Southern Air Temple
"I am so happy to be going home. You guys have no idea!" Aang jumped up and down on Appa's back while they sailed through the sky.
"Aang, you shouldn't get too excited. You should know something. Before you disappeared Sozin wiped out the air benders so the Avatar wouldn't be reborn." Katara didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but he needed to hear it.
"I know, Katara, you already told me, but I doubt they got to my people. I'm sure Monk Gyatso moved them before anything bad could happen to them." his smile didn't faltered at the thought that his home could be destroyed.
"I'm sure you're right, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up."
"Katara, if I don't have a little bit of hope how will I be able to do anything?"
"I'm not saying you can't be excited. I'm just saying ground yourself a little. I don't want you to get hurt if it's not like how you remember it a hundred years ago."
"You're right, my room must be a mess and so is the rest of the temple that I was supposed to clean. Oh man, I'm gonna be in so much trouble." Aang genuinely seemed to be worried about being reprimanded for not cleaning.
"Aang, I doubt that's the biggest thing you need to worry about." Katara tried in vain to get him to understand, he would non of it.
He didn't seem to hear her when she talked. "We gotta get going guys, I can't wait to see Monk Gyatso." he left them in the saddle and went up on Appa's head where he take control and make Appa go faster. They would be at the Southern Air Temple in no time.
§¨©ª
"We're here! We're here! We're here!" Aang pulled Katara's hood over her head and shook Sokka awake.
"What is happening? I had a dream we were flying on a bison and sleeping so peacefully and fulfilling. Oh wait, that wasn't a dream. We actually were! So what gives, Aang? Why did you disturb me from the best dream I've had in… well, forever." Sokka inched his way out of his sleeping bag. His face was inches from Aang's and looked ready to take his head off with his boomerang if given the chance.
"What about that one dream, Sokka, when you were the Avatar and you got all the girls?" Katara asked in a soft voice trying to get Sokka to take his mind off his anger for being woken up so early.
"Eh, you're right, that was my best dream. I guess, you have been spared Aang." Sokka stretched his back and hopped down from Appa. "So, what's with the tower of rocks?"
Aang looked at Sokka as if he were crazy with fever. "Those rocks just happen to be the homes of the Southern Air Temple. So watch what you're saying Sokka ."
Katara felt Aang's anger from where she was atop the bison. She decided she should probably try to save her brother from an air bender's rage, "Sokka, could you please try and find us something to eat? I know how much you get hungry and quite frankly, I'm getting a little hungry too." as if wanting to add for effect, her stomach growled.
He looked her, smirking, "I knew I would be the one you guys would come running to when you needed something. Now, don't you worry yourself, Katara. I'll find us some food." he puffed out his chest, grabbed his boomerang and club and left Aang and Katara to themselves.
Sokka got no further than a few feet when his attention was caught by something red. "Katara, could you come here please?" Aang helped her off Appa and she rushed forward.
"What is it now, Sokka?" he was kneeling in the dirt pointing to something. A Fire Nation helmet.
She saw Aang coming forward, knowing she couldn't let him see, she knocked some snow on the helmet covering it up. "What was it guys?"
Katara looked at her brother, hoping he would go along with this rouse. "It was just a really cool… rock that I wanted to give to… my Gran Gran but I wanted Katara's… opinion of it first." he wasn't the best liar, but he did manage to fool Aang.
"Oh, well, that's cool. Are you gonna go find food now? I'm starting to get hungry too." Aang rubbed his stomach.
"Right, yeah of course." Sokka left again, this time actually leaving.
Katara looked at Aang from beneath her eyes lashes. His eyes were still a little angry from Sokka's comment, but after a moment of looking at her, oddly, he calmed down some. "So, this was your home? Wanna show me around or something?" she seemed unsure about it all. Like she didn't know if his temper would flare up again or if he would jump at the chance to show her his beloved home.
He hesitated slightly, but couldn't give up the opportunity to show off the place he grew up. "Alright, you convinced me Katara, let's go look around." "You're gonna love it here, Katara. Maybe, if we are able to, we can stay here for a bit?" he asked in an unsure voice.
She smiled, "yeah, maybe, Aang, maybe." she followed closely behind, not wanting to get lost. But as they trekked on, a rustling noise came from a bush nearby. She eeped and crept closer to him. "What was that?"
Aang left her in the same spot while he went forward to investigate the noise. He rummaged around in the lush plant and pulled back quickly. "This is what you were afraid of? This helpless, little guy?" Aang turned around and faced Katara. In his arms he held a small creature with enormous green eyes and even bigger ears. She knew what it was from its ringed tail and excess skin from his arms to his legs. A flying lemur.
He laid in Aang's arms without a care in the world. Like he didn't just scare Katara shitless or possibly could have died if someone else had found them. No he was calm as any other creature, just relaxing in the armed cradle Aang was creating.
