A/N: I'm actually not sure how I feel about this chapter, but it ought to answer a lot of questions I've brought up about Aang's history. I'm sure I'll poke a bit more into it in the future, but I felt with Aang's backstory it'd be better to show brief scenes over a period of time - to show rather than tell, and let you guys connect a lot of the dots. I guess my disappointment with myself is that Jane's backstory chapter was more solid and concise, whereas this one hops around a lot. Oh, well. Hopefully this chapter turned out OK. The next chapter will also be very Aang-centric, too. Between this chapter and the next, we're looking at possibly the most directly referential chapters to the show itself in the whole story.
Also, definitely be sure to check out the group on DA if you haven't! Lots of great fanarts. There's even an amazingly drawn swimsuit groupshot now~ (fanservice within fanservice, huzzah!)
http:/s-r-u(dot)deviantart(dot)com/
What I Learned at SRU
Chapter 52 - What Is
- Sunday, January 9th, 2011 -
Blood.
Everywhere.
Under his bare feet. Between his toes. Between his fingers. Across his hands.
Everywhere.
Blood.
...
...Aang...We need you, Aang...We need you...
...Aang. Hey. Snap out of it.
Dude, wake up...
Huh?
"Aang! Quit freakin'."
"What?" Aang yelped out with a flinch, his eyes wide and bleary as he gazed at an equally tired Sokka.
"Dude, you were having a nightmare," groaned Sokka, half-asleep. "Chillax."
"Whhrr...?" Aang rubbed at his eyes as Sokka rolled over onto his side with a great yawn.
"Go back to sleep," mumbled his bunkmate. But Aang didn't desire to go back to what he'd just been witnessing. He decided he'd attempt to calm him nerves by getting some water. He slid out from the sheets into the cold night. [1:32AM] read Sokka's fat, digital clock.
Aang crept downstairs, taking care not to let the boards creek too much. He was surprised to find Katara, still awake, reading a book on one of the stools at the living room's edge. A faint glow fell over her from a small light in the kitchen that lit up the stove across the countertop. She turned around, confused by his presence. When he reached the kitchen, she whispered out to him.
"Hey, Aang...What are you doing up?"
"Ha...I should ask you that...Don't you have to drive tomorrow?"
"Um...Y-yea, I do, but...not until a little later in the day..."
"Still...We need to get up early."
"I know. You're right..." She sighed and closed her book with a shrug, watching him pour water from the filtered container they had in their fridge. "Are you all right...? You look pretty...I dunno...spooked."
"J-just a nightmare, that's all..."
"Oh...I see. Didn't you have one last night?"
"Huh? How did you...-?"
"Sokka told me...It's because you watched that movie, isn't it?"
"Er, what? No, that's not...-" Aang shook his head and began to drink, using the water as an excuse to not reply.
"It's OK. I understand. Just...try to get some good sleep. You're really stressed out, so...not sleeping is probably not helping."
Aang swallowed the last of his water. "Yea," he begrudgingly agreed as his mind drained out the blood and horrific images to replace them with Toph and his pain and confusion in regards to her.
"Everything will be OK, Bud," Katara said with an exhausted but nevertheless comforting smile.
"Thanks, Katara." Aang gently placed his glass into the empty sink. "Good night."
"Good night."
After Hakoda and Gran-Gran passed their hugs to the group, Korra sheepishly slipped through the front door with Naga on a leash.
"Yarp! Yar-yarp!"
"Looks like Naga's gonna miss you guys," she observed with a melancholy shrug.
"Well, we're sure going to miss her, too," Katara assured with a knowing wink at her cousin before they hugged. Sokka was next in line.
"So. Korra. Cousin. It's been real, and it's been fun...-"
"But it ain't been real fun!" the two of them finished in chorus with silly grins as they gave each other high-five hugs.
"Keep it real, Sox."
"You, too, Korra."
"Yaarrrrp. Yarrp-yarr..."
"Heeeyyy," Toph whimpered as she cautiously drew near. "Why you all grumpy with me, Naga?"
"Aarp?"
"Pff. She's just a fuckin' loony pup," Korra chuckled. "C'mon, girl, it's Toph. Chill."
"Time for us to go, Naga. Gotta head back to this...school...bullcrap."
Naga whimpered and started pawing her way up Toph's pants. Toph slowly bent down and let the husky lick at her face while she attempted to pet her.
"Yea, I'll miss you, too, Mutt. But I won't miss those fat feet of yours." Toph stretched back up to full height and reached out her arms for Korra to give her a quick hug in which backs were slapped.
"You're pretty tough for a gimp," Korra teased.
"You're pretty girly for a man," Toph joked back. As their hug broke, Toph slammed Korra in the rib with a surprisingly solid punch.
"Fuck, man!" she grunted, eyes narrow and keen on Toph's joking mannerisms. "The hell was that?"
"How I show affection. Thought you'd apprec-"
Whump.
"Owww!" Toph grasped at her shoulder. "Damn, that...fuckin' hurt," she laughed out half-heartedly.
"Don't dish what ya can't take," Korra advised slyly.
"Yea, I'll...remember that," Toph said as she sucked in air through her teeth. "Fricker, you have a good arm..."
Jane was next, and the two kind of shrugged at each other awkwardly for a moment before Korra rolled her eyes and cocked her head back, opening here arms.
"Let's get this over with, Jane..." she exaggerated irritation.
"Oh, God, ugh, so annoying..." Jane joined in as they hugged with mock disapproval. As they broke off, Korra put out her fist, and Jane bumped it with a smirk.
"Watch yourself, red-head."
"I'll try. And, uh...hey. I'll look into what's goin' on with the bar in Wayward. I'll let you know what the deal is."
"Sounds good."
Aang remained, standing reluctantly by the Kesuk car with his hands in his pockets, gazing at the winter sunrise while Sokka and Katara worked on loading the trunk. Korra left Hakoda with the leash and hesitantly made her way across the gravel driveway.
"Yo. Aang."
"Hey..." He looked pretty tuckered out.
"Slept on the wrong side of the bed, eh?"
"I guess..." His eyes were half closed and he shrugged.
"Psh. Every side of the bed is wrong when Sokka's on it."
"Hey!"
"Anyway, uh...Dude. C'mon, why the pouty face?"
"I'm tired..." He blinked and rubbed at his face before widening his eyes to Korra. "Sorry, I just...-"
"Nah, man. It's cool. I'm sorry..."
