Katara liked to believe she was good at reading people. Perhaps it was because she was nosey, but she always felt like it was her duty to know what was going on with those around her.
And the Water Tribe girl knew something was up.
It was dawn: the sun had just begun to bloom over the horizon, filling the winter sky with various shades of orange and pink. The onyx of the night was fading away, and Katara leaned over the side of Appa's saddle, watching Aang twirl the reigns of the giant beast to lead the group towards their next destination, the Northern Air Temple.
That was normal.
What wasn't expected was the silence in the air.
She used to find silence calm and soothing, but now, she found it made her restless. For the past few weeks, her brother had been a lot less talkative, she noticed. However, Sokka was never silent. Until now.
Katara attributed it to the early morning air. Maybe her brother was just tired. But yet, she knew that wasn't true.
His arms were crossed, and he was sitting far away from the rest of the group. At first, Katara thought he was brooding. But after looking at his movements closely, he seemed less angry and more … anxious. Sokka was fidgeting with his boomerang, and every so often, the boy would bite the insides of his cheeks. His eyes rarely wandered, but Katara was surprised to see his gaze always fall upon Meili when they did.
The cloaked girl herself was harder to read, even without her cloak on. It was a rare moment where the girl's hood was off, but even then, her face was just as passive and expressionless as her typical demeanor.
For the past two days, Katara noticed that Meili was avoiding her brother. The waterbender wasn't too surprised. Her brother was annoying. But this fact, coupled with Sokka's actions, were… strange.
Oh yes, Katara knew something was up, but she just wasn't quite sure what.
"Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple," Aang spoke suddenly, drawing the waterbender from her thoughts. "This is where they had the championships for Sky Bison polo; I used to love watching those games."
Sokka's eyes looked up from the weapon in his hands. "Remember, we're just having a quick look. We don't want any more trouble."
"Like I said, if it looks dangerous, we won't land," Aang reassured.
Katara sighed, getting up from her spot at the head of the saddle and moving to sit next to Meili.
"Do you think we'll really find airbenders?" She said quietly. Meili's eyes moved to look at the girl.
"You want me to be like you, or totally honest?" Sokka answered instead.
Katara turned towards her brother dully. "I wasn't talking to you."
Sokka looked back down at his boomerang. "Good, because you wouldn't like my answer."
"How can you be so pessimistic?" Katara questioned. "That storyteller said people were flying. Flying is kind of a hard thing to fake."
"We've had people lie to us before, Princess," Meili muttered lowly.
"So, you both just think I'm stupid, huh?" Katara questioned angrily, crossing her arms.
Sokka shrugged. "You're just an optimist. Which is the same thing, basically."
The girl groaned into her hands. "You're unusually moody."
Ignoring the boy with a signature sister eye roll, Katara resumed her attention towards Meili. There was a stoic look on Meili's face, but the tension in her eyebrows was hinting that something was troubling her.
Katara always thought that she and Meili were quite different. Where the waterbender was expressive, Meili was not. Where Katara was inviting and welcoming, Meili was not. Where Katara was optimistic, Meili was not. The girl shook her head, finding it wild that the two girls seemed to get along.
Katara gently nudged the girl with her elbow, noting the warmth radiating from her arm.
"Is everything okay? You're a little quiet."
"I'm always quiet," Meili deadpanned. She was petting Momo, who was sitting in her lap.
Katara bit the inside of her cheek, "Well, I guess you're right. But it seems like there's something troubling you."
"I've just got a lot on my mind," Meili replied cryptically.
"If you need someone to talk to, you know you can always talk to me. That's what friends are for."
Meili's eyes grew distant. "Friends… hm, I guess so."
"I mean, wouldn't you like to talk to a girl? I know I would! Being around my brother so much is making me irritable."
Meili almost rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."
"Hey, guys!" Aang shouted suddenly. "Look at this!"
The group stopped their conversation just as a large building came into view. It looked to be a section of the Northern Air Temple. The structure was worn, but the architecture stood tall.
However, Katara was quick to notice something in the distance. "Look over there! Those really are airbenders!"
The group's gaze followed her outstretched finger, pointing in the direction of a few dark specs floating in the sky.
"Let's get a closer look!" Aang shouted excitedly, lurching the group forward with a flick of Appa's reigns.
The dawn clouds rolled past them quickly as Aang flew towards the group of flyers. But upon closer examination, he scowled and crossed his arms.
Sokka flung himself over to the edge of the saddle. "Wow, those guys really are flying!"
Aang shook his head. "No, they're not.
Meili looked over her shoulder, watching a boy sitting in an oddly shaped chair fly in loops across the red sky. "What's he doing then?"
"It looks like they're gliding maybe, but not flying. You can tell by the way they move that they're not airbending. Those people have no spirit."
Suddenly, three teens flew right above them, nearly hitting Sokka in the head and laughing as they passed.
"They seem pretty spirited to me," Sokka grumbled; however, his words fell upon deaf ears as Aang had jumped down into the fray with his glider.
Katara took ahold of Appa and landed the giant beast onto one of the courtyards below, mesmerized by the people swirling around the sky.
"It's kind of amazing," Meili spoke quietly, jerking her hood over her head. Momo climbed on top of her cowl. "Airbending is so beautiful.
Katara wistfully smiled as she saw Aang come twirling out from under a bridge, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "It kind of is."
