A/N: Hello again from Mataras, JoshthePoser, and Matarasisbae!
We're glad to see the positive feedback we have thus far received, as well as the numerous private messages we've gotten to look at regarding this story and its future. Things are looking good for the story, though the last time we saw Gyatso, things looked pretty bleak.
Let's see if things turn around for him, eh?
P.S. If you haven't already, please check out the bottom of the first chapter, past the omake with the previous avatars. JoshthePoser (for that chapter, and every chapter from now on) has prepared an abridged/parodied version of the chapter for your enjoyment. Read the last one after this chapter, or before, either way, we hope you enjoy them!
Although the darkness
Envelops and corrupts
The little lights grow
A Master and Heir
A week passed before Tenzin's family left the South. This was for three primary reasons, the first being that Gyatso was not well enough to handle high altitudes. Secondly, Sokka's funeral was held during this time, and Tenzin felt it was important that the family attend the procession.
The event was attended by the entire Southern Water Tribe, and there was hardly a dry eye in the gathering. Sokka had been a beloved leader for more than two decades, and a local hero for much longer. He was buried beside his own father, Hakota, along with the other veterans of the hundred-year-war, as was his wish. He would be the last person buried in that ice catacomb, as it had been set aside specifically for warriors of that era.
The final occurrence that delayed the family's return to Air Temple Island was the arrival of Ikki- Tenzin and Pema's third child, and their second daughter. For many in the family, her arrival was a good omen to contrast the terrible loss that they had just endured.
But Gyatso found himself uncertain of how to feel while everyone around him celebrated the arrival of his new sister. His uncle was dead due to his actions, Korra was still unconscious from the Red Lotus' attempt to kidnap her, and he had come very close to crossing a line in his life as an Air Nomad. This had essentially rendered him speechless since his conversation with Katara.
He spoke no words to no one, and he scarcely ate or slept. Food seemed to have lost all of its taste, and it turned bitter in his stomach. Sleep was no better, for nightmares of the Red Lotus haunted him every time he closed his eyes to rest, often rendering him more tired when he awoke than when he went to sleep.
Tenzin had initially been disappointed in his son's actions on the night of the attack, but he and Pema were beginning to worry that this event was going to permanently damage his psyche. The boy was becoming a shell of his former self, and no matter what they tried to do to get him to brighten up, he remained a dull-eyed ragdoll.
The day finally came when Katara deemed Gyatso and the new baby- who was turning out to be exponentially louder than her elder siblings- ready for travel on a sky bison.
As the family was finishing gathering their belongings, Tenzin took his eldest child to see Korra one more time, even though she still had yet to awaken. The master Airbender excused the two White Lotus guards before stepping into the infirmary. He let Gyatso take a seat before patting him on the shoulder and saying, "I'll come and get you when we're ready to leave."
The boy nodded his acknowledgement, and Tenzin left the room, leaving the boy alone with his unconscious friend in total silence.
For some time, he did nothing but stare blankly at the girl as she slept, her breathing deep and even, indicating that she was experiencing true rest that shielded her from the pain her body must be in.
Seeing the bandages wrapped around her arm and head made his heart ache, and he found himself fighting back tears as he saw what his actions had wrought. I'm so sorry, he thought as he reached out and gripped her hand with both of his. No real friend would have put you in danger like I did… Had I not provoked violence, this could have all been avoided…
He felt tears sliding down his face again as he shifted his blurry gaze to Korra's face, but he didn't bother to wipe them. They were his reminders of what pride and anger could do to people.
Motion, sensation.
His eyes blinked away tears and shot over to look back at their interlocked hands, which lay, unmoving.
That is, until Korra's smaller hand squeezed his, sending a warmth that was not entirely physical through him. His eyes widened as she did it again, then a fourth time, before maintaining a strong, steady grasp. She let out a soft groan of pain as she gritted her teeth, so he moved to place one of his hands on her head to try and soothe the pain.
Her eyelids crept open slowly to reveal her sky blue orbs, which wandered around aimlessly until they landed on Gyatso's face. Her lips curved into a smile as she saw him, and she croaked out, "H… Hi." Her voice was dry from not using it in a week, but at least she could talk, he thought.
"Hi," he replied quietly, a slight ache in his throat from not having spoken all week himself.
"What happened?" Korra asked after she swallowed a couple of times.
"You were hurt," Gyatso replied somberly. "Don't you remember?"
"Nu-uh," Korra shook her head slowly. "I remember… You gave me my birthday present. Everything else is kinda fuzzy."
"Maybe that's for the best," Gyatso said, his face falling.
"Why, what happened?" Korra prompted.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said softly.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because… I did something wrong," he replied, fighting to talk past the lump in his throat. "Some bad people came to take you from us… You got hurt… And other bad things happened… I failed you."
"Hey, I'm alive, right?" Korra told him with as strong a tone as she could muster. "And the bad guys didn't get me, see?"
"Yes," he said in a very small voice.
"Then you didn't fail me, whatever that means," the young avatar told her friend. "I'll be okay, I promise."
"But you're injured-"
"So?" Korra interrupted him. "You told me about how Aang got hit by lightning and lived. It doesn't feel like I was hit by lightning, so I think I'll be okay."
"But…" He paused mid-sentence, on the verge of telling her about Sokka, but he decided against it. She's barely recovering, she shouldn't have to know about that yet, he thought.
"But what?" Korra asked him.
"Nothing," he said quietly. "I just…" He decided to change the subject before he broke down and told her. "My family is leaving today, so I'm glad you woke up before we had to go."
"Didn't you just get here?" Korra frowned.
"You've been asleep for a week," Gyatso informed her.
"No wonder I feel so grumpy," his friend frowned. "I've been missing out on combat practice for a whole week."
Despite himself, Gyatso couldn't help but crack a brief, tiny smile. It was such a Korra thing to say, yet it was so unexpected for him in that moment that the only thing he could do was smile.
"Don't ever change, Korra," he said softly.
"Huh?" she asked, his words inaudible to her.
"Nothing," he shook his head, belatedly remembering that he was still supposed to avoid rapid movement for some time. Standing up, he said, "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" Korra asked as he let go of her hand.
"I won't be five minutes," he said over his shoulder.
By the time he returned, however, Korra was fast asleep once more. He considered waking her up, but he knew that she needed her rest. Clutching the object that he had gone to retrieve to his heart, he sighed heavily and moved to set it in the crook of her arm.
"Get well soon, Korra," he murmured quietly as he left her new doll in her possession. Turning around, he went to step out the door to go find his family.
"You'd better write me." Korra's voice stopped him in his tracks and caused him to turn and look back at her.
Her eyes were closed, but she was grinning. Finding the courage to smile just the smallest bit once more, he replied, "I will. Promise."
Over the next two years, Gyatso redoubled his efforts to master his airbending, both the martial and spiritual aspects. The results spoke for themselves when, at the age of twelve, like his grandfather before him, he earned his mastery tattoos.
However, in one small-yet-vast way, he had actually surpassed his idol. At age twelve, Aang had mastered thirty-five of the thirty-six airbending forms. Gyatso mastered all of them before he decided to submit himself to his culture's final exams. His stated reason for refusing to take the mastery exams until he had perfected every form when he was only required to know twenty was that; "As the first master of the next generation of the Air Nomads, I will not allow myself even the smallest of deviations from setting a model example."
On the day when his marks were applied, his mother was beaming with pride and his father was positively ecstatic. His sisters were excited for him when he revealed his newly christened head to assembly of air acolytes. Korra was still not allowed to leave the new compound that she had been moved to, even for the ceremony, but the boy was able to tell her in person that he was going to take the exams during one of his visits, so she was able to wish him good luck.
