Aang insisted on seeing the library immediately. Every other question he had for the guru fled in his excitement over the survival of such an important cultural touchstone. The Eastern Air Temple was famed among Air Nomads for having the most extensive library of airbending texts in the world. Air Nomad lore held that some of the documents in the library even predated the founding of the temples.
Pathik led him out of the apartment then down and down spiraling stone staircases into what felt like the heart of the mountain and was indeed the heart of the temple. Momo soared ahead of the two humans, occasionally perching on the polished wooden handrail to wait for them to catch up.
The stairways must have wound close to the side of the mountain because regularly spaced windows illuminated their path. Aang closed his eyes in anguish when he noticed the shattered glass and burn marks on some of the casements. He looked closer at his surroundings then and realized what he wasn't seeing.
"Guru Pathik" Aang asked hesitantly "where are the bodies? Of the people who were killed here?"
Pathik paused in his descent and aimed a surprised look at the airbender. "I have been here for many years, Aang. In the first months I gathered what remains I could find. By the time I arrived, only bones were left so I thought it would be appropriate to burn them and scatter the ashes. Not exactly the custom of your people, but I could not reach the sky burial platforms."
Traditionally, stone platforms on the highest peaks around the temples received the bodies of Air Nomad dead. Once the elements and scavengers had picked the bones clean, a funeral pyre was built upon the platform. The wind then caught the ashes and carried them away. In death as in life, Air Nomads went where the wind carried them. Without airbending, Pathik had been unable to use the platforms but he had done his best. It was enough.
Aang bowed deeply in respect and gratitude. "Thank you, Guru Pathik, you did me and my people a great service."
Momo broke the solemn mood by alighting on Aang's shoulder and offered a long, chattering lemur remonstration for their delay. Aang and Pathik smiled and continued their descent.
On the lowest level, the stairway led into a grand chamber. Skylights that opened into higher chambers of the temple illuminated the space through a clever arrangement of mirrors. Glass-enclosed lanterns lined the walls so there could be light after darkness fell.
Towering shelves packed with scrolls and books stretched across the room in airily spaced rows. Motes of dust swirled lazily in the slanting light cast by the openings overhead. Aang examined the shelves nearest the entrance wonderingly while Pathik explained what he'd gleaned about the organization of the library.
"The scrolls on that first shelf list all the volumes within the library" Pathik explained. "This central room has everything about the Air Nomads. There are more rooms about the other nations off to the side. At the very back is a room dedicated to the Avatar cycle."
Even if he lived as long as Kyoshi, Aang knew he wouldn't have time to read everything contained in the library. He suddenly wished Sokka were there with him. Aang resolved to get the other boy into the library as soon as he could manage.
Aang wandered down a long aisle, running his hands across book spines and scroll edges. A grubby scroll poking out further than its fellows caught his eye. Carefully he withdrew it from the shelf and began to unfold it. When he saw the images on the page, though, he flushed furiously and stuffed it back onto the shelf without taking the time to roll it back up. Pathik, who had trailed behind, laughed merrily when he caught a glimpse of the scroll.
"You might wish to avoid this aisle for now, Aang" Pathik advised "everything down this row deals with" he paused and cleared his throat before finishing in a low tone "amorous pursuits."
He laughed harder when Aang blanched, then abruptly turned back the way they'd come. Momo hopped onto the protruding edge of the offending scroll and dislodged it from the shelf. It spilled onto the floor, taking the offended lemur with it. Spitting complaints, Momo raced to Aang and snatched at his pants. Aang glanced down at Momo, then over his pet's head at the rapidly uncoiling manuscript. He groaned in dismay. Reluctantly he turned back to undo the mess his pet made.
Pathik leaned against a shelf and watched with barely concealed mirth as the boy handled the paper like it might burn his fingers. But Aang had learned his lesson and made certain the scroll was securely furled and tucked neatly into place before rejoining Pathik.
With a flaming face Aang asked "Can you show me.." His voice squeaked and wavered before dropping back to his usual tone. He cleared his throat anxiously and continued "where to find anything about the Eastern Air Temple? If I'm going to restore this place, I should know everything I can about it first."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Though he located and read many books and scrolls about the temple in the following weeks, the one by Jinpa proved the most useful in aiding Aang's efforts at restoration. None of the other volumes contained as many illustrations, nor any as skillfully executed.
Jinpa's book lay open to an exquisitely rendered watercolor depicting the Eastern Air Temple at sunset. Aang inspected it closely, comparing the painting to the repairs he'd made on the highest tower. He resolutely didn't examine the parts of the image that made his heart ache—the air bison filling the skies and the diminutive figures on gliders-the life and joy of the temple. Squinting against the bright afternoon sun, he looked from the page to the spire. He wiped the sweat from his eyes. Only sweat. That was all.
