Chapter Four: Stories and Lessons

Green gliders filled the sky, the fliers taking advantage of the unusually windy weather and the sunshine. It was only late morning but the sun was already high. Everyone was enjoying themselves while they waited for the Avatar to come out. He was going to finally begin their lessons today. Aang had said that anyone interested could come, and everyone was. Lin, a little round-faced girl, was running about with a miniature glider and making flying sounds as she was too young to go up.

Aang and Katara watched from a nearby doorway. Aang had his blue glider, which he had leaned against the wall beside him, while Katara stood with her arms crossed as her braid whipped about her face in the wind.

Aang looked at Katara. "So you've written Zuko to make sure he's okay?" Out of all their friends Fire Lord Zuko was the only one who had not sent them any letter recently.

"Of course. He can't just become our friend and have nothing to do with us," Katara replied with mock annoyance and smiled. "We should at least know what's going on with him."

"And Toph?"

"Nothing could stop us from attending her Debutante Ball," Katara said.

Aang nodded. "And maybe I can put on my dancing shoes." He gave a big smile and did a little dance move.

"When do you ever take your dancing shoes off?"

Aang laughed. He remembered that besides the two letters for Toph and Zuko Katara had sent off with Hawky in the waterproof bag, there had also been one for Sokka. Katara had written to say that she and Aang would attend Gran-Gran and Pakku's wedding together. The two of them would leave for the North Pole in a few days to help with the preparations. Aang and Katara had a lot to balance between their efforts in the post-war reconstruction, rebuilding the Air Nation and their current task for the Earth Kingdom, and their ever lengthening social agenda.

Aang opened his glider. "Before I go gather my first airbending class can," his voice faltered, "uh, can you--"

Katara kissed him on the cheek. "For luck, but I doubt you'll need it. You'll be great." Ever since Aang's disastrous attempt outside the Ember Island Theater he almost always asked before making any kind of romantic gesture.

Aang kissed her back and ran out under his glider. He summoned a gust of wind and took off to glide with the others. He circled around.

"The Avatar's here!" a boy next to Aang called.

Lin pointed from the ground and screamed, "Avaang!"

"Hey Aang!"

"Good morning!" This began a series of shouted greetings and waves from those who could free a hand.

Teo swooped by in his chair. He shouted over the wind, "Wanna race?!"

"Not today," Aang called back, "lessons, remember?" The other fliers had seemed to remember and a few were already going down to land.

"Aw come on, Aang. It'll only take a minute." Teo smiled. "Come on."

"Well--" Aang paused as if pretending he had not already made up his mind.

"Then you better get moving!" Teo shouted as he had already sped off around the temple. His characteristic loud laugh could be heard.

Aang laughed as he followed the other boy. Teo often challenged Aang to friendly competitions and did not seem bothered by the fact that he never won. During the race Aang pulled his usual airbending stunts and Teo did a few moves of his own. Everyone looked up as Aang gracefully came down. He spun his glided closed with a snap. Teo's landing was not as graceful. He landed too fast and fell into a wide side wheelie, causing most of those seated to scatter, but righted himself before tipping over. Teo just laughed as he and Aang joined the rest of those assembled for the lesson.

Most were seated cross-legged on the flagstones while a few of the older youth, like Teo and Katara, leaned against the wall or hung around the back. Aang had picked this place because it was big enough to fit everybody and open enough for possible airbending demonstrations. Aang stood in front of everyone, a peculiar feeling in his stomach. Aang was not worried about talking or commanding an audience, he was naturally talkative, but was trying not to let his excitement get the best of him. This was Aang's chance to share his knowledge and passion for the Air Nation.

"Hello everybody," Aang said and a chorus of voices greeted in reply. "Now can anybody tell me what they know about the Air Nation?"

Aang had never instructed any kind of class before so he was going to use some of the methods the monks had used. They opened every class with discussion, allowing their pupils to share knowledge and opinions. Aang and the other boys had always enjoyed this and it allowed the monks to assess what topics the class already knew and what needed more review. If Aang hoped to get any of them to airbend it was important they understood some of the culture and philosophy that went with it. When they got through this, Aang hoped to begin some of his bending demonstration and the real bending lessons.

