, she coveted these mornings patrols. Her family was fast asleep anyways, even if her wife had mused about missing her presence from time to time. A slight pang of guilt touched her briefly, but the gentle breeze that hit her face washed it away. She had dedicated her life to this duty, she couldn't shirk it so simply, even for her own desires.
Still, she regretted not seeing her dear daughter's bright face when she woke up in the morning, excited and eager as every to train with her. The child was only six, but she was determined to follow in her mother's footsteps. She knew that the girl would probably change her mind in time, as she knew better than anyone that this life she led was not for everyone, nor was it for the weak of heart. Not that she believed her daughter to be weak of heart, but she did see a compassionate and caring young woman in her – a reflection of her own wife. She wouldn't be disappointed should her daughter pursue her future as she saw it, but she didn't wish to limit her child by her own choices.
For example, her girl could be one of those new airbenders for all she knew. Ever since Harmonic Convergence, people who had never bent a day in their lives started showing their newfound abilities with air. One had yet to pop up in her small town, but she knew it was possible. That meant it could even be possible for her Haruka to be one – but she never mentioned it to the girl. She didn't like to sugar coat things for her daughter, but she wouldn't want to get her hopes up either.
People started to flow out into the streets as the sun rose, and the woman could feel the makeup on her face starting to tingle with an itch. The least desirable part of her life was wearing it, but it did come with the job. Her only reprieve from it was being able to remove it off duty. It was probably about time she headed home to do so. Haruka and Miyuki would be awake by now anyways. They were the lights of her life and she welcomed seeing their smiles.
As she approached their small home, she could hear a series of loud crashes from within, and squeals from which she couldn't distinguish the tone. Her instinctive need to defend flickered alive, and she approached the front door with caution. Very carefully, she unlocked the door, then very slowly cracked it open just enough to slip around it. Once she got inside however, she realized that she was worried for nothing. She saw a table knocked on its side and a vase shattered on the floor – which her wife was presently sweeping into a dustpan – and her daughter floating up in the space near the ceiling.
Speak of the devil – Haruka was an airbender. She let out an uncharacteristically gleeful laugh in relief that it wasn't much worse – or was it? She could handle an intruder, but did she know how to handle a bender outside the context of combat? She wasn't sure.
"Setsu! I'm so glad you're home. I was just about to call into the headquarters looking for you," Miyuki smiled up at her from where she kneeled on the floor sweeping. Even though her daughter had just smashed one of their wedding presents on the floor, her dear wife still maintained her ever cheerful demeanor. "As you can see, we had a little surprise come up here this morning."
Setsu glanced up at her daughter, who was still blowing herself up into the air, her head uncomfortably close to the ceiling support beams. Her lips tugged up into a smirk, and she walked over to her girl.
"Look Mommy, I can airbend!" Haruka giggled from above. Setsu felt her jacket billow from the updraft keeping her daughter held above her.
"I can see that, dear, but can you please return to the ground before you hurt yourself?" She asked, receiving a nod and an abrupt ceasing of the breeze from her little girl. So abrupt, in fact, that she had to extend her arms to catch Haruka before she crashed to the floor.
"Why don't you go wash up for breakfast, hm, dear?" Setsu laid her down and ruffled her hair before she skipped off down the hall. Clearly Haruka was excited about this, but she had to have a chat with her wife about what it was going to mean. She waited until she heard her daughter's bedroom door close before she turned to her wife, who was returning from the kitchen, free of the dustpan filled with ceramic shards.
"So she's an airbender," Setsu said, giving her wife the look. The look that meant there was a lot of explanation yet to be found in this situation, although she didn't necessarily expect it to be found in her wife's reaction to it. Miyuki merely sighed and crossed her arms as she leaned against the entryway to the hall.
"What do you suppose we do about this?" Miyuki began, glancing down the hall over her shoulder, in the direction of their daughter. "Neither of us bend, and nobody even remotely nearby does either. How is she supposed to learn how to control it?"
Setsu sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She shook her head and approached her wife, placing her hand on the other woman's arm.
"I don't know. Aren't the Avatar and the current airbenders travelling in search of airbenders? Perhaps we could contact them," she offered, hating not knowing what the answer was. Setsu always knew what the answer was – she was the rock in their little family.
"Maybe that's a good idea. I'm just concerned she'll hurt herself by accident," Miyuki paused, raising her hand to her forehead and rubbing it nervously. "What if she hurts herself, Setsu?"