However, things took an unexpected turn at the end of the celebration when he declared that his training was still not complete. Even more bizarre, he announced that he planned to go on a year-long sojourner's journey to achieve his goal of becoming a true master.
He had sent Korra a letter explaining his decision, but he timed it so that it would not get to her until after he had left. In it, he said that while his martial prowess had continued to advance at a more-than-expected pace, his spirit had become unsettled and perpetually troubled ever since the death of his great-uncle. Though he could still enter a meditative state with ease, he was unable to completely quiet his mind like he had before- he wanted to change that.
Korra's memory of what had happened the night that the Red Lotus attacked never returned, so she knew nothing of her kidnappers or their attempt to take her away save for the fact that Sokka had been killed that night and that it resulted in her relocation to a new compound even further away from the southern city, and with twice the security as before.
She also knew that Gyatso had taken part in the battle despite his young age, and that he felt responsible for what had happened to the late Southern Chief, despite all of her best efforts to convince him otherwise.
He knew that she would be furious with him if he cut off all contact with everyone, so he made sure to promise that he would continue to write her at every opportunity he had. Who am I trying to fool? She'll be furious no matter what I say, he had thought before sealing the letter and placing it on his desk.
Still… I cannot truly accept the mantle of Airbending Master until my mind and body are in harmony once more, he told himself. Looking at his newly tattooed hand, he added silently, Not even with this.
Gyatso was paired with a sky bison named 'Arun', a specimen with an exceptionally long tail, even for one of his kind. According to Tenzin and Katara, the longer a bison's tail, the faster they were capable of flying, which suited Gyatso just fine. One of the few things he still found pleasure in was listening to the song of the wind as it whistled in his ears when he flew as fast as he could.
"I am honored to be your partner, Arun," he said somberly to the beast after they were introduced, petting him on his soft muzzle. The fluffy monster regarded him with a soft snuffle and a large, friendly brown eye. Turning to Tenzin, who was present alongside his grandmother and mother, who was now expecting a fourth child, he asked, "How did you know that he was the right one for me?"
In the days of Aang's people, the nomads were paired with a bison at a much younger age, and it was often done by presenting groups of children from both parties. However, Aang himself had decided that future airbenders would first have to prove themselves dedicated to their culture in the highest sense before they would be paired with a bison. This stemmed from his belief that as the original airbenders, the sky bison were to be treated with the greatest respect by all future generations of airbenders.
"When you were still just a toddler, my father told me to set aside Arun specifically for you," Tenzin smiled at his son. "He never said why, but I suppose he knew that Arun would take a liking to you."
Gyatso turned back again to look at his new partner with a raised eyebrow and the words, "So Grandfather knew you were the one, hmm?" Arun closed his eye and let out a low rumble in response. This caused Gyatso to smile slightly and say in an undertone, "I suppose I won't get answers that easy."
"Do you know where you'll go?" Pema asked, worry in her voice and expression.
Gyatso nodded as he walked over to be closer to his family. "I plan to go to Hira'a," he said. Hira'a was a small village in the Fire Nation known for its acting troupe and tropical beaches, as well a haunting valley where spirits were rumored to reside.
"Planning to visit Zuko?" Katara asked him with a warm, understanding smile.
"I do," Gyatso nodded. "I don't know how long I'll stay, but I promise to let you know when I arrive and when I leave."
"Don't be afraid to write something about what happens in between, all right?" Tenzin asked him with a small smile. "And don't ever be afraid to come home whenever you want."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Gyatso replied as he gave his father a formal bow. "I'll write often, and I'll be home before you know it."
"A year is an awfully long time," Pema winced as she placed a hand on her swollen womb. "You won't reconsider staying until at least your next sibling is born?"
Gyatso shook his head immediately as he straightened, somewhat to his parent's disappointment. "I'm still not certain of how I fit in with my sisters," he said somberly. "And until I can be a prime example of what an airbending master should be, I don't want to influence their training, be it positive or negative."
"Gyatso, we want your sisters to know you as you grow up with them," Tenzin said as he put a large hand on his son's slender shoulder. "No one is perfect. Until you realize this, you will never have mastery over inner peace."
"I know," he nodded. "But I can't find my inner balance here, where I'm constantly surrounded by the memories that haunt me."
"He'll be fine, Pema, Tenzin," Katara told them as they watched the boy fly off into the sunset. "He's a mix of the best parts of both of you."
"Ha," Tenzin chuckled softly as Pema tried to stifle her tears. "I think that you and Dad played some parts in the development of his character, too."
"Mmm…" Katara hummed contentedly. As she continued watching her grandson fly off on his own path, the humming turned into a tune, which began to form words. Words that had been taught to her by Iroh before he passed away, for times when sadness seemed to be all that was in your heart, and you needed a release for the heartache to transform it into a wish.
The words she sang went:
"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow
Like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam.
Little soldier boy, comes marching home
Brave soldier boy, comes marching home."
It took Gyatso two weeks to make it to Hira'a, home of Ursa, Zuko's mother, and his current residence. He was discreet in his search for the former Firelord, wearing a combination of a hood, headband, and gloves to hide his arrows, for he did not wish to call attention to himself. He wandered through the town, talking with the locals that caught his fancy, even stopping long enough to watch part of the theater that they had become known for.
It took him some time, but eventually he found the house of Kiyi, Zuko's youngest sister. It was a neat-looking building, large but not overtly so. Assuring Arun that he would not be long in returning, he told his steed to wait in the trees that bordered the town before he walked up the steps to the comfortable-looking home and knocked hesitantly on the door.
There was the sound of bare feet pattering on the ground coming from within, so he straightened his posture and prepared to introduce himself. The door slid open to reveal a girl his own age with pale skin, olive green eyes, and long brown hair. "Hi," she grinned as she waved a hand at him, which was wrapped in bandages. "Can I help you?"
"Erm…" He hesitated, wondering how much he should say to this girl- she was clearly not who he was looking for, and there was no telling if she knew Zuko or not.
"Sakura, who is it?" a familiar voice called from within the house.
"Some boy with weird clothes and a headband, Uncle," the girl called over her shoulder. "Should I send him away?"
"A headband?" the other voice said, sounding intrigued. "Hold on, I'm coming."
Gyatso waited patiently until the other speaker came into view and stepped out onto the porch, his golden eyes widening slightly with surprise as they beheld the sight of the young airbender.
"Good afternoon, Lord Zuko," Gyatso said as he bowed in the formal fire nation style that his father had shown him.
"Good afternoon, Gyatso," Zuko replied with a slight bow of his own before reaching over and flicking back the boy's hood and headband in a single motion with his fingers. His eyebrows and the corners of his mouth went up as he added, "Or should I call you 'Master' Gyatso now?"
"Actually, that's why I'm here," the boy said somberly as he straightened himself. "I need to speak with you, in private if possible."
"Uncle, who is this boy?" the girl asked curiously. "Why does he have an arrow on his head?"
"I'll tell you later, dear child," Zuko smiled at the girl. "For right now, please tell your mother that we will be having an extra guest for dinner, and prepare some tea for when we come inside. I would appreciate it."
"Okay, but only if you show me how to do the Dragon's Breath tomorrow," Sakura grinned easily.
"I'll think about it," Zuko smiled back at the girl. "Come, then. Off you go."
"See you later, Mister," Sakura waved at the boy again before going inside, shutting the door behind her.
Gyatso looked a question at the old man, who said, "That was Sakura, my sister's youngest daughter. She's quite the talented firebender, and a delight to teach."