A girl raised her hand at Aang's question. "All the Air Nomads lived in temples, and everyone was very spiritual. And everyone used their airbending to live in harmony with nature. And you said they believed that lightningment could be found by giving up earthly stuff." When Aang nodded his approval at her answer, and her mispronunciation of 'enlightenment', she smiled.

"But," a tall boy replied, "they didn't live together. The monks lived at the Northern and Southern Air Temples and the women--"

"Sisters," Aang interjected.

"And the sisters lived at the Eastern and Western Temples," the tall boy finished.

Someone else piped up. "So everybody could bend?"

"Yep," Aang said, "my nation was the smallest of the four, but everybody had the bending spirit. Of course some left the temples to travel or live or get married, like Yun Zhen. If they had children who had the spirit or ability they would be sent away to one of the temples to be trained."

Aang asked a few more questions and these were answered. He got the participation of most, and even when Aang got distracted by something he got back on topic. After a little while of this Aang moved on asking, "So what can you tell me about the element air?"

A few hands shot up while others began talking. The noise increased and the small semblance of order Aang had maintained was lost.

"Hold on," Aang motioned for quiet, "if you can't, shhh Bo, be quiet and respectful then--" the noise was so ridiculous that he paused in frustration. Katara made to intervene and help him out, but Aang suddenly shouted. "Be quiet or do you want me to use the fan?!"

It went silent with all eyes on Aang. Only Hana, who was attempting to stop her sister from squirming away, dared to speak up. She asked nervously, "What's 'the fan'?"

"When the monks had to deal with an unruly class they would bring out this green fan. It would be passed around and only the person holding it could say or do anything. I even had to hold it if I was bad and had to stand away from the group and--"

"D-d-don't use The Fan," a boy pleaded as if was the worst thing imaginable and a few nodded. Aang was glad to have order again and began to talk when Teo spoke.

"What'd you do to have to stand 'away from the group'?" He wore a sly smile.

Aang paused. He felt embarrassed at what he remembered of his old antics. Yet Aang figured he might as well answer, the explanation was bound to interest them and they could learn something. So he told of his misdemeanors at the Southern Air Temple. Aang told how he and the other boys had acted up when they had been very young. During meditation they would air swat their neighbor and whack each other with their mediation beads (given to them to encourage concentration) when the monks' eyes were shut. Or making themselves sneeze so they could blow others over or upset the dinner table. Most young airbenders were pranksters.

From her spot by the wall Katara saw how Aang kept the group's attention. Most of the younger children did not have the attention span, but Aang held a few of the older youth in rapture. His stories were interesting and humorous and his delivery was funny and lively. She even found herself laughing. Aang kept on talking until it was time for lunch. Before everyone could leave Aang told them that he had not expected to talk this long, but they could come back if they were interested in basic bending.

"I was boring wasn't I?"

"No, Aang, you were really good," Katara replied.

"Yeah," Teo said, "I learned a lot. Like I didn't know that one of the reasons the temples used round tables is so no one could sit at the head of the table."

Katara added, "And I liked your story about how you accidentally steered Appa into the lemur warren."

Aang, Katara, and Teo stood on the runway. The three of them had eaten lunch and now waited for the people who wanted to learn airbending. So far no one had come.

"Was it because I talked too long? Was I that bad?" Aang hung his head and sighed. Everyone had seemed so interested before. Had it been a bad decision to start off with a discussion? Aang had been overzealous about the lessons, hoping for quick results and everyone to be as impassioned as him. Had he been wrong? Some had seemed interested.

"It was your first time teaching," Katara replied, "you did fine."

Teo nodded. "You were good, though you were kinda like my dad," he said but when Aang and Katara glared at him he went on, "which I mean in the nicest way." Teo's father was a very smart man but notorious for his conversational skills. He could go on about a topic that had nothing to do with the discussion.

"Avatar Aang!" A group of five older youths ran towards Aang. "Sorry we're late," the tall boy said, "but are you still teaching airbending?"

