Life of Air

Chapter 19

Our Connections

A rumble of earth and a sudden heat woke me from my sleep. I jumped into a defensive stance and looked around, noticing that everyone had risen quickly as well. Our camp was surround by fire, keeping those earth bond trapped inside. Upon instinct I took to the sky with a twirl and a gust of wind coming out all around me, blowing out the fire. In the sky I was at a better vantage point and I saw who our visitors were. A group of four elderly men all dressed in blue and white robes stood on the cliff above our campsite. I had caught the attention of three of them, all appearing rather surprised. The fourth one, a rather buff man that hunched slightly and wore his robe open in the front, didn't even pay attention to me but instead was grinning down at my comrades.

"Well look who's here!" The man said, laughing with a snort.

When I gracefully landed on my feet, I expected to see everyone ready for a fight or getting ready to escape, but Katara and Sokka were grinning at each other and the tension in the group had died down completely. The men made their way down to our level, none of them appearing ready to battle us.

"Who are these people?" I asked Katara since it was obvious she was familiar with them.

With a wide smile she gestured to the group. "These are great masters and friends of ours." She then bowed to the first man in the group. "Master Pakku."

He returned the bow. "It is respectful to bow to an old master." He then held his arms out and smiled sweetly. "But how about a hug for your new grandfather?"

Katara ran towards Pakku and hugged him. "That's so exciting! You and Gran Gran must be so happy to have found each other again."

"I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything." He said, grinning and gesturing happily.

Sokka attacked the old man eagerly with a hug. "Welcome to the family, Gramp Gramp!"

Pakku pushed him away gently. "You can still just call be Pakku."

Sokka thought for a moment. "How about Grampakku?"

"No." He answered plainly.

Katara then gestured to the next man. "And this was Aang's first firebending teacher."

Zuko stepped up and bowed to him which the man returned. "I am Jeong-Jeong."

Sokka bowed to the third man in the group, his earlier goofy enthusiasm calmed. "Master Piandao."

"Hello Sokka." He said, returning the bow.

"This is King Bumi, the king of Omashu and Aang's friend from 100 years ago." Katara said, gesturing to the last man in the group, the one who had ignored me and had spoken to the group to begin with.

"But wait, how do you all know each other?" Suki asked the group of men.

"All old people know each other, don't you know that?" King Bumi answered, laughing and snorting again.

"We're all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations." Piandao elaborated.

"The Order of the White Lotus." Zuko said from beside me, smiling in a knowing way.

"That's the one!" King Bumi said matter-of-factly with a finger raised.

"The Order of the White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth." Jeong-Jeong said, continuing the explanation. "But about a month ago a call went out that we were needed for something important."

"It came from a Grand Lotus," Pakku said, looking to Zuko. "Your uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation."

"Well that's who we're looking for." Toph said.

"Then we'll take you to him." Piandao said but then King Bumi pushed in front of him.

"Wait, someone is missing from your group. Someone very important..."He said, getting close to Sokka's face, sounding very serious. "Where's Momo?"

"He's gone." Sokka answered sadly. "And so it Aang."

"Oh well, so long as they have each other I'm sure we have nothing to worry about." King Bumi smiled.

"There is, however, something else we'd like to know." Pakku said and the group of men all looked to me. "How did you come across... an airbender?"

Having the attention placed on me wasn't something I was completely comfortable with, but I understood their confusion. I smiled shyly and waved to the men. "Umm, I'm Iyashi. My story is really rather long."

Katara walked up to my side and put her hands on my shoulders. "Her family has been hiding out since the start of the war, we found her at the Western Air Temple."

I shrugged and gave a light chuckle. "Well I suppose it doesn't have to be a long story."

"I'm sure there is more to your tale, Iyashi." Jeong-Jeong said, smiling at me. "I hope we'll have the chance to hear it all at some point."

I nodded, smiling brightly. "So do I. I hope the world gets the change to hear my story."

With all the introductions complete, we followed the White Lotus members as they lead us to their camp. During the trip King Bumi told us of how he won back his city all by himself at the time of the eclipse. I knew it was the failed invasion on the day of the eclipse that had lead Aang and all of my new friends to the Western Air Temple, making me rather grateful for the failure in a way. Learning that there was something else good that came from that day made it that much better. Things have a way of working out the best way possible and I found myself constantly being reminded of that.

King Bumi bended a wall of earth down so we could pass it. "Here we are. Welcome to old people camp."

Zuko looked around the camp, clearly anxious. "Where-where is he?"

Piandoa pointed to a large tent in the center of the camp. "Your uncle is in there, Prince Zuko."

While everyone else made their way to sleeping areas that the White Lotus were providing us, I followed Zuko as he walked towards his uncle's tent. I was stopped, however, by my brother's large hand on my wrist. I glared at him and started yanking my hand, trying to free myself from his grip.

"Do you really think you should butt your nose in their business, little one?" Tanro asked, giving me a stern look.

I growled softly and finally pulled myself from his grasp, though I knew it was only because he had let go and not because I had over powered him. "He needs my support, Tanro, and I'm going to give it to him. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh I understand alright." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You just can't leave your little boyfriend to deal with his problems on his own. You're being nosey, Iyashi."

My face grew warm with anger at his accusations. "Y-you don't kn-know how I feel, rock head! I want to protect him, that's all. You don't know what he's been through."

Tanro gripped my chin firmly and leaned forward to look me in the eyes. "Support him, fine, but don't butt in." With that he released my face and stalked off to the sleeping area.