"I saw that she was bandaged…" Gyatso frowned. "Did she get hurt during practice?"
"Yes, but nothing that time won't heal," Zuko said as he sat down, gesturing for Gyatso to do the same. "Come now, my boy. How is it that you've come all this way to see me?"
Gyatso was quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of the wind moving through the island. When he did answer, it was with the words, "I want to take my training to the next level."
"How so?"
The boy paused again, choosing his words carefully, so he would not be misunderstood. "I seek balance within myself, but I have exhausted every technique that my people knew of in order to try and confront my inner turmoil, but to no avail. Now I seek a different perspective.
"In this time, I think to the tale of your own life, Lord Zuko. I remember how when you were suffering inside the most, you turned to your uncle, and he taught the ways of the water tribe in order to not only continue your firebending training, but to also teach you about the nature of balance itself. So now I turn to you, and ask that you teach me in the hopes that I can find balance within myself."
Zuko considered the boy's words for some time before giving an answer. It was with a grimace that he said, "I see Katara has not lost her habit of speaking about other people's… private affairs."
Gyatso was abashed, ducking his head as he realized that he had pried a little too deeply into a respected elder's past to further his own goals. Seeing that he was chastened, Zuko smiled a bit and put his hand on the boy's back, saying, "I think in light of the fact that she saved my life many times, I can pardon this little oversight of hers."
Gyatso was as good as his word. During the year that he was gone, he wrote his family regularly, relating to them his progress in his training with Zuko weekly. He also wrote to Korra on a regular basis, though she had been more than a little angry with him for just leaving without telling her anything prior.
Still, their friendship endured, and she found it very interesting that he was studying with a master firebender. She was always eager for the details of the training, and it seemed to push her even harder in her quest to conquer the element of earth so that she could then move onto firebending.
Gyatso never said explicitly what it was that he doing to train, though he did hint at experimenting with some firebending forms a few times. Other than that, he simply talked about how Lord Zuko and his family were faring during his stay.
Lady Kiyi, her husband, and their three children- two brothers and Sakura- were most accommodating to the newcomer, treating him as one of their own. It seemed that they enjoyed learning from the quiet airbender whenever he would overcome his shyness enough to sit and talk with them about his own culture whenever he was not learning about theirs.
Zuko sent a few letters of his own to Gyatso's parent's without the boy's knowledge, remarking on his progress in overcoming his shyness in favor of speaking more openly and easily with others.
A couple of months after Gyatso left home, he received news that his newest sibling was a boy-his first brother. He was surprised to hear that- he had honestly been expecting another baby sister, but he said nothing of his surprise when he wrote back to congratulate them on the arrival of Meelo.
During this time, he made sure to nurture his bond with Arun, flying with him regularly and going on short excursions with Zuko in tow, who at one point remarked that Gyatso's bison was noticeably faster than Appa. Whether or not that was good or bad, he did not say, but the young monk refrained from going at top speed whenever the older man joined them on an adventure as a courtesy to his increasing age.
By the time that the year had passed, Gyatso had undergone both physical and spiritual training with Zuko that he had never thought existed, even going so far as to study chakras alongside the wise man. The former Firelord definitely had a different way of viewing things than the air nomads did, but Gyatso accepted his views, knowing that there were good reasons for Zuko seeing things the way that he did.
This was not to say that he agreed with his new teacher on everything, but he did his best to keep an open mind and heed the wisdom that Zuko had to offer.
When the time came for him to return home, Gyatso found himself realizing that he was going to miss training with Zuko, and the company of Kiyi's family.
"Thank you all, for everything you've done for me," he said as he bowed to the household and its inhabitants.
"We'll miss you, Gyatso," Kiyi smiled kindly at him. "Give your family our best."
"Don't be a stranger, okay?" Sakura grinned at him. "Feel free to come by anytime you're in the Fire Nation."
"I will," he promised. Turning to Zuko, he bowed to his mentor and said, "I'll remember everything you taught me, Master. Thank you again."
"The pleasure was mine, Gyatso," Zuko smiled fondly at the teenager. "Remember, the fire burns only as brightly as you will it to."
"It shall burn the wielder as quickly as its intended target, should its master waver in their conviction," Gyatso recited.
"Very good," Zuko nodded. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a small scroll and said, "Before you go, I wanted to give you this."
The boy took the parchment, noticing that the wax seal on it was the royal Fire Nation insignia's. "What is this?" he asked.
"Wait until you get home with your parents to find out," Zuko smiled a little more mischievously. "I promise, it will be worth the wait."
"As you wish, Sifu," Gyatso bowed once more.
Zuko ignored the bow in favor for a hug as he said, "Safe travels, my young friend."
Gyatso returned home after his year-long journey with his head held high and his shoulders no longer slumped with the weight of guilt. His parents, the first ones to welcome him home, might not have recognized him, if not for the arrows on his body and the fact that he was riding a sky bison.
At age thirteen, the boy had allowed his hair to grow back out instead of going bald like many masters of the past had. He had grown much taller in his absence, and he carried himself with a new air of confidence that had been lacking even before the attack of the Red Lotus.
He and Arun landed in the meditation yard, where his parents were waiting for him. He dismounted immediately, using an air current to levitate himself safely to the ground before facing his parents directly with a smile on his face.
What kind of training did he go through? Tenzin thought as his son bowed to him. Gyatso looked very different from the depressed, haunted boy that had left home a year prior.
"I've come home, Father," Gyatso said as he straightened just in time to be hugged by Pema. "Hello, Mother," he said as he returned the embrace.
"Welcome home, Son," she sniffled as she held her eldest son.
"Yes, welcome back," Tenzin added as he smiled at the boy. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I did," Gyatso nodded as Pema stepped back to look at him again. "I won't ever forget what happened, but… I am whole again."
"I'm glad to hear it," Tenzin said, his smile becoming one of relief.
"Actually, Lord Zuko sent me home with something that he said not to open until I saw you both, and I'd like to know what it is," Gyatso said as he reached into his robes.
"What's this?" Pema asked as he produced the scroll Zuko had given him.
"I honestly have no idea, but Lord Zuko sealed it with the royal insignia, so I imagine that it's important," Gyatso shrugged. Breaking the seal, he rolled open the paper and began to read it aloud.
"This document is granted to the Airbending Master Gyatso, son of Tenzin and Pema, to notify him that he is hereby granted the honorary title 'Dragon'…" Gyatso's eyes widened, and he paused to re-read the words, making sure that he wasn't seeing things wrong.
"Dragon?" Pema gasped. "Isn't that title reserved for firebenders of the highest skill, though?"
"That's what I was told, but maybe there is more to this," Tenzin said, clearly in awe. "Keep reading, Son."
"Er, yes," he stammered, his mind still reeling from the surprise. "Where was I…? Ah yes: '…he is hereby granted the honorary title 'Dragon' by Firelord Izumi. When travelling in the Fire Nation, he is to be formally addressed as 'The Dragon of the Wind', due to his dedication to learning the ways of the Fire Nation while holding true to his own roots and the esteem in which Lord Zuko holds him."
He rolled the scroll back up, shock on his face as he finished, saying, "It's signed by the Firelord herself."
"This is amazing, Gyatso!" Pema exclaimed.
"What did you do to earn such praise from Zuko?" Tenzin asked, clearly impressed by his son again. "It used to be that one had to defeat a dragon in order to hold that title."
"Well… I doubt it was any singular accomplishment, but…" Gyatso smiled sheepishly. "Father, I have something to show you, as one airbending master to another."
