As we walk through the Air Sanctuary, the tugging in my chest grows and the ringing in my ears returns. I glance around, trying to figure out what is going on with me. At some point, I get the jitters and start clutching at the end of my jacket to try to calm down. Once more, I feel as though the temple is alive.
Eventually, we come to a set of massive doors with the national symbol of the Air Nation: three large round air currents.
Aang approaches the doors, but before he reaches them Katara stops him. "Aang, I don't know who you are expecting, but no one could have survived in there for a hundred years," she says cautiously, glancing at Sokka and me for support.
"It's not impossible," Aang replies matter-of-factly. "I survived in the iceberg for that long."
Taken aback by his logic, Katara acknowledges his words. "Good point."
Smiling once more, Aang turns to everyone. "Guys, whoever's in there might help figure out this Avatar thing!"
"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!" Sokka cries, and before I can stop him, charges towards the imposing doors, only to smack into it headfirst when it doesn't budge. Beside Katara, I cover my mouth to help muffle my laughter at the spectacle, earning a glare from the water tribe boy."I don't suppose you have a key?" He asks from the floor, turning his gaze to Aang.
"The key, Sokka, is airbending," Aang explains, approaching the door. Taking a deep breath, he spreads his arms and thrusts them towards the door, sending a current up the tubes of the Air Nation emblem. As the air cycles through them, the symbols flip from blue to purple. Once all three have flipped, the large doors swing open. As soon as it does, I get the sudden urge to run towards it, the tugging feeling in my chest screaming at me that I needed to be in that room.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Aang asks as he steps through the open doors, the rest of us following close behind. As we do, Sokka's shoulders slump in disappointment.
"Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?!" He cries indignantly, frowning up at the statue in front of him. Smiling to myself, I place a consolatory hand on his shoulder.
"Sokka, even if there weren't statues in here, I'm positive you wouldn't have found any meat here. The Air Nation Nomads were vegetarians. They didn't eat meat," I remind him.
Sokka's frown deepens as he hangs his head in defeat. In front of us, Aang and Katara study the statues.
"Who are all these people?" Katara asks in amazement, her eyes scanning the room.
"I'm not sure," Aang hesitates. "But it feels like I know them somehow."
"Is it the same feeling you get from me?" I ask, stepping forward curiously. Maybe Aang was right – maybe the answers I am looking for are here.
Unfortunately for me, Aang shakes his head. "No, it's a little different. With you, it's like I'm with an old friend, but these statues. . . it feels like I know them all deeply – like I know each of them on a personal level. . . Look! That one's an airbender!"
Frowning, I nod and turn away. I had a feeling that that may be the case, but it was still disappointing. As the others continue their conversation, I walk off to the side, studying the murals on the walls while the others discuss the statues and eventually coming to the conclusion that these are the past Avatars.
As I circle the room, I come across a weathered statue set apart from the others. Heart thudding, I recognize it as Wan, the first Avatar, with Raava, the Spirit of Light and Peace – the source of the Avatar's power.
Shivers run down my spine. I know this. I know him – apart from watching LOK. Pain shoots through my temple and I place a hand to my forehead, pushing back against the pain.
After a moment the pain subsides, leaving me feeling a little weak and befuddled, as though I had stepped into a fog. Blinking in confusion, I tear my gaze away from the statue and turn my attention to the mural behind it that tells the story of how Wan became the Avatar
Stepping towards it, I follow the story across the wall, smiling at the beautiful images until I come to one that makes my spine tingle and goosebumps rise across my skin.
The mural in front of me depicts Wan, his eyes glowing white-blue with Raava floating behind him. Around them, like four points of a compass, are the symbols of the elements. At the North position is the symbol for fire with a dragon curled around it. At the East is Air, with a large bison, and to the West, a large Badger Mole, but what makes me pause is the symbol at the South position, the position for water. Instead of the moon, which is what the original waterbenders is said to have learned waterbending from, is a girl with black and silver ombre hair sitting in a large white lotus, holding what looks to be a large pearl in her open hands.
The image strikes a nerve with me and I can't help but stare up at her in confusion. Just like the statue of Wan, I get the feeling that I know her somehow. As I study the mural, my eye is caught by a lotas tile that juts out slightly beneath the image, as though it were glued onto the wall.
