35. "SO," SOKKA SAID, LEANING AGAINST THE RAIL OF THE SHIP, "THIS IS IT. THE ISLAND HOME OF THE SOUTHERN AIR TEMPLE."

Beside him, Toph tossed a cigarette into the sea and quipped, "I gotta say, it doesn't look like much."

Sokka chuckled. "I know, right? Kind of a run-down place." There was beat, during which Toph kept completely quiet and still and Katara and I, from where we stood on the other side of Sokka, my arms around Katara while we leaned together on the rail, were joined in quiet giggles but several nearby crewmembers. Then there was another beat, while realization dawned, and a final beat, during which Sokka smacked a hand to his face and muttered, "Gods-dammit, Toph…"

Everybody in ear shot, which included Toph, Katara, myself, and at least a half-dozen members of my crew, burst into hysterical laughter, all while Sokka buried his face in his hands and tried to melt into the deck. It was cruel, sure, but, well…fuck it, Sokka made it so easy…

And besides, Katara and I were just happy that we weren't the targets of Toph's eternal mischief.

It took about two weeks to sail from the Yuupik tribe's lands to Patola, the name of the island on which the Southern Air Temple is located. The journey itself isn't much to talk about, almost ridiculously easy and smooth, no problems whatsoever. The closest to an event of note was the reaction Sokka had after the ship pulled away from the shore and we went below to settle in. Before we set sail, I had instructed Captain Fujita to prepare two cabins, one for the girls, the other for Sokka and I. As I should have expected, Katara immediately went to Fujita and informed him that we would, in fact, need three cabins, one for Toph, one for Sokka, and the final one for both Katara and I. Thus, Fujita simply set up the cabin my uncle and I used to share for the two of us, and then designated the original cabins we were going to use for the others.

Sokka, naturally, was not particularly pleased, especially when Toph celebrated the news with a stirring rendition of her latest dirty song composition, which was so outrageously filthy even a few of the passing crewmembers were stunned into silence. Obviously not having learned his lesson a few weeks before, Sokka attempt to asset his so-called authority over his sister, right up until Katara, with a faint smile on her face, began listing off every girl that her brother had ever so much as made out with. After about five minutes of trying to shout his sister down, Sokka spluttered and coughed into confused silence, which was followed by a few more minutes of opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, and then, at long last, a dramatic eye roll and a stern command to Toph to not breath a fucking word to our father I swear to all the gods. Toph merely giggled and launched right back into her little song, which caused Sokka to throw his hands up in defeat and stomp off to his room.

Katara and I were pretty sure that we had scored a victory, right up until the next morning, when Toph taught us both the importance of locked doors by kicking our door open, springing into a handstand, and launching into a litany of filthy jokes the likes of which I'd never even imagined, all while Katara and I scrambled about and tried our best to use the bed's single sheet to cover up the fact that we weren't wearing a gods-damn thing.

The next night, we did, in fact, lock the door. That worked for about two nights, right up until Toph finished learning how to silently pick locks, and, well, yeah.

That happened…

All joking and friendly drama aside, though, it was a pleasant journey. It was strangely comforting to be back on the ship, especially now, when we had thrown out all pretense of being a warship and even Captain Fujita had decided to let discipline slacken a bit. It often had the feeling of a vacation cruise, and I half-expected to see the summer houses of Ember Island slide into view at any moment. There was plenty to do, too. Sokka and I continued our weapons training, Toph and I continued our language lessons, and Katara and I continued our everything lessons, which also included other, incredibly pleasant activities at night. We even managed to hold an old-fashioned Music Night, there at sea, during which Toph regaled the crew with her dirty songs and Sokka was treated to the sight of me dancing. Even though it was with his sister, he himself admitted that the show was more than enough to make up for the early dramatics.

Thus, I have no shame in admitting that I was a little saddened to see our destination begin to poke up through the hazy horizon. It meant the end of leisure, of singing and dancing and, depending on what kind of welcome we found and what kind of accommodations we were able to secure, the end of mine and Katara's…well…entertaining evenings.

Still, though, duty called, duty and what I had finally accepted as my destiny.

Making landfall wasn't all that particularly interesting. My ship had a schedule to keep, so after making sure our shoulder packs were full of everything we needed, we took our leave of my crew, exchanged a few bows, and watched the ship quietly slip back over the horizon. Then, we turned around and began the long walk to the nearest village.

The walk itself was pleasant, if a little chilly. Winter still had its grip on the land, even it was slackening, and our breath misted in the air, leaving faint trails of pale white steam drifting off towards the sky in our wake. We walked at an easy pace, Katara and I in front, holding hands, Sokka and Toph in back, chattering away. We all talked a lot, actually, about nothing too special, mostly this-and-that, doing our best to enjoy ourselves while we still could.

