Garden of Dreams

Though it was the beginning of October and the air was slowly shifting to crisp and the tree leaves were changing to that red that the only autumn could claim its own along with golden orange and rich yellow Team Avatar and their four new members were currently in one of the sweltering greenhouses belonging to Kimana.

Last year she'd gifted all six of them with extraordinary hybrid flowers of her own conception of raising them as a component of a project of self-discovery and soul-searching. Thus this year she wished to recommence with that mission by starting them off with new flowers as the world had just been reborn and with it so had they themselves.

She likewise wished to begin the four brand-new adolescents on their individual journeys. Furthermore bring everyone closer in bonds of love, family, and friendship. She was continuing to reassure them that the magic brought on by cultivation would certainly benefit them in the long run with them bonding. Furthermore, it would be beneficial medicine for both their souls and help their minds find revelation plus enlightenment.

She also had insisted her niece and her friends be part of this as well. Consequently, presently they're all standing in greenhouse 3 which housed her most extraordinary crossbreed flowers and also were her specifically developed butterflies lived to nurtured the bizarre wildflowers that were cultivated here.

Right now she and her sister Nurita were involved in passing out the various hybrid flowers to each ethnic group that was as unique as each of them.

For Arianna and Aang they're given a hybrid of a peony and chrysanthemum. Sokka, Katara, and Nita were given a crossbreed of snowdrops and marigolds. Toph, Brock, and Suki who'd also been asked to join were given hyacinth blended with crocus. And finally, for the large group of Fire Nation children, they're given sunflower and lilies.

"Now, I want to make certain you done your homework on all of these flowers. Both sides to them as there two sides to each person. Understanding both halves of you helped many of you last year if you recall correctly.

When you discovered about 'yin" and "yang" studying it further will only benefit you even greater in the days to come. Moreover again identifying much in life is two halves of the same whole. How several elements are symbiotic in life as are people as well.

How we all depend on the balance and one thing depends on the other for survival and the endless friendship of the four elements that produce the life of this world," Kim opened in a rather philosophically way as she and her sister finished giving everyone their flowers and now stood at the front of her greenhouse.

"So as you look at your little seedlings now you'll see they have yet to grow. Just as you are just seedlings now. They need time, love and tenderness to grow but they will depend on all four elements working in friendship and harmony to grow and bloom.

But each flower is unique just as you are unique. So you too must bloom as people if your flowers are to bloom. Therefore we want you each day to heed these words and sing them to your flowers in the morning as the dawn rises." Nurita instructed as she cleared her voice and sang in a most golden voice of charm and wonder.

"You've seen the damage words can do

When full of thoughtless pride

Now heed the wiser voice in you

That calls to be your guide

The flowers reaching for the sun are all uniquely blessed

But though each is special not a one is better than the rest

Bloom, bloom, may you know

The wisdom only time breeds

There's room, bloom and you'll grow

To follow where your heart leads,

Bloom and may you bring

Your colors to the vast bouquet

There's room, bloom, learn one thing

Your gifts are meant to give away."

"And before you go to dream you must sing to your flowers once again this song to help yourself and them bloom," Kim added as she cleared her voice to sing in her angelic voice the second verse.

"How long must there be anger here

Before we can rejoice

Embracing love instead of fear

Is but a simple choice

It's hard for me to see you fall

So bitter and so blind

When the truest nature of us all

Invites us to be kind

Bloom, bloom, may you know

The wisdom only time breeds

There's room, bloom and you'll grow

To follow where your heart leads

Bloom and may you live

The way your life was meant to be

There's room, bloom and forgive

May sweet compassion set you free."

They all looked at each other not sure what to think so Nita raised her hand. "Yes, Nita is it?" Kim thoughtfully asked the adolescent Waterbender with the dyed braids who flushed a brilliant rose.

"Yes, I have got a question," she asked still blushing under the kind gaze of the magnificent Fire Nation woman.

"What is your question, little bear?" Kim asked surprising Nita that she knew the pet name her mother used for. As that what her name meant was "Bear"

Though really Nita shouldn't have been surprised, to be honest after all their parents had been getting to know each other during their bi-weekly studying sessions at the Jasmine Dragon and Kimana was the kind of woman who could become anyone best friend without even trying.