"For...For what?"
"For bein' such a bitch lately." Korra huffed and bobbed her head to the side. "I heard that you, uh...went through a lotta shit in the past..."
"Mm..."
"Had no idea, man. Guess I've been an ass."
"It's OK...You're just...really different from me, is all."
"Heh. I'm like an...anti-Aang, right?"
"Fff!" Aang nodded in amusement. "Yea, you...are like my opposite."
"Hey, Little Man." Korra slapped him on the shoulder. "Opposition breeds potential. Or, uhh...Wait, how did that go?"
"What?"
"Err...I don't remember. Whatever. Somethin' like how dealing with your opposites makes you buffer. As a person, and junk."
"Oh, haha...Yea, you're right."
"See? I can do this...philosophy shit and stuff, too. Watch out, I might take your place one of these days, be the nice guy everyone looks up to and whatever. Leadin' people to 'The Light' and all that bull."
"Heh. That would be quite a sight to see," Aang acknowledged with a humored sigh. "Maybe we'll see you around some time?"
"No way you've seen the last of me, man."
"Good."
Aang offered Korra her final hug of the morning, and the group began filing into the vehicle. Numerous "good-bye's," and "I love you's" were exchanged, and off the group sped, southward bound for Pennsylvania.
- Monday, January 10th, 2011 -
Aang fumbled across campus in a half-awake stupor, rushing to get to the auditorium. As he drew near, a steady stream of students was filtering in. He saw a puff of bright orange amidst the flock and waved up his hand. Sure enough, it was Jane. She met him halfway, close to one of the stage-side entrances to the building.
"Whoa, hey..."
"Hi, Jane..."
"Shit, you look beat...You all right?"
"Ehh..." Aang shrugged as they dawdled beside the door, letting other students pass them by.
"Not pissin' the bed, are ya? With those nightmares and crap?"
The corner of Aang's mouth twitched and he squinted his eyes for a moment before recollecting his cool.
"Uhh, it's-...Yea. Not fun. Really stressed."
"Right. After that, uh...chat...we all had, and...with the new semester, it's...well, it sure makes sense."
Aang didn't want to think about the discussion the group had on their way down to PA while passing through New York state. It was an involved five-way debate about all sorts of things, branching out into different tangents. Once it hit 'relationships' and how they should operate, Aang quickly grew frustrated with the conflicting opinions and gave up on the discussion. His friends had clearly been pressuring him throughout the conversation to have 'the talk' with Toph that each seemed to believe ought to happen after the many discussions he had endured with both his girlfriend and those closest to him.
"Anyway," Aang dismissed Jane's implications. "Do you know where the others are?"
"Yea, Kat texted me, said they're up on the balcony floor toward the back."
"Oh...OK. Yea, gimme a sec..."
The two headed in, diving straight into the cloud of commotion that was the auditorium before an event. In this case, it was just before lunchtime on the first day of classes for the spring semester, and the school president was giving his biannual student address. Aang and Jane weaved around students until Aang reached the side of the stage. He poked around, sneaking behind the curtain, to which Jane was baffled and confused, and reached an arm out to stop him, only to follow him in.
"Ah-ha! There he is..." came the sly, crackling voice of Bumi, waggling a wrinkled finger at Aang. "How are things going, m'boy?" He was holding a bowl of lettuce leaves and crunched at one as he awaited a response.
"It's, uhh...I've been better," Aang honestly answered in haste, scanning the gentleman's outfit. "I just, well...wanted to say 'hi,' and...good luck on the speech. And everything."
"You know me, Leekpai. A whole crowd isn't gonna shake me up." Another leaf chomped down - he chewed each one with a rhythm in successive bites.
Jane gawked at their casual interaction with wide eyes. President Bumi was wearing a dark purple suit with a lavender tie. A small sunflower was pinned to his chest.
"What do you think of my new outfit?" Bumi wondered with an aloof shrug. "Come, now. I want your honest opinion."
Aang scratched his head curiously.
"Er...I...guess it's fine...?"
"Excellent."
Jane was slack-jawed, unable to utter a word.
"Oh, uh, hey." Aang extended an arm to Jane, gripping her shoulder and pushing her forward. "This is Jane Fitzpatrick, she's one of my best friends."
Jane's teeth were bared with fright as Bumi leaned forth, eyeballing her with suspicion as she was swiftly reminded of days with the Freedom Fighters.
Shit, does he recognize me? We used to give him a lotta hell a while back...
"MMMMMMM. Seems like a good egg to me," Bumi firmly concluded, nodding as he stroked his white chin hairs. "But, then again, I've been known to eat bad eggs. So what do I know, right?" A chortle erupted as he grabbed Jane's hand - one bony set of fingers crushing another in a vigorous shake. "Nice to meet you, Miss." He squeezed the flustered Jane by the shoulder tightly and jabbed a finger at Aang, advising her, "Keep an eye on this one, ya might learn a thing or two. Heh."
"Y-yes, Sir..." she squeaked.
"Gahaha, looks like I've scared your little friend, Aang."
"She's just a bit shy."
"Nothing wrong with that. Shyness is just another word for caution. And you can't be too cautious when it comes to people." There was a glint in his eye as he slipped his hands into his pockets and nodded thoughtfully to himself. "After all, look at me, even I don't know what I'll do next..." he flashed them a manic grin.
"Aheh, heheh..." Jane attempted to laugh politely, red as a tomato.
"Well, Kiddo, looks like I'm on in five," Bumi coolly advised. "Thanks for dropping by. Give me a call, we'll need to meet over a meal and catch up. It's been a while."
"Yea, it has," Aang agreed. "Knock 'em dead, Bumi."
"Don't you know it? I will."
Just as suddenly as they'd entered the stage did they exit, heading straight for the back where the stairs resided.
"The fuck...?" Jane gasped to Aang with a snicker as they clambered up the stairs. "You know the president? That guy's a psycho..." She seemed highly entertained after the fact.
"Yea, I've known Bumi for a long time," Aang explained. "He's great, haha."
"Man, that's so bad-ass. How the hell do you know him?"
"Friend of the family," Aang immediately replied, only to be struck with the somber reminder of his circumstances.
"Family? But I thought...-"
"Y-yea, it's, uh...kind of a long story, but...I guess I ought to tell you some time, huh?"