With a huff I spun around quickly, my skirt flying up around me, and rushed off to Zuko. He was sitting down in front of his uncle's tent and it looked like he wasn't planning on entering any time soon. Before reaching him I stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly walked the rest of the way until I was at his side. Zuko didn't even look at me as I sat down beside him.

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" I asked softly, trying to ease him into talking.

After a minute Zuko answered, still not looking at me. "How can I face him after what I did? I know he must hate me. He loved me and supported me no matter what and I still turned against him."

I started to reach out to him but stopped, knowing my touch wasn't going to solve this. "Zuko, you made a mistake. The people who love you don't stop loving you because you make a mistake. And you're sorry about what you did, that matters."

"Saying sorry hasn't worked out so well for me before." He said, his voice low and his expression dark. I could tell he was going back to when his father punished him for speaking out. The wound it left was much deeper on his heart than on his face.

"From what you've told me, your uncle sounds like the kind of person who would forgive you." I said, smiling softly. "You should give him the chance to. And when you're done... I'll be waiting out here for you."

Zuko looked at me then, a hopeful expression on his face. "You're waiting here? You should go to bed."

"I couldn't imagine leaving you right now." I said, finally reaching out to take his hand. "You need time with your uncle and... then you can introduce us... I hope."

The fire prince gave me a soft smile and kissed the back of my hand. "I want him to meet you, Iyashi. I want him to know you, to see the person who makes me feel like I'm always going in the right direction."

I patted his hand then pulled mine from his, resting my hands on my lap. "Then go on, go talk to him."

Zuko took a deep breath and nodded then stood and walked into the tent. I smiled as I watched him walk away and finally let out a breath once he was out of earshot. My brother had gotten to me, making me wonder if I clung to Zuko too much. It was hard to ignore the fact that he was almost always on my mind and that I wanted to be by his side constantly, so I fed those feelings. It made me wonder if Zuko felt like I was nosey, if I was too close, or perhaps too clingy. It was a conversation we could have later since there were more pressing matters in the world besides our relationship, but it didn't stop me from worrying about it.

With Zuko taking up so much of my mind, I wondered if maybe he was overpowering my thoughts of Aang and if that was a bad thing. Since finding out about this Life of Air stuff I felt as though I owed quite a bit of myself to Aang but I wasn't really sure what that was suppose to mean for us. He's my friend and I plan to support him through everything, but what exactly was I meant to do? The spirits only told me that I was to guide him and remind him of his heritage, that was easy enough if only I knew what to guide him to.

Restless and in need of guidance myself, I decided to take this time I was waiting for Zuko to meditate. Though I knew the chances were slim, I tried to focus on Aang and reach his spirit in some way. If I could find him, even just in spirit alone, then I'd be able to ease everyone's worry about him. Breathing deep, my mind focused, I allowed everything around me to fade. There was no sound, there was no earth, there was nothing holding me there. In the darkness there was a peace I wasn't even aware I needed.

Something tugged at my consciousness, a light that was very familiar. I followed the light and it grew brighter with every moment. The light was warm and welcoming, safe. The bright light faded into a dull vision with a figure sitting in the same meditation pose I was in. Desperately I tried to reach that figure, searching and reaching out with my spirit, but the harder I tried to blurrier it seemed to become. Instead of trying to reach the figure with my sense of sight, I tried to reach it with my other senses. I could smell trees and grass, so much greenery. A voice came through as well, faint but familiar.

"I have to kill the Fire Lord..."

The voice was Aang's, of that I was sure, but the words were so faint that I almost didn't believe what I heard. This connection we shared, I was tapping into it somehow and finding him. Hearing his voice, knowing he was out there somewhere, gave me relief. The voice faded away again, as did the now dim light, and I knew the connection I was tapping into was fading as I gained relief. Accepting that that was all I needed, I allowed the connection to fade gently, and let my mind drift into a sleep it so desperately needed.

"Iyashi... it's morning."

I groaned and blinked, waking to the sound of Zuko's voice and his hand gently shaking my shoulder. Looking up I saw him leaning over my seated form and next to him stood an old man with a gentle face and kind eyes, the man I knew much be Zuko uncle Iroh. I smiled and gently lifted myself into a standing position with a little air to help me up.

"My nephew was telling the truth, he really found an airbender." Iroh said then bowed to me. "It is such an honor to meet you, Iyashi."

"Oh, umm really the honor is mine." I returned the bow nervously, still not used to the admiration I was receiving simply for being an airbender. "You must be General Iroh, Zuko's uncle. It's a pleasure to meet you sir."

The old man chuckled and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Now, Iyashi, please just call me Iroh."

I grinned and nodded happily. "Of course, Iroh. Zuko has told me so many wonderful things about you. I'm honestly looking forward to your tea quite a bit, your nephew talks it up like nothing else."

"Then we must share a cup. Come," he said and gestured for me to follow him, "breakfast will be starting soon and we can discuss some important things."

Zuko smiled at me gently and reach out his hand for me to take. With ease our fingers fit together and we followed behind his uncle in a comfortable silence. Without needed to tell me, I knew that things had went well with the two firebenders. The love Iroh held for his nephew was plain as day just from the way he spoke of him, referring to him as his nephew as though that was the highest honor he could grant someone.

Before we reached the others as they gathered around for breakfast, I remembered the connection I shared with Aang and how I heard his voice. Still unsure about telling the others as it would be rather difficult to explain, I decided instead to share this with only Zuko.

"Aang is safe." I whispered into the prince's ear then gave him a stern look.

After a moment of confusion, he nodded and leaned in to whisper in my ear as well. "I trust you."