"Well, this song your sister and you wish us to sing? Does it have symbolic meaning? Why do we have to sing it to these flowers? Are the flowers symbolic to each of our backgrounds? Did you pick them for us for a reason?

My mother Kameko says nothing ever happens in life without some kind of reason behind. She is not one to believe there isn't some kind of symbolic meaning in life in one way or another.

Even with the dogs, she breeds she gives them symbolic names correlated to our society. Though I never admitted this aloud before for fear being laughed at..." she strongly hesitated before she blabbed out the rest. "But I believe she was a Water Sage in a past life in the Lost Age," she finished with her rambling and hung her head as if she was self-conscious of this speculation and would be snickered at for it.

No one said or did anything least of all laughed at Nita's statement. Which was a good sign? Kim simply smiled a friendly smile before she nonchalantly strolled over to the young 15-year-old teenager and laid a soothing hand on her head and spoke in a melodious sympathetic voice of love.

"You've already begun to unlock your mind, Nita. To see exceeding the four walls that had you confined so well. You'll need that in the days to come and if you are to help defend this brand-new world and keep the balance.

It will also assist you in mastering Waterbending. After all, bending is from the Spirit and is not a physical power. It's a great honor to all who have gifted it with it," she started to speak softly before looking at the gathering at large.

"Yes, everything in life as hidden meaning and like how life is a never-ending quest with an abundance of conundrums including various little riddles you must figure out. However, you must continuously be open-minded to all things."

"What do you mean, Aunt Kim?" inquired Ember curiously and her mother answered her daughter's question immediately.

"In this unique world that has the past fused with the present, we must absolutely open our minds to any and all possibilities no matter how far-fetched or ridicules they seem. What seemed improbable before must be seen as probable. The unacceptable must be seen as permissible.

We must be willing to try everything and that literally means everything. Don't let your minds shift back to becoming short sighed and restricted. Let the garden of your dreams and imagination grow and thrive. Keep asking questions, keep fighting, keep getting back up. Keep looking.

Never think you have seen or done it all for there always more. Never come complacent. This is something else you'll learn as you do your gardening. Again not long ago you couldn't have made two different flowers become one could you?"

"No that is true. And no one would ever believe the Lost Age was anything but a fable." pointed out Ari in a matter of face way.

"Then that's one impossible miracle come true. Now let's see what else can you all do. Grow, thrive, and bloom!" the sisters encouraged them with great enthusiasm in their voices.

Now Arianna had her hand in the air and again Kim nodded and asked, "Yes, Ari? What do you wish to know?"

"I was perhaps wondering if I could possibly use my pottery skills to make everyone their own unique flower pot to house their flower? I've been itching to do some pottery and I'd like to do this if you'd allowed me."

"Excellent idea. That would be a great way to further help them bloom. Anyone else likes to contribute to this excellent idea?" Kim asked the group and Brock shyly held up his hand.

"Yes, Brock?"

"Well, I wanted to attempt to use my Earthbending to sculpt. Maybe at the end of the school year, we could plant our flowers as part the school gardens and I could make some miniature figurines for it?"

"I'll talk to my husband Iroh about improving the school grounds by beautifying it more. Since they already have the water, zen and mural but a flower garden would be a delightful idea."

"Any else have any other ideas please feel free to contribute them. For now, let's get started with the basics of gardening." Nurita suggested as the kids started to work at each of their tables as quiet chit-chat was being made as they worked.

Though Ari leisurely strolled over to Brock and seemed a bit bashful. "Hi, Brock is it?"

"Yes, your name is Arianna?"

"Ari. So you're my brother Toph's cousin, as I understand it?"

"Yeah, my parents are her parents' younger siblings by two years. Though I'm two years older than her."

"Well, I just wanted to tell you my mother is Akanke the school art teacher. I'm positive she let you work on your sculpting project after-school if you ask if you can work in her classroom. That's where I'm gonna work on the pottery."

