Aang's eye slowly opened, his chi energizing him and readying for the day. Rising from the cot he had slept on; Aang moved to the sink in the washroom and began his morning routine. Brushing his teeth and dressing, Aang made his way down stairs to breakfast. Aang was thankful for Nami's and Sumin's offer for food and shelter, though it seemed to be more of Sumin giving Gyatso a place to stay at Kyoshi.
Breakfast was a quiet affair; Gyatso and Sumin were reading individual scrolls and Nami was still in bed. Aang chuckled on the inside, so many people he met and made friends with were not morning people. Many of his friends at the Temple were not morning people either and they were monks. Before they learned he was the Avatar- and consequently stopped playing with him -they would pester him with questions about how he could wake up so early-yet be so cheerful.
Finishing his steamed vegetables, Aang bowed and gave Sumin a "Thank you." He turned to Gyatso and said "I'm going to go check on Appa and meditate." Looking up from his scroll Gyatso smiled and nodded; telling Aang they'd leave by mid-day for Omashu. A smile made its way onto Aang's face as he walked out of the house- grabbing his glider -and flew off to the sables where the sky bison was stationed.
Aang spotted the stables after a quick fly over. Coming to a soft landing in front of them he could see his best friend sleeping as he was one to do. Appa opened his eyes when Aang walked up, a quick "Hey, Buddy!" and Appa attacked Aang with a giant, slobbery lick. The young airbender could only laugh at his best friend's affection. "You don't mind if I meditate with you?" Aang asked. When he got the chance to meditate with Appa, Aang was all too eager to take up the opportunity. A quick affirmative groan from Appa signaled he was okay with it.
Patting Appa's head, Aang made for the gate, his best friend at his heels. Flying off Aang guided them to the same spot on the beach that he had waited for the giant koi fish to appear. Both airbenders landed with utmost grace, gravity a figment of their imagination. As Appa plopped down on his belly, Aang lowered himself into a lotus position. Letting the waves ease him, Aang entered his meditative state, becoming attuned to the world around him and clearing his mind. He could hear the waves making contact with the beach, the sand shifting beneath Appa as he inhaled large swaths of air, and the rustle of trees as raven squirrels moved from branch to branch. Time began to move faster for Aang.
An hour passed before he began feeling the sun rise higher into the sky; Aang opened his eyes. The ocean met his gaze, moving in fluid motions of back and forth. Rising from the seated lotus position, Aang moved to Appa. Slowly patting his best friend awake, so as to not startle him. Appa responded with another slimy lick that lifted Aang off of the ground. "Cmon Appa, we better get back before Gyatso starts worrying!" Aang called while he prepared to take off. Both monk and sky bison made their way back towards the village. Aang saw the earliest of rises begin moving to their shops or cleaning up their homes as the day began for them. He observed the statue of Avatar Kyoshi as he passed over it. Once again the statue called to him and a feeling at the back of his neck began to prick at him. Thankfully before his mind could truly wander as it did for any airbender, Appa gave a bellow beside him. His best friend descended to Sumin's house and Aang could see Gyatso sitting outside finishing a scroll.
Gyatso rose at hearing Appa and looked up to see Aang flying right beside the aforementioned sky bison. A smile came to his lips; anyone who had gotten to know him knew how much the young boy meant to him. He was more than the avatar to him, he would forever be just Aang to him and sadly many of the monks at the temple did not see it that way anymore. Just another burden for the young to bear though Gyatso.
Aang landed in front of him, all smiles. "So Aang, how was your meditation?" Gyatso asked as he was one to always make sure Aang was happy.
"I went over to where I waited for the giant koi yesterday and did my meditation there!" Aang explained. A short yet captivating tale coming from his pupil. Spirits if Aang wasn't the Avatar, Gyatso knew that he could easily be a myriad of other things from a storyteller to a jewelry maker.
Gyatso gave a hearty chuckle at his students' short story. "That sounds great Aang! We'll be leaving soon, so I recommend saying goodbye to Sumin and Nami." Aang nodded and ran off inside. Gyatso watched from the doorway with his arms folded into his sleeves, watching Aang make friends out of his old ones was always a joy to watch.
Aang walked up to Sumin and bowed, "Thank you for providing us shelter and great food Captain Sumin of the Kyoshi Warriors."
Sumin smiled and returned the bow, "It was a pleasure to meet you Aang. Gyatso has spoken at length through letters about you, I am happy to share my approval of you with him. If you ever find your way here again please feel free to stop by and stay, warm food and a warm bed is something I would happily provide Gyatso's only pupil. Please Aang, just call me Sumin, we are friends now."
Aang blushed at the high praise; Gyatso writing to others about him always had a way of embarrassing him. "Thank you Sumin, your kindness is a blessing by the spirits."
Sumin nodded before yelling "Nami, get your lazy butt up! Aang and Gyatso are leaving!" Immediately following Sumin's bellow a panicked and rushed stopping was heard upstairs. Similes graced everyone's faces at the young kyoshi warrior's expense.
"Coming Mom!" was heard from the stairs. Quickly followed by rapid footsteps descending said stairs. Nami emerged from the flight in a hastily tied nightgown; Aang's face couldn't get redder even if he tried. This was the first girl Aang had really talked to and made friends with, and right now he saw her in clothing that left little to the imagination. In no way was his 12 year old mind ready for this. Nami didn't seem to notice Aang's reaction because she just walked up to him and gave him a hug. "It was great meeting you Aang! I hope we can talk more next time and you can take me on that giant koi ride you promised!"