"Oh?" Tenzin asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's this?"
"I… may have created a new Airbending form, based on what I learned from my time with Lord Zuko," Gyatso said. "I believe it holds the elements of both and fire and air in essence, and I would like you to see it."
Tenzin's eyes widened so much, it was a wonder that they didn't pop out of his head. "My son, creating a new form…" he breathed slowly. "One with the highest approval of a Firelord, no less…"
That night, Gyatso demonstrated what would eventually go on to become the official thirty-seventh form of airbending. He had modeled it after the firebending form 'The Dancing Dragon', and in honor of his son's new title Tenzin decided to call the form 'The Dance of the Wind Dragon'.
It was graceful like the wind in its movements, but the power it released held the potential of a terrible fire, controlled only by the fiercest will. It took the best of both elements, merging the smooth, spiraling motions of an air current with the ferocity of a raging dragon.
"Why did you take it upon yourself to develop this?" Tenzin asked his son after he had finished demonstrating his new techniques. It was clear that this was no simple demonstration of arms- Gyatso had poured his spirit into creating this new form, showing in it the emotions and conviction that had driven him to such lengths to reform himself.
"Because I wanted to learn to control my inner fire," Gyatso answered him. Looking out at the ocean that surrounded his home, the boy sighed and said, "I let the flames in my heart burn out of control that night that the Red Lotus came… And I couldn't allow myself to run the risk that I might get someone I care about hurt again until I had received proper instruction in how to control it."
"So…" Tenzin mused as he looked out alongside his son. "You wanted to master the anger you felt. And you wanted to come to terms with how it could affect you if you didn't."
"Yes," Gyatso nodded. "I'm not perfect, nor will I ever be. But I will never stop moving forward. I'll keep learning from my mistakes, letting them make me stronger as a person."
"Son," Tenzin said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, Gyatso saw that his father was smiling as he said, "You've taken your first step in becoming an example that others can follow. You've grown to be a wise young man, and I'm very proud of you. …And I know your grandfather is, too."
Gyatso smiled broadly for the first time in a long time as he said, "Thank you, Father."
During the months following his return, Gyatso further shocked his parents by finally showing some interest in interacting with his younger siblings- or rather, one of them.
He and Jinora began to connect in a very significant way. The girl was turning out to be a studious sort, and she liked hearing stories about the old airbenders from her father, like her brother. However, Tenzin's work in Republic City often kept him busy, so eventually Jinora decided to go to Gyatso for story time. At first he was a little perturbed, but eventually he found that it was somewhat enjoyable to share his knowledge with someone else, especially when they sat silently without interrupting him constantly.
Ikki and Meelo simply got on his nerves with their loud and obnoxious behavior, especially the youngest child. Unlike their older brother and sister, they found the outdoors and running around without a care in the world much more exciting than any of the epics and legends that could be found in the pages and scrolls that Jinora and Gyatso loved so much.
"I would trade both of them for Korra if I were allowed," he complained to Jinora one day.
"I don't think that it would be any quieter," the little girl said. "Korra gets loud when she's mad."
"And she gets angry a lot," Gyatso sighed heavily as he shut a book that he had been studying. "I suppose you're right." Then a thought struck him, and he turned to Jinora with slight smile as he said, "Speaking of Korra… I can't believe I only just realized this, but I haven't seen her in over a year." He mulled over his thoughts quietly for a moment before he looked his sister in the eye and asked, "Care to come with me for a trip to the South? We can see Gran-Gran, too."
"With Mommy and Daddy?" Jinora asked.
"No, just you, Arun, and me," Gyatso grinned. "How does that sound? We won't have to worry about Ikki tearing through the room while we're trying to read."
"Hmm…" Jinora put her hand on her chin as she thought it over. "Will Daddy be okay with us gone?"
"I think he'll be fine with it," Gyatso told the little girl. "Mother is the one that's going to take come convincing…"
As it turned out, it wasn't hard to convince their mother to let them take the trip.
Pema's only complaint was that it seemed like he was trying to get away from them as often as he could now, but it was mostly a pretense on her part. After assuring her that he would be gone for no more than two weeks, she gave the trip her blessing before leaving the two airbenders to talk.
Tenzin, on the other hand, was absolutely adamant that Jinora would not go anywhere without her father to protect her. "Just because you went on a trip by yourself, it does not mean that you can take care of Jinora out in the wild!" he all but shouted.
"It's hardly the wilderness," Gyatso protested mildly.
"I said absolutely not!" Tenzin repeated stubbornly.
"Honey, can I talk to you for a moment?" Pema said as she pulled on her husband's robe to lead him into the next room, where she shut the door, and Gyatso could only make out muffled voices for the next few minutes.
After emerging from the room, Pema gave her husband a look that sent him walking slowly to face his son. Tenzin said, "Your mother reminds me that while you are young, you are a capable airbender… And she points out that an opportunity like this will be good for you and Jinora to bond, as we have been hoping for some time.
"My work in Republic City has been increasing as of late, so I don't have the time to make visits to the south anymore. But I suppose there is no real problem with you going to the south on your own, especially now that you have your own bison."
"Thank you," Gyatso said as he bowed in gratitude to his father.
"There is one catch," Tenzin told him before he could leave. "While you're travelling, I want you to continue Jinora's training."
"Me?" Gyatso asked, eyes wide.
"You don't think that I gave you the rank of 'Master' for no reason, do you?" Tenzin said. "Earning those arrows means that you are ready to teach others in the ways of our people, and I expect you to hold to that responsibility. I know Ikki and Meelo are both too young and disinterested for right now, but Jinora is every bit as dedicated as you were at that age. So I'll take it as a personal favor if you help nurture that spirit of hers."
"Of course, Father," Gyatso said as he unconsciously rubbed the arrow on his head in surprise. "I meant no offense- I'm just surprised that you think I'm ready, especially since I'm not even fourteen yet."
"Your grandfather was fourteen when he began to instruct the air acolytes," Tenzin reminded him. "He took to the role well, and given your past record, I have every reason to believe that you'll do just as well."
"As you wish," the boy nodded. Then he left to go make preparations for the trip.
As they travelled, Gyatso heeded his father's command well, having Jinora practice her meditation while he focused on flying Arun through the skies. Whenever they landed to have a meal or make a camp for the night, he would guide her through the movements of the eleventh airbending form. And before they went to sleep each night, he would read to her from the teachings of the ancient air nomads.
The little girl ate up every word he spoke, and followed every instruction he gave her to the letter, her determination to become a great airbender speaking volumes through the effort she put into her training.
Gyatso was impressed with her dedication, and it caused him to reflect on just how much she had grown up while he had been gone. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, he thought with a small smile as she slid seamlessly from one stance to the next during one of their practice sessions. After all, she's just as much an heir to Grandfather's legacy as me.
A few days later, they found themselves in view of the new compound where Korra resided. Tenzin had given them directions since it had been quite some time since Gyatso had been to the new area, in addition to reminding them that they would have to go in through the front like everyone else that was permitted to visit the compound. Apparently after the would-be kidnapping incident, the White Lotus had decided that they would guard even against the slightest of dangers by doubling down their security.
The Red Lotus… Gyatso thought with a frown as he direct Arun to land in front of the massive gates that were lined with dozens of sentries. I wonder what their connection is to the White Lotus? There must be one of some kind, but according to Father, none of the intruders have answered any questions despite interrogations, other than to give their names, and we don't even know if they were telling the truth about that.
He recalled what his father had told him about the people almost unconsciously as he gazed at the wintery tundra, remembering the last time that he had come to the south.
