Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN LOK OR ATLA I ONLY OWN MY OWN CHARACTERS
Book Two A New Hope Chapter Nine: Helping the Avatar
Ren made her way back to Air Temple Island and hoped everyone was still there. She knew what that last part was that would make her not feel alone anymore was. She finally saw the island and smiled at the thought of being home again. When she finally landed she only saw Hope laying in the courtyard. The armadillo lion looked up to see that Ren was standing there smiling at her. Hope jumped up and ran toward Ren before tackling her and lifting her in the air. Ren laughed as Hope took her head and continued to lift her in the air.
"Where is everyone else girl?" Ren asked.
Hope lifted Ren onto her back and took her into the temple. The air acolytes looked at Ren with a surprised look on their face. They all knew she was missing and didn't expect her to be riding around on Hope's back. Ren and Hope arrived in Tenzin's office a few minutes later to find ever huddled in groups making a plan to find Ren. Hope roared to try an make everyone aware that Ren had returned home on her own. Everyone continued to stay huddled in their groups.
"Hope not now we are trying to make a plan to look for Ren," Kai said.
"Oh you mean me," Ren said.
Everyone looked at the doorway and saw Ren sitting on Hope's back. Ren smiled at everyone as she got down. Jinora started to cry and walked over to her and hugged her. She was so happy that Ren had finally come home. Kai walked over to her and hugged her.
"You're finally home," Jinora said.
"I know and I'm sorry for doing that to you. I promise I will never do that to you again," Ren said.
"You better not," Lee said.
Ren pulled away from her parents and went to hug her brother. Korra was right after all the things she did her family was the last part to make her not feel alone anymore. She felt the tears roll down her cheek and she then heard Lee sniffle.
"Are you crying?" she asked still hugging him.
"Yes, I missed you okay," he said.
"It's okay I missed you guys too," Ren said.
Ren ran over to her grandparents and hugged them. Bumi, Ikki, Kya, Meelo and Rohan soon joined in. She now knew how bad she really hurt them. Her family was a close one and this moment right her showed it. Her family let her go and she turned around and saw the Beifongs waiting for a hug. She ran over to them and realized that the Beifongs had missed her as well. She started crying again and at that point she knew Korra was right the whole time. She then hugged Iroh and his family next and knew her family was bigger than she thought. Tonraq and Senna were next followed by Mako and Asami.
Ren turned around and saw Vikram again and she pointed at the image. "You aren't real. You are in my head and I refuse to let you cripple me anymore. I will beat you when I finally do see you," she said. With that the image disappeared. Ren sighed and was relieved that she had finally conquered one thing.
"What was that about?" Kai asked.
"That image of Vikram is no longer coming back," Ren said.
"I am so proud of you," Jinora said.
"So who wants to here about my trip?" Ren asked.
"We already know what you did," Bolin said.
"You only know about pro bending and probably the swamp and here," Ren said.
"What else is there?" Mako asked.
"Well I learned how to touch the vines just like Korra and I met Furry-Foot. I also went to an illegal fighting ring and kicked some major butt. I saw Korra and my old team and burned a little girl before I kicked the Red Sand Rabaroos butt. I then came her and ran away again. I went on what my old team says I should call a spiritual journey and now I'm here," Ren said.
"So there is an illegal fighting ring and you participated?" Lin asked.
"Yup kicked some major butt. They need to get some better fighters," Ren said.
"We will have this discussion later young lady," Jinora said.
"Hey mom can we do some training?" Ren asked.
" I don't see why not. I mean you did manage to fight in an illegal fighting ring," Jinora said.
"What did you have in mind Ren?" Kai asked.
"I was thinking I could have a person for each element. I want to start with Grandpa Tenzin, great Aunt Kya, Uncle Iroh and Suyin," Ren said.
"Why?" Iroh said.
"Scared you'll lose Uncle Iroh," Ren said.
"Oh you're going down Ren," Iroh said.
"Bring it," Ren said taunting Iroh.
Ren was surrounded by Iroh, Kya, Suyin and Tenzin. She thought this was the best way to help her with everything. She waited for the first move a tactic she had learned from the Beifongs. Iroh made the first move sending a blast of fire that Ren caught and smashed to the ground. She looked over at Iroh and smirked. Suyin picked two large chunks of earth up and threw one at Ren. Ren dodged it and sent it back at Suyin hitting her, sending her flying back. Su quickly recovered and got back into her stance. Kya sent a water whip and Ren jumped and let it grab Tenzin. Ren put her hands out in front of her and sent an air blast knocking Tenzin over pulling Kya with him. Ren made quick movements with her hands and sent metal strips toward Iroh.