Appa picked up on Aang's melancholy. He rose from the spot where he'd been dozing in the sun and shuffled toward his companion. When he reached Aang's side Appa delicately pressed his head against his friend's chest, then licked his face. Aang gave the delighted laugh that always made Appa feel that his heart had grown too big for his body.
Smiling and pushing the air bison away gently, Aang handed the book to Pathik and asked "What do you think? Did I get it right?"
Pathik sat nearby on the sunny terrace surrounding the base of one of the smaller buildings attached to the tower that Aang had spent the past weeks repairing. He'd watched in fascination while Aang used earthbending to replace the last damaged pieces of the building. Aang was dwarfed by the giant blocks of stone he'd maneuvered into place with seeming ease. Hearing about the power of the Avatar in tales and legends didn't quite prepare one for seeing that power in action Pathik mused to himself.
The three companions looked up toward the blue-tiled roof with its mellow golden trim. Pathik marveled at Aang's persistence in retrieving fallen tiles and carefully fitting them into gaps left in the original roof. Seeing the boy's small form gliding between the peaks as he searched out fallen debris had inspired Pathik to join his young friend's efforts. So he had walked along the flying bridges and swooping ramps of the temple these past few days with new eyes, collecting tiles and bits of broken stone to contribute to Aang's efforts. They had achieved amazing results, he acknowledged, looking from the painted image to the actual building.
Once again, it stood tall and gleaming white in the bright afternoon sunlight. The contrast between the restored tower and the surrounding dilapidated structures reinforced Pathik's awe at Aang's efforts.
"Yes, it looks just as it did when Master Jinpa painted it. Now, you must be tired after spending the entire morning lifting rocks. Come, let us have some lunch."
In the three weeks he'd spent at the Eastern Air Temple, Aang had settled into a routine. Every morning he worked at restoring this building, cleaning out debris and shoring up structures with earthbending, carefully replacing broken pieces when he could identify where they belonged. He harnessed the wind to sweep out the dust of a hundred years and bent water to scrub away ash and scorch marks left by the Fire Nation assault. Then, after a short break to share a midday meal with Pathik, he spent most of his afternoons exploring the library.
Aang ruffled the fur under Appa's chin. "Ready to go back down, buddy?"
Appa moaned agreement and Aang leapt onto the air bison's head, then leaned down and helped Pathik onto Appa's broad back. At first, Pathik had clearly found flying through the air on the bison unsettling, but he had become accustomed to the mode of travel over the past weeks. He smiled broadly when Appa rose into the air at Aang's "Yip, yip!"
Aang enjoyed the cool breeze and cleared his mind as Appa returned to the level of the temple where Pathik had made his home. He closed his eyes and imagined the air filled with other airbenders and bison. He sighed wistfully.
His focus shifted to the here and now when Appa landed. Pathik dismounted and opened the outer door to his apartment. The scent of a highly spiced vegetable stew drifted out and Aang's stomach responded to the delicious smell with a loud rumble. I feel like Sokka Aang thought to himself and wondered if he had been a bit unfair in his assessment of Sokka's insatiable appetite.
As though merely thinking the words 'insatiable appetite' had conjuring power, Momo scampered off the pallet where he'd lay curled dozing since he'd gorged himself on fruit at daybreak. Three days ago Pathik had insisted on creating the pallet for Aang to sleep on rather than allowing him to continue spending nights in the bison shelter with Appa. Though Aang rarely felt the cold, he knew Momo appreciated the warm bed as the outside temperatures trended cooler.
Guru Pathik chuckled and remarked "Well, it seems you are both ready for a meal. Let's wash up and then we will eat."
Aang happily dished the fragrant stew into simple earthenware bowls that brought his childhood with the monks of the Southern Air Temple forcibly to mind. Air Nomad pottery was similar at all the temples, it seemed—elegantly shaped, light, and unadorned. The subtle differences were no doubt due to the type of clay available in each region. The bowls he now handled were a rusty beige color while those he'd grown up using were pale as the moon.
Aang brought the two bowls to Pathik's table. Momo gave an offended sniff at Aang's dish, but was appeased when Aang fetched him an entire banana. Another crop had come in after the storm-destroyed one Pathik mentioned on his first day at the temple. So far, the guru had not prepared additional onion banana juice and Aang did not mourn its lack.
Aang related a story he remembered Gyatso telling about how the banana tree came to bear fruit year-round as he polished off his lunch and served himself a second helping, glancing quickly at Pathik to gauge if he seemed intrigued by the tale. He'd been delighted to rediscover the old legend in the library the previous day and nearly as delighted when he found Pathik did not know it.
Guru Pathik chuckled when Aang concluded the tale. They ate the remainder of the food in a companionable silence broken only by their laughter when Momo scampered across the table to steal bits of food from both their bowls.
