Tsangpo. This was the only town found in the Valley of Charwa. Of course, like most of the towns and villages of the Air Nation, Tsangpo claimed to be the birthplace of the first Airbending Avatar. However, nobody but the residents of the town believed it. They never bothered to question the truth.
Wherever one would look, there would be rolling hills of tall, emerald grass. There were, of course, multitudes of tea-fields and farm pastures, but the homes and quite a few other structures were what most would consider ancient marvels. Not a single piece of modern concrete or steel could be seen in sight; everything had been made entirely of the bamboo, oak, and even the clay gathered from the river banks.
Although, the only known "home" made of clay belonged to an ex-monk. Wu-sheng was his name, and the home that he dwelled in was quite a popular spot among the townspeople, serving more as a teahouse rather than a normal house.
Wu-sheng's Teahouse was busier than usual, weary travelers and hungry residents enjoying the famed butter tea and cabbage soup. Wu-sheng made sure his customers were satisfied. Outsiders or not, they were always given a warm welcome by the owner himself.
As patrons enjoyed the company of others downstairs, Wu-sheng tended to his garden on the rooftop. Vines and flowers blossomed under the warm sun, the grass grew wild, and the rice paddy field was nearly ready to be harvested. He let his Sky Bison, Khenpo, graze at the overgrown grass.
"Good boy, Khenpo," said Wu-sheng, stroking the Bison's soft fur. "If you're still hungry, you can have some of the leftover tea leaves. How does that sound?"
Khenpo snorted, nudging at Wu-sheng's chest.
"Fattening you up for the winter will prove to be beneficial for you, Khenpo. We wouldn't want you being fur and bones, would we? That would be very bad," Wu-sheng warned, "Go on. I know you've been eyeing that herd near the Chā River. Try not to lose a horn, alright?"
He motioned for the Sky Bison to leave. Khenpo, lifting his tail, flew off into the distance, gusts of wind letting him glide with no trouble at all. Planting his feet in the ground, Wu-sheng allowed himself to flow with the wind, robes catching the strong gusts.
Wu-sheng scratched at his growing stubble, and let out a prolonged yawn, the tiredness all too clear in his sienna eyes.
"I see you are still gardening like always, young bender." A green spirit appeared in Wu-sheng's garden, its tail swaying back and forth. It had no face, but its size greatly intimidated the airbender.
"Graying hair, the marks of mastery... you are no young bender," said the spirit. "Do you not remember me, airbender? The spirit that once guided you to this point in your lifetime?"
"I always remember a spirit," Wu-sheng nodded, "Shouwei, yes? Now I remember. You were once my guiding spirit. I no longer needed you after I finished my training."
"You ousted me!" Shouwei's aura flared, but he calmed down once again. "The mind of a young bender such as yourself was... unstable. Conflict clouded your mind, and judgement ultimately blocked your way. You are lucky to be alive today, living among benders and non-benders alike."
"I am sorry for what I did to you, Shouwei. I was only a boy!" Wu-sheng shouted, hands clenched at his sides. "Why? Why are you here?"
Shouwei's translucent body flickered, pale brown fur soon forming on his right arm. "I am becoming the old spirit I was once. The Greater Spirits are finally smiling down upon me," he spoke. "I can sense the beginning of a new life, Wu-sheng. A new master of all four elements."
Wu-sheng's jaw practically fell to the ground. "Th-The Avatar..?" He was in shock, heart nearly skipping a beat. "How can one be so sure?"
"Never question the instincts of a spirit. We are all connected, but a Master such as yourself should know this, am I incorrect?" Shouwei chuckled, proving that such a spirit had a sense of humor. He paused for a brief second, sniffing the air. "He will be born weak, sickly. The Greater Spirits speak of him, his family, as well. His mother, she is expecting two children, and one will only possess Raava's spirit. The other..."
Wu-sheng awaited an answer, wondering what was to happen to the second child.
"The other is to die within the womb. They are to be stillborn," Shouwei spoke, saddened by the news he had been given. "His mother is alone, she is scared. If we travel to the Earth Kingdom beginning tonight, we may aid her in caring for the child.
"We? I want no part in this, Shouwei. We're done," Wu-sheng argued. Feeling a strong hand on his shoulder, the human doubled-over in a combination of pain and confusion. The mother of the new Avatar, she sat alone within the emptied hull of a beached ship, the intense labor pains making her screams all the more intense. She called out for her husband, but even Wu-sheng could sense that nobody was coming for her.
She would have to care for the newborn alone.
He almost broke down into tears.
"You saw it? A mother abandoned by those she once trusted? It will be days before the father will find those he lost," Shouwei bowed, one of his curved horns becoming visible. "This child, he will need a mentor."
"What if he doesn't want to trust me?" What if he turns to a darker route?" questioned Wu-sheng, worried of the young child's fate. "My own son turned his back to me. I cannot go through that again in my lifetime."
"Yes, there is always that possibility. Vaatu's influence remains strong within this world, but there shall never be an era in which that abomination of a spirit is in control," Shouwei sighed. "Do not make me beg, Wu-sheng. In order to bring balance to the world, the Avatar must master all four elements. If not, madness will overtake the goodness of this world. Wars, violence, death, I... I cannot bare to see the youngest of all generations in such despair."