Zaheer was a non-bender, though it was clear from his actions in the fight that he knew the human body well, and was very likely a chi-blocker. The tall woman, P'Li was a concussion-bender. The other, shorter woman was called Ming-Hua, a waterbender that had apparently lost her arms but was still very much capable of waterbending, often using her abilities to give herself appendages of liquid to replace the missing limbs.
The final member of the attack had not been completely unknown to Gyatso, though he had not fought him during the battle. Ghazan had been posing as a White Lotus sentry- the one that had tackled the boy on his way to see Korra- likely with the intent of allowing his comrades into the compound in order to carry out their plan. His earthbending talents were even rarer than those of a metalbender, for he possessed the power to vibrate the earth so rapidly that it would heat the element up enough to turn the very ground into lava.
So much talent and potential, yet they chose to use those gifts for such evil, he thought with a shake of his head. What a waste.
Arun touched down just as he finished pondering these thoughts, the impact causing him to refocus on the present. Releasing the reins that were tied to his steed's horns, he grabbed his staff and leaped off of his seat on the bison's neck. "Thank you, my friend," he said as he scratched Arun under his eye, causing the white-and-brown beast to let out a low rumble of pleasure.
"Thank you for the ride, Arun," Jinora said politely as she too, leaped off of the bison to land in the snow.
Gyatso turned around to find himself faced with a half-dozen sentries, all prepared to fight him at the slightest provocation. Sighing to himself, he stepped forward with his staff in one hand, and Jinora holding his free one before saying, "I am Gyatso, son of Tenzin, and Airbending Master. I have permission to enter these premises."
"Do you have any identification to prove this?" the lead sentry asked, unimpressed. Then again, sentries are rarely impressed by anything.
"I carry an airbender's staff, and I come in riding on a sky bison," Gyatso replied, insulted. "And I bear the marks of an airbending master. Only one other person in the entire world can claim as much, and he is also allowed to come here as he pleases."
"So you say," the sentry replied. "Wait here while I notify my superiors." He stamped his foot, and the snow swallowed him up, presumably to take him beneath the gate and into the compound.
"Why are they making us wait?" Jinora asked as she shivered, already getting cold. "I want to go inside."
"Soon, Jinora," Gyatso said patiently. "They don't want bad people getting in, so they have to make sure that we're okay to go inside."
"But we're not bad," Jinora frowned, the situation still escaping her. "So why do they want to make us wait?"
Gyatso had to hide a smile- she had basically just voiced his inner exasperations. "I know they're being silly, but it shouldn't be long before we get to go inside where it's warm," he told her.
Even as he finished speaking, the ground vibrated a bit just before the sentry popped back up, this time accompanied by a heavy-set man that Gyatso recognized from the night that he had first met Korra. "Master H'ren," the boy said as he bowed respectfully to the Grand Lotus, Jinora copying his movements a bit belatedly.
"Young Master Gyatso," the man replied neutrally. "What brings you here after being away for so long?"
"I owe my grandmother and my friend a visit," Gyatso answered him, ignoring the borderline insult offered to him. "I trust that Korra is still allowed to have visitors?"
"She is, but she was not expecting to see you," H'ren said. "If you would like, perhaps she will be ready for you tom-"
"I'm not a child for you to belittle," Gyatso said, his voice taking on a slightly harsh cast that caused the older man to stiffen. "I may be young, but I bear the marks of a fully qualified master. Were my father here, you would not be so cold to him. In our culture's society, he and I are considered near equals, and I won't have you disrespecting our ways, even if you don't like me."
H'ren was speechless for a moment, the confidence with which Gyatso spoke unsettling him a bit. When he had composed himself, he looked the boy up and down for a moment before saying, "You have grown, Gyatso."
The boy did not reply, simply waiting for H'ren to do something one way or another.
Seeing that the boy was not interested in pleasantries, he said with a defeated sigh, "Master Gyatso is welcome here at all times. Let him pass."
"Thank you," the airbender acknowledged.
After securing Arun in a stable-like area, Gyatso and Jinora spent lunch with their grandmother, who was absolutely delighted to see them both. They then moved on to find Korra with the intent of surprising her. They found her practicing earthbending, tearing up part of the outdoor area that served as her training yard, complete with a sparring circle and an obstacle course.
The eleven-year-old girl was several inches taller than when Gyatso had last seen her, and her hair was getting longer, too. It fell just past her shoulders, even when they were held in clasps that fell on either side of her head. Her muscles were becoming more defined, too, the result of thousands of hours dedicated to training to master the elements.
He chose the moment after she used a hammer fist technique to walk up behind her and say, "You're keeping your elbow too tight when you drop the fist."
"Oh yeah?" she said without missing a beat as she turned around. "Let's see if you're saying the same thing when I drop my knuckles on your thick skull."
"Don't you have respect for masters?" Gyatso replied with a raised eyebrow as he tapped the arrow on his forehead.
"Not when they leave for more than a year without telling me first," she replied dryly. Her expression was a neutral one, but her eyes told Gyatso that his absence had hurt her more than she had let on in their letters.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he said quietly, dropping the teasing tone he had been using in favor of a more somber one. "You deserved to know."
The girl levelled a stern gaze at him for a few tense seconds before finally breaking into a smile as she crossed the distance to throw her arms around his shoulders and squeeze him in a firm embrace. "Just don't ever disappear on me again," she told him. "I really missed you."
"I missed you too," he said quietly as he returned the hug. Then the two of them smiled as Jinora wrapped her smaller arms around their waists, effectively turning the gathering into a group hug.
"Those arrows suit you," Korra said as they pulled apart. "I'm real happy that you passed your exams."
"Thanks," Gyatso grinned again. "I just hope I can live up to Father's new expectations."
"What new expectations?" Korra asked.
"Gyatso is teaching me airbending," Jinora piped up. "Daddy told him that he had to."
"And he agreed to it?" Korra asked, surprised. The boy that she had first met six years prior- or even the one that she had last seen just over a year ago- would have never agreed to such a thing. Looking her friend up and down, she muttered, "I guess you have changed quite a bit."
"I do my best," Gyatso shrugged. "Let's just say that Lord Zuko is a lot more… direct in his approach to teaching. Perhaps some of his mannerisms rubbed off on me."
"I think so," Jinora said. "You're a lot nicer now than you used to be."
Korra had to smother a laugh at Gyatso as he found himself at a loss for words. "Your brother has always been very nice, Jinora," Korra said as she smiled at her friend. "He just has a hard time showing it to people."
Five more years passed with Korra continuing in her journey to master the four elements. Gyatso visited her even more often than before, bringing Jinora with him frequently. During the times in between, they continued their habit of writing each other letters to keep in touch.
The Avatar mastered the elements of earth and fire during this time while Gyatso continued tutoring his little sister in the art of airbending. Ikki and Meelo also began their training, though Tenzin decided that until they were ready to take their studies more seriously than their currently-rambunctious attitudes would allow, he would not waste his eldest son's time, especially since he still had subjects that he wished to pursue on his own. Jinora was well-disciplined enough to learn at a steady pace from the young man- her younger siblings were simply not up to the task.
Ikki was now eight, and her boundless energy was only matched by her fast-paced talking. Meelo was even worse as a five-year-old boy with a penchant for disrupting Air Temple Island's inhabitants with his antics. Neither one of them seemed to possess an iota of the patience and self-control that their elder siblings had. They did however, love and respect their father and mother a great deal like Jinora and Gyatso did, even though they acted much differently than their elders.
Pema was now seven months pregnant with Tenzin and her fifth child- and this was the last one, she had told him.