"Alright, enough mushy business," Sokka interrupted. "We need to make sure that this place is safe."
As if on cue, Aang and the other flying children landed in the courtyard.
"Hey, you're a real airbender!" one kid spoke, the one sitting in the weird chair. "You must be the Avatar! That's amazing! I-I've heard stories about you!"
Aang rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Thanks."
"My name's Teo! My dad is the mastermind behind this whole place. We usually don't have too many visitors around here."
Meili cleared her throat. "We need to speak to your dad if he is the one running this place. We've been having a lot of bad run-ins lately, and we want to make sure that this place is safe."
Sokka ignored the girl and ran over to Teo's chair in quick haste. "Wow, this thing is so neat!"
Teo smirked, "If you think this is good, wait until you see the other stuff my dad designed!"
Sokka's face was excited, an emotion Katara hadn't seen on his face for a while. And as usual, he was jumping in headfirst without thinking about the weight of his actions.
"Sokka, didn't you just say that we need to be more careful?" Katara warned.
"How could anyone that has a flying chair be bad?" Sokka objected. "Besides, now I want to see all of the other cool things his dad has made!"
Meili grumbled. "Of course, he does."
"Well, I'll lead the way to my dad if you guys are interested. I know he would love to meet the Avatar!" Teo grinned.
Aang was hesitant, upset that the Northern Air Temple was yet another dead end to finding his people. Katara watched as Sokka followed giddily after the boy named Teo, who began rolling forward toward the inner part of the temple. Meili stood aloofly off to the side.
Katara placed a hand on Aang's shoulder, drawing the boy away from his melancholy thoughts. "Hey, let's go look at your people's history. I'm sure the monks had some beautiful architecture and artwork here."
Aang turned, his eyes falling upon the ocean blue orbs of the Water Tribe girl. "Thanks, Katara. This place was so beautiful. I came here once when I was younger, just a little while after choosing Appa as my sky bison. I thought it was just for fun, but I found out later it was because I was the Avatar."
The boy paused. "But… something feels… off."
"I know it can be uncomfortable seeing other people live here now, but just think about the great legacy the Air Nomads left behind," Katara said, trying to comfort him. "They've made everyone here love flying!"
Almost as if the lemur sensed his sadness, Momo flew from Meili's hood to the airbender's shoulder. He clicked and clacked, chattering at the monk. Aang smiled, ruffling the fur on top of Momo's head.
"Thanks, Momo. I guess the people here do love flying," Aang shrugged, flicking his glider closed. "Let's just follow after Teo."
The group of children trailed slowly behind Teo, taking in the sights of the courtyard before entering a giant building. As Teo opened the door, Aang's suspicions proved to be correct. They walked through a long corridor that now had pipes and machinery trailing along the stone walls.
Katara held his hand in comfort, giving the monk a small smile as they entered the main room. The vaulted ceilings were adorned in metal contraptions, connected by pipes running all along the walls. The machinery covered up a formal mural of an Air Nomad, and around it, the metal tubes were smashing into the walls haphazardly.
Sokka gasped in amazement, wasting no time in touching the machines littering the temple.
"My dad is the mastermind behind this whole place. Everything is powered by hot air," Teo explained. "It even pumps hot air currents outside to give us a lift while we're gliding."
Aang gripped Katara's hand tighter before letting go. The room was foggy, with hot steam bursting out from the pipes, making it hard to see. "This place is unbelievable."
Teo grinned. "It's amazing, isn't it?"
"No," Aang corrected. "Just unbelievable."
Aang walked away, not wanting to hear Katara's explanation for his troubles. There was a pang in his heart that he couldn't quite place, and the pipe-ridden room wasn't helping. He walked over to Meili, who admired a painted mural of Air Nomads and clouds the pipes didn't destroy.
"This is supposed to be the history of my people," the monk said softly. The cracks in the stone underneath of the paint made his spirit feel weak – almost as if part of his soul were breaking. The ancient airbender pendant draped around his neck felt heavy, like his soul was being dragged down. Then there was that energy again — that warm sort of glow that came from Meili.
He couldn't see her face, which was covered by her hood, but Aang briefly wondered if she could feel the spiritual pull, too.
"It's awful," Meili spoke, almost so low Aang couldn't hear. The girl's gaze turned toward an air bison statue with a fountain below it. The water was unkept, green, and blooming with algae. "If they were going to use this place, they could have at least respected the culture here from before."
"It's just…" Aang trailed off.
"Unbelievable?" Meili finished.
"Yeah," he whispered. "Unbelievable…"
Katara joined the two, putting a hand on Aang's shoulder once again. "I'm sure some parts of the temple are still the same. At the Southern Air Temple, you told Sokka and me that only airbenders could access some parts of the temple. Is that true for here?"
Aang's eyes lit up. "You're right! Thanks, Katara. At least I know there's one place that's still the same."
"We better join Ponytail and the flying-chair-boy because they're leaving," Meili interrupted, and Katara and Aang turned to see the boys walking down another hallway.
Katara was beginning to feel a little bit overwhelmed as they passed through another corridor teeming with machinery and metal. Something was already wrong with Sokka and Meili, and now she had to deal with Aang's sadness, too.