"Well, he is definitely not what I thought he was. But he is absolutely adorable and not threatening." Katara couldn't help but smile at the little lemur.
Aang swirled the air around him making his infamous scooter and with the lemur in his arms left Katara standing there alone. Katara could hear his laughter from the other side of the courtyard. Aang and his childish ways were going to get him in major trouble one of these days.
He really was only a kid with an immense burden on his shoulders that could bring the world itself to its knees. But he couldn't be a kid forever, he would need to grow up sooner or later. She only hoped it would be sooner. The planet couldn't handle anymore war. Couldn't handle anymore pain. Couldn't handle anymore suffering. Couldn't handle anymore death.
She looked after Aang and saw him playing with the little lemur, tossing him in the air and catching him in a whirlwind of air. "Katara, you gotta come play with us." he threw him up and as he was in mid-air he flung out his arms and took flight. He soared through the sky in the opposite direction of her and Aang.
They waited there for several moments waiting to see if he would come back. He didn't. "No, little guy, come back!" Aang yelled to the sky wanting his new friend to return to him.
Katara looked back at Aang and felt a little bad for him at the sight of his grey eyes full of hurt at losing a friend. "It's okay, Aang, maybe you'll see him later." the more she looked into his eyes the more she realized that he was more childlike than she had thought. Growing up was going to be a hard thing for him. But it has to be done. "Come on, Aang, show me the temples."
He jumped up like nothing had happened. "Alright, Katara, let's go!"
§¨©ª
Sokka stalked his prey quietly watching it move stealthily eating berries it found. Just as he was about to jump from his hiding spot, the creature moved away quickly almost flying away. He landed on his feet grumbling about stupid flying things. He went to find the animal when a gust of wind blew him off his feet.
Speaking of stupid flying things, Aang came running up behind him and blew more air leaving Sokka suspended in the air for enough time to let Aang get ahead of him. Sokka landed on his ass dazed and confused. "Sorry, Sokka, but you can't eat him. He's my friend."
Sokka let a gurgled noise out and chased after Aang, no way was he letting that Airbending freak steal his dinner out from under him if Sokka could help it.
His eyes fell on his brown leather boots watching them hit the ground with hard solid thumps. He had been training faithfully everyday since his father had left, so running was nothing big to him. But what was discouraging him was the acceleration Aang had. Sokka thought of himself as more of a distance guy rather than a speedy guy. The thought of giving up and letting Aang keep the animal without a big fight was tempting, but he could never do that. Wasn't in his DNA to give up so quickly. He pressed on, harder and harder.
He saw Aang in the distance and continued, having a reward again made it easier. He kept his eyes down until he felt his lungs giving in. He was pushing harder than he was used to. Reluctantly, Sokka stopped, putting his hands on his knees and his head between his legs, he realized that having the Avatar around was going to be both useful and difficult.
Brr umm bumm bumm.
Sokka looked above his head and saw the flying creature that was causing all this trouble. He reached behind his back and pulled out his boomerang. The angular metal felt cooled to him and relished in the feel of its curves in his hand. His favorite weapon who always did what he needed without fail.
Just as he was going to throw it up Aang, again, blew wind and threw Sokka off his feet. Dammit all to hell! This was going to get real irritating real fast. "Aang, please we need food."
Aang stopped running in front of him and faced him. He was huddling over the meat and protecting it. "No, Sokka, this is a creature of this temple. You can't destroy it. I won't let you."
The thing jumped from Aang's arms. Both boys stood still, neither wanting to make the first move that would set off the stand still between them. Seconds went by then minutes, Sokka was getting tired of this. He would have given up too if the animal hadn't brought back fruit. A lot of fruit. So much fruit that Sokka forgot about the winged creature. He jumped the food and just inhaled most of it.
Aang scooped up the lemur and slowly stepped away from the food crazed warrior. He turned around only to smack his face into something hard and be knocked off his feet again. Rubbing his injured body he saw a massive door. What is this? I've never seen this door before.
Katara came running up, finally catching up with the boys. "You guys are ridiculous. Aang, what are you doing down there?" he pointed to the door, and she couldn't help but snicker. "What's in there?"
Aang shrugged, "I have no idea, never noticed this door before."
Katara pulled Aang to his feet. "Well, let's find out. Sokka come here. We need your help."
Sokka whined his protest. Literally whined. But got up anyway. Together they found out that pushing the door wouldn't work. Throwing water on it wouldn't help anything and neither would hitting it with a club.
They slumped against the door and slid down. "This is useless. We're never getting in there."
Aang threw his head back and hit it against the door with a thunk. He looked up at it and rubbed his head. "Wait a minute, I think there is." he stood.
"What is it?" Katara was on her feet too dragging Sokka with her.
"Look here, these are for Airbending. All I have to do is shoot similar Air Blasts up the chutes." he pointed it all out to him.
