It was hot and dry, the air making my mouth feel like a barren desert. We all walked with our heads bowed though I was pushing Teo's wheelchair for him so that he could rest and I also had The Duke on my shoulders, catching a lift as I'd grown tired of all the complaining of aching legs and feet. Inwardly I was a little excited, we were going to the Western Air Temple after all, my second favourite temple due to its stunning architecture and vast library which I intended to raid and study the moment I got there.
"This is humiliating." Katara announced loudly, rubbing her brow as the heat continued to blaze down on us all.
"Do you mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?" Her brother asked unhelpfully, making Katara shoot him a filthy look.
"Both."
"Sorry guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people." Aang said in a rather cheerful tone as he scratched Appa's face lovingly. The others began to talk about the troops we'd left behind, everyone thinking about their family and missing them dearly. Rubbing my face I did not pay attention to the conversation until I heard Toph exclaim that we were there. Instantly I was on full alert, smile blossoming on my face.
"Really? Wow I can't believe it! It's been so long since I've been here and this time, I can actually fly!" I breathed as I looked to my staff which Teo was holding for me. "You fancy taking a tour through the skies Teo? I can tell you all about the temple if you like."
"Sure!"
"Uh…guys?" Katara spoke, waving a hand to catch my attention as she frowned. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself a little, I can't see a temple anywhere. Does Toph need to get her feet checked?" She asked and I laughed lightly at her confusion, realising that these guys don't know why this temple was so special.
"Toph isn't wrong, Katara, you just can't see the temple." I explained to her before I pointed at the ground. "It's underneath us, hanging off the side of the cliff." Everyone's jaws dropped as I smiled proudly over to Aang who nodded his head and got everyone back onto Appa who carried us down whilst I flew by his side, gliding down to the temple which was built as if it were upside down, a marvellous structure of ingenuity that had lasted for hundreds of years. When I landed I spun around with open arms, revelling in the sense of coming home.
"Wow, this place is amazing." Katara breathed as everyone stared in awe. This temple used to be the jewel of pride for my people, a place where Air Nomads from all four corners of the world would come to learn and find enlightenment. Back in the day, there would be airbenders soaring through the skies and children everywhere, studying under their masters or playing happily whilst the elders meditated in peace.
"It's so different from the Northern Air Temple. I wonder if there are any secret rooms." Teo wondered as I helped him get down off of Appa then placed him back in his wheelchair. "Are there any secret rooms Thyra? Will you give me that tour please?"
"Sure thing Teo and yes, there are plenty of secret rooms but unfortunately I don't think there is anything interesting inside. You see, this temple was dedicated to the study of…"
"Thyra? Would you come over here a minute? We need to talk about some things." Katara called me over whilst keeping a grip on Aang's shoulder to keep him from escaping. Pausing a moment I looked down to Teo to ask if it was okay and he assured me it was fine and that we could have a tour later so I ruffled his hair and left him with Haru and The Duke, walking over to the others who were all gathering. "We need to decide what we're going to do now and since you're the Avatar, Aang, maybe you should be a part of this." My brother looked less than happy about this, putting his staff down and sitting down upon a rock with a pouting expression.
"Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?"
"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan. You just need to master all four elements, and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes." Sokka reasoned and to be honest, it wasn't a bad idea. Once Aang learns all four elements and masters the Avatar state, he'll be a fully recognised Avatar, the youngest one ever. He was only twelve, after all.
"Oh, yeah, that's great. No problem, I'll just do that." Aang responded sarcastically so I punched him On the shoulder.
"Say that again with your usual optimism and enthusiasm and zero of the attitude, if you don't mind." I scolded him firmly and he flinched a little guiltily before mumbling an apology. What is wrong with him today? Only moments ago he was excited as I was but now it was like someone had just thrown away all his sticky dumplings.
"Aang, no one said it's going to be easy." Katara reasoned a little more gently whilst I continued to stand with my arms folded across my chest.
"Well, it's not even going to be possible. Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?" Aang responded in a similar tone to before and my eyes instantly narrowed at him. He may be the Avatar but I can still give him a butt kicking as his big sister.
"We could look for Jeong-Jeong?"
"Yeah right, like we'll ever run into Jeong-Jeong again." Sighing in defeat Aang stood up and grabbed his glider. "Oh well, guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" He suggested then ran off before any of us could argue with him. The only time my brother actively ran away from something was when he was genuinely scared of something or felt too pressured. Could the pressure be getting to him again? I hope this doesn't mean he's going to be having nightmares again.
"There's got to be someone who can teach him firebending." Sokka tried to think and then suddenly it hit me.