Maybe she could fix things once they left. Katara already knew that the temple's physical changes were draining Aang, so nothing she said now would help. But once they went and were on the way back to the Northern Water Tribe, Katara was sure she could bring his spirits up once again.
"Aang… he's hurting," Meili spoke lowly, breaking the silence. Katara looked to her left at the girl who had fallen into step with her.
"Yes, he is," Katara said.
She found it odd that Meili called the boy by his name instead of Avatar, and the apparent discomfort in Meili's voice showed that she herself found it odd too.
"Do you… do you think the spirits are hurting too?" Meili questioned, and the deep inquiry startled Katara.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, do you think that his Avatar connection is making this harder on him? Because the destruction of Air Nomad history must pain the spirits here, and he is the bridge between both worlds…"
Katara tapped her chin thoughtfully. The Water Tribe girl had never thought about the spiritual pains the boy must have been feeling. She looked forward at his small, twelve-year-old frame. He looked so tiny, frail – how could he deal with all those burdens?
She wanted to understand the boy better. She wanted to help him with his problems and heartaches. Katara wanted to care for him and make everything alright. With a sigh, she turned solemnly to the girl.
"I guess we'll never know."
The group of kids walked across a bridge to another section of the temple. To everyone's surprise, the room was well kept. It was a giant, circular, three-level room with no roof. The original walls and statues remained intact, and the ancient stonework was displayed on the railings enclosing each level.
"It's nice to know that there's another part of the temple that isn't ruined," Aang said, slightly relieved. His hand reached inside of the top of his shirt, grabbing out the pendant tucked beneath the fabric. Looking at the Air Nomad emblem carved into the wood, he smiled softly, rubbing the pad of his thumb along the engraving.
Aang stood away from everyone else, studying the monk statues placed around the circular room as he fiddled with his necklace; Sokka was talking to Teo about the possibilities of the space becoming a bathhouse; and Katara and Meili stood together, mourning over their previous conversation.
"Hey, Princess?" Meili spoke lowly, and the Water Tribe girl looked over in response. "You… you're pretty close with Aang, right?"
"I would say so," the girl replied evenly. "Why do you ask?"
Meili bit the inside of her lip. "Is he friends with everyone? Because he's the Avatar?"
Katara was confused by her sudden interest in Aang. A weird part of Katara felt on edge, though she wasn't sure why. But she did know that the abrupt switch in Meili's demeanor was off-putting.
"He's…. well, I wouldn't say friends with everyone. He feels a connection with people because he's the Avatar. But I think he is only close friends with few."
Meili was silent, staring up at one of the airbender statues next to the two girls. The monk sat tall, his head adorning the signature arrow of the air nomads. She never thought it would happen, but Meili felt… wanted. Aang wanted to actually be her friend. He didn't know any of the bad parts about her, but he didn't seem to care.
If he found out about her bad parts, would he take it all back? Or would he accept her for who she was? This feeling of insecurity was one Meili didn't like. She already felt self-conscious around Sokka, and now she was overthinking Aang's simple words.
To her left, Katara was looking at Meili inquisitively.
"He told me that I'm his friend," Meili muttered, clarifying the situation. "Do you.. think he meant it?"
Katara breathed out a sigh of relief, unaware of the tension she had been holding in. "That's what this is all about? Of course, you're our friend! Do you not remember how scared we were a few days ago when you were sick?"
"Well, I wasn't sure –"
"Look out!" A sudden voice shouted, and the ground below Katara and Meili began to shake.
They looked at each other in confusion before realization set in on them. A giant wrecking ball suddenly knocked down the airbender statue next to them. The dust and debris from the wreckage shot forward, slamming Katara and Meili to the ground.
The girls coughed, ridding their throats of the stone and dirt. From behind the demolition, a strange-looking man emerged.
Then, Aang was moving, angry and hostile. He bent down to the ground where Katara and Meili were, his fists clenched tightly.
"Do you know what you just did?"
The new man shrugged his shoulders. "Did my son not tell you that this is a construction site? We are trying to make room for the new bathhouse!"
"Katara, are you okay?" Aang questioned, anger evident in his voice. "Please answer me!"
The Water Tribe girl looked up from her spot, confused. "Aang, I'm alright!"
"Katara?" Sokka echoed, running past Teo toward the rock and debris littering the ground. "Meili, are you hurt?"
The cloaked girl scowled. "Ponytail, we're okay."
Confused, the two girls looked down, only to see their bodies lying stone cold on the ground in front of them. In unison, they both gasped.
"Why are we in front of ourselves?" Katara questioned in fright, turning to look at Meili. However, when her gaze met the girl, she noticed something weird. "Why are you see through!?"
"Princess, what are you talking about—" Meili began to say but paused once she caught sight of Katara. The girl was transparent, with a blue glow outlining her figure.
"You—" Meili started to speak before she noticed her own hand's appearance. The skin was translucent, the lines and creases of her palm shined a pale blue. Curious, the girl tried to touch Katara in front of her, but her hand went straight through the girl's chest.
"I think we're… in the spirit world," Katara muttered, surprise and shock all over her face.
The girls looked back over to Sokka and Aang, who were now hostilely trying to attack Teo's father. Aang's tattoos began to glow as he angrily pointed a finger towards the mechanist.
"Not only have you defiled a sacred temple, but you have also injured my friends!"