"She's got things for a pottery?"

"Plenty of things for pottery though we do lack a kiln. Though I suppose if my brother really tries he could help with that," she giggled at the thought of Aang using firebending to help with her pottery.

"I don't know if that's a good use of bending."

"Well, we are not using bending any longer just for fighting, are we? You want to use it to sculpt. Doubt your cousin likes to do that. Not from what my brother told me of her. He told me she almost beat him black and blue when they met because he steps on her dog's foot."

"Toph got to be tough given how dense our parents are. She's always willing to fight."

"We of the Air Nomads say a fight avoid is a fight won."

"Hmm. Well, I'll appreciate working side by side you in the art classroom, Ari."

"I think I'll enjoy it too," she replied with a tinge of pink to her cheeks.

When they're all dismissed and heading home Aang couldn't help but notice there was a spring in his sister step and she was humming like a hummingbird.

"Ari? You okay?" he asked her and she shook herself free from her thoughts.

"Yes! Yes! Why do you ask, little brother?" she asked him in an annoyed voice.

"Because you got a goofy grin on your face and you walking on cloud nine?" he replied back sarcastically.

"Don't be ridicules! I'm an Airbender and we may be able to flit about on our gliders but none of us can actually fly!"

"Only one person was able to achieve that, sis. Dad told me a long time only one Airbender achieved actual flight but that was well over a couple millenniums ago. He said to do one must somehow lose all attachments that keep them earthbound and become one with the void and achieve weightlessness."

"What?! Become so inhuman that you can fly? How can you enter a void unless you're devoid of being human? How can you be able to lose all earthly attachments and everything would keep you earthbound unless you gave up your humanity?" she asked him puzzled at that statement.

Aang shrugged at the thought at the strange idea too. It would be cool to fly but if it did mean become inhuman to do so was it really worth it? To never touch the ground again was to not be part of the human race again?

"I have often wondered if we have to study that predicament in the philosophy class, to be honest. But be truthful sis. You are extraordinarily happy about something. So tell me what's making you so elated?"

"Okay! Just don't tell Mom and Dad! At least not yet! I'm still gonna have to ask Mom about it, but if she gives me and Brock permission to use the school art classroom to do our art projects, that is if Principal Iroh approves of the garden, I want to make sure she's not gonna bother me or Brock." she retorted back at him.

"Why would she bother you and Brock?" Aang asked puzzled clearly a little slow on the uptake.

"The same way you don't want Mom or Dad to 'bother' you and Katara, Aang!" she yelled rudely at her clueless brother.

"Wait?! What?! You like Brock?! Wait when did that happen?!" he got in front of her and gawked at her with huge gray eyes and she blushing a fierce shade of fuchsia

"Will you not yell and tell all of Republic City?!"

"Sorry! But when did you get a crush on him?!"

"Well, he's in a lot of my classes at school and I've thought he's charming for a while now, to be perfectly frank. Except we've never just been really alone to get to know each other one on one since we've done everything as a group."

"Is this one of those things when opposites attract? Since he's Earth and we're Air?"

"I don't care what element he bends!"

"Okay! Calm down! Sheesh!"

"Well, Katara is a Waterbender! She's not an Airbender and yet I can't believe in all this time you two been together your body hasn't misbehaved!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked once again confused and she looked at him again if he was being a dunce.

"Aang your 14-year-old boy! You have hormones! You've got a hot girlfriend and I was convinced Dad at least taught "The Facts of Life" to you at some point when you are about to go through puberty!" she had both smacked her head and gritted her teeth.

"Oh," now he got what she had been trying to say without having to use the word. "No, I've not had that ever happen to me. Thankfully."

"Now, look not a word to Mom! You're not to tell her or Dad I've got a crush got it?! I want some alone time with Brock to get to know him and hopefully, he'll at least ask me out on a date!

I don't need this messed up by you or Mom or Dad! So keep your lips shut! Got it!" she glared her light copper-colored eyes on her brother who was somewhat surprised not going into Avatar State out of sheer panic.

