Hey guys. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
Appa circled the New Republic from a great distance. Aang could almost fit the sprawling city into the palm of his hand at their current elevation. He wondered how something that appeared so small demanded this much of his attention. Yet, he understood that the same could be said about the world. It was his duty, a duty he accepted in whole when he returned after a hundred years of absence. He kept Appa leveled and allowed himself to be taken by the moment.
The sky became Aang's sanctuary. At one point in time, it held the promise of freedom that only an Air Bender could know. Now, the full arms of the thin chilling air separated Aang from the world. The act of flight erected walls of altitude and perspective. The unseen barriers provided temporary reprieve from the complexities that lay waiting below. He attempted to appreciate the solitude. It gave him time to breathe. It gave him time to think. Though, as the Air Bender knew all too well, no sanctuary was impenetrable. Thinking was the last thing Aang wanted to engage in. Doubt and fear plucked at his most vulnerable strings. Eventually, the weight of recent events dragged him down to reality, and back in contact with his duty. If nothing else, the needs of the newly cemented city-state could distract him long enough that he could center himself.
Aang landed Appa near the Governor's residence without much of a fuss. The citizens were always thrilled to see a Sky Bison up close. With toothed grins and bulging eyes, people of all ages huddled at the heavy wooden gates of the compound, pushing and shoving their way in just to get a glimpse of the Avatar's legendary companion.
Not everyone was pleased. It was only Aang's second time in the compound, but the attendants slated to look after Appa froze in place when they heard the bellowing of the creature. Appa was always friendly, and the Governor arranged for plenty of fruits and hay this time around. However, someone had to handle the various droppings and leavings of the large animal.
Aang left his lifelong friend with five handlers. A man and woman pouted, groaning as they dragged their feet to fetch the brooms. They had drawn the short straws. The other three jumped in joy, they won play duty. A woman threw Appa a juicy round fruit that he caught expertly with an extended tongue while the other two men hugged the Sky Bison in relief. Aang smirked for a second to appreciate the fact that his buddy would be in good hands.
A couple approached and announced themselves.
"Avatar Aang, we are honored to have you in our presence once again," The Governor bowed. Aang noted the red and black ensemble that covered the man. The signs of age sat in deep crevices surrounding his beard and forehead, lending a stern appearance to his otherwise plump and jolly face.
Aang returned the greeting, taking note of the stout emerald eyed woman wrapped in fine beige and jade silk robes. Her carefully primped hair betrayed slivers of grey, much less than the Governor's. "It's an honor to be back, Governor Morishita." Aang gave an additional bow to the older woman. "Lady Morishita."
The woman met his bow. "It is quite the honor, young Avatar. We look forward to hosting you during such curious times."
"I'm here to help in any way possible," Aang replied.
"The transitional process should go about smoothly now that you've arrive. Maybe my husband can finally rest and cease that new nervous habit of his," Lady Morishita smiled.
Aang's eyes shifted from lady Morishita to the Governor. The older man idly chewed on his bottom lip, lost to his thoughts. The Governor's eyes widened once he realized that both his wife and the Avatar caught him gnawing on his own lip.
The governor allowed his lip to fall free from his teeth before he coughed into a raised fist. "Ah, yes. Now that the Avatar is here, we can begin to put all of the confusion behind us. The citizens of the New Republic can finally rest easy without worrying about that unnecessary mob of Earth Kingdom soldiers nipping at the gates."
"Right," Aang nodded. "Hopefully we can convince Kuei to turn back until we have things worked out. I'm sure there's a solution that makes everyone happy."
"But first," Lady Morishita interrupted, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "First we will show you what we have built and are looking to expand upon. I can tell by your expression that you're quite unsure about the whole affair. It's only natural that you have certain reservations about protecting what was a Fire Nation colony a few days ago. Don't worry, young Avatar. Once you see it, you'll understand."