"The sooner we contact the airbenders, the less chance she'll have. Until then…" Setsu sighed, "we should probably keep an eye on her."
"You're right," Miyuki nodded. Setsu leaned in and kissed her cheek gently, then spun around and headed for the door once again. "Where are you headed, love?"
"To headquarters. I want to get in touch with them as quickly as possible. I imagine they'll get the message sooner this way. I'll be home for supper," she replied curtly, grabbing her keys from the small table by the door. She left and the door closed promptly behind her, leaving Miyuki to her lonesome in the hall. Leaving her to worry about the child that made her way back out to her, bringing a soft smile to her face, even if it was a little forced.
"Mama, where'd Mommy go? I wanted to show her more of my cool air stuff!" Haruka asked as she tugged on her mother's dress, drawing her attention downward. Miyuki chuckled.
"Mommy had to go back to work," she replied, picking the girl up into her arms and holding her tight, almost as if she may break. "In the meantime, how about we take today for a Mama-Haruka day, hm? I'll call your teacher down at the school."
"Ok! I wanted to show the other kids, but I guess I can wait. We'll have lots of fun today, Mama!" Haruka squirmed with glee and threw herself out of her mother's arms with a blast of wind.
Miyuki spent the day mostly just observing her daughter, trying to prevent the girl from the self-induced harm she feared. They played with her dolls, she read her stories, and even let Haruka play with some of Setsu's makeup – although she'd never tell her wife that. All the while, however, she kept her daughter's new discovery in the front of her mind. She hadn't had a lot of experience with benders, nor did she ever expect her own child to be one – she was worried out of her mind.
"Mama, did you hear me?" Haruka asked, bringing Miyuki's attention back to the child in question. Haruka stood there, pouting at her mother with brows furrowed.
"Yes, dear? What is it?" Miyuki asked, sensing she had been so focused on her daughter that she had still managed to ignore her. Haruka huffed and held a mirror up to her face.
"Do you like it, Mama? I made you look scary and tough like Mommy," Haruka asked, shoving the mirror closer to Miyuki's face. Her mother's eyes went wide with horror, but she knew quickly to mask it with some sort of appreciation. She thought she looked like some sort of monstrous spirit – but she'd never tell Haruka that.
"It looks great, Haruka, thank you," she replied, smiling and causing some of the misplaced makeup around her eyes to smudge. She gently took the mirror from Haruka's hand and laid it on the floor. Haruka sat down in front of her, then lied back on the floor and began punching gusts of air towards the ceiling. Miyuki smiled – she knew Haruka wanted to be a warrior when she was older, and seeing her already employing her new talents in that manner warmed her heart and slightly comforted her concerns.
"Mommy should be home from work soon, so how about you and I go wash this off and make her a nice supper to come home to, hm?" Miyuki asked Haruka, who immediately propelled herself off of the ground with another draft that lifted her own skirt. Haruka nodded and ran off for the kitchen. She could hear something thud to the floor somewhere along the way, and her eyes went wide as the thought that perhaps the thud involved Haruka's body entered her head, and she ran after her to see what havoc her daughter's airbending had wrecked now.
When she got to the kitchen, she heaved a sigh of relief. All that was displaced was a single chair – one she had placed in there for Haruka to "help" her cook when she really wanted her to watch. Now Haruka was sitting on top of the counter she shouldn't have been able to reach. Ah, the airbending.
Setsu had probably accepted this by now, and moved on to the rational course of action, as she did with most things, but Miyuki was still the worrier. She worried that something would go wrong, that Haruka would injure herself, or… or… who knows what else she could manage. She had to comfort herself in the fact that all day she had been watching her daughter play with the air around her and seem to have a pretty good grasp on it already. It was only her first day as an airbender – as a bender at all – and while she wasn't doing anything too complex, she seemed fairly in control of herself. Miyuki knew her daughter was always bright, and she watched her practice discipline with her wife every day while they trained together. Maybe, she reasoned, she shouldn't be worrying so much about this airbending thing. Still, she was Haruka's mother, and worrying was part of her job description.
Miyuki prepared supper while Haruka "helped" from her chair, and soon enough, Setsu did return home. She didn't look too pleased, but she never did after work. Miyuki knew her wife's job was her passion, but it was also stressful managing the wellbeing and safety of the townspeople day in and day out. She couldn't blame her for walking looking so sour, but today, she was concerned about Haruka, since it was Haruka's airbending that had caused Setsu to rush off earlier.