Aang cleaned the dishes after the meal and was ready to head to the library when a screeching message bird glided in through the open window. Aang felt a moment's confusion before he recognized Jinsoku's counterpart, Sabi, with a sealed bamboo cylinder secured to one of his legs. Jinsoku herself was delivering a message back to the Fire Nation. Aang thanked the bird and untied the message tube. Sabi flew back to the window to perch on its sill as soon as he was unencumbered. Curiously, Aang pried the top off the tube and tipped it until a single piece of paper slid free.
He enjoyed a moment of anticipation before unrolling the page and quickly checking the signature. It was from Katara.
Aang's heart raced and blood rushed to his cheeks. He stared intently at her handwriting and found that merely seeing such a small reminder of Katara brought back his intense longing to hold her in his arms. Would he ever be able to think of her with simple friendship?
He darted a glance toward Pathik. Hesitantly, he said "Uh. I think I'll take this outside to read where the light is stronger."
The room had more than enough light to read by, but Aang wanted privacy while he read what Katara had written.Pathik nodded and waved him off wordlessly, but his eyes gleamed and he suppressed a smile at the boy's blush. Aang quickly exited Pathik's home and searched for a secluded place to sit. Tucking Katara's letter into his tunic, he unfolded his glider and launched himself toward a small terrace several stories up.
Aang settled onto the rough stones and pressed his back against the temple's outer wall. He took out his letter and began to read.
Dear Aang,
I can't believe you left without talking to me! I have only received one letter from you, so I don't know what last letter you're talking about. I doubt that there's anything you could explain on paper that would make me less irritated with you for leaving without me. I thought you were my best friend and you said goodbye to me in a speech given to an entire roomful of strangers!
You should know that everyone is mad at you for leaving that way. Everyone except Zuko, because he apparently knew you were leaving before the rest of us did. I had thought you and I were the closest of friends, and that if you chose only one person to share your plans with, it would be me. But no, it seems I have been supplanted by Zuko. And he believes you had good reasons. But I wait to hear those reasons from you.
Thank you for the beads, though - they're lovely. I am wearing them in my hair as I write this. Suki said they look nice on me.
But I won't be bribed with sweet gifts. I am still really angry at you.
My father and I are heading to the Northern Water Tribe this morning to convince Arnook to sign onto the peace treaty.
Don't bother writing back unless you have a very good explanation for leaving me.
Your (angry) friend,
Katara
Shame swamped him. He could easily picture Katara's angry face when she wrote these words. Why hadn't he realized that leaving so abruptly would hurt her feelings? She did care about him, if not in the same way that he loved her. Aang traced her name lightly with his fingertips as he mentally girded himself to recreate the letter that had gone astray.
What had happened to his first missive? He had given it directly to a servant who promised to get it to Katara. Had she delivered it to the wrong room? Had it slid under a piece of furniture? Had someone intercepted it out of some weird desire to probe into the Avatar's personal life? He cringed at the thought that another person might have read the words he'd written only for Katara's eyes.
Aang rose slowly, feeling years older than when he'd left the ground. He opened his glider and leaped off the edge of the platform, determined to try again to set things right between him and Katara.
A/N Thank you so much for sticking with me. My brain has sort of fallen apart this year, but I am intent on carving time to work on this story whenever it will allow me to. I appreciate everyone's continued interest and thoughtful comments so very much. Y'all are helping me piece things back together, if I'm not oversharing in saying so. Do those of you who also write find that the longer you go without updating a story, the more your brain tells you everything you've written in your latest update is garbage and you should probably never post again and simply disappear gracefully? Asking for a friend.
lalaanddiki OMG, this is such high praise! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Writing Zuko has given me so much more appreciation for his character and I'm elated that you think I'm doing him justice.
DIO39 Thank you so much! Sorry there's such a long wait just now between updates.
Wil02 Haha, yeah, Katara has no healthy sense of caution at all when she's angry. Thank you for the lovely comment!
Emberly32 I hope you found the update! I usually follow stories I don't want to miss so I get an email when they update, but totally understand if that's not something you want to do! Thank you for your kind comment And, yes, you absolutely should jump into the fray and write fanfiction between novels! Join us on the dark side!
Ashley Barbosa They are keeping in contact through letters, so yay? I know, I know, no break in the heartbreak just yet. But the next letter Katara gets is going to soften her up a lot. It won't be his rewrite of the first letter, but Katara is really going to love it.
Aanglovergirl Hah! Yeah, they were certainly bold to hook up with her dad on the way ;) We'll have to wait and see if Ukano gets a redemption arc.
Aangbanger Your comments always make me smile so much. Now, I'm off to read you latest chapter, which I've been dangling as the reward for me getting this one out! I can't WAIT!
hilmintonhamhigh Thank you! Sheesh, what is this writer thinking?! Someone needs to let Aang know about the assassination attempt on his friend! I can tell you one thing—Aang will definitely go rushing to Zuko's side when he hears about it.
Guest I hear and obey.