"Oh, wh-whatever works for you, dude. I was just...wondering."
"No, no, I...-" Aang paused in the stairwell corner, drumming his fingers carefully on the rail. "Remember how before, we were...saying, or...doing...things that got you upset, because of your...-" He spun his finger around. "-...history?"
"Yea," Jane nodded, eyebrows furrowing with concern.
"There's...some parts of my history that...maybe you ought to know about, too..."
"Oh...Sure, um...OK."
"Uh, but...later," Aang settled the matter.
"Totally," Jane agreed, releasing the solemn topic as they hit the balcony section and found their three friends in the back, sitting in seats at the backmost row.
Sokka was playing Tetris on his phone, Toph was lounging about listening to music on her iPod, and Katara was reviewing a class syllabus. They exchanged their greetings and sat down, and the speech commenced shortly thereafter. The curtain opened to reveal Bumi at the lecture podium, a downward arrow carved into its front side. His presence was met with applause and even a few cat calls.
"Yes, yes, yes..." He quelled them, wobbling his hands about to encourage the crowd of students as they settled to allow him to speak. "It is that time again, my friends. Indeed, it is. Quite exciting, I know." A student toward the front belted out a 'woo-yeah!' and Bumi chortled. "Exactly! This fellow here gets what I mean. Come, now." He flicked his wrists up, gesturing the student body that was present to rise from their seats. "Chop-chop. Up and at 'em. I know it's quite early for you folk, so let's all have a good shout and cheer ourselves on the start of a semester, shall we?"
Some students started bellowing out calls and grunts, and Bumi egged them on until the entire building echoed with the cries of hundreds of voices in a chaotic clash of jubilant energy. His snorting laugh reverberated amongst their cheer as he clapped his hands. As he waited for the commotion to die down, he ate a green leaf from his bowl sitting on the podium, then drank from a bottle of water to wash it down.
"Doesn't that feel better?" He cleared his throat. "Now, then. On the off chance that you may not know me, I'm President Bumi. If this is your first semester at Saint Roku University...welcome. We do things a bit differently here. We bend our minds at SRU to get the job done. Mind-benders, we are."
Aang yawned and stretched out his arms, leaning back in his seat as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
A hallway. Dusty clouds drifting through the air.
"Toph. I need to talk with you."
"What do you want, Pansy-Boy?"
"It's about me. About us."
"What about us?"
"I think...that we should break up."
"How do you plan on doing that when you're not even wearing any pants?"
"Wh-what?"
A cold draft. Eyes prying through the hallways walls. Eyes everywhere. Staring. Deep staring from all sides.
Applause.
Aang's eyes popped open as his heart skipped a beat. He was back at the auditorium.
"You must all open your brains to the possibilities. Always remember that there's never just one answer to a problem. As a fellow scholar of mine once said: 'Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy!' You'll all face challenges in the coming semester - every last one of you. Don't take them lightly - or too heavily, for that matter. Simply...take them. Things will get rocky, I promise you that. And when they do, I hope you will all think like mad geniuses."
Bumi waved to the rabidly clapping audience of students and took his leave, chewing down another leaf while exiting off stage with his other hand in his pocket.
"Shit, man, that guy is...awesome," Jane murmured with an impressed sigh as the throngs of students rose from their seats and began filing out. "I can't believe we used to give him so much crap..."
"Huh?" mumbled Aang, still recovering from his exhausting nap.
Jane ignored his half-hearted inquiry and said, "Damn, Aang, now I really wanna know how you and him are so buddy-buddy."
"You don't know about that?" Toph incredulously asked. "Yea, man, it's, like...the whole reason he's here..."
"N-no one's ever told me," Jane defended her ignorance.
"The hell, Twinkles?" Toph teased, jabbing at his stomach. "Way to leave Janey-Jane in the dark, geez..."
"Heh, I, uhh...-" Aang shrugged and trailed off, sneezing as his thoughts derailed.
"God bless you," said Katara, who was quickly accompanied by a few more "Bless-you's."
"Little sicky, there, Babe?" picked Toph, nudging her fist into Aang's stomach, which wasn't helping.
"Wh-? 'Sicky?'" Katara giggled. "Did you just say...-?"
"You called me 'Babe.'"
"What are you talking about, Sicky?"
"OK, I'm escaping the gushy-ness," Sokka flatly declared.
"Haha, I'm with him," Suki chuckled. "It's time for lunch, anyway."
Up at the cafeteria, Aang pulled Jane aside while everyone was grabbing their food.
"Hey, uhh...How about I tell you about...stuff...over lunch...?"
"Oh, erm...Shhhuuure?"
"Hey, Taters, I-"
"Yep. Go for it," Toph conceded warmly, having overheard. "JayBee needs to learn the Secrets of the Hidden Aang."
"Legends of the Hidden Temple," Sokka contributed, out of nowhere, piling some macoroni and cheese onto his plate.
"Shrine of the Silver Monkey," Katara added with a grin.
"Frickin' eh," Sokka growled. "Those damn kids never knew how to put that stupid thing together right! Always pissed me off!"
"Heehee, I know, right?" Katara giggled, adding a chicken sandwich to her meal.
"Huh?" Suki was baffled.
"Did you not watch Nickelodeon when you were young?" Sokka gasped.
"We didn't have cable," Suki replied simply.
"Put together the Shrine of the...-?" Toph sighed. "Nevermind. I don't wanna know."
"'Kay, well...-" Aang shrugged with an impatient puff. "We'll catch you guys later."
"OK," said Katara, giving Aang a cautious glance.
"Have fun, you two," Toph teased. "Don't blow her mind too much."
"I'll try."
"What's this about?" mumbled Suki.
"Aang and Jane need to have a chat."
"Oh...?"
"Don't worry about it, it's cool."
A couple minutes later, the two friends had found themselves a booth at an edge of the cafeteria by a one of the wall-sized window panes. The two sat on opposing booths and minded to themselves for a few moments, chewing into their meals.
"So. Jane. I know that...you kind of had a rough past...I'm not exactly sure what happened, but...mine hasn't exactly been full of rainbows, either..."
{DOMESTIC DISPUTE ENDS IN BLOODSHED}
Bumi sighed at the newspaper headline, pinching at the bridge of his slightly crooked nose. He set the paper down on the table. He didn't need to read what the press was spinning on the matter. He already knew the details second-hand.