Sokka's face fell, "that's all we had to do! We spent at lest an hour trying to figure it out and now you tell me all you have to do is what comes natural to you!"
Aang smiled, "Yup!" he took his stance and pushed his arms out sending Air out and into the cylinders. It opened. They stepped inside. They stopped just within the boundaries from inside and out. Aang's movements stopped. Sokka's face held confusion. Katara gasped.
Inside the room were statues. Statues of all past Avatars.
§¨©ª
"Prince Zuko, the ship needs major repairs done before we can continue on our voyage." General Iroh said softly to his nephew not wanting to upset him anymore than he was.
"Damn the Avatar. Look as the destruction that child has done to our ship, to our Nation. He won't get away with this. But for now let's dock and find someone to fix this piece of metal." Zuko walked away from his uncle and went into his room sulkily.
He walked in and with a rage he'd be feeling since he was thirteen hit the door with his Fire Fist. Leaving a dent and a scorch mark. Things were not going the way that he planned them to go. He hit the shores of the Southern Water Tribe hoping to find the Avatar, but on arrival he was lied to and tricked. Desperate, he hoped that by taking one of the peasants hostage they would give up the Avatar.
He didn't expect two things to happen when he snagged the back of the dark haired, blue eyed beauty's parka. He didn't anticipate the Avatar coming forth to save the village and the girl.
But mostly he didn't predict the turbulence of emotions that would go through his mind and body. Zuko didn't understand what would happen if he coddled the girl against his side and menacingly threatened the village. He had no clue that even through the thickness of her coat and the sleekness of his armor he could feel her body warming him and making him feel apart of something. He didn't know that by looking in her ocean colored eyes it would be a fatal mistake and eventually it would result in his demise, he just knew it would. He had no idea that by coddling her, looking into her eyes and sensing her warmth and being would make him feel like he was alive. Like she was his sole reason for living and she was his destiny to pursue.
He wanted to see her deep dark blue eyes again. Wanted to delve into this feeling of completion. Wanted to know why she did this to him. Made him feel like a child with a new secret crush, made him feel like he actually had a chance at happiness with a female who was decent, beautiful, and respectable.
And he knew the only way of seeing her again was by pursuing the Avatar. Both objectives were within reach and were traveling together. Convenient for him. He could kill the two proverbial birds with one stone. He only hoped it would be worth it when he caught the child and became reunited with the dark haired dream that she would feel the same way. Actually it didn't matter what she thought or what she wanted, because if he wanted her then he would have her. One way or another.
A knock sounded at his burnt, dented door. Uncle walked in and closed the door, his hands brushed the mark, he looked at it and grimaced. "Nephew, we have been stopped by another ship. Only problem is we were stopped by Zhao. He wants to know what happened to our ship."
Zuko's temper flared up again in hostility. Damn that man and his knack for constantly finding them no matter where they were or what was happening to them. Zuko and his crew would forever be out running him if they didn't find a way to stop the bastard. "Okay, then let's stop and see what he wants. Maybe he'll let us pass without giving us a problem." he pushed past his uncle and ascended to the top deck.
Iroh gave Zuko a look of doubt, clearly not believing his nephew for one second. But he held his tongue and followed the prince up the stairs to see what the commander wanted. He wouldn't be good news it never was when it came to this man. A good commander as any should be, but as cold, calculating, and evil as Azula herself.
The general's feet hit the deck as the commander came aboard. "General Iroh, Prince Zuko, what has become of your ship?" his smirk said he thought the residents of the ship ran it quite poorly.
Zuko hated this man, no not man, beast was more appropriate, with a passion so fierce it rivaled his need to hunt the Avatar. He was the worse kind of being alive, stopping at nothing to get what he wanted. Though some would say the same of Zuko himself, but he knew he was different than Zhao. Knew he was more human than this creature standing before him. His feelings for the Water Tribe girl proved that much.
He knew he couldn't tell Zhao the truth. If he knew that the Avatar was out there alive and well. Zuko would have no chance in hell of getting to him before Zhao. So he did what he knew how to do best. He deceived. "We were attacked by giant Koi Fish out in the Earth Kingdom waters. The boat took on more damage than we thought it did." he learned lying from his sister, the master, but he still wasn't all that impressive. He still had a lot to learn.
"Repairs need to be made I see." Zhao sneered at Zuko. Evidently the commander didn't believe Zuko's lie as well as the prince hoped he had. "Too bad there's nothing close enough for that to happen. Except of course, my port."
The rotten bastard. Zuko knew he didn't have a chance in hell of making it anywhere, but Zhao's. Damn the man that stood before Zuko. Damn the man that tried to take everything away from him. He hoped that one day Zhao would get what was coming to him.
Iroh jumped in before Zuko's temper got the better of him, "How kind of you Zhao. We'd be honored if you helped us." the general plastered on a fake smile.