During the autumn of Gyatso's eighteenth year, he received- in his opinion- some rather incredible news. Korra had passed her firebending exams, and it was time for her to begin her training with airbending. This meant that his family would be moving to the South in order to be with Tenzin while he trained the girl.
We've spent our entire lives at a distance from one another, he thought. I can't wait to become a regular part of her life. From what she had said in her letter, the sixteen-year-old shared his sentiment, ecstatic at the prospect of having him and his family close by.
Unfortunately, there was a great disappointment in store for both him and the Avatar.
This disappointment weighed heavily on his heart as he guided Arun to the compound where Korra had lived for the last six years. He was following Oogi, his father's sky bison, to their destination, unlike most of his previous visits when it was just him and Jinora. This time, the entire family was going along for the trip, both to see Korra and so that Katara could see her son's family again.
I just hope that the news doesn't prove too disappointing, Gyatso thought as he noticed Oogi beginning to descend. Tugging slightly on the reins, he prompted his bison to do the same as he added to himself, She has a strong will, but she's been looking forward to this for so long… Not to mention that I have, too.
"Gyatso?" Jinora asked from behind him. Unlike Meelo, Ikki, and Pema, she had elected to join her older brother for the trip south. "What's wrong?"
"Huh?" he queried, turning around to look back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Your shoulders are all slumped," Jinora told him as she gazed steadily at him with piercing brown eyes. "That means you're having a hard time with something. I was wondering what it was."
In the past five years, Jinora and Gyatso had become very close, more so than he had ever expected. The little girl was a very perceptive individual, and her elder brother found it very difficult to hide anything from her. As a result, she became his close confidant, and the same held true for her being able to speak with him in absolute confidence.
"This visit is not going to be an entirely pleasant one," he told her, not bothering to try and hide the truth- she always knew when he was lying, so there was no point to it. "I didn't tell her the bad news."
"You didn't?" Jinora asked, surprised. It was rare for Gyatso to hide anything from Korra, be it by omission or direct deceit. "Why not?"
"I didn't want to be the one to tell her the bad news," he shrugged slightly. "I hate seeing her disappointed, and I dislike being the one to disappoint her even more."
"It's not as though you had any control over it," Jinora told him with a slight frown. "Why hide it? It's not like she can be mad at you."
"Want to bet?" he smiled wryly. "It's Korra we're talking about."
"Good point," his sister acknowledged. "Still, she's always quick to forgive you."
"Hmm…" the young man mused quietly as they descended beneath the clouds, the compound coming into view. "Perhaps, but I don't know that she's ever faced a disappointment like this before."
"Just relax," Jinora advised him. "She'll be okay."
But will I be when she's done with me? He thought with a bit of black humor. Then the time for speculations was over as Arun touched down in the snow, right after Oogi. Tenzin was already dismounted and bowing to his mother, an impressive feat considering how Meelo was perched on his neck and chewing on his gleaming bald head.
Gyatso was just in time for Katara to pull the squirming child off of her son's head, who promptly escaped the elderly woman's grip and ran off to chase Ikki through the snow. "Mother figured out that the best way to keep a hold of him is by grabbing his legs," he said as he approached before bowing to his grandmother.
"Haha, yes, I should have guessed," Katara smiled brightly. "Bumi was much the same when he was that age." Bumi was Tenzin's older brother, but Gyatso hadn't spent much time with him since his active duty in the military kept him very busy. Their middle sister, Kya, was even more elusive, spending much of her days travelling the world wherever she fancied. Gyatso could remember seeing her maybe three times in his entire life.
"It's good to see you, Gran-Gran," Jinora smiled as she walked up to the gathering. "Gyatso has been reading to me all about your old adventures, and I have to ask- what happened to Zuko's mom?"
Gyatso hid a smile at that. Although he had told Jinora that he had stayed with Zuko's younger half-sister during his time in the Fire Nation, he had never related to her exactly how it was that the old 'Team Avatar' had found his mother, much to her chagrin. She had begged him many times to tell her the story of how they found her, but he told her that she had to wait until she had studied the history of Koh the face-stealer. Now it seemed that she was trying to take a shortcut in finding out.
"Well, Jinora, it's an incredible tale," Katara began, only to be interrupted by Ikki popping up in the middle of the gathering while Tenzin moved to help Pema get down from Oogi's back via the bison's tail.
"Gran-Gran!" the little girl chirruped. She began firing off questions faster than a flying lemur could find trouble. "Why is it so cold here?! Why is there so much snow?! Ooh, can you tell us some ghost stories around a campfire? And then use waterbending to make some snow monsters, so then they can chase us around the fire?! Wouldn't that be fun?!"
To the side, Jinora gave out a silent groan of disappointment. Seeing it, Gyatso nudged her with an elbow as he grinned slightly and said, "That's what you get for trying to cheat." The ten-year old said nothing in response, resigned to her defeat. Instead, she fashioned an air scooter and raced off to chase after Meelo, who was currently occupied with the fresh snow all around him.
Katara moved to greet her daughter-in-law with a warm smile, revealing another particular waterbender that had been remaining silent, waiting to be noticed.
Gyatso walked over to Korra with his arms open, which she eagerly ran into, hugging him even harder that the last time they had seen each other. "Still getting stronger, I see," he said as he hugged his oldest friend. "It's good to be back, Korra."
"I'll tell you it's even better to have you here," she said with a bright smile that set her sky blue eyes sparkling. "It's been so long since I've seen your dad, and I've never had the chance to spend much time with Ikki or Meelo." She had met both the younger siblings once, a couple of years back, during Tenzin's last visit to the south.
"I have a feeling that you'll get along very well," he said as she stepped back. They looked one another up and down, noticing the changes that had occurred since their last visit, as was their custom by now.
Gyatso had grown even taller, nearly matching Tenzin in height. Unlike his father, though, he did not sport any facial hair, nor did he leave his scalp bare, instead choosing to let his dark brown locks grow to a middling length for a boy. His arrow was still clearly visible, despite the hair on his head, for he did not let it grow long enough to hide the mark.
Korra was in peak physical condition, with smooth, unblemished skin and a strong-yet-lean frame that showed how hard she had trained to get where she was. Her hair was long enough to fall to her shoulder blades, but she still kept it tied so that fell on either side of her face, in addition to a ponytail that kept most of it back. She was beautiful.
"You look good," Gyatso told her.
"Not so bad yourself, Master Dragon hotshot," Korra teased him with a big smile. "I'll bet all the girls in Republic City are dying to have a chance with the Air Nomad's number one bachelor."
"As if!" Gyatso shot back, reddening rapidly. He didn't know why exactly, but even though he had received similar teasing from his mother and even Jinora a couple of times, he never reacted as badly as when Korra chose to bring up his non-existent love life.
"C'mon, you're the one that was talking about how great it would be to be married when we were little," Korra continued as she jabbed him in the ribs, causing him to redden further. "What happened, did you get cold feet?"
"N-No, the right girl hasn't come along yet," he stammered.
"Uh-huh, and when was the last time you asked a girl out?" his friend pressed, unrelenting. "Or should I ask when the first time you went on a date was?" Her smile, already taunting, grew even more so.
"You know I've never been on a date," Gyatso muttered.
"Okay, I've been locked up in a compound most of my life," Korra snorted. "What's your excuse, bub?"
"I don't have one, nor do I need it," he sniffed. "I'm simply not interested in pursuing a relationship just for the sake of a relationship."
"Okay, shy guy," Korra chuckled, deciding to let her friend off the hook. "Let me know how long that works out for you." Gyatso declined to answer, simply rolling his eyes in exasperated silence.