Su bent the strips of metal to the side and Iroh sent two fire blast. They had decided that they would never beat Ren if the didn't attack at the same time. The next thing Ren knew she had fire blast, air blast, water and rocks coming at her all at once. She managed to dodge ever attack that was thrown her way. She managed to get in the center and bent her body and stuck her leg out and her arm back sending an air blast at Iroh and Su knock them into the walls behind them. She bent the earth under her and repeated the process with Kya and Tenzin.
While Tenzin was trying to get up Ren titled her hand toward the ground where his foot was, trapping him. She then took water and froze Su to the wall. She took some metal that was in the courtyard and bent it so Iroh was pinned against the wall. She took the platinum from Kuvira's side and pinned her great Aunt Kya to the ground. She encased Tenzin in earth so that her couldn't bend and smirked.
"Who beat who Uncle Iroh," Ren said with sassy attitude.
"Oh fine we lost," Iroh said.
Ren looked around and started to feel dizzy. She reached for a pillar but missed and fell. Things started to get dark and she felt pain in her stomach. She shook he head and things started to go back to normal other than the pain in her stomach. She lifted her shirt slightly and saw that the bandages were starting to be covered in blood. She released everyone from their traps and Kya ran over to her. She saw that Ren's bandages were now covered in blood and helped her up. They went back into the healing rooms and Kya took the bandages off. She looked at the wound and then at Ren very concerned,
"Ren when you ran away did you take care of your wound?" Kya asked.
"No I dropped my bandages somewhere so I didn't have clean ones," she replied.
"Ren this doesn't look to good. Lay down I'll see what I can do," Kya said.
Ren laid down and waited for her great Aunt Kya to place the water over the wound. Kya looked at Ren and then placed the water over the wound and began to heal Ren. Ren began to scream instantly and Kya did everything she could to not hate herself. She knew it was going to hurt but there was nothing she could do. After awhile Ren felt the pain go away and soon found comfort. She sat up and looked at her great Aunt Kya.
"Thank you for helping me Aunt Kya. Great Gran-Gran Katara was right family is great at helping with this whole thing," Ren said.
"Yea we are, especially our family," Kya said hugging Ren.
Ren and Kya soon walked back out to the courtyard. Ren sat out the ground and stomped her foot to use her seismic sense. She soon saw Sky and Aki's heartbeats. They were fluttering as fast as hers did when she talked to Sky. She hit her heel against the ground and watched as both Aki and Sky were sent into the air. She started to chuckled and Lin shot her a look. Bumi, Kya and Suyin laughed at Ren's harmless joke.
"Oh Lin lighten up. She is playing harmless tricks," Bumi said.
"You call that harmless," Lin said gesturing to the teens heading toward the ground.
Ren used her airbending to prevent them from even being hurt. She took one look at Lin and stuck her tongue out. She watched as Lin mimicked her. She giggled as she had never really seen Lin act like that before. Aki walked over to Ren and stared her down. Ren crossed her arms and returned the look.
"What is your problem Ren?" Aki asked.
"Aki it was a harmless trick. You didn't get hurt and I wasn't going to let you get hurt so calm yourself. Maybe you should try meditating with Grandpa Tenzin," Ren said.
"You are a child. You'll never grow up just like Bumi," Aki said.
"Hey!" Bumi said.
"You are going to end up just like Grandpa Tenzin," Ren said.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Tenzin asked.
"Oh everyone already knows Ren. Open your mouth and say it already," Aki said.
Ren eyes widened and she jumped at Aki. Aki and Ren crashed to the ground with a thud. Ren punched Aki in the face and heard a crack. Blood soon started to flow down Aki's face. Aki swung her fist and Ren grabbed it and smashed it to the ground. Aki took her other fist and swung hitting Ren in the jaw which only pissed Ren off more. Ren punched Aki again and saw more blood. She then felt two sets of hand on her and she tried to get away. She then saw Iroh and Sky grabbing Aki. Ren look and saw her father and Wing holding her back.
"Ren, Aki this fighting is not acceptable," Pema said.
"Aki I swear when my dad and Wing let go of me you are toast," Ren said.
"Bring it Ren. I'll beat your ass," Aki said.
"That's what you think," Ren said.
"Ren we agreed to help you and this is not any way to get help. I don't know what else to say," Jinora said.
"It helped me," Ren said.
Ren pulled away from Kai and Wing. She whistled and Hope came running out to the courtyard. Ren pulled the large cat toward the beach so that she could go cool off. Hope and Ren walked down to the beach but Ren had a specific part of the beach in mind. They made their way toward a cave that Ren had heard stories about. She was told that this cave was very special to everyone on the island. She walked in and lite a flame with her hand. She walked close to the cave walls and saw names carved into the wall. She saw her mother and fathers, her great grandparents, Sokka and Suki's, her grandparents and then she saw one that took her by surprise. It wasn't carved into the earth but bent into it. The names said Lin Beifong and Tenzin. She ran her fingers across the names and wondered why Lin had never come back to fix it.