Curious, I reach out and finger the tile. It is old and weathered but still smooth, but what shocks me the most is that when I add a little pressure to my fingers, it sinks into the wall like a button. As it does, a small hidden compartment pops out of the wall beneath the mural, revealing a small box within it.
Anticipation races through my veins as I reach out and take the box from the compartment, studying it carefully. The box is old with an image carved into a lotus with a pearl in its center. Carefully, I run my fingers over the image before reaching for the latch, heart beating loudly – and frown. The box is empty.
Feeling disappointed, I start to close the box, only to start when I find a small piece of paper attached to the inside of the lid. Unfurling the note, I read the flowery script, inwardly thanking Uncle Iroh for teaching me to read.
'The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets.'
I stare down at the note in confusion. I know those words. Those are the words that Iroh says to the flower shopkeeper when he and Zuko are on the run. It's a passphrase for the Order of the White Lotus. . . but what is it doing here?
I stare down at the note, a million thoughts racing through my head, when all of a sudden someone's hand reaches out and covers my mouth, pulling me into their arms and restraining me behind a statue. Instinctively, I move to free myself until I realize the person who is holding me is Sokka.
Quickly stuffing the box and with the note in my pocket, I pull at the hand at my mouth.
"Sokka, what –"
"Shh! Be quiet," he whispers into my ear as he trains his eyes o the open doorway, where a mysterious shadow is cast on the floor. As he does, I feel my face turn bright red, the feeling of his warm breath in my ear giving me ideas. Slowly, my whole body begins to grow hot, hyper-aware of how I am pressed snuggly between the statue and Sokka, his body flushed with mine as he holds me with one arm and his club with the other.
Okay.
I had not been expecting this.
As these thoughts rush through my head, Sokka glances down at me and freezes at the expression on my face. Blinking in confusion, it seems to dawn on him how he is holding me and his own face turns a brilliant shade of pink as he releases me, coughing awkwardly as he refocuses on the shadow in the doorway.
Raising his club over his head, he shifts, muttering, "That firebender won't know what hit him. . ." Inwardly I grin, knowing that it is just Momo, but before I say anything, Sokka leaps out, brandishing his club overhead – only to drop it in confusion when he is faced with the flying lemur.
"Lemur!" Aang shouts excitedly.
"Dinner!" Sokka decides, already drooling.
"Don't listen to him. You're going to be my new pet," Aang insists, approaching the lemur gently while shooting a glare towards Sokka, who pays him no mind.
"Not if I get him first!" The water tribe boy exclaims, launching himself after the lemur as Aang follows in hot pursuit.
I watch the two boys leave and my heart sinks. At the end of this pursuit, they wouldn't have momo. Aang would find Monk Gyatso's remains and trigger the avatar state.
Sighing, I clench at the ends of my jacket. There isn't any way to make this burden on him easier than just being there when he needs it, and even then, Katara is the one who needs to do it. All I can do right now is wait.
While I do, I walk back to the mural where I found the box and stare up at it. What am I missing? Why does Wan feel so familiar to me? Is it because of Aang? Or does it have something to do with the fact that Aang seems to know me and vice versa?
Feeling a headache coming on, I sigh. Why does everything involving me have to be so complicated. Why can't someone just tell it to me straight? Why must everything be so mysterious?
As I ponder this, Katara makes her way over to me. "What are you looking at?" She asks, her eyes turning to the mural.
"This is Wan," I explain, not really thinking about my answer as I continue to ponder, reciting what I remembered. "He was the first Avatar almost ten thousand years ago. He became one with Raava, the spirit of light and peace, in order to battle Vaatu, the spirit of darkness and chaos, during harmonic convergence. He's the reason behind benders and the division of our world and the spirit world. He was the first human to befriend the spirits and become the bridge. Even with his many mistakes, he is still one of the most remarkable avatars of all time."
Katara's eyes open wide, glancing at me in surprise. "Wow, really?" She asks, confusion and wonder written all over her face. "That's incredible! But how do you know that? I've never heard that story before and nothing is written here."
Blinking in surprise, I start. I hadn't meant to reveal so much.