Aang blushed in embarrassment and consciously made an effort to ease his expression. His mind had wandered to the chaos that was the past fortnight, and it showed. He took a deep breath and pushed away the nagging worries of yesterday. He'd address them when it was time. He could only trust in the physicians of the royal court to do their job where he left off. Still, he had his doubts of the current situation. The land, whether by tradition or by right, belonged to the Earth Kingdom. No amount of decrees by the Fire Nation could obscure that fact. He could only promise himself that he would keep as much of an open mind as possible.
"The largest Fire Nation colony," the Governor corrected.
Lady Morishita patted her husband's shoulder and smirked. "That's right, what was once the largest Fire Nation colony."
"Thank you," Aang said with a slight bow. "It would be my honor."
The couple led the Avatar through the compound and into a courtyard decorated with beautiful foliage only seen within the Fire Nation. It grew naturally, unfettered by its location. Aang was taken by surprise at the adaptability of the vegetation in foreign soil.
The Avatar could hear what sounded like bending through one of the archways leading toward the outer portions of the garden. The Governor noted the Avatar's concern. "That must be our daughter practicing. Come, I'm sure she'd love to get a tip or two from the Avatar himself."
Aang nodded and the trio made their way to the outer peripheral court. Large stones and sand filled the area to form a well outlined sparing ground. A handful of Fire Benders executed crisp katas toward the back of the arena. Next to them, a few Earth Benders stomped in horse stance, rising and falling on lifted stone pillars. The center of the grounds featured two women moving in tandem, one bending earth and the other fire. They focused their efforts on rocky slab targets standing on the far end of the grounds. The spheres of fire and long chains attached to studded balls of granite danced effortlessly in sync one another, striking with precision against each slab.
"She's quite talented, isn't she?" The Governor intimated toward the Avatar. Lady Morishita nodded in approval. Aang looked on at a loss for words to see Earth benders and Fire Benders training together. The nations of the world may have not always been at war, but he remembered that they were always somewhat separate. What lay before him was new.
"Kori, honey," The Governor shouted affectionately toward the pair. "Come greet our esteemed and honorable guest."
The two women glanced at one another. The Fire Bender giggled at the Earth Bender who sucked her teeth as she stomped toward the three observers. The woman allowed her chain stone weapons to drag across the ground as she slowly approached.
"Dad, I'm trying to practice," Kori stated, raising her chained Earth Bending weapon for emphasis and paying no mind to the Avatar. "Besides, what is he doing in here when he should be out there escorting Kuei's men back home?"
The Governor winced and gave his attention to the Avatar. "You'll have to forgive my daughter, she's at that age, you know." Aang noted that the Governor's daughter was just a little older than himself, around Katara and Azula's age. It was her element that caught his attention.
"Your daughter is an Earth Bender?" Aang asked, more puzzled by what he walked into than offended. Zuko had informed Aang that the Governor descended from a line of Fire Nation nobles. Yet, somehow, the Governor's daughter was an Earth Bender.
Lady Morishita stomped and brought her arm down in well-practiced form. The granite orbs burst into small fragments of rubble, startling Kori. "Her mother as well," Lady Morishita stated, standing straight once again. "I'm sure Kori didn't mean to leave her manners back on the practice grounds."
Kori growled, dropped the chains, and bowed to the Avatar. "A pleasure, Avatar Aang."
Aang eyeballed the three of them, unsure of what he was looking at. "You're family? And you're…"
The Governor allowed an orange flame to flicker above his palm to greet the Avatar's curiosity. "Seems like you have much to see in the city, Avatar Aang. Come, we have a lot of ground to cover," he chuckled.
Aang nodded. The experience was too new to dismiss or deny with prejudices of what should and shouldn't be. The world was making over a hundred years of progress in such a short amount of time, and he was its witness. The Avatar watched the Governor dote over his pouting Kori like he'd seen many fathers do. Lady Morishita greeted her nieces, two of the Fire Benders, with warm open arms as if it came naturally. The Avatar couldn't help but to wait anxiously for the couple to guide him into the city proper.
The three of them departed, leaving Kori and her cousins to their practice.