"Yes, I get it, Ari. I won't say anything to Mom or Dad. But please don't kill me!" he cringed in a whimpering heap on the ground. Not like he was the omnipotent Avatar but simply like he was the little brother who was terrified what his big sister might do to him.

She realized she had literally terrified her little brother and might have been too hard on him and sighed heavily. "Look I didn't mean to yell or scare you, Aang. I've just never had a crush before. I'm sorry," she apologized as she assisted him off the ground.

She looked at him shamefully and sighed again softer this time though and played with her hair. "Look you remember how Mom and Dad had to keep their relationship a secret? Or how I had to fight to keep my Spirit Wind contained so I wouldn't be bullied by the Women Council like the Men Council bullied you?" she asked him suddenly.

"Yes, I got picked on all the time and that Council chewed me out all the time," Aang recalled how unhappy he'd been on Air Temple Island and why he was so happy now living with his family.

"I finally can just be me, taste some real freedom and I just want to be able to do things I've always dreamed. Like I can dress the way I want and maybe like Mom and Dad find true love." Ari softly confided with her little brother.

"But are you angry at me?" Aang really wanted to know.

"No, a little envious that you got there before me, but not angry," she admitted the truth.

"You envy me?" he blinked in surprise at that statement.

"You and Katara are so happy and in love. I just want that for myself."

"Well, I'll help if I can. But we still need to get home before we're late for curfew."

"God I wish Mom and Dad would let us have gliders already!" as they raced as fast as two Airbenders could run home.

Toph and Brock were also talking in Brock's room in the East Wing. It was as big as hers but he had decorated it differently than hers not that she could see it of course. Well not with her eyes.

Now that she had her seismic sense she could 'see' things in a different way. His king size bed was in the center. There was a tall oak bookcase in the left upper corner with a large antique wardrobe in the opposite corner. Across from the bed were a proper old fashion writing desk and a huge builtin board.

However, amongst the out-of-date furniture of the ancient world, he had things of a typical kid like clothes spewed about, camera equipment, snack cake wrappers, and other odds and ends. Despite everything else Brock was just a 15-year-old teenage boy no matter his last name or the fact he was an Earthbender in this crazy humorous new world of theirs.

"So your not completely neat as a pin, I 'see'" Toph laughed as she and Rocky her old seeing eye dog came in. He was now her pet now that she could see with her Earthbending. Not that her parents again understood that anymore then they would ever understand her. They would always be stupid, blind, deaf, ignorant idiots for all time.

"Toph knock off the puns, please. Furthermore if your so good at seeing with your feet don't blab to anyone about my secret stashes of sweets! My parents refuse to let me have any 'sugary garbage" as they put it." he replied with a large frown on his handsome face.

"So that's why you got those two encyclopediae and dictionary that are really hollowed books or that secret compartment in the wardrobe to hide your secret stash of sweets or under the bed?" she asked him in a snarky voice.

"Ugh! How can you see all that?!" he grumbled to her and she laughed triumphantly, "It's just how I see, but don't worry I won't tell. Though I will tell if you don't share that bag of mini candy bars you've got hidden in the first encyclopedia on the top shelf left-hand side!"

"Fine!" as he got up and grabbed the book from the shelf. Then opened it and pulled out a plastic bag with his mini chocolate bars. Then he ripped it open and split it into two even piles and shoved Toph her half.

"Now keep your big mouth shut!" as he saw her shove like eight mini bars into her mouth at once which was gross to watch. Not that Toph cared at all what was good manners. Considering she let out a loud belch next.

"No worries cuz!"

"Yeah, no, worries at all! Except if you tell our parents about my stash of sweets or the fact I've got a crush on a girl who got no social standings! Fess up that's why you're in here!

You want to taunt me for liking Aang's sister! Just fess up already!" he accused her with his green eyes glaring at her blind ones.

"Well, I actually only came in to get my hands on candy I knew you were stashing. But thanks for telling me your crush! So you like the Avatar's big sister how cute!" she couldn't help but giggle about.

"Toph, please don't start any teasing about this!"