"Welcome home, love," Miyuki said, wiping her hands in a cloth and laying it on the counter beside her. Setsu joined her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, then promptly wiped the lipstick off of said cheek. "I just finished supper."
"Great, I could use it," Setsu replied, cracking a rare smile. Well, not rare for Miyuki, but rare in general. Setsu the Stoic, they teased in the town, even among her colleagues – but Miyuki knew better.
"Did you get ahold of the Avatar?" Miyuki asked, in a low voice so Haruka would be less likely to eavesdrop. It was still possible, but she preferred this conversation to remain between her and her wife, in case something went wrong while she was out. She waited for Setsu to wash off her makeup in the sink, then followed her into the dining room with the food, and they both sat down, alongside Haruka, who was already there.
Setsu sighed. "Sort of. I got ahold of Air Temple Island, and while they can't tell me exactly where the Avatar is, they did assure me that the message would be passed along. Said that it could be a week before they arrive."
A week. "Did they say anything else? Suggest what we should do in the meantime?" Miyuki asked, glancing at Haruka as she spoke. The girl was feeding herself quite quickly, thoroughly hungry from running around bending herself around the house all day.
"Just to keep an eye on her," Setsu shrugged, taking a bite from between her sticks. Her eyebrows shot up as she swallowed. "Oh yeah, they also said that she might have to leave."
Miyuki whipped her head up at Setsu and laid down her sticks. "Leave? What do you mean leave?"
"Well, the woman on the phone said they were gathering up the new airbenders to train them, and when I asked them about Haruka, they suggested that even at her age it may be best to send her off to do so," Setsu pinched the bridge of her nose. She glanced over at her daughter, the words coming out of her own mouth sinking in and bringing her pain. Every alarm in her head was going off right now, with the thought of sending her daughter off with spirits-know-who to spirits-know-where for spirits-know-how long. The only thing keeping her from outright denying it was that the logical side of her was arguing that it would be in Haruka's best interest to be trained in her bending, and that nobody on the island could do that. Not even her, no matter how hard she tried.
"I don't want my daughter to be whisked away by some airbenders, even if one of them is the Avatar!" Miyuki raised her voice and her fist slammed to the table. Haruka froze and looked up cautiously. Miyuki quickly smiled and waved her concern away. She shrugged and resumed eating.
"I know, love, I know. I don't want it either, but we have to consider what's best for her. We can't hold her back," Setsu argued, agreeing with her wife's heart, but trying to get through to her reason.
Miyuki leaned back, unconsciously having leaned forward as she spoke, and sighed. "Fine."
"Fine?" Setsu asked, not expecting her to relent so easily. Setsu was the one who usually was the first to accept, move on, put on a brave face, but it seemed that now Miyuki was taking that on herself.
"I want her to be safe. As long as she doesn't know what she's doing with this whole airbending business, we can't know that she will be. I don't think I could sleep at night knowing she could always potentially be putting herself at risk," Miyuki answered, reaching over to take Setsu's hand. Setsu gave it a little squeeze. Comfort? Reassurance? Compassion? All of them, she was sure, but she wasn't quite as sure for whom.
"We've got a week, approximately. I haven't fully… come to terms with this, but we do have some time. In the end, if we think this isn't right – although I do think it is what's best – we can keep her here," Setsu said, and they both looked over to watch Haruka play with her chopsticks over her now empty plate.
"I suppose…" Miyuki muttered. She got up and took her plate, which she had no desire to finish, as well as Haruka's, to the kitchen sink. Setsu watched her leave, and took the moment to reflect on, and subsequently deflect her own instinctive reaction to this whole situation. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but she could do neither. She had to be strong. "Strong Mama Setsu", as Haruka had once called her. Without her, Haruka would begin to doubt herself, and Miyuki would fall apart again. She had to be their rock, at least for another week.
The next six and a half days were incredibly long, drawn out by the anticipation of their guests. Miyuki had been fretting all week over the state of cleanliness, and insisted that Haruka contain her playing to her bedroom. Setsu had taken extra patrol shifts at work to occupy her mind, and to be alert and accessible should the Avatar's ship arrive. It wasn't an easy week in their house, at least not for Haruka's mothers, but it was all over when the shadow of the Future Industries airship cast itself over their town.