Shouwei's entire body became visible, taking on the form of a fully-formed spirit. Ivory horns curved upwards, jutting from his brown-furred forehead. Unlike most spirits, he was once a creature of the wilds- a true member of a growing pack- but that was during the era of Avatar Wan.
An era that was nearly 10,000 years ago.
"This is the last time I offer this chance to you, Wu-sheng," Shouwei lowered his head. "Choose wisely. Should this child die, all will be lost."
In an instant, Shouwei was gone, burning embers and oak leaves flying off into the wind.
The recent conversation replayed in Wu-sheng's mind. He sat in his garden, debating the choices that were given to him. If he left now, the possibility of coming back to his teahouse would be small, and sacrificing his life to protect the Avatar would be inevitable. If Wu-sheng remained where he was, he would live to die at an old age, even live long enough to see his great grandchildren, but the chance of losing the Avatar to Vaatu would be greater than before.
Already, the choice was obvious.
He needed to leave as soon as possible.
"Travel to the outskirts of the Metal Nation, and there you will find the mother and her child. Take them to Piao Li," Shouwei's voice echoed in Wu-sheng's head. "Go. Take only what you need. This is the last common day of your life, Wu-sheng. Dark spirits will not rest until the Avatar is dead."
《》
...4 years later...
Wu-sheng became a bit of a second father to the young Avatar. Had he not made it to the child's mother in time, surely they would have died in the rising tides. They were taken to the safety of Zaofu, monks of a nearby temple aiding in the delivery of the child. And, as Shouwei said, only one of the two twins were stillborn.
The other, however, lived.
The green-eyed bundle of joy had been named Huojin, a name that once belonged to the infant's great-grandfather. Upon hearing the news of the birth of his own son, Huojin's Father had returned to his wife and son; the once arrogant, obstinate man turned into a caring, pride-instilled father upon seeing the infant.
A family had been reunited by Wu-sheng's actions, and in return, he had been allowed to stay within their home, becoming a mentor to Huojin.
Of course, when everyone discovered that the boy began to bend the rocks that surrounded him and force the fire of a candle to dance in the shadows, teachers were needed to train Huojin.
And Wu-sheng became one of the four to be said teacher.
"Tell me another story, Wu? Pwease?" Huojin squealed, the toddler's tiny hands grabbing at the book. "I'll go to sleep wight after!"
"I don't think staying up for another hour is good for a boy at your age. Besides, you wouldn't want to begin your birthday with an argument, would you?" warned Wu-sheng, carrying the boy to his room. "Ujurak will start teaching you how to waterbend soon enough. Doesn't that sound exciting?"
Huojin smiled, hands flailing with excitement.
"From what I heard, waterbending isn't that simple. You may ask Ujurak about it in the morning," Wu-sheng said. "Before that, you must learn Airbending from me, and you might end up becoming a Master."
"Does that mean I can fwy?" Huojin gasped, mispronouncing the word 'fly'.
"Well, we'll talk about getting you a glider when you're older. Much older," Wu-sheng stuttered, letting Huojin hop out of his arms. "Who knows, you might even get your own Bison some day."
Huojin squealed with excitement once again, his little legs carrying him to his room.
"Go to bed, Huojin," Wu-sheng sighed, smiling wearily. "Get some rest."
"But I wanna say goodnight to mommy," Huojin groaned, raising his arms for Wu-sheng to lift him. "Can I?"
"I'll make sure your mother comes to give you a kiss, Huojin." the airbender said, lifting and placing Huojin in his wooden crib. "Those who wish to grow need their sleep."
Huojin yawned, burying himself under the blankets. Grabbing the Badgermole toy placed in the corner, Huojin hugged it closely to his chest, slowly beginning to doze off. While one small hand held the stuffed animal, the other was near Huojin's mouth, the toddler sucking at his own thumb.
"If only he'd stay like this for another year or two," Wu-sheng spoke to himself, creating a bit of a gust to turn the crib's mobile.
Wu-sheng turned and crept out of the room, avoiding the scattered toys and clothes as he closed the door behind him. He was commonly full of energy, able to fight sleep whenever he could, but chasing after a bumbling, one-toothed toddler was very stressful. Especially if said toddler was the Avatar.
Wu-sheng, however, wasn't the only master bender the family had hired to look after Huojin.
There was Ujurak of the Southern Water Tribe, Iron Fist of Omashu, Fujiko of Ember Island, and then there was Wu-sheng, the airbender of Tsangpo. He knew Ujurak as a "brother", not a fellow master. But, in the eyes of Guangli, they were only teachers, hired to help Huojin master the four elements.
Wu-sheng was familiar with the others, their pasts and activities recorded and saved in Wa Shi Tong's Library. Even though there were four benders protecting Huojin, the dark spirits were going to make a future attempt to kill the boy, Wu-sheng could feel it.
It may have been a gut feeling, but even he could feel Huojin's spiritual energy from a distance. It was like an aura, one that affected both the Spirit and Normal world.
If the darkness couldn't reach Huojin, the Red Lotus would kill anyone to get the avatar.
Anyone and everyone.