"The – the murals. If you follow them, they tell Wan's story," I explain, suddenly thankful for the detail the monks had gone through with their artistry.
"Oh," Katara says flatly. She studies the mural more closely. "But how do you know their names? Nothing is written there. And what is harmonic convergence?"
Well, crap.
"Oh, uh, it's a pretty popular story in my uh. . . village," I go with, clenching at the end of my jacket. "And harmonic convergence. . . well, it's hard to explain. I don't remember the details, but its something that happens every 10,000 years where Raava and Vaatu fight for who will guide the next era. . ." I frown as I try to remember exactly what harmonic convergence is, wondering why I couldn't recall it.
I sigh. Maybe I was just too busy thinking about how hot Korra looked battling Vaatu.
Katara considers this a moment. "Wait, didn't you say that Wan was from almost 10,000 years ago? Doesn't that mean harmonic convergence or whatever is about to happen again?" She asks nervously.
Shit.
Me and my big mouth.
". . . Well um. . . Yes and no. It will be a job for the avatar after Aang. We still have time. But first, we need to put an end to this war," I answer curtly, not wanting to give anything else away. I was so focused on my own thoughts I had been running my mouth without thinking. I have a bad feeling this will come back to bite me in the butt.
Katara frowns. "You know, you sometimes say the strangest things, as if you know what's going to happen before it does. Why is that?" She asks, her eyes boring into me as she studies me.
Luckily, before I have to answer, the eyes of the statues around me begin to glow, signally exactly what I had been fretting over since we got to this mountain. Anxiously, Katara and I share a look before running out of the room in search of the boys.
Following the source of turbulent winds, we quickly find Aang and Sokka in some ruins not far from the sanctuary. The sight is heartbreaking. Just seeing evidence of a single fire nation shoulder had stirred up a lot of emotion in me, but this. . .
In the center of hundreds of remains of both air nomad and fire nation soldier alike stood Aang, his arrows and eyes glowing white-blue as he rose into the air in a growing tornado that was threatening to send Sokka flying from where he clung to a ruin.
Glancing around, I can't believe my eyes that the amount of life that was lost here, how many people were sacrificed for Sozin's ambitions, and in the center of all that tragedy lay the bones of who I can only assume to be Aang's best friend and mentor, Monk Gyatso.
As we approach, Katara shouts out to Sokka as she clings to a nearby ruin asking what happened.
"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka manages to cry over the din of the turbulent winds.
"Oh no! It's his Avatar Spirit!" Katara shouts back, as she tries to protect herself from the flying debris. "He must have triggered it! We need to get out of here before he blows us off the mountain!"
Clinging to a tree, I stare back at her in disbelief.
"What?! No!" I shout back, looking at her as if she is crazy.
Sokka turns to me, a look of confusion on his face."No?! What do you mean no?!" He cries through the wind. "We're gonna be penguin-seal fodder if we stay here any longer!"
"We can't leave Aang!" I shout back. "Can't you see he's hurting?! He just lost his family! We need to let him know he's not alone! That he still has us!"
"Great! You do that! Katara and I are gonna go where it's safe and aren't at risk of becoming pancakes!" Sokka declares as he starts moving towards Katara.
Fear rises in my chest.
"You don't get it!" I desperately try to explain. "It can't be me! It has to be Katara! She's the only one that can do it! She's the only one he will listen to!"
"If you think I'm going to let my sister – " Sokka starts, but is quickly cut off by his sister.
"She's right, Sokka!" Katara chimes in over the winds, a steeled look in her eyes. "It has to be me! He needs to know he's not alone!"
"Katara!" Sokka shouts in disbelief, worry in his eyes, but before he can protest any further, Katara continues.
"You two stay here! I'm going to try and calm him down!" She says as she starts working her way towards Aang as the winds around us become stronger.
"AGH! Fine! But do it before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka relents, shooting me a brief glare as he strains against the blasts around us, holding on for dear life.
After a few moments – that feel like a thousand years from the strain of my fingers – Katara gets close enough to Aang for him to hear her.
"Aang! I know you're upset and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka, Shannon, and I! We're your family now!" Katara gushes, emotion heavy in her voice.