From the airship descended Avatar Korra, who Setsu immediately recognized upon arrival to receive them, as well as a tall bald man she could only assume was Tenzin, the sole airbending master. When she wasn't patrolling, Setsu had spent the rest of her time since the day Haruka first airbent researching the Air Nomads. She wanted to be as prepared as she could be. She knew others were with these two, but they were probably tired and resting upon the ship. She herself couldn't imagine the strain of travelling around the world searching for and collecting a bunch of people they'd never heard of before.
"Avatar Korra, Master Tenzin, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Nakamura," Setsu began, bowing to them both in turn, "I am Lieutenant Setsu, of the Nakamura Kyoshi Warriors."
Korra and Tenzin exchanged a glance, then bowed back to her. Korra stepped forward and gave her a lopsided grin.
"You're the one whose daughter is the new airbender, right? It's nice to meet you," she said, expecting Setsu to return the smile. Instead, Setsu promptly spun around and motioned for the pair to follow her as she made her way down the street. It didn't take them long to reach her home, and she unlocked the door and guided them in as soon as they were there.
"Miyuki, I'm back. I've brought the Avatar and Master Tenzin," Setsu beckoned, and sure enough, Miyuki emerged from the kitchen with Haruka in tow. Haruka remained a step behind her mother, holding onto her skirt as they approached.
Setsu walked over to Haruka. She bent down and lightly touched her cheek – a comforting gesture, coming from Setsu. "Haruka, dear, this is the Avatar, and her airbending advisor. They came to see you because of your airbending."
Haruka glanced between her mother and their guests. She slowly stepped around Setsu and approached Korra. "Hi."
"Hey there, Haruka. Your mom tells me you can airbend now," Korra said, smiling at the girl to lessen however much she may have been intimidating her.
"I sure can. Watch this," Haruka nodded, and took a step back from Korra. Korra looked over her shoulder at Tenzin and he nodded, then she brought her attention back to Haruka. Within seconds she had herself back up in the air above them all, and was floating up there with more control than she had the first morning she had done it. Korra shot her a thumbs up, and she dropped. Miyuki and Setsu both lunged forward to catch her, but she cushioned her fall with a small gust of air. They simultaneously sighed in relief.
After that, Miyuki continued to welcome the pair into their home, and although they insisted they couldn't stay too long – that there were other airbenders to be located – she sat them down and served them some tea. Caring for guests helped Miyuki calm herself in their presence, both because of who they were and why they were there. She was the calm, collected, homemaker, and that's how she wanted to keep it.
Both Miyuki and Setsu had their share of questions for Tenzin, while Korra entertained Haruka by telling her stories about her own adventures. They asked him how it had even happened that she was given airbending, if and how it would impact her health, if she was likely to hurt herself using it, and most importantly, would she have to leave them. He did his best to reassure the doting mothers that their child was in no danger, but to his dismay, he could not entirely assuage their concerns about her training.
"So far, most of the airbenders we've been tracking have been older than your daughter, and we've been asking them to join us on our travels, pursuant to our impending training at the Northern Air Temple," Tenzin said, stroking his beard in thought as he spoke. "However, given Haruka's age, I don't think that would be the best course of action."
"What do you suggest we do then?" Miyuki asked, watching her daughter try to mimic a little air trick Korra demonstrated.
Tenzin's lips pressed into a hard line, and he considered the options. He didn't want to do anything to endanger the child, for from experience he knew he'd never survive the wrath of an angered Kyoshi Warrior, but he also wanted to set the child on her best path. She was much younger than most of the new airbenders, but she still needed to be trained. It was then that it occurred to him – why not send her to his home, with his wife, his sister and his airbending children? Yes, certainly that could work.
"If I could implore you to hear me out, I might suggest that your daughter go to Air Temple Island, and reside with my family for the time being. I agree that taking her to the Northern Temple is not the best course of action, but my family could easily care for her, guide her, and even begin her training in my stead. I'm sure my daughter and son would be happy to have another child their age around," Tenzin suggested. He watched the two women share a contemplative look, finished with a mutual nod.
"That… actually might be best," Setsu replied.
"As you understand, we are very hesitant to send out daughter away so suddenly, but if you think that this would be best for her and her airbending… then who are we to argue with that?" Miyuki added, sighing as she continued to watch Haruka. Haruka stopped what she was doing when she noticed the three adults had turned their attention to her.