Whipping out his glider, Aang slashed it down harshly, sending a gust of air towards the large crane holding the wrecking ball. In seconds, the machine toppled off the cliffside.
"How are they supposed to know that we're alright?" Katara questioned.
Meili was unsure herself but was curious as she saw Sokka sitting over their unmoving bodies. There were angry tears in his eyes, no doubt because his sister lay sill right in front of him. But there was a weird look in his eyes as he looked at Meili, and Katara seemed to notice it too.
"I'm not sure. But, Princess, you have to do something," Meili said hurriedly. "He's going to blow everyone off the cliff!"
"What am I supposed to do?" Katara replied.
Meili huffed. "I don't know, touch him or something! He's the Avatar – he's bound to feel a spiritual connection."
"Will that work?"
"I don't know how the Spirit World works!"
"Well, neither do I!"
"You probably know more than me!"
Katara grumbled roughly, rushing over to the monk lifting his staff once again in preparation to strike. Katara let out a deep breath, moving her hand closely to Aang's shoulder. Though the appendage went straight through his body, the young airbender paused in his movements.
Slowly he turned his head over to the bodies of Katara and Meili, where Sokka was using his fingers to check for pulses.
"Aang, they're alive! They just seem… unconscious."
Aang moved in his spot, turning his body fully towards Katara's spirit. She internally gasped as he seemed to be staring right at her. She felt her cheeks go red, his avatar state eyes staring forward intensely. Slowly, the glowing faded away, and his gray irises returned. Aang's gaze softened as if he could sense her presence.
"This might sound strange, but… I can feel them."
"That wouldn't be the first strange thing you've said," Sokka deadpanned.
Aang sighed, though his jaw remained clenched. "Who said you could be here?" He questioned the mechanist, turning in his spot towards the man. "Who said you could destroy this land with your machines and bathhouses?"
Katara breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she was able to deescalate the situation. But, she knew that a more significant problem was among them.
"How did this happen?" Meili questioned. "I thought only Aang could enter the Spirit World since he's the Avatar."
"Well, one time, Sokka got dragged into the Spirit World by an upset spirit," Katara explained. "Aang went after him but accidentally entered into the Spirit World as well. Since we can't shift between the worlds… something must have brought us here."
"That's… unsettling," Meili spoke, looking at her clear hand once again. "But part of me feels like this wasn't an accident."
Suddenly, a low chime echoed around the circular room. Even though Meili and Katara seemed to be in the same place as Aang and Sokka, the fact that the boys couldn't hear the chimes meant that the girls were, indeed, in a different realm.
Katara and Meili looked at each other as the chimes grew closer, and soon, a light blue creature came flying into view.
Upon closer inspection, the being resembled a hummingbird-eagle, with a bright pink head and grey body dulled by the spiritual blue hues. Its beak was long and pointy, but its wings were large and flowing. It moved in an ethereal type of way, gliding softly over to the two girls.
Its movements were the embodiment of wind: graceful but strong.
The humming-bird-eagle landed on the ground in front of them, and it was much larger than either girl anticipated. As the beak opened, the chime rang out once more.
"It's speaking to us," Meili said quietly. "What does it want?"
"It must be the spirit that brought us here," Katara concluded.
The spirit chimed once again, nodding its head to the side.
"I think it wants us to follow it," Katara said.
"Oh, yeah, sure. Let's just get on the back of the giant bird spirit that unknowingly chucked us into the Spirit World for no rhyme or reason."
"Surprisingly, I haven't missed your sarcasm," Katara smiled sweetly but snarky.
"Yeah, yeah, Princess. Let's just get this over with."
Tentatively, Meili led the way towards the immense spirit. She found that gravity was not that strong in the Spirit World, and she seemed to float with every step she took. Perhaps that was why the large bird's wings were flowing in the air elegantly, seemingly unaffected by the force of the sky.
The hummingbird-eagle chimed once the two girls were aboard and flew away into the skies moments later.
"Where is it taking us?" Meili questioned.
"Why are you asking me?" Katara retorted back.
"You know more about this stuff than I do!" Meili yelled, grabbing onto the spiritual feathers underneath of her transparent hands.
The bird soared along the spirit skies, diving and twisting in an artistic fashion as it flew around the mountaintops. Before they knew it, the bird was descending toward the base of the mountain. However, the original landscape of the mortal world was warped into something new.
Instead of snow and ice, the ground was green with grass and freckled with flowers. The colors were more vibrant than Meili had ever seen, and she was sure these exotic colors did not exist in the mortal world. The bird landed on the meadowy ground, sinking its claws into the grassy dirt.
It chimed once more, signaling for the girls to get off. With a glance above, the large Air Nomad temple was hidden behind an otherworldly, shining fog.
They hopped off the giant bird, mesmerized by the beauty of the terrain. Meili jerked her hood off, wanting to get a better look.
"It's beautiful," Katara spoke in awe.
"It is quite a sight is it not?" An elderly but soft voice spoke.
The girl's spirits turned in their place, their eyes meeting an older man with a kind and gentle face. Just like them, he was transparent with an ethereal glow shining around him. He was wearing robes, with a familiar-looking pendant adorning his neck.
Katara paused, realization setting in. "Hey, I know you! You were Aang's mentor! I saw a statue of you at the Southern Air Temple."