"What a mess," he sighed with a deep melancholy that his companion hadn't seen in quite some time.
"A true tragedy," lamented the elderly man sitting across the table from Mr. Bumi.
"I'm awfully sorry, Gyatso," Bumi offered his sympathies. "I simply don't understand it. The boy certainly didn't deserve this..."
"No. Not at all..."
Gyatso, a slender old man with tanned skin and a bald head, drank down the hot liquid in his tiny sake cup as memories swirled. His grandson, barely six years old, face streaming with confused tears, his hands and clothes red with dried blood. So much blood...The officer who'd shown up on the scene had reported they'd found the child on the kitchen floor, arms wrapped around his dead mother's waist, sitting in a pool of her blood. The father was across the room, a red-stained telephone at his side. Investigators were still attempting to crack the code of truth to determine what had happened, but all signs pointed to a dispute between the two.
"It's beyond my comprehension," Gyatso huffed, scratching at his beard. "So selfish, to leave their own child caught in this..."
"To leave him alone," Bumi added with disgust. "It's obvious that Aang was not at the forefront of their thoughts in this whole situation."
"I begged them to seek legal action," Gyatso defended his own lack of intervention. "They wouldn't listen..."
"So..." Bumi took their sake bottle and poured himself a puny cup. "What will become of the boy?"
"Why...I suppose that's where I come in," Gyatso advised with a thoughtful nod, accepting the bottle from his old friend and preparing himself another shot.
"You?"
"His mother made no specification in her will, but my son and I discussed it some time ago, and..he did express it in writing. Assuming the courts go through with his decision, the boy will be in my care."
"Mm..." Bumi rubbed his hand across his head, between the tufts of fading hair at either side. "Will you be able to manage on your own? Ha. I mean, Gyatso, my friend...you're getting a bit old to be caring for a kid, don't you think?"
"Perhaps," Gyatso admitted with a weak smile. "But Aang is my grandson. I won't leave him twisting in the wind."
"Fair enough." Bumi patted his comrade on the shoulder. "If there's anything I can do to help, you just let me know."
"Hmmm..." Aang rubbed his chin, studying the board carefully. He scooped up a pile of colored stones from one dip in the board and began dropping them, one at a time, in the divets in the board as he moved around.
"A wise move, Aang," Gyatso complimented the boy with a smirk. As Gyatso considered his next play in their Mancala game, the mail slot on the front door popped open, and a few envelopes slipped through. "Would you get the mail?" the elderly man politely asked.
"Yea!" The excited young man scampered across the wood panel floor to the front door and eagerly grabbed the mail, sifting through the sparse pieces. He found one relevant to what he had been hoping for. "I got one!" he cheered. Gyatso chuckled as Aang dropped the other envelopes on the floor and tore open the one of interest. Inside was a card with a grouchy bulldog wearing a birthday hat pinned to his head - the animal looked entirely unamused. Inside, the card read, in handwriting: {This is how I feel today, because I cannot see you turn 8. Have a good birthday, Aang. - Bumi}
"Who's it from?" asked Gyatso as Aang sat down at the board on the floor.
"It's from Bumi."
"Haha. That's wonderful."
While Bumi served as a principle at a high school across the state, he would come visit his friend Gyatso on occasion and in turn see Aang. Aang rather enjoyed these opportunities because Bumi was an grown man who, like Aang's own grandfather, indulged in childishness.
"Heeeeey!" Aang shouted in accusation, jabbing his finger disapprovingly at the board. Some stones had been rearranged in a way that was in violation of the rules, granting Gyatso multiple extra points. The two had a laugh.
"You seem to be doing better today, Aang," said the grandfather. "I'm glad."
"Oh. Oh. Oh." Aang bounced up and down, cross-legged on the floor. "We should have ice cream."
"Hoho, now that is an excellent idea..."
"And then there was the one time when we spent all weekend baking pies and hurled them out of the car at people downtown! Maaaan, that was so funny..."
Jane was leaning back, rubbing her full stomach with an entertained smile.
"Damn...Sounds like a cool old dude. No wonder him and Bumi got along..."
"Yea...It was pretty great..." Aang yawned, rubbing at his eyes as he stabbed his fork into a piece of broccoli.
"So...Like, Gyatso – they named that building after him."
"Heh. Y-yea, they did..."
"Frick. You're like, all connected to this school, huh?"
"Yea...Well, it's...-"
"Shit, what time is it?" Jane grumbled with a sudden start, her eyes popping open. She leaned forward and dug her phone out. "Argh, damnit. I've got class in a few minutes..." She scratched at her forehead feverishly.
"Oh." Aang nodded.
"I'm sorry," Jane huffed with an apologetic look. "I don't mean to-"
"No, no, it's OK..."
"We should meet again, though. Seriously."
"Right."
"Maybe again tomorrow?"
"Er, y-yea, that's fine."
"'Kay." Jane was rushing up to her feet and stacked her dishes together. "Peace!"
"Later!"
Aang sat alone now, poking at his vegetables as his mood dipped back into one of somber regret. It was therapeutic to be explaining this to his friend, but painful at the same time, to be reminding himself of the past.
[From: Zuko Kurosawa]
[Subject: Operation Unite]
[Hello, Aang,]
[President Bumi has assigned me with a very complex task, and I'm going to need a lot of help. He suggested I contact you - I get the impression you know each other? I need someone with a strong sense of visual design to help me get this project off the ground. I'm not exactly sure what he had in mind, but the President specifically recommended you. It's a bit complicated to explain, so it'd be easiest if we met up, and you could let me know if you're interested. I'm sure you're very busy with the start of the new semester, but you would be getting monetary compensation from the college for your work.]
[Please give me a call and we can arrange a time to meet. I really think you'd like working on this with me.]
[Respectfully Yours,]
[Zuko Kurosawa]
[Student President, Saint Roku University]
[Reply]
[To: Zuko Kurosawa]
[Subject: RE: Operation Unite]
[hey zuko. sure. i can meet you sometime and we can talk about it,. :) sounds mystrious...is it secret or something? i will call tomorrow. good nite!]
- Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 -
Aang rubbed at his aching eyes as he stumbled out of class. He wiped his nose with his sleeve – it was suffering from runniness every now and again, and was quite irritating, but not as much so as the class he had just been in. The professor's demeanor was brutish and hostile compared to what he had grown accustomed to. Maybe he was just a mean, grouchy old man? After all, the guy had a couple grizzly scars across his face. Yeesh. Aang cringed at the thought of what could've caused them. The rumors he'd heard from some classmates entailed that the professor had been a veteran in Vietnam...But could that really be true?