"What?! Why would I tease you about this?! We both promised we wouldn't let those ninnies tell us who to love or date! I wasn't ever gonna tease you about it!"

"Okay, if you're not gonna tease me what are you gonna do about it?"

"Well, if I have to help you woo her and then help you see her if she likes you back. But you still need to grow a bit of a spine, Brock."

"Why?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow and Toph smacked him on the head hard as if his head was a rock needing to be smashed.

"Hello! Her little brother is the Avatar! What do you think he's gonna do if you mistreat his sister?! He's going all glowy and kick your sorry ass into next Tuesday that's what!" she reminded him like he was a fool.

"Okay, forgot that little detail."

"Well, it's kind of hard to overlook, Brock!"

"So what do I have to do?"

"Well, I think some would tell you to be yourself. But I say you also need some solid fighting moves in case Aang does decide to kick your butt. Come on we're gonna sneak outside and I'm gonna teach you to toughen up."

"Toph it's past curfew!"

"You think that gonna matter to a 14-year-old who got all four elements at his disposable who wants to protect his sister's honor?"

"Okay, but let's not get caught!"

A week later Arianna and Brock were alone for the first time after school in the Art Classroom.

Akanke was with them at the moment giving them some rules and advice.

"Okay, now all the teachers are gonna be in a teacher conference meeting while after school activities are going on. As a result, the Academies have been closed for this week.

Now if you require anyone your brother and cousin are in the band room practicing their music with the rest of their friends. Iroh's niece and her friends are in the auditorium doing their own activities. Lastly, I was told Ember and Nita were gonna be in the gym participating in an after-school volleyball game.

Ari? You know where all the supplies are kept and you know the rules. Put everything back when your done and make sure everything is neat and tidy by the time you leave.

Remember all after-school functions last from 3:15 to 5:30. Therefore you have till then to work on your projects and we've all this week to work on them. So get to work. Let's get to it. Ari only calls me if you need anything. Bye sweetie." as she hugged her daughter and nodded at Brock and left to go to her meeting.

"Your mom seems especially nice," Brock quickly said as she left to which Arianna was already abashed.

"You don't find her embarrassing or something?"

"No, from what I heard she obviously went to great lengths to find you and is trying to make a home for you and your brother. Why would any of that be embarrassing?"

"Well," as she approached her potter wheel with some clay, "Most Air Nomads don't see her as a loving and devoted mother."

"What do they see her as?"

"Renegade? Demented? Traitor?" as she started to work on the first pot. Brock was about to speak when he watched mesmerized as Ari worked a magic he had never witnessed before now.

She'd began to chant a wordless chant of some kind as she worked. She had a look of deep concentration on her face as she worked. In only a few moments the clay rose and fell then grew taller.

He watched as it then rounded down until it curved into perfect symmetry. The spinning wheel slowed down as did Arianna's strange chant as she only began to mutter. She sat up straight to look quite closely at her work as she inspected the graceful shape for invisible faults.

Brock thought what she had produced was flawless and excellent in every shape and form. There was nothing wrong in what he could see. Furthermore, he was an amazing photograph himself so he knew he'd a good eye.

But for some reason, Arianna was angered with the perfect piece as she glowered and yelled "Pah!" shaking her head and in a single motion of sheer revulsion shoveled up the clay and slapped hard back onto the wheel whether upon it crumpled into an oafish lump again. As if the piece was something to be ashamed of.

It struck Brock as quite peculiar as from his viewpoint he hadn't perceived what was so offending about the vessel but whatever it had been must have been highly offending.

Arianna began to work again chanting once more and didn't look up as she repeats the steps again.

Thinking he needed to give her space he went over to an extra large slab of marble and tried to envision what he wanted to do with it. He began to unexpectedly hum a tune that he didn't remember where he heard it.

He just moved his hands to try and created the vision in his mind's eye but when he was done even he was annoyed with his first attempt. For what he had attempted to make honestly was Ari as a wind demigoddess and it looked appalling and not even close to what he was going for at all.

He crushed it into powder and tried again in the end both them didn't get it right or at least to their satisfaction till their fourth try. That it was definitely perfect or without flaws and looked exactly what they'd in their mind's eye.

