A/N: One of my many theories about the world of A: TLA. Merely a fragment that I doubt will go anywhere. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything connected with it.
Remnants of a Nation
The night was cool and dark. The sky was cloudless and the air whirled in eddies around the mountain. The line of shadows slowly snaked its way upward. The path was treacherous, strewn with boulders. But the figures knew this path well, and all were guided along it with infinite patience.
Above them a shapeless hulk loomed. Ancient and crumbling; torn and ruined; the great temple perched atop the mountain. As it drew nearer, murmurs of excitement became apparent.
"Silence!"
The voices ceased. Each of them knew too much to risk discovery. All of them were painfully aware that death would be the penalty if they drew the attention of the Fire Nation garrison in these parts. It had been instilled in them from birth. That was why they visited this place but once a year, under the cloak of darkness.
At all other times they lurked in catacombs and stone sanctuaries. Disguised as Earth Kingdom villagers they ventured out for news and supplies. The only escape from the terrible monotony and danger of this life were the stories of an old woman. Dying and nearly senile, she wove stories of life before the war. Memories of her six-year old self, were her only refuge from the ravages of time.
Their ancestors survived only to pass on the dubious gift that lurked in their blood. Not a single Bender had been born in a hundred years, but the power still lurked in their genes. That was why they had fled from the genocide of their people. The remnants gathered here in this desolate place that had once been so beautiful.
At last they reached the end of the trial up the mountains. One by one they slipped through a crack in masonry and filed into the temple. They dared not linger here long. A gathering formed in what was once a courtyard. One of their number detached himself from the mass and stood to address them.
"We all know where we are." His voice, barely above a whisper, carried on the wind. "We know what it stands as testament to: what we were and what we will be again. Rumors and stories tell us that the Avatar is alive yet. Our hearts tell us that the Fire Lord's defeat is only a matter of time. The moment will come when we do not wait in shadows but stride in the light."
Along the carven passages and ruined halls of the Eastern Air Temple, his final words echoed:
"Although the Avatar may be the last Airbender, he is not the last Air Nomad!"