We were getting near to where I remembered the village to be when from behind, Toph said, "So, what's this place like, anyways?"

"The village we're heading to?" I asked, not really paying all that close attention. The view around us was simply too gorgeous to pass up. The last time I had been there, I had been consumed by my anger, my hurt, my pain, and, while buried in that pain, I had missed…well…this. Before us, running off to either side, as far as the eye could see, were just the most beautiful mountains I had ever seen. They stabbed at the sky, towering fingers, jutting up as sharp as a dragon's teeth. They were covered in snow, their lower slopes carpeted in snow-covered trees swaying in the breeze, an endlessly moving carpet of blinding white dappled with green and brown and the pale-blue grey of rock and stone. The sun was out that day, shining weak and cold, offering not a bit of warmth but plenty of light. It struck the mountains and turned the snow caps the color of a quilt of diamonds thrown out like a welcome mat before us.

Even the lowlands around us were beautiful, the smell of fresh snow and pine and winter flowers strong in our nostrils. Katara walked very close to me, her fingers tightly entwined with mine, often resting her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed as often as not, a faint smile on her lips. Whenever she would lay her head there, I would take a moment to kiss the top of it, because I could, and besides, it was fun to hear Sokka make his traditional gagging noises. Even Sokka, despite his constant complaints of sore feet and empty belly, seemed a bit awestruck by the sights and the sounds and the smells. I had worried had he would react to finally stepping out into the world. About Katara I had no doubts; she would thrive, but Sokka? I was afraid he might be too Water Tribe to truly appreciate the experience. All such doubts were gone, though, as he seemed to practically grow a foot taller, right before my eyes, taking great pleasure in describing the world around us in intricate detail in answer to Toph's endless questions.

"Hey, earth to Sparky, still there?"

I shook myself out of my reverie, opened my eyes fully and, not for the first time, lamented the fact that half the world was permanently blacked out to me. "What was that, again?"

Katara giggled. "She was asking about the village we're going to, silly."

I laughed. "Oh, right, that. Well, Toph, what do you want to know?"

"Well, for starters, why are we going there?"

I shrug. "Well, mostly because it's the closest place to the sea around here. It's where we landed the first time, my crew and I, and it's as good a place as any to come the second time."

"Ah," Toph replied, nodding. "Why don't they just put the village by the sea?"

My face falls, and my heart drops. "Why do you think?"

There's a pause, and then Toph mutters, "Ah, I see. My bad."

Katara squeezes my hand, and leans in close to me. "You know, you've really gotta stop blaming yourself for everything."

I give her a smile and a peck on the forehead. "Someone in my country has to."

"Yeah," she says, shaking her head, "but not you."

I arch an eyebrow. "Says who?"

She jabs me with a finger from her free hand. "Says me, idiot."

"Idiot?! Hey, I thought you loved me!"

She giggles. "I do love you, at least partially because you're such a sexy, adorable idiot."

I give her a kiss for that, while Sokka groans and Toph begins humming the tune to the latest filthy song that my crew had made the mistake of teaching her. Over my shoulder, I resume talking to Toph. "So, anything else you needed to know?"

"Yeah, what's it like, mostly."

I shrug. "Didn't I already tell you this?"

"Yeah, but you know me, I like hearing things."

I nod. "True. Well…it's not much. It's just a little village, mostly war refugees, at least some of whom are bound to be Air Nomads. I don't even think it really has a name, just a little village surrounded by farmland and orchards."

She mulls that over, nodding. "Right on. I like the sound of it. I mean, I'd never live there, but I like the sound of it. Seems like a good place to start."

Sokka, lips pursed in thought, taps a finger to his chin. "Hey, I just thought of something."

"We'll notify the proper authorities, have them mark the day," Katara replies, winking at me.

"Hardy har har, sis. Anyways, as I was saying, how do we know how they're going to greet us? I mean, I can't imagine that these people are too keen on strangers, and, no offense, buddy, but I doubt you left the best impression last time you were here."

I have to nod my agreement to that. "I didn't, but, with luck, either they won't recognize me, or they'll see the company I'm traveling with and conclude that I've come up in the world."

"Awww," Toph says, "that's sweet of you to say!"

"Who said he was talking to you?" Katara points out, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Oooh," Toph whistles, "nice one. Remind me to fist bump you for that one. Also, I think I'll write it down."

Sokka rolls his eyes. "Not falling for that today, Toph."

Toph giggles. "Of course not. I'm just buttering you up with easy marks so I can sucker you in for the masterstroke."

Sokka sighs. "Joy. Still, what if they do recognize you?"

"Well," I say, "that's why you and your sister are going to do all the talking."