"It's totally legit," Jane confirmed to Aang in the lunch line as they gathered their meals together.
"R-really?" Aang was shocked at the boldness with which Jane declared it. Not even a moment's hesitation.
"Professor Jeong, right?"
"Mm-hm."
"Yea, he definitely was in the war..."
"No kidding?"
"Tch. No kidding," Jane groaned, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Aang. The guy who ran my ROTC training? General Zhao? He was in the army with Jeong. Jeong was his commanding officer."
"Whaaaat?"
"I know, right?"
Aang was befuddled by this notion. Jane wouldn't make something like that up...She could make things up. She had been known to in the past, according to his intuition and observation. But why would she spew nonsense about a professor? It had to be true...
"Just...so weird," Aang concluded, filling his drink.
"I guess..." Jane shrugged off the topic. It seemed she had overcome any interest in it a while back. "So, ya gonna tell me what the hell happened with your family, or...-?"
"Oh, right! Yea, yea...Of course...Here, let's, uh...-" Aang grabbed his plate and meandered into the cafeteria's dining area, finding solace at an empty booth. Aang liked booths – preferred them to tables, every time. They were comforting.
Aang coughed, his throat packed full of mucus. He truly wasn't feeling too pleasant.
"Today goin' better than yesterday, man?"
"Oh, erm...-" Aang shrugged.
"That's a 'no,' then."
"Heh..." Aang gave Jane a sheepish shrug, taking a drink of milk as she chowed down into her seafood salad.
"You sick?"
"I, uh...guess so. That first Calc class seemed pretty rough, too...Anyway, how are you doing?"
"Well, my classes seem like they'll be good. I'm taking one on insect biology – it's gonna fucking rock."
"Oh, cool. Yea, 'cuz you love, like...bees...and, uh...-"
"Hey, hey, I love bees, but they're not the only cool insect."
"Haha. OK, OK...Well, that's great for you, then."
"Totally. Now, ehh...all I gotta do is figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do with all of this crap I'm learning."
Aang sighed and drank some more.
"With this economy, I feel like we're all doomed to be lost in debt forever."
"Fuckin' eh, I hear that..." Jane groaned in forboding. She quickly shook off this depressing thought. "Enough shootin' the shit, though. C'mon, Little Man: tell me the rest of your story."
"Don't call me that," Aang flatly advised. Jane's expression went pale as she blinked a few times, stunned at his defensive tone.
"Y-yea, sure...Fair enough," she dismissed. "Sorry, I didn't...-"
"It's OK." Aang sniffled, staring down at his meal, his hunger great.
Jane tapped her fork on her plate, trying to figure out a way to redeem the energy of the interaction.
"Sooo...Back to you and the old guy...?"
"Right. So I grew up with Gyatso for a while..."
"Aang needs to have freedom and fun. He needs to grow up as a normal boy," Gyatso defended.
"You cannot keep protecting him from what has happened," said his brother vehemently.
"Gyatso," sighed the man in the suit, setting his suitcase on the table. "I know you mean well, but you are letting your affection for the boy cloud your judgment."
"All I want," Gyatso insisted with a rational calm, "is what is best for him."
"I understand that," said the lawyer, nodding politely as he tipped up his glasses. "But circumstances, as they are, have limited our options..."
"So, what are you proposing?" wondered the protective grandfather.
"As I said...we only have a few options here. Some different members of the Leekpai family have stepped forth to claim custody."
"Gyatso," added the crusty, crotchety man at his side. "You are too old, my brother...Aang needs someone who can be depended on in an emergency, who has the strength to care for a growing boy. Aang will be twelve soon."
Gyatso puffed out a deep, contemplative breath, drumming his fingers against the table.
"If we don't let a Leekpai family member take custody, your grandson is going to be given up to the system, Gyatso. Foster care. Is that really what you want?"
"I suppose I really have no choice, then...You're right."
Gyatso's brother nudged him and nodded.
"The family reunion is in two weeks, isn't it? You can let Aang spend time with each candidate, and let him decide what is best."
"Very well," Gyatso accepted the terms laid out with a peaceful but melancholic demeanor. "I will explain the situation to Aang when the time is right."
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine Ten.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
In.
Out.
Aang opened his eyes.
His muscles were relaxed, his mind felt cleaned.
Gyatso sat before him, legs crossed, eyes closed. He had tanned, wrinkled skin, his once-strong muscles beginning to deteriorate. Lately, Aang was beginning to worry about the man's health. Fortunately, with his lifestyle, he seemed to keep active and eat healthy and lean, but no amount of greens and exercise could hold back the hands of time.
Time. Aang did not know how much time had passed since he had begun. Probably not very much – it was hard to maintain his focus today. He quietly rose to his feet, stretching out his limbs. The small temple was empty at the moment, meaning the others who had been present when Aang had started his meditation had filtered out.
Aang had grown to appreciate this small temple like a second home. His grandfather had been managing it with his brother for a couple of decades, now. Their small, community temple, "Winds of the South," saw a fairly consistent crowd of participants, primarily elderly folk.
"Does something trouble you, Aang?" Aang didn't understand how he was this way, but Gyatso seemed to always speak with a carefree, optimistic tone, each sentence slow and relaxed.
"Oh, uhh...No, I just...think I'm done."
"I see. How do you know you are done?"
"I-...Wait, what?"
"You said that you think you are done. Clearly, then, you do not know that you are."
"Er...-"
Gyatso continued to speak, eyes still closed, hands still curved into his meditation stance.
"Perhaps you should try to meditate some more. In doing so, perhaps you will come to a more resolute decision."
"O-OK..." Aang sighed and sat back down. What was Gyatso getting at? He sucked in a deep breath and attempted to return to his zen state.
In. Out. In. Out.
One. Two. Three. Four. Argh. Leg falling asleep.
Darnit.
"Ech...Yes, I know I am done for today..."
"Good. Very good."
"Huh? Didn't you want me to...meditate more?"
"Haha, why would I want you to do that which you do not desire?"
"Uhh...-?"
"Aang, I was merely illustrating that you cannot give up on something until you know that it is what is in your heart. It is wise to give something a second chance before you dismiss it. But some things must come to an end sooner than others."