The man smiled softly, his hands tucked neatly in his robe's sleeves. "Yes, I am Monk Gyatso. And I know you both, young Katara and young Meili."
The bird let out a chime once more before flapping its wings and flying away.
"Wait," Meili spoke, watching the bird disappear into the fog above. "You're the one who brought us here?"
The man nodded his head.
"But, why?" Katara questioned. "I thought you were… Aang, Sokka, and I saw your body at the Southern Air Temple. Aang thought you were… well, we all thought you were … dead."
"I have a reason for whisking you away when I did. As a spirit, I can use my powers to teleport you through to this spiritual realm. All I needed was an equal pushing force from the mortal world to balance the pull of my abilities."
Meili breathed in understanding, "Which is why when the boulder debris hit us—"
"We teleported here," Katara finished.
"Precisely," Monk Gyatso's spirit smiled, gliding closer to the two girls. "I have a favor to ask of you."
"A favor?" Katara repeated.
"Yes. Unlike your brother, young Sokka, you two possess a strong will to understand my pupil, Aang. You two both carry kindness in your heart, although aimed at the young Avatar in different ways."
He looked pointedly at Katara. "You, young waterbender, are warm and compassionate. You are fiercely protective of the ones you love, and you show a great passion for your craft. You possess a kind heart intensified by your inner strength."
Monk Gyatso turned toward Meili. "You, troubled one, have a strong sense of duty that is admirable, even to one of the most enlightened Air Nomads. Though troubled with an internal battle, your fierce protectiveness is evident in your actions, even though these acts go unnoticed."
"Hey, uh, spirit-airbender-guy, I'm a little confused," Meili spoke shyly, blushing slightly at his analysis of her. "Aang told Katara and me about you before, but I'm still confused. How do you know us? We've never met you."
"Spirits know many things. Knowledge is bountiful in this realm." Monk Gyatso paused. "Sit down, I am going to tell you all a story. Aang used to hate me doing this – rambling off and telling stories. He preferred to play Pai Sho."
"Somehow, I don't believe that," Meili said dully but obliged and sat on the ground, Katara following suit.
Monk Gyatso cleared his throat, though the action seemed graceful. "I grew up in the Southern Air Temple, just like Aang did. I was remarkably close friends with his past life, Avatar Roku."
Monk Gyatso joined the two on the ground, sitting in a meditating position.
"I once became friends with a guru in my younger years – he was quite an enlightened fellow. He taught me that to reach your full potential, you must cleanse yourself of pain and suffering. He was very well understanding of the Spirit World, and he led me to the path of spiritual liberation."
His gaze grew darker.
"When I was fighting the Fire Nation soldiers, I knew I could not hold them off forever. Sozin's Comet strengthened them, and even my airbending mastery was no match against so many. My one wish was to see Aang again – prosperous and happy. I knew with him being the Avatar, he would be connected to the Spirit World. And even if he passed on and was reincarnated, I would still be able to see his spirit once again."
The girls nodded their heads.
"Before the Fire Nation soldiers were able to apprehend me, I remembered something the guru told me: Mortals could become spirits upon death, leaving their body behind to continue on as an immortal spirit. I knew if I transcended to the Spirit World, I would be able to see Aang again one day."
Monk Gyatso placed a hand atop the pendant draped along his robes, closing his eyes softly for a moment. "That boy was the closest thing I ever had to a son. I will always want what is best for him. I would wait a thousand lifetimes just for the chance to see him again. When the time is right, I will meet him again and be proud of the man he becomes. But for now, I want to speak with you two."
"But… why us?" Katara questioned.
"Young Lady, like I said before, there are many things us spirits know." He looked pointedly and Katara. "The future," he then turned his gaze to Meili, "and the past."
"That still doesn't explain why you brought us here," Meili said pointedly, growing tired of his roundabout answers.
"I heard from Roku that you all were headed north towards the Northern Water Tribe. I knew my pupil would stop by the Air Temple for a visit. There is something important I must tell the two of you. Your lives are intertwined with Aang's in ways you may never comprehend, and your actions are the key to him fulfilling his destiny."
"His destiny?" Meili repeated. "Like him defeating the Fire Lord?"
"Partially," Monk Gyatso smiled. His face was kind, all-knowing, but humbly sweet. "You two, will become masters in your craft. These abilities will be the key to Aang becoming a fully realized Avatar."
"You mean… I will become Aang's waterbending master?" Katara asked. "There's no way! I haven't even had a proper teacher myself… how am I supposed to help him master waterbending?"
"Patience, young Katara. All will be revealed when the time is right."
Meili was quiet, taking in the spirit's words slowly. She would become a master in her craft, and that craft would help Aang be a complete Avatar? Aang wasn't the type of person to fight with knives and daggers, so that meant…
She cursed internally. There was no way. Absolutely no way…
"While this would have become evident to the two of you over time, that is not what I'm here to tell you."
Katara huffed. "Well, why did you really call us here? Why can't Aang and Sokka know?"
Monk Gyatso sighed. "They can know, but you two must be the ones to tell them. I cannot be a factor. Roku recently connected with a firebending master. Perhaps you have heard of him – Jeong Jeong the deserter."
"We know him!" Katara spoke elatedly.