"Korra?" Tenzin's voice broke in. The pair turned to see that he, Pema, and Katara were approaching. The leader of the Air Nomads had not seen Korra in some time, so he was a little surprised to see how much she had grown. "Look at you," he said with a fatherly smile of approval. "So big and strong. You've grown into quite the young Avatar."
"Master Tenzin," Korra smiled broadly as she swiftly bowed to Gyatso's father. Straightening herself, she added, "It's so good to see you're here- I can't wait to start my airbending training."
"Yes well…" Tenzin hesitated, and Gyatso realized that the moment he had been dreading was at hand.
"You're going to have to tell her eventually," Pema prompted her husband gently.
"Tell me what?" Korra asked, a strange catch in her voice as she looked back and forth between the adults with something close to fear.
It was Katara who voiced this fear, though. "You're not staying, are you?" she asked. Her disappointment was understandable- her son's move south would have meant having her family close to her again.
Tenzin sighed heavily before shaking his head in the negative. "I'm afraid not," he said, and Korra's shoulders slumped. "We're only visiting for the night. Then, I have to return to Republic City."
"What, no!" Korra protested. "You're supposed to move here. Y-You're supposed to teach me!" Her voice was strained with something akin to panic.
"I'm sorry, Korra," Tenzin said. "Your airbending training is going to have to wait."
Gyatso put a hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her, but instead she rounded on him, anger etched in her brows and reflected in her eyes. "You knew, didn't you?" she demanded.
He hesitated for a moment before deciding that being direct was the best path to take now. "Yes," he nodded once, his expression grave.
"And you didn't tell me?" she snapped, her eyes blazing with blue fire.
"I didn't want to be the one that caused you pain," he said, continuing to keep his voice low and somber.
"Gyatso, I would've rather heard this from you than from your dad!" she growled as she shoved him away from herself. "You're supposed to be my friend- you're supposed to talk to me about this kind of thing!"
She immediately regretted pushing him when he gazed at her with his somber gray eyes that bore nothing but sadness for her and her situation. "I couldn't do anything about it," he told her. "I'm very sorry, Korra. Both for keeping the truth from you, and being unable to help."
"I…" she faltered, her anger powerless against the remorse that she knew he would be feeling right now. "I know," she finally said. "I'm sorry I pushed you."
"So, how long until you're ready to teach me airbending?" Korra asked Tenzin at the dinner table. "A week? A month?" Also in attendance to the meeting were Gyatso and H'ren.
Tenzin tried to be careful with his answer, for in truth, he did not have a solid one yet. "It could be much longer," he admitted.
"I don't understand, why are you making me wait?" she groaned in distress.
"Father has a responsibility to Republic City as one of its five leaders," Gyatso reminded her. "His work on the council keeps him very busy, and to make things worse, the situation in back home is rather unstable at the moment." The boy was not privy to every detail of the council meetings, but he had talked with his father and seen enough of the city to have a general idea of what was going on.
"But he also has a responsibility to teach me," Korra protested. "Aang wanted him to teach me airbending, and I don't see anyone else qualified to teach airbending around here. He's stuck with me as much as I am him."
Her words sparked an idea in Gyatso's mind.
But before he could speak, Tenzin tried to calm her down by saying, "Korra, believe me when I say I wish there was another way, but there simply isn't."
"Wait!" Korra exclaimed. "There is. If you can't come down here, then I'll just move to Republic City with you- it's perfect!"
H'ren made a noise of disgust as he slapped the table and said in a hard voice, "Absolutely not! The city is far too dangerous! Avatar Aang tasked us with keeping you safe while you mastered the four elements."
Korra gave him a flat look as she argued, "I get that, but I don't think that keeping me locked up in this compound like a prisoner is what he had in mind."
"Korra, I know this is difficult for you to accept, but it's simply not the right time for you to come to the city," Tenzin said gently.
"Whatever," Korra growled as she made to leave the table, only to be stopped by Gyatso grabbing her wrist.
"There is another way," he said without looking up at her, keeping his gaze fixed on his father and H'ren.
Korra sat back down immediately, intrigued. "Okay," she said. "What did you have in mind?"
"It's not as though Father is the only Airbending Master here," he said slowly.
"You can't be serious," H'ren said with wide eyes. "Master Tenzin, this is-"
"A very good idea," Tenzin interrupted the leader of the White Lotus. "Gyatso more than meets the qualifications necessary to teach the Avatar what she needs to know."
"B-But he has no experience in teaching!" H'ren protested.
"Not so," Tenzin shook his head. "He has been tutoring his sister Jinora in the art of airbending for several years now, and I'd say that she has definitely been better for it."
"Thank you, Father," Gyatso smiled slightly.
"That aside, my son has earned his mastery tattoos, which means that no matter his age, he is fully qualified to teach others our ways," Tenzin added. "I see absolutely no reason why he shouldn't at least begin Korra's training in my stead. It's important that the Avatar returns to the world as soon as possible in order to help maintain the balance."
"If it's so important, why not come train her yourself?" H'ren tried to argue, but Tenzin's mind was made up.
"I hereby hand over the authority to train Korra in airbending to my son, Master Gyatso," Tenzin said, ignoring his colleague's question. "I trust his abilities, and I also trust that the White Lotus will respect him while he teaches her just as much as it would me." The last words were phrased politely, but the meaning behind them was clear.
"You- I- He… Oh, what's the use?" H'ren muttered into his beard. "All right. The White Lotus will accommodate… Master Gyatso in any way he needs to train the avatar."
"Hear that?" Korra grinned at her friend. "He called you 'Master' Gyatso." She could scarcely believe her luck- today had turned out to be even better than she could have expected. Not only was her best friend going to be staying after all, but he was going to be her new teacher!
"Watch it, or I might make you do the same," he teased her back.
"As if," she laughed.
Gyatso's heart lifted, seeing her happy again. Thank the spirits, he thought to himself. Now to begin the next part of this hare-brained scheme of mine…
Gyatso's family left the next morning to make their way back to Republic City. While Korra was saying good-bye to the others, Jinora pulled Gyatso aside and asked, "So what are you really planning?"
Gyatso didn't bother to hide his smile as he said, "Let's just say that the White Lotus and I have very different ideas about what the ideal atmosphere is for training the avatar in airbending and spiritual matters."
Jinora grinned back at him before hugging him and saying, "Be careful, Gyatso."
"Don't worry, the White Lotus won't be a problem," he told her as he returned the hug.
"I wasn't talking about them," she said as she pulled back and jerked her head to indicate Korra. "Her."
"Ah, that is a good point," he muttered. "All right, I promise to be careful."
"I'll see you soon," Jinora said as she waved goodbye to him and headed off to get on Oogi's back. Then his family was gone, flying off into the open blue sky. He, Korra, and Katara watched them go until they were little more than a speck in the sky before deciding to head inside for the day.
"We start your training tomorrow," Gyatso told his newest student. "So get plenty of rest."
"Yes sir!" Korra replied with a mock salute.
However, the young airbender surprised her that night by dropping for a visit right before she hopped in bed. He knocked on the door before asking, "Is it okay for me to come in?"
"Yeah, come on in," she told him as she sat on her bed.
Gyatso slipped in quietly, hardly making a sound as he shut the door behind him. When he turned to face her directly, he had a mischievous grin that looked like a lot of fun to Korra. "Pack up your essentials," he told her as he tossed a large brown sack at her. "We're leaving."
"Wait, what?" she asked as she looked down at the bag in her hands, not sure that she had heard him right.