"All right..." Well, at least that made enough sense. "But...What if I know right away? The first time?"
"Then you know. Act on what you know to be the best path for yourself, not on what you think. The mind is a powerful tool, certainly. But, given too much power, and it can make things more complex than they truly are."
"Hm..." Aang scratched his head, nodding to himself.
Gyatso opened his wrinkled eyelids at last and smirked slyly.
"Sometimes, Aang...it is best to not let the mind make all of life's decisions for you. The winds across this earth do not adhere to soley linear pathways. They alter the flow of weather every day."
"But...If I were to be like...air...all the time...then how could I be grounded? How could I ever make good choices?"
"Haha, that is precisely why I said 'sometimes,' my child...Just as the planets itself is composed of different elements, so, too, should you build yourself from different experiences. Rounded and balanced – that is what true virtue requires."
"Hm...I think I get what you mean," Aang decided, considering his grandfather's advice with great care. "Uhh...I'm gonna...go make some tea...You want some?"
"I think I do," said Gyatso.
Aang nodded and took a step, only to freeze in realization and turn his head to see the old man's grin.
"No! I won't do it," cried the young Aang, his face flushed with anger, tears building. "They can't take you away from me, Gyatso..."
"We will still see each other, Aang. Have no fear."
"No! You're my grandpa! They can't just do that!"
"I am an old man, my child. I know it is difficult to understand, but I cannot take care of you like I used to."
"I don't care! I can take care of you!" Aang pleaded with desperation. He stamped his untied sneaker into the grass. The park was chilled, the skies cloudy and gray. Leekpai family members were spread across their reserved section of the park, some meditating off in a clean patch of grass, others making the final preparations for dinner.
"This is wrong," Aang grumbled, his lips quivering as he pounded his foot again. He crossed his arms as his face went sour. "Everyone keeps leaving..."
"Aang," said Gyatso. "Do not say such things. I will never leave you."
"They left...Mom and Dad just...went away and left me." The tears began rolling, Aang's arms still folded across his chest with anguish. Gyatso knelt down, his knees cracking, his back aching, and leaned forward, hugging his grandson.
"I know, Aang. And I am sorry. But we can't concern ourselves with what was. We must act on what is."
Aang's wide eyes stared up at the bus with childish wonder and fear. This vehicle would take him away with them. With these strange people - his 'family.' But Aang only knew of one person who truly felt like family: Gyatso. Aang understood what getting on this bus meant: his last time under Gyatso's care. After this ride was over, he wouldn't be living with Grandpa anymore - of this, he was certain. What could he do to prevent this fate? Even if only to extend his freedom - his time with the one person who seemed to truly care about him - was there anything he could do?
The engine whirred in that long, obnoxious way he had grown to loathe from riding to school. The raindrops, at least, dulled the vehicle's irritating grumbles. The plethora of strangers around him were weaving all around him, filtering onto the bus, all trying to squeeze into the single doorway at the front. A few curious faces stared down at him as they passed by. He didn't want to be with these people. He clutched his umbrella tightly.
There had to be something he could do. Anything to stall for time, to avoid these bizarre people. Lightning cracked the sky in two, and thunder rippled across the drenched park.
He could run away. He could hide – not get on. Grandpa Gyatso was already asleep on the bus – the poor man had been tuckered out from the events of the day. Aang had overheard that they were running late, too, and many of the family members had to catch a plane back home.
Perhaps they wouldn't notice if he simply...didn't get on? Then Gyatso would have to come back, on his own, after everyone from that bus was gone. Right. Yea. This would work. And then they'd all realize he was serious...
Aang carefully wormed his way out of the line, sneaking back to the structure that they had occupied that afternoon. His heart raced as he trampled through the wet rain, sneakers soaked, pants stained with grass. He found relief from the rain underneath the open shelter. It was filled with picnic tables, and he hid himself beneath one that was tucked in a corner beside a short stone wall. He waited a couple minutes with baited breath. Eventually, he could hear someone squishing toward him.
"-...thought I saw him head off this way..."
Aang didn't recognize the voice – all of these relatives seemed to blur together in his mind.
"See him?" asked a more distant voice.
"Nah. He probably just needed to grab something he forgot...Nope. Nobody in here."
"Probably got back on already. C'mon, we gotta head out, we're running behind schedule."
Another moment later and the whirring of the bus ramped up. It was moving. It rumbled along, and Aang waited for the sound to fizzle away into the rain. He poked his head up over the small stone barrier that he had hid behind. The bus was already out of sight, somewhere on the road inbetween thick forest trees.
"Woohoo!" he cried in triumph, thoroughly pleased that he had tricked them all. Now Gyatso would have to come back.
Aang peered with caution down the cliff's face. And there it was. He could make out the shape at the bottom...
"Whoa, there, Kiddo," cried the man behind him. Aang's shoulders were grabbed and he was yanked away from the edge. "Better watch out, there, OK?"
"Y-yes, Sir..." Aang nodded to the police officer, still in shock from it all. Aang turned around, away from the edge of the road, to observe the dented minivan. The cracked windshield on the driver's side was smeared with maroon, the seat empty.
"Dear God," murmured the park ranger that had found Aang earlier that evening. "What...happened here?" he asked of the officer, taking a deep breath through his nose and wiping sweat from his mustache.
"Rainstorm got pretty heavy," the officer shrugged, shaking his head. He stretched out his arm, arcing it along the sharp curve in the road. "This is a nasty turn, too. Rain-slick road, bus driver was probably going faster than he should've...driver of the minivan was definitely going faster than he should have...-" The policeman smacked his palms together. "Bam. Bus swerves out, they slam the brakes...everyone takes a tumble down the cliff."
"Lord," sighed the ranger, adjusting his hat's brim. He exchanged solemn glances with Aang before directing his attention back to the official. "Any survivors?"
The officer shrugged, sucking in air between his teeth.
"No idea. Saw them take a few live ones outta the wreckage, but...they didn't look so good."
"Jesus..." The ranger stuffed his hands in his pockets, staring at the pavement for a few seconds. "Well..." He nodded his head toward Aang, who shivered from the damp night air as a gust of wind swept by. "What about the boy, here? We've gotta get a hold of his next of kin."
Aang swallowed hard as he considered the night's events. Was Gyatso OK? It was possible...The policeman had said they had gotten a few out...