When she broke the embrace to look at him, Aang was finally able to break from his stupor. Rubbing the back of his head he averted his gaze anywhere else. After a few moments he was able to muster up enough courage to look up and smile, red still painting his cheeks. "I always enjoy making new friends! I'm looking forward to having some fun with you next time!"
Aang and Gyatso gave one final goodbye to the mother daughter duo and walked outside. Both airbended themselves onto Appa and took off.
They had been flying for a few hours and the sun was high in the sky. Aang sat in the saddle eating lunch that Sumin had kindly packed for them. He could sense Gyatso moving off of Appa's head, sharing a brief command to keep straight and continue their course. Looking down from the sky he saw Gyatso in front of him seated in a lotus position, scroll in hand. Aang rose an eyebrow in askance.
Gyatso extended the scroll to him which he took. Aang opened the scroll and read the title while Gyatso began to speak. "We will begin your soundbending training Aang." True enough the title of the scroll read 'Basic sound manipulation through advanced airbending, forms one through 3.'
"Cool!" saying Aang was excited was an understatement. Airbending brought so much freedom to Aang, he knew that very little could ever match the feeling of moving the air around him in graceful movements. Learning something completely new was exciting, everything came easy to him and hopefully this might be a challenge to learn.
"Sound is the vibration of the air around us. When a drummer strikes his instrument, the hollow inside vibrates at high speeds that produce sound. The faster the air around us vibrates the louder the sound and slower it vibrates the quieter it sounds." Gyatso followed up with two snaps, one was loud and the other much more quiet. Aang's mouth hung open at this display, that's amazing! "Soundbending is a very advanced form of airbending that many masters perform unconsciously. For example: when in a storm an airbender's personal air layer will mitigate the crack of thunder, but truly performing it with intent is a much larger task to undertake. Beginners have trouble controlling their performance as air is the element of freedom, but this form requires precise control. This is why your first lesson will be on Appa here in the sky." Aang nodded at the explanation and continued to listen closely. "Bending the sound will be similar to various attacks, such as the air slice. It is a centralized attack that has the capability to stun opponents when used. Be warned Aang, soundbending can be lethal, one focused attack with significant power can rupture the eardrum and damage the brain." A widening of eyes and Aang began stammering, looking for an excuse to avoid learning this.
"I-... I, Gyatso, are you sure I should learn this if that's what I can do. I don't want to hurt anyone." Aang said, embracing himself out of panic.
Laying a hand on Aang's shoulder Gyatso stopped Aang's panic and stammering. "Aang, you are a gifted airbender and will rise to be the avatar in years time. You have demonstrated enormous control and restraint over your current bending abilities and I am certain that will extend to your soundbending as well." Aang looked down in contemplation at Gyatso's reassuring words. He never wanted to hurt anybody and this sounded really dangerous; but Gyatso's words of support echoed in his mind. It was true, Aang always felt he could do more, add more power behind his strikes, turn every blow into a final blow; but he never did because there was always a fear of hurting those he loved.
"Thank you Gyatso"
Gyatso gave a smile before he continued "Sound bending is not only about making select noises louder, but- like I mentioned before -it can be used to make noises quieter." Gyatso placed his palms on Appa's saddle and after a few moments all sound completely stopped. Aang looked around, he clicked his tongue, but heard nothing. Even the subtle woosh of passing wind disappeared. Gyatso brought his palms up and the sound returned. "With time Aang you will learn all this and some day you will be not just a better soundbender, but a better airbender."
Aang looked at his mentor, he sounded crazy. There was no way Aang could ever be a better bender than Gyatso, his mentor was far too skilled and very powerful. "How?" Aang squeaked out, not believing Gyatso's words.
"Aang I am an aging man, you are young and hold power greater than me, of that I am certain." Gyatso gave Aang a reassuring smile and nod before he continued, "Enough talk, let's get you bending sound! Remember to start small with a snap, and as you strike your fingers feel the air vibrating."
Aang did as instructed and snapped his fingers. He focused on the movements of the air between them. Aang felt the air rushing out moving until the sound reached his ears. It happened extremely fast and Aang had to muster an extreme amount of focus in order to feel it. Aang snapped a few more times in order to make sure he had a good perception of the sounds movement; after he was satisfied he opened his eyes and looked up at Gyatso. "I felt the air moving when I snapped. It moved all around, but I focused on it as it moved to my ear. Sound moves really fast."
Gyatso nodded, "Very insightful Aang. I am very glad you noticed how the sound moves in all directions at incredible speeds. When using soundbending we can either allow it to travel in any direction or focus it on a specific location. The later of the two is much more difficult, therefore we will begin with simply making your snap louder."
Aang nodded and began working on magnifying the vibration every snap made. It took much longer than Aang thought it would take him; after something like the fortieth snap Aang finally made the sound produced louder. Eyes flew open and stretched wide; Aang jumped into the air excitement filling him.
"Great job Aang, you have just done it, you are a soundbender!" Gyatso was even more proud of Aang, so much joy and happiness swelled inside of him; a tear of joy escaped. He was keeping Roku's memory alive and would pour his heart and soul into helping Aang. He would be there for Aang and help him be the best person, bender, and avatar he could be.
Aang is a soundbender now and will only be getting better from here on out! I wasn't super happy with this chapter, but I hope all you lovely reader enjoy.
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