"You heard me just fine," he told her. "I'm getting you out of this prison of theirs- and we're taking Naga with us."
"Are you serious?" she gasped, excitement and elation sweeping through her. "Why, though? I thought you were gonna work with the White Lotus."
"I can't work with them if they don't respect me," Gyatso shrugged. "It's clear to me at this point that they only wanted my father to train you because he fits their image of what a master looks like. They'll only ever see me as his protégé, never my own person. Not to mention that one of the key basics in airbending is having an appreciation for freedom. I don't see how you could have developed that, cooped up in here."
"Believe me, I'll be happy to appreciate it once we're out of here," Korra grinned as she darted over to her dresser where her clothes were kept and began stuffing articles in the bag, hands trembling with excitement.
"I should hope so," Gyatso said with a half-laugh. "Even though Father handed your training over to me, and I'm actually within the limits of my authority to this, I imagine that I'm going to get into some trouble."
"Well, I appreciate it, even if nobody else does," Korra said as she paused in her packing long enough to turn around and give him a brief hug. He felt himself turn red without knowing why. As he held her for that brief moment, he felt something stir in his heart- something that had taken root over a decade ago in a small water tribe house in the dead of winter. Even as he felt this tug on his spirit, Korra quickly got back to packing, oblivious to the heat in his face.
"I'm glad you do," he finally managed to say.
"Do I need anything besides clothes?" Korra asked him as she stuffed one last shirt into the pack.
"No, I'll take care of the rest," Gyatso told her.
"Okay, then- wait a sec," she said as she reached over to grab something on top of her dresser. When she turned around, he was not completely surprised to see her holding the doll that he had given her years ago. "I can't leave without this," she grinned. "You still have yours?"
"It's in Arun's saddle with my other belongings," he nodded, thinking of the airbending toy she had given to him when they were children. "I never travel without it."
"Aw, aren't you sweet?" she teased him again. "Well, then. I'll meet you down in the stables where Naga is after I've gotten changed."
"All right," he nodded as he took her travel bag. "Be there in ten minutes, or I'm coming back to make sure you don't fall asleep."
"Who, me?"
Things went according to plan. Gyatso made sure that all of his things were still secure on Arun's saddle in addition to saddling Naga for Korra so that they could leave as soon as she was ready- the faster they moved, the better. Fortunately, the white polar bear-dog knew Gyatso well enough that she let him saddle her without complaint.
The girl wasn't even five minutes behind him, dashing into the stables just as he had finished applying the harness to Naga. "Okay, I wasn't spotted," she said, slightly out of breath from her run. "I can dig us a tunnel through the ice that leads out of the compound without us being seen by the sentries on the walls."
"Good," he nodded. "It shouldn't be much of a problem getting out unseen anyway- this compound was more designed to keep people out, not in."
"And it's a nice night for an escape, isn't it?" an elderly voice said that caused both of the teenagers to give a start of surprise and whirl around to see Katara step out of the shadows.
Korra was the first to recover, stepping forward and saying, "I have to leave- I have to find my own path as the Avatar."
"I know you do," Katara said with an expression of understanding. Addressing them both, she said, "Aang's time has passed. My brother and many of my friends are gone." Gyatso's face fell a bit at the mention of Sokka, but he did not interrupt as Katara went on to say, "It's time for you two- the next generation- to take your place in bringing balance to the world."
Korra smiled with a mixture of sadness and gratitude to her old master as she moved to hug the elderly woman. "I know you'll be a great Avatar," the old woman told her protégé. Looking over at her grandson with a slightly brighter smile, she added, "You have a wonderful teacher to guide you."
"Thank you, Gran-Gran," the young master said as he moved to join the hug.
The pair made only one stop on their way out of the South, to visit Korra's parents.
"Mom, Dad," Korra said as she hugged them both goodbye while Gyatso waited by the animals. "I'll miss you."
"We love you so much," Senna said as they released their daughter. Korra pulled back and ran over to where her new teacher waited, before she lost her nerve and decided to stay so that she could be with her parents. I didn't think that this would be so hard, she thought as she blinked away the stinging in her eyes.
Gyatso helped her into Arun's saddle before leaping into the pilot's seat atop his bison's neck. Before he could tell his friend to take off, Tonraq ran up, saying, "Wait!" The airbender paused, wondering what it was that the man wanted. Once he was within range to be heard without needing to shout, Tonraq looked up at the young man and said, "Gyatso- promise me you'll take care of my little girl."
"I will, sir," he said firmly. "I'll give my life to see her safe- you have my word."
"Then go with my blessing," Tonraq said heavily. "Be safe."
"Farewell," Gyatso bowed from the saddle. Then he flicked the reins and said, "Yip yip!" And they were off, Naga running below at a steady pace to keep up with the bison.
Aang's time was now long past, but the Legacy of Korra was just beginning.
Aang: Good to see that Korra will be in good hands.
Mataras: Of course she is- Gyatso is your grandson after all. He'll do you proud, of that you can be sure.
Roku: And it seems that the young airbender is discovering his feelings for a certain girl... Sound familiar, Aang?
Aang: Yes, but I suppose it's in reverse this time- he's the instructor, and she's the Avatar. Still, I'd definitely approve- and it seems like her dad does, too.
Kyoshi: I foresee other lives being woven into this tapestry soon... Red Swordsman, what is it that you have in mind?
Mataras: Ah yes. Next chapter (which our readers can expect to come out on March 1st) will focus on two boys that grew from street thieves with hope for their future into fighters of high caliber that are ready to claim that dream.
Kuruk: That sounds like a story I could appreciate- always loved a good fight.
Yang-Chen: I am confident that the readers will, too.
Mataras: Until next time, I bid you all well wishes. Next time- The Fire Ferrets.
The Legacy of Korra- as told by JoshthePoser
(A/N: Most sentences are read as though the characters are speaking loudly, with no emotion.)
"Gyatso, Sokka died, and it's all your fault!" Katara said.
FAST FORWARD!
"Korra, this is the one and only time that I'm ever telling you I'm leaving- bye!" Gyatso announced.
FAST FORWARD!
"It's my life, Mom, I'll get a tattoo if I want to!" Gyatso said.
FAST FORWARD!
"Gyatso, here's your sky bison!" said a random stable hand.
"Why you six-legged mammal?! Why do you defy science the way you do?!" Sokka's ghost inquired.
FAST FORWARD!
"I told them to stop leaving orphans on my doorstep!" Zuko complained.
"I know, right?!" said the Blue Spirit.
FAST FORWARD!
"Hey Dad, I invented a new airbending form!" Gyatso told his family.
"Well you're a nerd!" Tenzin said.
FAST FORWARD!
"I'm just as important as my father!" Gyatso protested.
"Hah! No you're not!"
FAST FORWARD!
"Where have you been?!" Korra shouted. "I've been worried sick!
"I'll come home when I feel like it!" the boy shot back.
FAST FORWARD!
"Gyatso and Korra, sittin' in a tree!" Jinora sang. "K-I-S-S-I-"
FAST FORWARD!
(A/N: This part is read as written.)
"Are you going to train me now?" Korra asked.
"Sorry, kiddo... Something came up," Tenzin sighed.
"Oh... Okay... It's okay."
"No, no, maybe in a couple weeks... or- or months."
"No, uh yeah, that- that sounds good."
"Uh, um... Tell you what, we'll go out for ice cream!"
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Well... see you later, kiddo!" Tenzin said as he flew away.
Korra turned to Katara with tears in her eyes and asked, "Why don't he want me, man?"
FAST FORWARD!
"Let's run away together!"
FAST FORWARD!