Sokka blinks a few times at that. "No shit? But…why us?"

"Because," Katara explains, "Zuko has been able to teach me just enough of various languages to get our point across, and, let's face it, you have a face that people like to trust."

"Yeah…but…wouldn't Toph work better?"

I shoot him a look over my shoulder. "Really? Let Toph do the delicate negotiations and ask the potentially sensitive questions?"

Toph giggles. "I dunno, it could be fun."

"For you," Katara points out. "I've no desire to be chased out of town by a rioting crowd and an angry father."

Sokka chuckles. "Or maybe a rioting crowd of angry fathers." He turns to Toph. "That ever happened to you?"

Toph shakes her head. "Alas, no, but, hey, the night, as they say, is still young. Who knows what the future will hold?"

"Only you," Sokka replies, shaking his head, "would actually aspire to something like that."

"And what, that's never happened to you?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"What," Sokka replies, "get attacked by some girl's angry dad?"

"Yeah, that."

He shakes his head. "Nope. Perfect record here."

I give him a look. "Bullshit."

Katara laughs. "Sadly, it's true. Say what you will about my brother, but the boy's just got that lovable idiot thing going on that makes it impossible to get mad at him. Every potential angry father was either off in the war or was immediately turned into Sokka's new best buddy."

I chuckle softly. "Yeah, I can see that." Suddenly, we're cresting the last in a long series of low, rolling hills, and there before us, spread out in a shallow bowl surrounded by carefully maintained fields and orchards (just like I promised Toph) is the aforementioned village. At first glance, it looks like not a day has gone by, the only difference being that, last time I visited, it was spring, and everything was in bloom. Now, it looks a little deader, what with the carpet of snow and the fallow fields, but livestock just rumbles about, and here and there, the villagers go about their business, just as they always have and, gods willing, always will. I point, call back, "We're here, guys," then level an unnecessary (but still habitual) finger at Toph and say, "And you, on your best behavior, got it?"

Toph gives a sweet little smile, and says, in the most sickeningly innocent voice possible, "Who, me?"

Every single one of us rolls our eyes and groans at that, and then we troop down into the village.

The closer we get, the more signs of life we see. The village itself, though maintaining that same calm, slightly drab pallor of nearly every little village I've ever seen, is still a bit of a riot of colors. From what I learned on my last and only visit, the former Air Nomad islands have become havens of a sort for refugees from all over the world. In the better maintained places, one will find civilians from every nation, even the Fire Nation, from which entire families often flee, doing their best to dodge the draft. Sadly, there are other abandoned islands that have become sanctuaries for the refuse of the nations, places where the dregs of every people and culture come together to discover a mutual talent for banditry and piracy of every sort.

Fortunately for us, this village seems to still be one of the kinder, safer places. We get a few odd looks as we stroll down the main drag, but overall, everything is pretty clean, well-maintained, and no one gives us a look that could be described as dirty or unfriendly. By and large, the people take one look at us, take in our plain Water Tribe clothes and our mixed company and our youthfulness, and decide, rather quickly, that we must be rather harmless. In an added bonus, no one seems to recognize me. It's not hard to see why. The Zuko they knew was an angry eighteen-year-old prince, with a ridiculous haircut and decked out in armor, doing his best to hide his face behind a helmet and a growl. This Zuko, though? Well, he's almost twenty-three years old, is dressed in Water Tribe clothes, has a shaggy mop of hair and a calm demeanor, and, last but not least, is holding hands with a young Water Tribe girl. Obviously not the same person, and besides, if anyone asks, don't you know that that Zuko has a scar on the right side? I mean, everyone knows that, even the blind girl. Gods.

I still let Katara and Sokka do all the talking, though, or, to be more precise, I stand back with Toph while Katara does all the talking and Sokka just stands beside her and tries his best to look menacing, which, to be honest, isn't very good (of course, maybe I'm just speaking from over familiarity). It takes a few tries, wandering around the village square, before Katara starts to get the hang of it, but once she does hit her stride, she's off like a shot. Before long, she's found out where a mixed family of a Water Tribe woman and a Fire Nation man are living, and we set off there.

The family in question is very kind, if very adamant on not wanting to get into any trouble. They decline to share our names, but, then again, we decline to share ours, too. Our cover story, we long since decided, is that Katara, Sokka, and I are servants of the blind teenager, who, despite her appearance, is actually high Earth Kingdom nobility. Her parents have sent her to wander the world for a year or two, until things back home settle down, and thus, we've come here. The girl really wants to see at least one of the Air Temples, and, well, not to put too fine a point on it, she's willing to pay for it.