Ren then used her earthbending to make her own name appear. She had decided she wanted it to save Avatar Ren. Hope walked over to her and licked her cheek, leaving in full of drool. She heard a pebble scatter across the cave floor. She looked toward the cave entrance and saw her Grandpa Tenzin and Lin. She raised an eyebrow and wondered why they of all people came here to look for her.
"Told you she would be here Tenzin," Lin said.
Ren touched the wall and continued to look at the names on the wall. Ren looked back at Lin and her grandfather who still stood in the entrance. She wondered if they really knew like Aki said. Tenzin and Lin finally walked into the cave toward Ren and sat down. Ren looked at them and sat down as well, soon followed by Hope. The three people sat there in awkward silence very small light coming in. Ren shot a flame at a nearby pile of wood so that they could see each other better. Ren smiled a little and both Tenzin and Lin chuckled at her a little.
"So kid what was that fight about?" Lin asked.
"I don't want to talk about it," Ren said hugging her knees.
"Ren you know talking about it might help you in your healing process," Tenzin said.
"If I tell you will you answer my question?" Ren asked.
"Sure kid," Lin said.
"Well Aki has been tormenting me about boys. I get that I'm young and stuff but she doesn't need to torment me. There are a few boys in Republic City that try to get my attention but that is because I saved the world. Aki thinks because she is prettier than me that she is better than me but she isn't," Ren said.
Lin and Tenzin look at each other. No one had known about Aki tormenting Ren "Ren you don't really think that is true do you?" Tenzin asked.
"Yea I do but it doesn't matter because I'm the Avatar .Sure she is pretty but I'm strong and people around the world know who I am. I mean look at Lin she doesn't have anyone and she is one of the strongest people I know. Sure we fight but I still look up to you Lin just like your mother and the rest of the Beifong family," Ren said.
"Thanks kid but don't sell yourself short. Let's hear that question of yours," Lin said.
"What would have happened if you and Grandpa Tenzin stayed together? Like would I be here and would our family be the same?" Ren asked looking at them.
"I don't know Ren. I didn't want children but we really couldn't tell you the answer to that question," Lin said.
"You have Sky though," Ren said.
"He showed me he was a strong bender and I guess I didn't want him to go into foster care. Beifongs have to be strong and Sky is strong. He reminded me of your father minus the stealing part," Lin said.
"Daddy stole?" Ran asked.
"Only a few things. Don't worry though I broke that habit," Tenzin said.
"Pff. Ren why did you ask that question? Don't you like the way your family is?" Lin asked.
"No it's not that at all, I love my family to death. Its just that I saw that your names were still earth bent into the wall so it made me wonder. I mean if the only thing that would have changed was Gran-Gran Pema I would be a Beifong. I would be Toph Beifong's great granddaughter," Ren said.
"Trust me it wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows," Lin said.
"Your probably right. I mean she hates me at times and I don't know how being her great granddaughter would be," Ren said.
"So did sitting here and talking help?" Tenzin asked.
"Yea maybe we should do this once a week. It might help me more," Ren said.
"Yea maybe it might. Oh before I forget you broke Aki's nose and she has some swelling around her mouth other than that she is just complaining. You don't have to worry though Sky is healing her, but what did I expect he is her boyfriend," Lin said.
Ren looked at Lin and felt like she was just punched in the stomach. She tried to play it off so they didn't think anything was wrong. "Oh well I guess that's good, but my jaw hurts a little," Ren said.
Lin started to push on Ren's jaw and noticed the swelling. "You'll be fine kid, just some swelling," Lin said.
"You know ever since I got back everyone has been helping me but I don't understand why. I mean I broke everyone's heart and you all welcomed me back right away and offered to help," Ren said.
Tenzin hugged Ren as the tears ran down her face. "You will always be welcomed home with opened arms. We are your family Ren and we love you. Lin and her family care for you as well. The same goes for everyone else. We will always be here to help you," Tenzin said.
"Thank you I'm so happy you guys are here to help me," Ren said.
"I'm so happy that we are here to help you too," Tenzin said.
"Grandpa Tenzin love yo and I'm happy that I was born into this family. I got to know so many great people because of our family," Ren said.
(Author's Note: First yes Ren has finally returned home. Second yes Aki and Sky are dating. Third as you can see there is a cave on the island and it is kind of a tradition for ever to carve the name of the person they are with into the wall. Next as you could see everyone helped Ren in their own way from Kya healing Ren to a training session to Tenzin and Lin talking with her in the cave. Reviews are welcome and thanks for reading.)