But Aang's hope quickly disintegrated as the blood-stained car glared his way, a reminder of the impact. The edge of the hill had been pretty steep, and from what Aang had made out of the bus' rubble...it had been really bad. Grandpa Gyatso had been wheezing and wobbling just to get around, let alone endure...that. Aang's young but sharp mind rapidly pieced together the probable situation he was now caught in.
Grandpa Gyatso was dead. The Leekpai family – including anyone who had been trying to take custody of him – was also dead. A single evening had changed everything. Save for a few, distant figures...Aang was now alone.
The boy was jolted from his melancholy by a firm hand from the police officer.
"I'm sorry, Kid. I don't know what to say, but...it's a miracle you're alive. If you ask me, somebody upstairs was looking out for you..."
Why couldn't that 'someone' have been looking out for Gyatso, then? Or any of the others?
"I will never leave you."
You lied, Gyatso. You're gone. Everyone always leaves...eventually.
Aang burped, his food finally finished. He took a deep breath and glanced across the table.
"And, uhh...Yea," he awkwardly concluded. "That's how I ended up in foster care."
Jane was slack-jawed, her food only half-eaten. She came around and went about eating some of her meal, processing everything she'd been told.
"Shit," she breathed out between bites. "That's-..." She shook her head, chewing. "I dunno, man. Just...damn."
"Heh. Y-yea, I get that from people..." Aang shrugged. "It is what it is."
"But you're, like...so nice."
Aang laughed at this. Everyone always said that.
"I'm sorry, dude," Jane went on. "Seems like we've all got skeletons in our closet, huh?"
"Yea..."
"But, so...how did you end up here, then?"
Aang swallowed, his face beginning to boil. He bobbed his head, cocking his cap's brim to cover his eyes.
"It's...W-well, so I was put into foster care..."
"Yea?"
"And, uhh...I got kinda passed around through the system a bit."
"Mm." Jane grimaced at the idea, seeing Aang's prior turmoils spilling out into his expression. "You got abused, huh?" she muttered in recognition.
Aang sighed and gave a gentle nod, still avoiding Jane's concerned glance.
"Dude. It's cool," Jane firmly assured, bending her neck down to try and peer underneath Aang's hat. "I've been there, man. I know how it goes..."
"What happened to you?" Aang mumbled, finally establishing eye contact once again.
The two of them exchanged wary looks, eyes hardened from the memories they both carried with them.
"Hey. Whoa, there, Cowboy. Can't go...drawin' your gun on me when I've got mine to your face."
"...Huh?"
"Pff." Jane exploded a laugh through her lips. "I dunno. Just...finish your story first, Bucko. Then we'll move on to me."
The beautiful campus was empty on that spring morning. The past few months had been a blur. Aang had rushed to complete the last of his high school curriculum, and his old friend Bumi had pushed him into applying for the college he had recently taken up presidency at. Over the years, Bumi, the wily old man, had been one of the few figures who had maintained contact with Aang. Fresh from high school and now of legal age to be free from the foster care system, Aang was quickly growing excited about the changes life had in store. For once, he would be in charge of his day-to-day business – where he slept, what he did on the weekends, who he lived with, what he ate...The possibilities bewildered him.
Seeing the campus for the first time was refreshing. This place would soon be his new home. The open grass, the periodic trees, the forests and foothills in the distance...It was glorious.
"So...What's that building right there?" Aang wondered, jabbing a finger to the structure at the center of the circular sidewalk.
"That's the Avatar Campus Center, m'Lad," said Bumi with a snorting chuckle. "The cafeteria, the coffee shop, the student lounges...They're all inside."
"Ah. So it's...kind of like a hub? Or something?"
"Precisely. A place open to all students, faculty, and visitors alike."
"That's pretty cool..."
A bronze statue of an elderly man with a robe and a long beard stood at the base of the stairs leading to the entrance. His eyes were fierce and defined, and the pattern of a dragon was carved into the stone at his feet, circling his metallic form in a ring.
"Who's this guy?"
"Ahhhh..." Bumi grinned tapping his forehead knowingly. "That's old Roku."
"Oh, like...the name of the college."
"My, aren't we sharp as a tack?" chortled Bumi, slapping Aang's shoulder.
"Well...but...who was he?"
"The statue? Or the saint?"
"Huh?"
"The statue is made in the likeness of the college's founder, Miyazaki Roku, a descendent of Saint Roku - the guy they named the school after."
"Miyazaki Roku?"
"He was a great man, I understand."
Aang inspected the statue, seeing the metal plate at its base.
[MIYAZAKI ROKU]
[Heart of the Dragon]
"The college had that statue built in his honor when he passed away."
"Really cool..." Aang rubbed his hand along the etched dragon pattern. "And then...-" Aang turned away from the metal man to set his sights on the academic building in the distance. "So...that over there...?"
"That's the Gyatso Center. Mmm-hm." Bumi nodded proudly. "Named it after your grandpappy, they did."
"How come? I mean, I know he used to teach art courses here a long time ago, but..."
"Gyatso was a prominent figure here at SRU back in the day. He pushed for a lot of changes that have stuck ever since – like building a chapel down beneath the auditorium, freeing up the regulations a bit, and he ran a lot of community service projects that helped get Wayward on its feet after the Great Depression."
"Oh. Wow. He...never told me about all that..."
"Gyatso was a humble man...I think he was kind of embarrassed when they named the building in his honor."
"Hm..." Aang's mind was feeling a bit blown by all of this. This whole time, his grandfather had been a respected figure at this school, and he'd never known. And now Bumi, his friend, was in charge of the administration.
"Now, then. With all that hullabaloo taken care of...-" Bumi's eye twinkled and he pulled out an envelope from his pocket. "-...it's time to show you why I brought you here today."
"What is it?" Aang peered at the envelope, confused but excited. He took the paper from the old man's hand. It had a wax seal stuck into its back with the college's logo embedded in it – a downward arrow.
{Aang Leekpai}
"What is it?" Aang repeated, his face turning pink.
"It's something you've earned, Aang. You've had a hard time of it over the years, and I'm sorry I haven't always been able to be there for you."
"N-no, Bumi, it's...it's OK, I...-"
"But despite all the adversity you've faced, you've risen above it. You got straight A's in high school. You put in volunteer work constantly."
"Ha. That...that wasn't a big deal."