This catches the family's attention. Quickly, the mother shoos the children (of whom there are five, by the gods) out of the room, and then returns, sitting down beside her husband. All of us kneel on the floor, Katara in front, the rest of us arrayed behind. The woman begins talking very quickly to Katara in Suomi, asking a few more questions and trying to find out just how much the Earth Kingdom lady is willing to pay. Meanwhile, the husband keeps his eyes locked on me. I look back, trying to look at ease, maybe a little perturbed about the attention, but hey, I have nothing to hide.

Finally, though, the husband can't resist anymore. He nods at me and says, "Anata dare?" Who are you?

I shrug, and say, "Sore wa anata ni nandesuka?" What is it to you?

Katara and his wife have stopped talking at this point. The woman inches a bit towards her husband, laying a hand lightly on his knee, while Katara looks to me, her eyes saying that she wishes to do the same. I nod at her, trying to reassure her, and turn back to the husband, who is still eyeing me with distrust.

"Anata wa kasai kokkada." You're Fire Nation.

I give a nonchalant shrug. "Mochiron watashi wa. Sō?" Of course I am. So?

His eyes narrow, and his body tenses. "Naze anata wa sono on'nanoko ni sābisu o teikyō shite imasu ka?" Why are you serving that girl?

I shrug again, slumping down and leaning my face into a propped up hand. "Sore wa guntai yori wa mashida." It's better than the army.

He nods, relaxing a little bit. Every inch of him screams deserter, and he really seems to take me in, look me up and down, look past the golden eyes and see the scar, the soldier's bearing that I learned from my uncle and my tutors, and begins to put together the picture I want him to put together. Finally, he takes a deep breath, and when he speaks again, he's speaking in Suomi. "So," he says, "you're not a spy?"

At that, all I can do is laugh. "Please! Even if I wanted to be, the first person from home who I tried to offer my services to would turn me over for the bounty."

His faces breaks into a thin smile at that, and he finally leans back, nodding. "Alright, we're okay."

Katara smiles. "Everything alright then?"

The man gives his wife a smile, and she smiles back, squeezing his hand one more time, and turns back to Katara. "Yes, everything's fine. We just…we don't want trouble here. We don't bother anyone else, and they don't bother us."

Katara bows her head. "I understand perfectly." At that point, negotiations are resumed, while to my side, Sokka leans over to Toph and whispers, "Is it just me, or is it like looking my sister and Zuko aged twenty years?"

Toph leans over, nodding slowly, and replies, "Right? I'm blind, and even I can see that."

The tension finally gone out of the room, I take advantage of that very moment to allow myself a thin, true, genuine smile.

Though maybe we'll pass on the five kids. That seems…well…excessive…

So, a little bit on my view of the Air Nomads and Sozin's genocide. I touched on this in A Different Path, but I never really had the chance to get into it, mostly due to the fact that the story I was telling didn't really have much to do with that. Point being…well…complete and utter genocide only works in the movies. Actual genocide, no matter how awful or horrific, is always messy, incomplete, and rarely even comes close to accomplishing its goal. In my mind, that's what happened with Sozin. I imagined that he was able to hit the Western temple, the one closest to him, pretty hard, and he also hit the Southern temple, but the Northern and Eastern temples were able to prepare for him. Thus, the Air Nomads were hurt, probably badly, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the ranks of the airbenders, who were at that time unprepared for war and would've made up the front lines, were badly depleted, but many would have survived, especially among the non-bending population.

Because, yeah, no, sorry Brian and Mike, but I don't subscribe to that whole, Air Nomads are so awesome and special and spiritual that they're the only nation where everyone's a fucking bender.

You know, that statement would look really amusing to someone from, say, Britain or Australia…

ANYHOO. As I was saying, so, the Air Nomads are scattered, which, by the way, is the actual, true danger of genocide. It's not the initial killing, but, rather, the trauma that follows, and the way it affects the culture of those who were targeted. In my mind, a hundred-some-odd years later, the culture that Aang knew and loved would probably be unrecognizable to him. The Air Nomads have gone to war for their very survival, and things will probably never be the same. We see this time and time again in real life, in a dozen and more examples too depressing to go into.

But enough about that. What's up with the island, this Patola? Well, according to the Avatar Wiki (an indispensable resource in figuring out how to fuck with Canon), the mountains where the Southern Air Temple is located are called the Patola Mountains. Thus, I decided to call the island that the Southern Air Temple is on…well…Patola. Because, let's face it, there's a lot of stuff there on that island besides that temple, and, well, even monks gotta eat, you know? After all, who was growing all of those green things Aang liked so much, ghosts?

Anyways, this note is officially way too long. So, in the next chapter, we arrive at the Southern Air Temple, where we meet a familiar face from A Different Path, and the gang finally starts to get somewhere productive (or so they hope). Stay tuned!