"Yes, apparently, Jeong Jeong had a run-in with one of his former pupils. Roku was informed that this threat is moving north, following you to the Northern Water Tribe. He is bringing an army in a little over three weeks time, and this battle could threaten Aang's ability to learn waterbending."
"It must be Zhao…" Katara trailed off. "Meili, wouldn't you say so? He organized that whole ancient airbending ploy on Aang."
However, Meili couldn't answer the girl. Something even more dangerous was plaguing her mind. Meili couldn't teach the Avatar. She wasn't worthy. She wasn't strong enough.
Monk Gyatso hummed thoughtfully. "Hm… I do think that was his name. And by the words of Avatar Roku, he isn't a very pleasant Fire Nation man."
"So… what do we do? Can the Northern Water Tribe even defeat the fleet that's coming?" Katara worriedly mumbled.
"The spirits already know the fate of that battle, but what is uncertain is the fate of the Avatar's tutelage. The future is a… finicky thing. It is subjective precognition. As spirits, we can see into the future, but it is based upon current decisions being made, and some decisions are more certain than others. Based on the way Aang makes decisions, whether he masters waterbending or not, the course of the battle has already been determined."
Katara swallowed roughly. "I would hate to bring destruction to my sister tribe… but we have no other choice. Aang must learn waterbending. And if I'm supposed to be his master, I guess I must learn it, too."
Monk Gyatso nodded. "Young Katara, you must ensure that Aang becomes fully proficient at waterbending while at the North Pole. He cannot move onto earthbending on time without this."
Monk Gyatso turned, and Meili could feel the spirit's eyes on her.
She was scared. She couldn't be revealed. Katara would hate her. Aang would hate her.
Sokka would hate her.
"Young Meili, there will come a time when your abilities will be a necessity to Aang. However, for this battle, there are more pressing matters for you to tend to."
"And that is?" Meili inquired almost breathlessly, too afraid to hear another answer.
"Even though the spirits know the fate of this battle, there is still another uncertainty. You have a deep spiritual connection to Aang. Perhaps you have felt the pull before, or maybe not. But, Aang will need to tap into his spiritual side during this forecasted battle, and only you will be able to help him achieve this state."
Katara bit the inside of her lip. "Um, why her?"
"Yeah, why me?" Meili stated.
"The Avatar's bonds can transcend lifetimes. Just as I was friends with Roku, I also became family to Aang. Some friendships are strong enough to continue for many generations."
Katara and Meili stared evenly.
The monk smiled wistfully. "Aang and all of his past lives were close friends to people in the Fire Nation. But, even with my death, he still has not fully grasped the destruction some are capable of, even if they were friends before. Aang holds onto hope and non-violence, and he does not understand that others do not think like him. Especially men like this Zhao. But, I believe your friendship is strong enough to be his spiritual guide during this battle."
Both girls were silent, taking in the monk spirit's words carefully. However, Meili just couldn't fathom what the man was saying. She and Aang were connected? What did that even mean?
"Now, you two must go. I will have the protector of this temple bring you back to your bodies, but I will not be able to return the two of you to the mortal world until another equally reactive force occurs."
As if on cue, chimes began to echo around the clearing. Monk Gyatso turned to leave as the hummingbird-eagle approached through the mist above, but Katara held out an outstretched hand.
"Wait! What am I supposed to tell Aang?"
Monk Gyatso turned just his head around, looking over his shoulder at the two girls. "Tell my pupil that an old friend will see him soon but keep my identity a secret."
And as soon as the bird spirit landed on the ground, Monk Gyatso faded away into the air as he took a step forward away from the girls.
The bird spirit chimed for the girls to climb aboard once more, and Katara obliged and mounted the celestial being. Meili, however, stood stunned in her place. She didn't want to move, or return to reality, or even see Aang again. She wasn't ready for anyone to be dependent upon her again.
The hummingbird-eagle gently stretched its wings out, drawing Meili from her somber thoughts. The girl mounted the spirit wordlessly as it began to fly away.
Once the Air Temple was back into view, the two girls noticed that the spirit was flying in a different direction from before. Instead of returning to the previous room, the spirit weaved through the temple's various walkways, making its way towards a tall tower south of the central courtyard. Scaling the tower, the spirit whisked itself and the girls through the side of the building.
Meili and Katara expected a collision but were surprised when they moved straight through the wall. The bird continued flying up a few more floors before arriving at the destination, a small room with two beds.
"Someone must have moved us while we were away," Katara concluded, looking around the room as the spirit came to a halt. The bird chimed, signaling the girls to get off again.
Their mortal bodies were each lying on a bed, resting underneath the covers. Meili moved over to her form silently, looking at the girl lying still under the covers. Her scar was prominent, etched wretchedly across her eye. From this perspective, the mar looked even more unflattering.
Katara waved off the guarding spirit as it disappeared back through the wall, gliding back out towards the skies before disappearing behind the mountain clouds.
Meili sat down with her back against the bed's wooden frame, her gaze stationed at the stone ground below her spiritual form. She heard Katara move next to her, placing herself beside Meili, but the girl didn't even bother to look up.
The two of them sat there quietly for a few minutes, but it felt like hours to Meili. The girl was waiting for Katara to say something. She knew it was coming.
"You're a firebender… aren't you?" Katara asked quietly.
And there it was. Meili winced, almost as if she had been burned.