As though inspired by his sister's words, Sokka steps forward against the winds. "Katara is right! We are family – all of us," he says, glancing at me with a reluctant smile. "Katara, Shannon, and I – we aren't going to let anything happen to you! Promise!"
Gathering my own courage, I add, "We've all lost something precious to us, Aang, but in the end, we found each other! Family isn't just blood or the people who raise you – it's the people who stand by you and bear your burdens with you! We are your new family and we will never let you bear your burdens alone!"
As soon as we have each said our peace, Aang begins to descend and the winds recede. Once on the floor, he collapses in Katara's arms, his eyes fraught with tears. I can't help but glance at Sokka, who is staring at me in surprise. After a moment, he smiles at me and urges me forward. Together, Sokka and I approach the two on the floor, joining them and placing our hands on the young airbender comfortingly.
"I'm sorry," Aang murmurs, his voice thick.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," Katara assures him.
"But you were right. And if the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender," Aang admits with fresh tears in his eyes.
None of us are able to respond, instead choosing to pull him in for a group hug.
A few hours later, I am back in front of the mural of Wan and the four elements, studying it closely.
"What are you doing?" Aang asks as he approaches, his red and puffy eyes wandering to Wan.
"I'm just thinking. . ." I admit, tearing my gaze away to study the young boy. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, but not perfect," Aang sighs, giving me a conflicted grin. "Are you ready to go? Katara just came to get me. Sokka is loading Appa up now."
Sighing, I nod, feeling conflicted. "Yeah. . . but can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Aang agrees without hesitation.
"This place. Ever since I got here I've felt different. . . like the place is alive somehow. Why is that?"
Aang grins at me. "That's because it is alive. This place is a center for spiritual energy. That's why the monks built the temple here. It was easier for them to meditate and commune with the spirit world."
I blink at him in surprise, taken aback by his answer. Wasn't I supposed to know that?
Worry begins to flash through me. Am I starting to forget things?
"Would you be able to teach me how to meditate sometime?" I ask Aang as we head out of the Sanctuary.
"Sure! Meditating is a great way to distress and contemplate life's problems," he states matter-of-factly as we join Sokka and Katara.
"You two ready then?" Sokka calls out, but before we can respond a loud clatter sounds out from behind him, causing him to jump.
Turning around, the group is met with Momo, who bounds forward with a pile of fruit he is carrying and lays it at Sokka's feet as an offering before dashing away. Eyes alight, Sokka drops to his knees and begins devouring the fruits ravenously.
"Looks like you made a new friend Sokka!" Aang cries out happily.
"Can't talk! Must eat!" Sokka says through a full mouth, his attention solely on the food in front of him. Grinning, I walk over and steal a moon peach from his hoard, earning a look of annoyance as I grin and take a large bite out of it.
The next moment, Momo comes flying over and lands on Aang's shoulders, chirping happily.
"Hey, little guy!" He chimes, eyeing the lemur affectionately before looking around of the remains of the Southern Air Temple. "You, me and Appa; we're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together. Katara, Sokka, Shannon, say hello to the newest member of our family."
Katara smiles and approaches the lemur, petting him behind his ear.
"What are you going to name him?" She asks.
Aang pauses for a moment as he considers.
"How about. . . Zazu!"
At his words, I gag on the moon peach in my mouth and erupt in laughter. Aang, Katara, and Sokka turn to me in wide-eyed confusion over my reaction.
"Shan, what's wrong?" Katara asks, eyeing me like I'm crazy, which I very well might be.
"Zazu?! You – I'm sorry, no! That's – that's the name of the Tucan from The Lion King!" I giggle, my sides aching as I struggle not to snort. Never mind the fact that that is not what Aang wanted to name Momo in the show, the fact that the name that came out is Zazu is hysterical.
"The Lion what?" Katara asks, glancing at her brother, who shrugs and motions that I'm crazy.
"Uh. . . okay then. . . how about 'Momo'?" Aang tentatively asks, looking to me for approval as I try to calm myself down.
"Yeah. . . Momo is good," I manage between breaths, grinning. The fact I had named my Roomba back in my world 'Momo' would be a secret I take to my grave.