CHAPTER 21

I walked the halls of the Northern Air Temple and looked at the murals on the walls. I was mesmerized by a large picture of an air nomad meditating in the midst of a battle. I could see what the picture meant.

"No matter how terrible the battle may be there is always a way to find peace amongst the chaos." I looked over at Tenzin as he stood next to me. "Sai-Ryu do you understand it?"

"Yeah but still even while you watch people you care about die? Would you be able to find peace if someone you loved was taken from you?" I exhaled deeply and turned away from the mural.

"I hope that I could but I would never want to be placed in that situation." He said as he turned away as well.

"Thinking about what he must have been going through is making me sick. I would not be as forgiving." I stomped and carved my heel into the ground. I felt my focus slip slowly into my head.

"Sai-Ryu are you listening to me?" I opened my eyes and looked around spotting Jinora as she walked over. "My dad said when he found you, you guys talked about one of the murals but then you got mad and broke the mural, are you ok? What happened?"

"I broke the mural?" I looked back at the wall and the mural and shivered. It was cracked and falling apart. "I must have ruined it on accident when I got mad."

"You said you wanted to look around hours ago and no one could find you but my dad did as he was chasing Meelo and Rohan trying to keep them from getting lost again. He stopped for a minute to talk to you but couldn't to grab you but he told me where you were at." Jinora looked at me with concern and grabbed my arm.

I pulled away from her and placed my hand back on the wall. I focused and carved out the picture I had originally seen into it. I pulled away and looked at the restored image. "This is what I saw, this terribly bloody battle and this lone air bender finding peace among his fallen friends. This sickened me to my stomach how would you be able to forgive someone if they killed one of your loved ones. Especially on the battlefield, I just I wouldn't have-" Jinora placed her finger on my lips to shut me up.

"Don't get angry again. You wouldn't want to have to remake the mural would you?" She said softly and leaned against me. "Come on let's get back to the group."

I sighed and smiled. "You bring me so much peace Jinora I want you to know that. Also I truly love you." She blushed and reached up and gave me a quick kiss.

"I love you too." She said as she started pulling me again.

We made our way back to everybody and Hinako and Rina walked over to me quickly. Hinako grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Jinora as Rina pulled on her arm.

"Brother you gotta help me." He whisper yelled. "You gotta help me now."

"Help you with what and why are you whispering so loudly." I laughed at him.

"I ruined a statue on accident, a statue of Wan." He grabbed my wrist and started to drag me away. We made it to a very large room with statues everywhere. "Hey Sai-Ryu it's over here! HURRY!" He yelled now that we were far enough away from everyone to not be heard.

I walked over to a half broken statue and sighed. "How?" Is all I said.

"Well I came in here when Tenzin said all the avatars had a statue of them so I wanted to pay my respects to Wan and I kinda sort got emotional and hugged it but it was really fragile and it broke." He was on the verge of tears. "I ruined Wans statue and I can't even fix it."

"I'm sorry Wan you know how he is, extremely overzealous. Let me just fix it and make it better than new." I turned the rest of the stone into dust and began reforming it until it looked like Wan right before we fought with Vaatu and reformed the dust into solid rock. I smiled and bowed to the statue. "I just want to say that this never would have happened if you would have just nipped that while you raised us."

"I'm glad I didn't though." I froze and turned quickly to see Korra walking up. "Wan just came straight to the front of my consciousness and I heard you guys talking to him."

"Wan err uh Korra well both of you actually, I'm sorry I didn't know what to do I got so happy to see Wan again I just." Hinako started to panic until Korra placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"I know I could feel how happy you were and how sad you are now. Its fine Hinako neither of us are mad at you." She pulled him into a hug and he returned it.

All of our stomachs grumbled and we made our way back to our makeshift camp. Everyone was spread out around the fire eating and we all grabbed some food and sat down. Hinako sat next to Rina while I sat next to Jinora and Korra took a seat next to me.

"So Hinako did you fix your little problem?" Rina said as she nudged him.

"Yes I fixed it for him actually and Korra knows about it to actually." I said with a smile causing Rina to gasp.

"Everything's fine Rina as long as Tenzin doesn't find out." She laughed.

"As long as I don't find out what?" Tenzin said causing everyone to gasp except Korra.

"Oh well Hinako got a little too excited and hugged a statue of Wan and accidentally broke it." Korra said and everyone could see the color drain off of his face. "But it's alright Sai-Ryu rebuilt it and Wan was ok with it as well."

Tenzin regained himself. "Well as long as everything is OK there aren't any problems. By the way Sai-Ryu did you fix the mural you broke as well?"

I looked up and smiled. "Yeah actually even though I still don't agree with what it stood for I still wanted it to stay there. Also Tenzin I'm going to stop trying to be what you want me to be. I'm an original air bender but I'm not an air nomad and I can earth bend so I'd appreciate it if you would stop throwing away all my other clothes and let me wear what I want and let me be what I want to be."

"I suppose you do have a point." He sighed. "On one condition though."

"I figured there would be one, well what is it?" I chuckled.

"You get you air bending master tattoos." He sat down and looked me over. "Well obviously you won't be able to get them on your right arm but-"

"I'm not shaving my head Tenzin." I cut him off. "I'll get my whole left arm done but that's it."

"Let's get it done now shall we." He stood and walked over to oogi and grabbed a bag and walked back. He opened the back and started pulling everything out.

"You brought the tattoo stuff along with us?" Jinora was shocked.

"You sly dog Tenzin you were planning on asking Sai-Ryu on this trip anyways." Korra grinned.

"Actually I was going to ask Jinora first and then ask Sai-Ryu later but now seems as good a time as any." Tenzin smiled and looked at Jinora and I did as well, she had tears in her eyes. "You have already learned all that I can teach you."

"Oh dad!" She shouted as she jumped at him. "Thank you."

"No Jinora thank you for trying so hard and being so patient with me. You have had air bending mastered for a long time now but I was too afraid to see my little girl all grown up." Everyone smiled and laughed as we watched the father and daughter cry in each other's arm.

"Typical Tenzin." Korra whispered to me.