Meili looked silently at her shoes, her chin propped up on her knees. The world was still, the spiritual realm motionless.
"You're the first one to find it out if that makes you happy," Meili tried to joke, but her words lacked mirth.
Katara didn't laugh but scooted closer to the girl tentatively. Meili didn't look at the WaterTribe girl. She couldn't. Her worst fears were coming true.
"You were scared of us finding out, weren't you?"
Everything remained quiet – devoid of movement. But Meili knew that if they were in the mortal realm, Katara would have been able to hear Meili's heart beating through her chest.
Meili sighed. "When you grow up in a world where everyone hates fire, a part of you that's uncontrollable, you learn to hate yourself, too."
Katara stayed silent, her gaze falling upon Meili's hidden expression. Her usually black curls were the spiritual transparent blue, falling past her shoulders to cover the view of her face.
"I hate myself," Meili continued. "The people like me… they've ruined cities, land, people… I'm just a vessel of destruction."
"Meili," Katara started, her voice soft, comforting, "you know that's not true—"
"—Princess… you don't know anything. What I've been through, what I've done. You know none of it."
The room grew quiet again.
"I know who you are now, and the person I've come to know is not destructive. She may be sarcastic and a little hard-headed, but she's secretly kind. You took in an orphan boy and accepted him as your brother. You gave him a life – you gave him hope."
Meili snickered to herself, though it sounded almost cruel.
"I gave him a life he needed. One I would never have. If anything, I was selfish – living vicariously through him."
"Or that's just what you want yourself to believe."
Meili fidgeted, feeling restless at the girl's statement. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Monk Gyatso spoke of friendship's transcending lifetimes; he spoke of Fire Nation civilians and Air Nomads being friends. Aang wanted to be her friend – did this make everything the monk spirit said true?
Meili felt like her head was going to explode from all the thoughts bouncing around her brain. She was overwhelmed, unable to make sense of the ideas in her head.
"You don't know what it's like, Princess. Imagine being born in a world where no one wanted you, not even your own mother or father. Imagine growing up, having people day-in and day-out reject your presence because of a mark on your face."
"I may not know what that's like, but that doesn't mean it defines you. Aang, Sokka, and I… we accept you. We don't care what you are."
"You say that…" Meili mumbled, trailing off. Her gaze wandered towards the ceiling of the room they were in. "But, you don't know what it's like. You will never understand. You're too sheltered."
"I may have grown up in a small village far away from big empires like the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, but I'm not sheltered to the pain this war has brought."
"No, but you'll never know what it's like to be the cause of someone else's suffering. Imagine having a part of you that you kept secret, a part of you that you couldn't control. Now, imagine that part of you causing the death of someone you love."
Meili shuddered, her deepest pains coursing through her like venom. Screams. Crying. Fire. Lots and lots of fire.
"You're wrong."
"Excuse me?"
"You're wrong," Katara corrected, clearing her throat. "I do know what it's like."
Meili remained silent.
"I never told you the full story of how I lost my mom," Katara spoke, her hand instinctively moving to the necklace on her neck. Even though she couldn't grasp the Water Tribe pendant, she could still feel her mother's presence. "When I was eight, the Fire Nation led a raid on the Southern Water Tribe. They were tasked with disposing of the last waterbender in the South Pole."
Katara felt emotional, and her forehead pulled down in harsh lines to frame her watering eyes. "The leader wanted me, but my mother lied to protect me. She – she ..."
Tears fell quickly, the images flashing wildly around her head. Her mother's sweet eyes contrasting the frightening man standing above her. Her mother lying lifeless on the ground, blood sprayed along the walls of the small igloo that was their home.
"I was the reason she died. I'm the reason Sokka and I have no mother. And it's all because of a part of me I can't control."
"I didn't know," Meili spoke quietly, feeling guilt wash up into her conscience.
It was silent again for a few moments, neither girl moving nor making a sound. However, Katara blinked the last few remaining tears in her eyes before opening her mouth to speak once more.
"The character of your heart is what makes you who you are. My mother used to tell me that. No matter where you're from or what you are, it's who you are on the inside that counts."
"You really think so?" Meili murmured, turning to meet Katara's gaze. The waterbender did the same and sent a smile Meili's way.
"You left everything you ever knew to help the Avatar. You saved all those people from Jet. You saved me from those Fire Nation soldiers, even when you thought you might lose your life. You came to rescue Aang when you saw that we needed help. I trust you, whether you're a firebender or not, because you're my friend."
Meili smiled, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "You know, I've lived my whole life hating this part of me. But for some reason, I feel like things were supposed to end up this way."
Katara smiled, enjoying the rare moment of Meili's vulnerability. In the small amount of time spent one-on-one with the girl, Katara realized that they might not have been so different after all.
Suddenly, the tower below the two girls shook violently, rattling them from their thoughts. That was when their world was unexpectedly colorful again, no longer a mix of various blue hues. They were both lying in the beds, returned to their mortal bodies.
"We're back!" Katara shouted, feeling glad to be back inside of her own body.
Meili got up, feeling a little wobbly as the pressures of gravity seemed to return in full force. She looked around the room and the rubble littering the floor, which was what had probably knocked them back into their bodies. However, one glance outside had Meili worried.
"Princess, I don't think you're going to like this," Meili said quietly, gazing out the window.
