2~

The Airbenders landed on the large front pavilion, and there were so many bison that there was hardly room to walk between their galumphing, jostling bodies. Not that that was a problem for the Airbenders. Katara had raced outside as soon as she saw that they were coming in towards the Island, but she and the clutch of astounded Acolytes were unceremoniously bumped to the side as the bison landed. Appa had flown up from the caves at the base of the Island and was greeting all the new bison, lowing and stamping his happiness. And above all the bison, the Airbenders flew, most of them centered around Aang in a swirling airborne crowd. He was still crying, she saw, and reaching out to touch the other benders as though he couldn't be sure they were real. They were all ages, from an ancient woman with snow-pale hair that fell nearly to her feet to babies less than a year old, and she saw one of the women was pregnant as well. The group was clearly thriving, though their clothes were all patched and faded, and all were thin. Where had they come from? How had they stayed hidden for over 100 years?

Edging around the crowd of Air bison, she clambered up on top of a boulder at the side of the pavilion. From there she could see that a number of small fishing boats had come near the Island, their occupants staring up at the drifting crowd of Airbenders in awe. Katara couldn't blame them. They were witnessing the renewal of an entire culture, and entire people. It was far beyond a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

She looked back towards the Airbenders and saw Aang was speaking with the white-haired woman, a little ring of empty space forming up around them. Their hands were joined and they rotated slowly in mid-air, the young Avatar and the old woman, who looked, Katara suddenly thought, old enough that she could have survived Sozin's attack too. She couldn't hear what they said, but she assumed the woman was telling Aang where they had all come from, and how they had stayed secret so long and so well.

Suddenly, all of the Air bison took to the skies, their pale bodies like a reverse snowstorm as they rose, led by Appa. Katara was lost in the wonder of the sight, breathless and, she realized, crying. She found Aang again, and saw him staring upwards after the bison too, tears streaming down his face. Now that the pavilion was clearer without the bison, she could make her way through the drifting crowd of Airbenders to his side and took his hand. He turned to her, his grey eyes wide and staring, dazed. "Katara…" he murmured. "Can you believe it? Malu says there are nearly two hundred of us…." With these simple words his self-control collapsed and he started sobbing hard, his free hand rising to cover his mouth. Without even willing it, Katara put her arms around him in a tight hug, as she had for so many smaller joys and the horrible times he had needed comfort.

The white haired Airbender cast a glance over Katara. "You are perhaps…?" She trailed off, leaving Katara to infer the question, and answer it.

"I'm Katara, Aang's girlfriend," she said trying to ignore the older woman's manner. "What's your name?"

"I am Malu, one of eight survivors of Sozin's annihilation and matriarch of the last existing Airbenders," she returned, nearly imperious. Katara had always thought that arrogance couldn't exist alongside the temperate nature if an Airbender, but she now realized that that must only be true of her Airbender, not all of them. "You appear to be of Water Tribe origin."

"I am," Katara agreed, natural pride in her heritage bubbling up inside her. "I was born in the Southern Water Tribe, but I learned all kinds of bending styles."

"Hm," Malu murmured, eyebrows arching high. "In the time before the annihilation it was highly uncommon for Airbenders to partner with people of other Nations."

Caught badly off guard by this blatant disapproval, Katara could only say, "Oh," her mind groping uselessly for some justification of her relationship.

Just then Aang got some measure of control back and lifted his tear-stained face to Malu again. "I can't tell you what an honor it is to meet you," he said, choking with sincerity. "Please consider Air Temple Island your home from now on. If you'd come inside, the Acolytes and Katara and I would love to hear the story of how you survived."

A/N

Woo-woo, chapter two! Malu is a semi-canon character from the card game (I think?) but I've basically only taken her name and made a new character, so whatever. All the other new Airbenders are going to be OCs.

Thank you for reviewing yesterday! Hopefully the next couple of chapters will answer those questions for you :)

All characters are owned by Bryke, Nick, and Viacom.

E.I. signing out