"Of course," Aang replied as they exchanged relieved glances and fanned out in front of him. "Only I hope you guys know that even though I'm going to try to teach you airbending some of you may not the ability or--"

The tall boy interrupted. "We don't care. We came in hopes of learning something and to help the Avatar." The others nodded.

"Then let's start with stretches. The basic of basics."

Katara and Teo watched out of the way while Aang's pupils began to stretch, Aang leading them. There were three boys, Hana, and a second girl with short hair. While Aang was touching his toes he asked what they could tell him about the element air.

"It blows?" a boy tried as he attempted to touch his toes.

"Wind is unpredictable."

"Yeah it goes everywhere free, unfocused. Like my grandma said about my cousin," Hana said in her tiny voice.

"You can't see it like the other elements."

"All good answers," Aang said as he rolled his shoulders. "Especially yours," he looked at the short haired girl, "you can't see air like the other elements. That's why the monks said basic airbending is the most spiritual type of bending. All bending requires a natural spiritual connection with your element but with fire, water, and earth you can improve this connection the more you bend. With airbending you need a strong connection to even begin bending." Aang bent his arm behind his head. "If you don't understand meditation and dealing with things that are unseen, spiritual how can you expect to airbend?"

Aang's pupils voice their agreement as the tall boy said, "Is that why all airbenders were trained in temples from a young age? So it's easier for them to think like an airbender?"

Aang nodded. That was why his task of being the airbending master was going to be difficult. Aang had no idea how to identify an airbender as the monks had never had this problem. If a child lived in the temple they could eventually learn to airbend whether it took months or years. Aang remembered how Katara was able to waterbend before she found a master. In airbending it was extremely rare for anyone to know or access their ability without training. That was why when Teo had told of the people who could airbend in Yun Zhen, Aang had been surprised.

Aang then moved his class though a set of basic stances. He showed them the footwork and circular movements. Aang also walked among them correcting individual mistakes and talked. All five were teenagers and the tall, chubby boy who did all the talking was named Yuan.

"Now shift through the stance again," Aang said as he looked over everyone, "and for this one you'll need to be pretty flexible. Do any of you think you have it?" No one said anything.

"I think Hana's got it," Teo called from the back. Katara, who stood next to Teo, nodded. The two had been talking and watching the lesson. Aang was a better teacher than Katara had expected him to be, and he was staying focused.

"Let me see," Aang replied. Everyone moved to the side, leaving Hana standing alone. She was blushing.

Hana stammered, "I –I really d-d-don't think I was that good."

"Nonsense, you were great," Teo said.

Hana reluctantly went through the stance. It was a simple one, Aang had used it to fling fruit cakes, and involved moving forward while rotating your arms. The idea was to summon a ball of air, although Aang only expected his pupils to complete the basic move. Hana went through the move with ease except for a stumble at the end, like she was going to have a clean finish but had held back. She gave a low, nervous bow to Aang.

"That was really good," Aang said surprised, "do you have any previous experience with bending?"

"Oh no," Hana replied, "Even though a few of the women in my family are very, very flexible. Like my cousin who ran off to join the Fire Nation circus."

Katara's eyes widened. "Is Ty Lee your cousin?"

"You know her?"

Aang and Katara nodded at Hana and looked at each other. They knew Hana was a Fire Nation refugee, she had arrived with Lin after Aang and Katara's first visit here, but neither of them would have guessed Ty Lee was Hana's cousin. The two looked nothing alike except for their large, gray eyes. Ty Lee was a tall, curvaceous girl with a bubbly personality. Hana was pretty and petite and extremely shy. Hana would occasionally talk and make jokes, but she kept to herself.

"We would've never guessed she's your cousin," Katara said, but Hana nodded and said nothing. She did not want to elaborate.

Aang restarted the stances and walked among his class. He corrected Yuan's earthbender-like stance and told Hana to free up her movements. Aang stayed focused as their airbending master. Could these lessons possibly produce an airbender or allow Aang to teach the youth here to show respect for the temple? Right now he could only work hard at his task and remain hopeful.

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