Bombs were exploding below, shaking the mountain holding the Northern Air Temple. Meili strained her eyes to see the ground below, but as Katara rushed to her side, the waterbender pointed something out.
"Fire Nation flags! We're under attack!"
"How much did we miss?" Meili questioned in a rush, and the two girls grabbed their belongings before rushing out of the room.
Running down the stairs of the tower, the booms of the explosions grew louder and louder. Looking out the windows of the staircase walls, Meili could barely make out people gliding in the sky, throwing objects from their hands.
Once they reached the outside, they were surprised to see the inhabitants of the temple fighting against Fire Nation soldiers. However, it wasn't just men on foot: huge tanks were scaling the mountain, attempting to destroy the temple.
"We need more slime!" A familiar voice shouted, and Katara looked up to see Aang soaring in the sky on his glider. She furiously waved her arms back and forth, hoping to get the airbender's attention.
"Aang! Over here!"
The monk noticed the two girls and flew down to where they were standing in the courtyard.
"Aang, what's going on?" Katara questioned, holding her hands up to block her face from the dirt exploding around them.
"The temple is under attack! We found out that Teo's father was making weapons for the Fire Nation. After he refused to provide them with any more inventions, they attacked! Are the two of you okay? What happened?"
"There's no time to explain," Meili spoke. "Just tell us how we can help!"
Aang informed the girls of how Sokka and the mechanist came up with bombs to throw at the tanks and soldiers, but they were running out of supplies. Sokka was supposed to be bringing in a war balloon, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.
After learning that the tanks had a counterbalancing system made of water, Aang led Katara into the fray to start freezing tanks from the inside out, ruining their systems on the inside.
Meili thought quickly on her feet, unsure of how she could help. Close-combat skills would not help, and she couldn't use her firebending.
And then, that was when it soared into the air: the giant war balloon. It was nothing like Meili had ever seen before. It seemed to be running on heat because she could feel the energy radiating from it. However, it appeared controllable, an element atypical of fire.
After dropping a few more bombs of its own, the balloon plummeted towards the ground purposefully, and Meili was briefly worried for Sokka's safety. But just mere seconds before it collided into the ground, Aang on his glider rescued the boy and the mechanist from decimation. And then, the war balloon exploded into a large crevice in the mountainside, ending the fight.
Cheers ensued as everyone returned to the courtyard, and Aang seemed to be in a better mood than before.
"You know what? I'm glad you guys all live here now," Aang smiled, fidgeting with a hermit crab in his hands. "I realized it's like the hermit crab. Maybe you weren't born here, but you found this empty shell and made it your home. And now you protect each other."
Teo grinned. "That means a lot coming from you."
"Aang, you were right about airpower," Sokka said. "As long as we've got the skies, we'll have the Fire Nation on the run."
"Nice thinking, Sokka!" Katara congratulated, patting her brother on the back. "Aang told me about your ideas. That was very clever of you."
"Thanks, Katara," he grinned. "I'm glad you're okay; Aang and I were worried sick."
His eyes briefly flashed over towards Meili, making the girl turn away quickly with a slight blush.
"Yeah, it's hard to explain, but I knew you guys were alright. It was like I could feel your spirits or something," Aang spoke.
"That's because we were in the Spirit World."
"You were in the what?" Aang and Sokka questioned at the same time.
"The guardian spirit of this temple led us to part of our destiny," Katara said cryptically with sly eyes. She then threw an arm around Meili. "And we even got to girl bond!"
Meili blushed once more, shooing Katara's affection away from her comically.
Aang laughed. "I guess that explains why I could sense you guys – Avatar perks, I guess. Did the spirit say why it needed you?"
Meili and Katara looked at each other quietly.
"We were told that an old friend would visit you one day, but we weren't sure what that meant," Meili answered.
"Hmm… I'm not sure either! But I guess I'll find out one day, won't I?" Aang said. "I'm just glad you all are safe."
Meili smiled, her gaze moving up into the sky. Smoke from the battle twirled heavenward into the air, and the remnants of fire-burned ash warmed the inside of Meili's heart.
"Yes, I am too."
AN: Hi, all! I am back with more of the story :) This is where the plot really begins to diverge from the canon timeline. These changes will make for some very interesting chapters in the future ;) There is also a lot of Kataang featured in this chapter because I really want to focus on the romantic relationship between them that the show didn't really capture.
Also, sorry for such a long break: A few months ago, my family found out that my dad has cancer, so I have been dealing with that and was not in the best mood to write.
However, here we are! And I have a serious question for y'all: Should I keep this story as one continuous book? As in Books Water, Earth, and Fire are all combined into this story? Or... should I make each book separate? Even though there are only about four episodes left in Book One for this story, I have about six more chapters currently planned out. Let me know what you think would be best!
Time to answer some reviews!
Knightwalker405 : My bad! That was totally a typo lol! Sokka is 15 in this story, so he's definitely at that defiant teenage stage XD. I really hope my explanation along with future chapters can elaborate on the slower development of his character, especially once we enter the Northern Water Tribe arc :)
Vosck and itsameluigi : Thank you for giving my story a chance! I hope you like the next few chapters that will be posted because there are a lot more twists and turns coming.
And to the guest that reviewed and thinks that I am prolonging the meeting between Zuko and Meili... shhh, you might be onto something ;)