Before me was information about the guardians that could very much come in handy.
It took up almost my whole day, but I am almost done reading completely through it. I learned that when you become a full-fledged guardian, you gain the ability to bend in the spirit world.
That's how Tamako and Mayou were able to bend.
I also learned minor things like the customs of the guardians, the rules they follow, and the different ways that they are recruited. Some may be recruited in their dreams, like me, others may be told in person by another guardian, and only a few guardians are born into it, like Mayou.
Most of the information in the book I already knew about, but it could still be a great help.
Finished.
I closed the book and set it down on my bed. I fell back onto my bed next to it and sighed.
I circled my temples with my index fingers and closed my eyes.
This is all so crazy.. but from the looks of it, there isn't a way to just opt out of it all.
I thought about Tao and shot up.
Could it have really been her? Or just someone with the same name? I don't doubt it could have been her, though.. My thoughts jumped back and forth.
My hand bumped the side of the book. Part of the seam on the leather cover opened.
I picked it up and examined it. I noticed something white on the inside of the cover.
Is that a piece of paper?
I ripped an inch more of the leather open, and looked inside.
It was a piece paper, and there were writings on it.
I tore it open wide enough to take the paper out.
It was my grandfather's handwriting.
I slowly read the mysterious piece of paper, and what I found out astonished me.
'...Some guardians possess a very powerful skill. Those guardians can drain the life of anything or anyone at will, but become exhausted afterwards. The results are different every time, and the effects can be devastating. Guardians are only permitted to use this skill when in a dire situation that absolutely requires it. Misuse of this rare skill could result in permanent banishment...'
I thought back on the time I was with Yue and became so confused and angry I accidently killed all of the koi fish in the pond.
Do I have this skill? Why wasn't I punished for what I did?
Still sitting on my bed, I leaned against the wall.
How many guardians have this ability? Why does it exist at all?
Do all of the guardians know of this skill?
I was stressing myself out with all of the questions I had.
What if Tao had this skill?
I had to find Tao, and talk to her. I didn't yet know what to say, but I had to find out if she really was the infamous banished spirit.
I slipped the paper back inside the seam of the cover and put the book in my nightstand.
I quickly walked out into the hall and up the stairs.
I had no clue as to where she could be, so I was going to search every room of every level of the air temple. I asked some acolytes in the library where she was, but they said they hadn't seen her in a while.
I went up the stairs and checked the study. She wasn't there.
I checked the laundry room. She wasn't there, either.
Just when I was about to give up, I heard noise coming from the music room. I ran to the doorway.
Tao was standing by the window, looking down at Republic City. Her hair that was usually put up in a bun was down, and had a red rose in it.
"Lovely view, isn't it?" Tao asked me.
I cautiously walked in, and stayed close to the doorway.
"It is," I said curtly.
She looked back at me from the corner of her eye. "Dear, why are you so uneasy? Is something troubling you?"
"No," I lied.
"Then what's the matter?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to come up here." I tried to look as nonchalant as I could.
Tao slowly shook her head. "Jinora, it's not good to lie. You obviously came up here looking for me." She shifted her gaze back to the city.
"What makes you say that?" I questioned her.
She ignored the question. "That's a pretty necklace you have."
My necklace! I forgot to hide it under my clothes as I normally do.
Her voice was edgy. "I used to have one just like it."
At that moment I knew that she was the banished guardian.
I kept up the conversation anyways. "Oh really? I got this from my birthday. Along with a fiction book written by my grandfather, Avatar Aang." Now I had to make sure it was her. "It's about spirits called guardians."
She didn't tense, or even look this way. "Oh? Sounds like an interesting read. I bet you enjoyed it."
"Yes. I did. It was.. fascinating. Some of them even possessed a special power, except it could only be used in dire situations. Misuse resulted in permanent banishment."
She turned around. Her voice was suddenly light. "Tell me, Jinora, do you love your family?"
What is she getting at?
"Yes, very much." I narrowed my eyes.
"It would be such a tragedy if something were to happen to them, wouldn't it?"
I didn't answer her.
"You see, when a guardian is banished, they are stripped of their abilities. But what if a guardian can somehow keep their power?"
That can't really happen, can it?
She let out a small laugh. "And what if that guardian also possessed the rare skill? You can only imagine what kind of damage could be done." She sighed. "I was hoping you would be my ally, but it is now clear to me that that is not what you want."
"I would never," I said defiantly.
"This little discovery of yours is going to stay a secret, or I'm afraid your family will have to pay the price."
"You're horrible," I whispered.
She was gone in a flash, right before my eyes.
I had no doubt that she still had her powers.
I knew in the back of my mind that she was planning something terrible, but as far a I knew, I couldn't do anything about it.
It was finally time for another nighttime visit to the spirit world.
I closed my eyes and grasped my necklace.
When I opened them, I was in front of the guardian headquarters.
The air here was muggy and the grass was damp, as if it had just rained.
I walked through the now familiar stone arch. It was quiet compared to how it was last time, and there weren't as many spirits here this time.
"Hey, Jin!" Mayou called from the other side of the large room.
I walked across the room to meet him. "Hey," I said, trying to sound normal. I scoped the room. "Where's Tamako?"
Mayou shrugged and his voice lowered. "She's gone missing. No one knows where she is, but I assume she's just fine." He sounded like he was worried, but was trying to hide it. Was going missing a normal thing here?
"Oh."
"There are rumors that she was taken, or that she ran away for good."
"She wouldn't run away, would she?"
He shook his head. "She has always loved it here."
I leaned against the wall. "Then she had to have been taken, right?"
He shook his head again. "I don't think that's very likely. She may be small, but she is the best of her age. She could easily defend herself if put in the situation. I would guess that she will return any time now."
A girl that looked about seven or eight years old approached me. "Rowena's looking for you!" She said with a high voice, and skipped away.
I turned to Mayou, who gave me a nod. "She's in the council room." He pointed to a door. "Just go down that hall, it should be the last door on the left."
"Thanks," I said, and started down the narrow hallway.
Last door on the left.
I knocked on the thick, wood door.
"Come in," said a voice.
I pushed open the heavy door.
"Please sit." Rowena was sitting at a wooden desk. She pointed to a small chair. She looked at me with her gray eyes.
I did as she told. "Why were you looking for me?"
"Yue will no longer be your mentor." She said carefully.
"What do you mean? Why not?"
"We've run into some.. complications." She set her elbows on her desk, and rested her head on her hands. She looked very professional. "She's a very busy spirit, as you already know. I don't think I should make her mentor someone when she already has so much to do. I'm terribly sorry, Jinora. I will find you a new mentor as soon as I can."
Yue always seemed like she was more than capable of mentoring me. There must be another reason, but I didn't want to speak out against the head.
I slowly nodded my head. "Thank you for informing me."
"Welcome, Jinora. You know, I was even considering mentoring you myself."
"I thought guardians didn't mentor each other."
"Not usually, but I'm sure an exception can be made." She smiled. "Yue told me you are very advanced for a new recruit."
I haven't done anything yet, have I? Except for that incident at the pond.
Rowena straightened up. "I'm afraid that I'm too busy to talk to you more about this, I will look for you later when I have the chance to talk."
I smiled at her. "Okay, thanks."
I stood up and silently walked out of the room.