"Mama, Mommy, does that mean I have to go away?" she asked, pouting slightly. Even a six-year-old could ascertain that much from the conversation. Immediately Miyuki felt a pang of guilt, but Setsu reached out and touched her arm to try to reassure her.
"Yes, dear, but don't look at it that way. Think of all the fun new things you'll get to do when you go train to be an airbender," she said, and watched her daughter mull it over.
Haruka chewed her lip. "Does this mean I can't train to be a Kyoshi anymore?" Tears were starting to wet her eyes.
"Airbenders are peaceful people, so unfortunately not, but there are other walks of life you could pursue with your new talents, my dear," Tenzin replied, not wanting to upset the girl, but also not wanting to give her any false ideals.
"O-ok… fine," she relented. It pained her mothers to watch her realize she couldn't fulfill her current dreams. Fate had altered her path, and while she may be upset now, they, in their maturity, knew that she would come to adapt soon enough.
The visit ended shortly, and Tenzin supplied Setsu and Miyuki with all the information for travelling to Air Temple Island. Korra gave Haruka a high five, and they shared their goodbyes before leaving for the airship.
Since Master Tenzin had suggested that they take her to Air Temple Island to be under the care of his wife, sister and the acolytes, and now the preparations were to begin for travel. By the end of the following week, Haruka was restless and ready to go on her first trip outside of her small town.
"Mommy, Mama, do I have to eat leaves when we go to the Air Temple? Aki told me that airbenders eat leaves like lemurs," Haruka asked as Setsu helped her into the boat. Haruka floated her way into a seat and made herself comfortable, looking between her mothers with expectant eyes. Setsu extended her hand to Miyuki to help her in as well.
"No, dear, I don't believe they do. They're vegetarians, but they still eat people food," Miyuki replied, smiling sadly at her daughter. Such a bright young girl and she had to say goodbye to her already. The reasonable part of her knew that this was not the last time she would ever see her daughter, but in her heart she hurt for the knowledge that a reunion would not happen for a long time. Yet she couldn't help but feel a little happy for her girl, getting to experience a whole new world that their little town couldn't offer her. As her mother, she only wanted the best for her child, and she knew she shared this sentiment with her wife.
Setsu got in the boat, started the engine and pulled away from the dock. They were headed for the mainland in Gaoling, so they could catch a train to the United Republic. It was bound to be a long trip – especially for a six-year-old – and Setsu knew that going out of their way to land in Gaoling was inane, but she also resolved to abide by an unspoken code among her colleagues that they were not to set foot in the village of Chin. It wasn't long until the splashing of the waves had lulled Haruka to sleep on her other mother's lap.
Their trip was a long, arduous one, with many stops throughout the Earth Kingdom – in some cases, to places neither Miyuki nor Setsu had ever seen. Haruka had brought a few books to read, and when she read those, Miyuki played dolls with her to occupy her time, and too keep her from accidentally blowing herself away out of boredom. It took them almost two weeks to reach the borders of the United Republic, and once they had, Haruka's excitement and sense of awe only grew, as did her restlessness. She was amazed by the big, developed cities like she had never seen, but it was also incredibly overwhelming. By the time they got to Republic City and rested for the final stint of the journey, Haruka was tired out from the noise and activity swarming around her like she was not used to in her small town on the island.
The time had come to go to the Air Temple at last, and the realization that her mothers were also going to soon be returning home without her quickly sunk in for Haruka. Her excitement was contained by a thoughtful silence, a nervous anticipation of meeting a lot of new strangers and being left in a new place far away from everything she knew for the first six years of her life. She may have been young, but she understood enough of the situation to know she was going to be feeling very lonely for the foreseeable future.
She looked out over the statue of the Avatar Aang that stood tall on the adjacent Avatar Aang Memorial Island, and silently wished for him to tell her that everything was going to be alright. Haruka knew that the previous Avatar was long since passed, and that maybe it would be more helpful to ask Korra for support, but something about the looming stone man heralded for his peaceful outlook on life drew her more. Maybe it was because he was an airbender before he was the Avatar – she didn't know, and she also didn't know if she was quite ready to start this new chapter of her life. It didn't really matter however – for Setsu turned the engine off and they slowed to the dock. She briefly noticed the small crowd awaiting her at the edge of the dock – two women and three children – but her attention was still drawn to the statue of Aang. As she followed her mothers off of the boat, she chose to take it as a sign. With Avatar Aang looking over her, maybe she could learn to be a great airbender after all.