To my Doctor Who readers: ...just...wait...it's coming, it seriously is! It's not my fault these damn aliens aren't cooperating with me! I blame River for all of this.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-ABOUT THE ACTUAL STORY-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Anyway, after watching way too much of ATLA, I am now writing this because the idea was really fun. This prologue deals with Pemiri finding out the big news.
Enjoy!
p.s. I've written this so that my regulars should be able to read this without having any prior knowledge of the show. :)
The squeals and peals of youthful laughter echoed around the grounds of the Eastern air temple as the young dark-haired girls ran around and pelted each other with wisps of air while feeling impressive. A little way off, twelve year olds were playing airball on the raised wooden posts of the airball field.
The older students, the ones who were fifteen or older, had formed a large circle in one of the outdoor courtyards and were all hovering on balls of air. Pemiri was one of them, though she was tired and had to keep her concentration solely on the air she was floating on, or else she kept slipping sideways.
"Pem, why are you so quiet today?" One of the other girls, Tora, asked.
Pemiri kept her eyes shut while she replied, "I didn't get much sleep last night. If I talk, I'm going to -" Her ball of air disappeared from under her and she dropped onto the hard stone ground, landing on her butt. All the girls laughed, but not unkindly. "- do that." Tora giggled.
"Maybe you should use this rest period for…you know…rest, if you need it," She recommended with an inclining eyebrow.
"I like that idea," Pemiri said with a light smirk, and jumped to her feet. Before she could head towards the stairs that would take her up to the sleeping quarters, a new and much older voice joined in the conversation.
"Actually, Pemiri, the Council of Elders would like to speak with you, though I would be happy to escort you to your chambers afterward." Pemiri and the others whipped around to see Sister Aisa under the nearby arch, her eyes both amused and serious at the same time. Not for the first time, Pem wondered how she did it, but shook her head and decided she wouldn't try and understand the ways of the Master Airbenders, even if she almost had mastery over airbending herself.
"Um…sure…is there something wrong?" Pemiri came over to Aisa, who merely turned away in the direction of the Council room, leaving the young airbender with no choice but to follow. "Aisa, why do they want to talk to me?"
"You're sixteen now…it's time you know the truth," Came the evasive reply, and Pemiri felt herself become more confused.
"Goddamnit Aisa, that's not an answer!" She protested as they got close to the Council room. "You say the truth as if you've been telling me lies…what have you kept from me?"
Aisa's brown eyes held the teenager's gaze evenly as she pushed the doors open. "Go inside, and we'll tell you."
Pemiri frowned deeply and did as she was told, coming to kneel in front of the Sister Elders and bowing her head.
"You may sit," Sister Iwa said kindly, and so Pemiri sat cross-legged and glanced up at the adults expectantly. "Pemiri, do you remember these?"
Seeing the bundled scroll being offered to her, Pemiri's hand enclosed around it. She undid the strings and let it unroll to reveal four children's toys, very familiar ones. Her confusion began to run deeper and deeper as she frowned again and looked up, her eyes fixing on Iwa.
"Yes," She answered, "They're toys, the ones I played with when I was little. I don't see the significance."
"Every airbender gets to choose out of thousands of toys," Iwa said with a knowing smile that was beginning to irritate Pem just a little, "What made these ones your favourite?"
Pemiri blinked, annoyance beginning to build a little at all the vague answers she was getting. "How should I know? That's like asking me why I prefer raspberry cakes over blueberry cakes!"
Iwa ignored her statement. "Let me tell you why you chose them. Those are the four Avatar relics." Pem dropped the roll of toys as if they were scorching hot, and ducked her head at Iwa's reprimanding gaze.
"But...I…are you sure?" Her voice was a whisper, and a frightened one at that. "I…I'm not a boy, I thought the Avatar would be from the Northern or Southern Air Temples."
"We all did," Aisa said, "All of the ten avatars who have come from the Air Nomads have been male. The world began to assume that it would continue to be that way. But then you selected the relics in your childhood, and we started to watch you. The stones of the temple shake when you're upset. The flames that light our lantern flare when you're angry. And you've been the best swimmer by far whenever we've taken you girls swimming."
Pem dropped her eyes to her hands so that she wouldn't have to look at the women in front of her. "So…you're sure? That in the whole world, I'm going to be the one who can bend all four elements?"
"You are the Avatar, the one to master all the elements, to keep balance in the world," Iwa said, and Pem felt her hands begin to shake. Looking at them, as if to confirm all the words hanging in the air, a tiny flame erupted from her fingertip before disappearing. She jumped a mile into the air upon seeing it, her heart racing.
"I suppose…one of you better take me to a water tribe, then," She muttered, and with that, lost consciousness.
Pemiri woke in her bed, and sat up immediately to see Aisa standing in the doorway. The girl groaned and lay back down in the bed.
"Did I faint?" She looked up and saw Aisa nod ever so slightly. "Thought so."
"It's hardly surprising, I wouldn't take it to heart," The Sister said, and Pem frowned a little too quickly.
"I'm not," She retorted before hugging her knees, "But it's not exactly easy to hear that you're going to become the most powerful mortal creature in the world. Especially when you've grown up listening to stories about all the other ones."
Sister Aisa sat down on the end of the bed and took one of Pemiri's hands. "The Avatar cycle is the most incredible thing this world has ever produced…you're part of something that goes back to the beginning of bending itself. Every past Avatar, every incarnation that's ever existed, is inside you now."
"I know…it's all about the cycle. Avatar Vaana came before me, and she was a firebender. The one after me will be a waterbender, and the one after that will be an earthbender, then it will come back around to fire again and just keep going."
"It's identical to the order of elements which the Avatar must learn," Aisa put in, and Pem nodded.
"I know. I know air already, so for me it's water, then earth, then fire," The young airbender said, "But…" She trailed off into a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Aisa grabbed Pem's chin and forced the girl to look into her face that was lined with age. "Tell me, Pem."
Pem ran her grey eyes over the older, wiser face of Sister Aisa, taking in the knowledge in the deep brown eyes and grey hair that started behind the shaven forehead, different to the younger airbenders only in its absence of the dark brown colour.
"Air is the element of freedom," Pem said quietly, looking down at her hands, which were still shaking slightly, "I always figured that was why it came so easily to me, because I had freedom, and because I always wanted it more than anything. Now I'm the Avatar, and there's all this responsibility, and I'm not free to do what I want anymore, I have to master the other three elements instead, and keep peace, and-" She inhaled sharply and hugged her knees closer to her chest, falling silent because all her words had dried up in her throat. Aisa wordlessly wrapped her arms around the teenager comfortingly. "I'm just sixteen."
"They all were," Aisa said gently, "But you're ready for airbending mastery…we can be on our way to the Northern Water Tribe in less than a week."
"A week?" Pem tensed up before slowly relaxing as Aisa stroked her hair. "That's so soon…but wait…you're coming with me?"
"Yes, I'll be with you through all of it, I promise."
"…okay."
So, hope you liked it! Let me know in a review, would you? Much appreciated, thanks!
-MayFairy :)