"It may not seem like it – because I've come to know that it's simply who you are – but most people with your upbringing simply don't have the courage and kindness that you've grown into, m'boy. And it's the ones like you, Kiddo, that I think we should put our hopes in for a better future."
Aang was bashful, unsure of how to react to these compliments. He was almost afraid to open the pristine envelope, but Bumi explained the details.
"When Roku founded this school, he built it on the idea that greatness hides in each of us. That the world doesn't make us who we are – we do. He believed that the grace of gods could reside on the earth through us if we made the right decisions. It was in that spirit that he named the building at the center of campus the 'Avatar.' The arrow that symbolizes this school represents the idea of not looking upward and outward, but inward. Inside yourself."
"Oh...So...That's why it points down, instead of up? Because it means, like...how we should...look back to go forward?"
"Heheheh...Something like that. So, what you'll find in that envelope is a scholarship that Roku put together before he died. Every so often, an incoming student who has illustrated the ability to rise up through harsh times is given this. It may not be the most financially beneficial aid, but it will certainly help – and it's more about the recognition than the money. The Avatar Scholarship exists to honor the hard work kids like you put into being everything you can be."
"Whoa...I-I don't know what to say..."
"Pheh. Then don't say a word, Lad!"
Bumi put his arm across Aang's shoulder and squeezed tight.
"A few more months and the crazy journey will begin. Gahahah. It's quite a treat to have you coming to this school, Aang. You'll do some great things here, I'm sure of that. But...Now that all this serious business is taken care of, I think it's time we paid a visit to the old amusement park and give those roller coasters a ride, for old time's sake."
"That sounds good to me!"
"Let's get in my Porsche and see how far we can get if I steer with just my chin."
"Whaa?"
"Shit-balls, Aang," Jane lauded, rubbing her hand through her hair in awe. "That's...awesome. No wonder you seem to care so much about this place. Heh."
"Yea, it's...got a lot of personal meaning for me," Aang concluded.
"You do a good job at, like...hiding it."
"What do you mean?"
"How you're all, like...connected to these old dudes, and stuff. Like, other people would totally brag about it, and whatever."
"I don't want to rely on my ties to people to do well here. I want to get good grades, and...make a difference because of me, because of my own choices."
"Damn straight. Sounds like a plan to me!" Jane stuck out her fist, and Aang bumped his knuckles against hers.
"But yea, so...Now you know a bit about me. So...what about you, Jane?"
- Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 -
"Wow, seriously?" Aang was excited but nervous at the same time.
"Yea, I'm...pretty pumped," Zuko admitted with a nod, straightening his button-down collar. "So...you're in?"
"Oh, totally, it's...really neat-sounding. I'm just...worried if I'll be able to handle it on top of school, and...everything else."
"Well, for right now, you can take it easy. We need to do some reconstruction on the place first, and until then, we won't really physically need you there. For now, I'd say, just...Well, how about this? It's...what – Wednesday? Sometime before Monday, why don't you try sending me some of your concepts, and we'll go from there."
"Sure, I, uh...Yea. I can do that."
"Great!" Zuko extended his arm and Aang accepted his firm, rigid handshake.
"Cool." Aang nodded in compliance, his mind already trickling out some designs. "Sooo...I guess I'll get back to you about it later this weekend."
"All right. Looking forward to working with you, Aang."
"Yea. You, too."
"Have a good day!"
"Yup. Bye!"
As Aang exited the Student Government office and made his way across campus under the gray skies of late winter, he tried to absorb his schedule for the week. He was still in a state of illness, which was coming and going depending on the hour, he had Pottery homework he needed to get started on, Calculus homework he'd been neglecting, some reading he wanted to get done, he was behind on e-mails, and now this project with Zuko...Urgh. His brain felt like bursting. Gah, and he had a shift at Aero's snack desk, too...
Rrrrmmm.
[Calling...]
[Toph]
Aaggghh...
Toph. In all of the insanity of the first week, he had been keeping Toph at a distance, his mind mulling over the situation. It had to be dealt with, as well, on top of everything else.
"Hey...What's up?" Aang asked in a rushed, tired tone.
["Umm...Don't sound so happy, Twinkle-Toes,"] Toph grumbled. ["I was just callin' 'cuz we haven't...like...done...anything. Lately. Are you seriously that busy?"]
"Yes, I am seriously that busy right now," Aang whimpered, his throat sore as he inhaled the bitter air. He choked out a cough.
["Aw. C'mon, Sicky, don't be such a downer. Come to the dorm, Katara's gonna make some soup. That oughtta help."]
"Augh, I...Toph, I just can't tonight..."
["...Are you OK? What's going on?"]
"N-nothing, it's...just that I have a lot on my plate right now, and I'm...sick, and I really need to get some work done tonight and go to bed early..."
["Erm...Well...Fine. Whatever ya want, then..."] Aang could detect the sting of rejection in Toph's brutish tone. ["I was just offering."]
"Sorry...I'm...I'm really sorry, Toph."
["Nah, it's OK. Don't worry about it, just...do whatever ya gotta do. Can we at least have lunch tomorrow? You've been eating with Janey, which is cool and all, but...-"
"No, yea, totally. We'll get lunch together."
["A'ight. So...If ya change your mind, we'll be here all night."]
"Uhh...Sure..." Aang blasted out a sneeze which was accompanied by a groan.
["Chill out, Sicky, take it easy. Drink some...orange juice, or something. I dunno. Take some medicine?"]
Aang smiled weakly at Toph's feeble attempt to express concern.
"Yea, I'll..get right on that. Anyway, uh...Love you."
["Have a good night, Twinkles."]
"Yea...You, too."
Aang huffed out a sigh as he closed his phone, his hand numb from holding it up to his ear in the icy breeze. His throat was raw, his eyes were tired, his back was stiff...his mind was packed full of anxiety. This wasn't the start of the new year he had been hoping for, and dredging up memories of his past on top of this exhaustion was making him feel depressed.
But I can't concern myself with what was. I need to act on what is. Right, Gyatso? But...how am I supposed to do that when what is happens to be...so much?
A/N:
SHRINE OF THE SILVER MONKEY!
Youtube(dot)com/watch?v=s8ZUOJApfL0
This chapter has a LOT of direct quotes and references to certain episodes of the show, specifically "The Storm," "The Southern Air Temple," and "The King of Omashu."