It was then they looked up to see what the other was doing and blushed big time seeing the other's project.

Arianna saw Brock's small statute of her as a goddess and he could see the inlay work on her vase which she clearly been working on telling a story about him.

"Uh..."

"It's beautiful!" they both shouted loudly and still looked away as they stared at their feet awkwardly.

"So, um tell me what is that chant you do when you do your pottery?" he fumbled still looking down at the ground.

"It's a chant that has no name. I learned to do pottery from my old guardian on Air Temple Island as a form of recreation and to deal with anxiety. She taught me the chant.

She also taught me you'll have a feeling inside you to know when the work is truly perfect as is the clay. It's like an instinct or something of that nature and if you don't trust it your work will never be truly all you can be." she explained to Brock who now understood why she'd been displeased the first time.

"What about you? Do you have the same instincts when sculpting or doing your other art forms?"

"I'm mostly a photographer and I have got an excellent eye for that. So I know what it means to have perfection and need for the perfect moment and all that.

However, this first time I tried sculpting with my Earthbending and I was struggling to get it right. I'm a little jealous of Toph as it comes so much easier to her and she's the fighter in the family and I'm just not a fighter."

"You envy her because she can fight?"

"Well, she won't let people walk over her and I'm such a pacifistic I let my parents tell what to do to the point I never really thought for myself. I had to work up a lot of courage just to be bold enough to dye my hair green."

"So, let me see if I get this. You're the passive one in the family and yet you want your cousin to toughen you up?"

"I'd like to be more outspoken and a bit more able to fight, yes. At the same time, I hope I can teach my cousin to channel some of her anger into some non-destructive things. I enjoy reading, writing poetry and again photography."

"Coming from a passive culture we are more in-tune with those of the same nature. Though I've had a secret desire for my whole life to be a performer."

"What kind of performer?"

"A dancer," she admits shyly and lamented. "We Airbenders have a love for living poetry. Ballet, gymnastics, figuring skating anything that makes the body move in graceful, fluid and beauty movements.

I want to be the one performing such moves." she sighed in ecstasy at the very thoughts that filled her with such euphoria

"Well, I think I'd like to know more about your dreams."

"And I'd like to know more about yours as well," she replied in a silky voice.

And so that's how the week played out. Every morning they sing one song to their flowers, go to school, stay after school, come home have dinner and do their homework and then sing their plants to bed.

It wasn't till Friday that Arianna and Brock did what was pretty a taboo or at least in Brock family. Arianna was putting all the vases she'd made into a kiln to fry and Brock had finished with his statutes and came up behind her.

"So Arianna I was wondering something."

"Yes?" not even bothering to correct him on her name.

"Would you like to go out with me tomorrow? Like on a date?"

"A date?" she repeated faintly as her heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, I know, I should maybe clear it with your family and I know it against the rules of my family. But I don't care. I really, really like you and I was hoping that you say..." as he didn't finish as she'd leap into his arms and was kissing him passionately to tell him yes.

And at precisely that moment her mother walked in and said: "Ahem is there something I should know about?"

"Mom! I..." she started and Brock quickly got untangled from Ari and stepped forward and bowed his head.

"Ms. Akanke, I mean no disrespect and I will not do any wrong. I only ask permission to date your beautiful daughter. Please?"

She looked at Arianna and then back at Brock before smiling. "I'll have to talk to my husband but it's okay with me if you follow the rules. Though I know you're playing a dangerous game with your own stuck up family no offense."

"I know that my family would never approve of this relationship. However, I really care for your daughter and I don't want absurd and inane rules to keep me from being with her."

"I know all about that and changing rules starts with one person standing up and defining them and saying this rule got to go. Change doesn't happen unless someone does something no-one done before."

"So you're okay with me?"

"I think you're a good boy and will treat my daughter just fine. But again I've to talk to my husband nonetheless. Now let's all get home and worry about this date in a little while okay?"

And with that, at least one flower of one kind had bloomed. A flower of a new budding relationship of love had bloomed in the garden of dreams.