Yu Dao, now known as the New Republic, was as familiar as it was alien to the Avatar. The city dwarfed the other colonial townships he'd known to such an extent that he was positive they could all fit comfortably inside with room to spare. Though the New Republic was neither as large nor expansive as established capital cities like Ba Sing Se and Caldera, it was still growing. Aang could envision it becoming a juggernaut all its own if its pace of growth continued.
The Governor, Lady Morishita, and the Avatar walked the wide streets shaded by towering structures comfortably and with little interruption. There was the odd group of people who stopped to whisper and stare, but the majority of interactions were simply spent passing by people without so much as a word. The thousands of citizens were too occupied with the day to day comings and goings to be bothered spending more than a moment or two looking one another in the eye. If nothing else, the Avatar could appreciate that the nature of cities had not changed one iota since his absence. He didn't mind the peace of anonymity amongst the masses, either.
The New Republic featured all of the trappings typical of any city. Robust market districts seemed to blossom out of nowhere selling a wide variety of food and goods at competitive prices, street peddlers attempted to entice pedestrians with their wares, and restaurants of all types could be found around every corner. The similarities ended there. The citizens filing the streets, filling the restaurants, and browsing the markets were of all nations and tribes.
The Governor took note of the confusion that Aang didn't bother to conceal. Morishita explained with pride that many Fire Nation families immigrated over a hundred years prior when Yu Dao was merely a village near the bottom of a river valley that opened up to the mouth of the ocean. Aang learned that the city soon became a strong port town able to handle the bulk influx of the Fire Nation's supplies into the Earth Kingdom. This fact attracted the multitude to immigrate, establish lives, and chase fortune.
The Governor guided Aang through the metal working districts wherein the Avatar learned of the New Republic's smithing and smelting prowess. The Governor and his wife grinned ear to ear as they illustrated how the New Republic produced the finest metals in the world. Superiority in craftsmanship was accomplished through combining the skill and expertise of both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom cultures. It all resulted in an unparalleled wealth that established the New Republic as one of the richest cities to ever exist.
Aang was struck nearly dumb and deaf when Morishita revealed that the new arrivals of Water Benders from the North Pole and Swamps of the Earth Kingdom accelerated the mining of ore, bolstered the strength of the shipping industry, and even provided much needed advancements to medical facilities.
A queer sense of confusion overtook the Avatar. So many of the rules that he had come to know were disregarded by the cooperation between people who couldn't be farther away culturally. The words of Guru Pathik reverberated in memory. The four elements were one, all part of the same whole. And maybe, somehow, the people too were part of this whole.
Aang's stomach growled over the ambience of the city's hustle and bustle, interrupting his train of thought.
"Sorry," Aang apologized, rubbing the cloth over his belly with a slight grin. "I guess I haven't eaten anything in a while."
"No worries, young Avatar," Lady Morishita dismissed with the wave of the hand and a gentle smile. "My husband has a fairly judicious way about him when it comes to proving a point. Even down to the smallest details." Aang raised an eyebrow, only understanding half of what the Governor's wife conveyed.
She held her calm, patient smile and allowed her husband to clear his throat in a preparation to speak. Aang could sense there was something the two of them were keeping some secret form him.
"I thought that it would be best to introduce this last and newest addition of New Republic culture to you over food," The Governor stated outright. "So, of course, we had to walk about a bit to build up an appetite."
Aang's mouth twisted to the side, unsure of what else the city could be hiding. The three of them turned a corner that Lady Morishita pointed out. The smell struck Aang as soon as he hit the bend. It had been over a hundred years since the powerful incense filled his nose. His eyes were next to catch up. There were dozens of people in orange and yellow robes roving to and from buildings and market stalls. The Avatar's jaw hung open in disbelief.
"It seems as if your return was an inspiration to those looking to the past for answers, Avatar Aang." The Governor explained deliberately. "The Air Nomads may be gone, but their culture refused to be lost."
The Air Bender gawked at the scene as a host of emotions tussled for dominance in his empty stomach. More people than he could count walked around in his native garb as if it were their own skin. They were people who knew nothing of him nor the way of the Air Nomads. Yet, they adopted the ways, ignorant of context and purpose.