"What about Iroh?" I suggested and all eyes turned on me. "He's one of the best, if not the best firebender alive today, and he's definitely not on his brother's side. If we find him I know he'd be willing to teach Aang how to firebend. I trust him, I know he'd help us." Everyone suddenly smiled and leaped on me, throwing their arms about me in a tight hug which squeezed the life from my lungs.
"You're a genius Thyra! Wait, didn't you say Iroh got captured by Zuko and Azula back in Ba Sing Se?" Sokka questioned and I smacked a hand to my face. Of course, that meant Iroh would be locked up in the most secure prisons in the Fire Nation, wherever that is. "If he's in prison then he could be anywhere. Plus, it would be near impossible to get him out. Is it worth a shot?"
"It can't hurt to do some information gathering." Toph rationalised before folding her arms and grinning. "I like the guy, so if he's stuck in prison then you can count me in to bust him out." We tried to think of other safer alternatives but nothing came to mind. Our options were to hunt down Jeong-Jeong or to spring Iroh from prison. I'm not liking our chances too much. Sokka, Toph and Katara went after Aang to try and get him to talk again whilst I began to set up camp, gathering firewood to make a fire so that we could start making food. We didn't have much so we'd have to make a trip out to find more.
Whilst I walked I took my time to admire the familiar surroundings. It was strange, it had aged a hundred years but I remember it in its prime like it were only last month I had come to visit. Monk Gyatso had brought both Aang and I here to meditate and to learn more about air currents and glider techniques, well, more for Aang but he ensured to provide me with access to the entire library so that I could spend as much time as I wanted learning. I wanted to drop everything and explore but I knew everyone else would be hungry, so once I had a sizeable amount of firewood I carried it back to where everyone else was gathered, except for a few moments I did not register the tension in their faces until I passed the pillar that had obscured my view and revealed Zuko to be turning away. I froze.
Shock struck my blood and turned it to ice, making every muscle stiffen until it hurt. He almost walked away without noticing me, however one of the sticks dropped from my bundle and hit the ground, the loud clattering sound making everyone look towards me. Golden eyes turned and fixed themselves upon mine, making my heart jolt fiercely before all at once, my body, blood and mind roared like a dragon. Flinging the firewood aside I bellowed, thrusting out my hands and the air exploded around us, gale force winds bursting into existence which knocked Zuko flying backwards and the others had to quickly hide behind a rock wall to keep from being struck.
"You traitor!" My voice flared with my untold rage and pain, fists clenched as I towered before Zuko as he lay flat on his back, flinching in pain from where he'd been winded. "You coward! LIAR!" My hand rose upwards, preparing to strike him with a powerful slash of air that would have cut straight through him however two whips of water suddenly caught my arms and ripped them back, making my wrathful gaze turn to Katara and Aang who held me secure as Toph then earth bent a tomb around my lower half and pinned me in place. "AGH! LET ME GO!" Tears fell down my cheeks as I struggled and writhed, trying to free my arms however my brother and Katara kept hold of me, freezing the ice so that there was no way I could move.
"Run! Get out of here before she gets free!" Aang shouted to Zuko who stared at me from the ground, horrified at my sudden outburst, witnessing a side of me no one had ever seen before. Sokka had his arms around my waist, helping to keep me pinned as everyone else joined in as my struggling cracked the ice and the wind continued to rage, chipping away at the rocks before larger cracks began to emerge. He's not getting away from me, I'm going to make him pay for making me feel the way I do! It's what he deserves. "Go!" Taking my brother's order, Zuko fled from the temple as everyone held me down, my howls of rage echoing all around us until finally they diminished into sobs, shoulders wracking as I lost the strength to even stand.
Toph dropped the rocks and Katara caught me as I collapsed, Aang embracing me tightly as Sokka continued to help keep my body upright. "Thyra…what…what was that?" Katara asked me, still in shock as I continued to cry all the tears that I had kept pent up. The grief for my people, missing the figures of parents I did not remember, the agony of nearly losing Aang and the torture of not being able to fall out of love with the person who chose a path of destruction instead of redemption, leaving me behind. I let it all out, no longer keeping it in. "Were you carrying all this pain with you the whole time? Why didn't you tell us?" As I dropped into a crouch her hand began to stroke through my hair, everyone placing a hand on my back as each tear shed counted for one more regret or moment of pain in my life. I had many tears to shed.
By the time they were all spent I was exhausted, curled up on my side whereby Sokka had to carry me into the building we were using to sleep in, concerned and silently horrified expressions glancing between one another. I was placed down on a comfortable bedroll, Momo coming and curling up with me to keep me company as Aang then sat vigil over my sleeping body, not leaving my side the entire night as dark thoughts swirled around in my head, dragging me deeper into a state of despair until I felt like I would never see anything beautiful in the world ever again.