"These people, they just decided to pick up my culture and…" Aang started, in a mix of confusion, anger, and bewilderment.
"And honor it," The Governor said, finishing the Avatar's thought.
"As best as they know how," Lady Morishita continued, sensing the tension in the Avatar's voice.
Aang allowed himself to be still. He considered their words and the actions of those around him. The pain drifted in the depths of his spirit. His greatest regret now roamed the streets as solid apparitions, monuments to his failure, haunting his waking life. But grief was not without its companion. Although a powerful loss weighed heavily on Aang's shoulders, a love unbridled swelled inside of his heart. The energy embodied in his people swirled all around him, reborn in the form of new love.
"Come," The Governor instructed the Air Bender, "There's something here I'm sure you'll love."
Aang hesitated, standing captive to the force and magnitude of the world surrounding him. The juxtaposition of nations, emotions, and time itself engulfed his consciousness bringing him to a literal standstill. The New Republic, in all its novelty and wonder, held within it the power to humble. He was no different from the city that fit inside the palm of his hand from high above, small. Despite being the Avatar, he stood as a tiny segment of a process that transcended his duty. He was yet another indivisible piece of something far greater than the sum of its parts. It was here, in the New Republic, that the edges of illusion named separation began to dissipate. A sense long forgotten welcomed him once more. A place called home whispered his name.
A tear streaked the Avatar's cheek. He wiped it away quickly and moved to catch up with the couple in front of him.
The Governor and his wife guided Aang down a long street that could have been aptly named memory lane. Shaven heads, flowing robes, and plentiful amounts of fruit were everywhere. He allowed his agitation and doubt to flow away to the best of his ability. The beginnings of what sounded like music made its way to his ears. His downturned lips curved until he couldn't help but break into a laughter. Aang saw the man sitting half lotus in front of a tapestry shop struggling to produce a constant sound from the Air Bender's flute. The robed stranger was red in the face blowing with all his might to form a consistent, steady tune.
"What's wrong?" The Governor asked, brow furrowed in concern.
"It's nothing," Aang reassured him. "It's just that he's not going to be making anything but noise without either a bagged air pump or the ability to Air Bend."
The Governor chuckled and stroked his beard. "Seems as if you're going to have to come back and pay these people a visit. Teach them how certain things are done."
Aang found himself nodding with a smile, completely taken by the moment.
"Here we are," Lady Morishita said. "My husband loves these, and thought you would as well. We hear you have a bit of a sweet tooth."
Aang looked to the woman in traditional Air Nomad robes behind the counter and back to the couple.
"Hi," The woman said to the three of them. "By the way, I love the tattoos and your twist on the air glider staff. It's a bit of a modern deviation, but still pretty cool."
"Thanks," Aang said with a shy, reserved smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was surprised. It appeared that she couldn't tell that he was the Avatar. Her mistake said more about the detailed quality of the imitation in the district than it did about Aang himself. His smile grew wider as he realized that this was the first time in what must have been years since he found himself surrounded by so many people sharing what he called home.
"What type of fruit pies will you be having today?" She asked the three of them.
Aang's eyes lit up with fireworks. He snapped his neck back to the Governor and Lady Morishita who held their calm smiles.
"I think he's beginning to understand," Lady Morishita said, leaning to her husband.
"I'd agree," the Governor responded while they watched Aang order two pastries for them and four for himself.
I don't know if I'm just a sap or what, but I enjoyed where this chapter went. It's a necessary departure from the Azula/Aang/Katara drama. It also provides a bit of world building and soul to the story (wish I did things like this sooner and more often throughout the story). This story was and continues to be a learning experience. Hope I didn't get too purple for you guys.
Be aware, most of the world building happened in the post series comic canon which helped flesh out the details of the New Republic. So, I didn't have to do much except follow their lead and take from what was already established.
I'll see you all a little while. We only have a few more chapters to go and then we're done. Exciting, right? Later days.