Zhao didn't notice the false niceties. He retreated back to his own ship and led Zuko's ship back to the only safe harbor within range.
Zuko whirled on his uncle. "Why? Why did you do that?" his temper was flaring. Iroh could feel the heat coming off him in waves.
Iroh looked his nephew and spoke with a calm, soothing voice. "Because he knew and we need a place to fix our ship. That's why. So please my nephew, keep your temper under control." he left Zuko alone to ponder the older man's wisdom, knowing that Zuko would come to his senses, control himself and be civilized.
Zuko hated the man sometimes and all his infinite wisdom. He was right though of course, but the Prince still hated it. He made his way to his rooms and laid on his bed, hoping to get in a few minutes at least of some solid sleep. Instead when he closed his eyes and let the blackness of sleep consume him, two moonlit orbs filled his mind. Two blue spheres. Two ocean eyes.
§¨©ª
"This is amazing Aang, it's literally you in a past life. You're past cycles. Did you know these were back here?" Katara couldn't believe what she was seeing. This room was astounding.
Aang stood in front of Katara, stunned. He had never seen this before, had no idea this place even existed. He voiced this so to the Waterbender. He wondered why he hadn't been back in this room. He had thought that he'd explored all the Air Temple's rooms. Apparently he did not.
Sokka stepped forward and touched the first Avatar statue he saw. "This is kinda creepy, guys, they're so life like."
Aang came up behind Sokka and peered over his shoulder. "You're right, this is creepy." Aang poked the statue expecting it to come to life…
Katara had walked away from them mesmerized by the statues. Each one of these was based on a person. An Avatar with a story about their life and the trials they went through to save the world. Stories about how they came to be the Avatar. Stories about their loves and friendships. It saddened her to know she would never know any of these stories.
She stopped just short of the most recent Avatar before Aang, Roku. She wandered how it was being alive when the four nations were together in harmony. How it might have to live in the Fire Nation. She looked into the statue's stone eyes, wondering about so many things. Then the impossible happened. His eyes lit up.
"Uh, guys, I think it's about to creepier! The eyes are glowing on Roku!" she heard the boys come running behind her.
"What did you do, Katara?" Sokka accused her in his brotherly way.
"Me? I didn't do anything. You're the one who was poking it!" Katara pointed her finger at him.
"That wasn't me, that was Aang." both Sokka and Katara turned their heads toward the Airbender.
"Guys, whether it was my fault or not can wait. Right now I think we got a bigger problem." he tilted his head in the direction of the statues. One by one they watched as the Avatars' eyes began illuminating the room. What was going on?
§¨©ª
The fire sages were going about their routinely days. One Fire Sage in particular looked within Avatar Roku's worshipping room. The eyes on the statue shown. The statues only shine when an Avatar had returned.
He ran from, searching for the man who was the messenger. "You, send word to the Fire Lord, the Avatar is alive!"
§¨©ª
They slowly started backing out of the room, scared they had broken something. They were outside the door when their new friend ascended in the air and flew away. "No!" Aang almost broke down. This little creature was causing a lot of problems for them, but Aang wasn't let him get away so easily. They all took off after him, not letting him get away yet again.
He went into a room on the other side of the temple. Aang flew after it on his staff while Katara and Sokka kept going on foot. They reached the room and Aang stopped short, falling to his knees. Sokka came up to him and saw what he was seeing.
Bones. Everywhere. Piles of them. Just laying around. Filling the room. Except a chair, where a whole skeleton sat in yellow and orange attire similar to Aang's. Sokka looked at Aang. His mouth turned down, his eyebrows came down to a V, and his eyes narrowed and visibly darkened. Sokka could feel the anger radiating off of him. Where are you, Katara? he wondered, knowing that when it came down to it, Katara was the only one who could calm Aang down in dire situations.
Aang's own eyes began glowing as were his tattoos. As he ascended into the sky, earth and air swirled around him. Sokka knew this was not going to end well. He tried to help the person he was slowly getting used to. But as soon as he got close enough to do anything, Aang sent a gust of win so big it destroyed everything inside the room and propelled Sokka back out through the doorway.
"Sokka, what's happening?" Katara had finally caught up with the boys only to find Aang suspended in the air with his eyes and tattoos glowing. She stood there unsure of what to do. She was scared, but knew she had to do something about it all. Somehow she had to stop Aang from destroying the entire temple and them all.
She walked forward slowly for the force of the wind he was blowing was bad. Very bad. She finally reached Aang. She latched her hand around his forearm and gently tried pulling him down back to earth. He looked down at her and all she saw was anger, she pleaded him with her eyes and his features relaxed into calm look of contentment. His eyes slowly turned back to their normal steely grey color and his arrows went back to their normal blue.
He collapses against Katara and sobbed uncontrollably. She didn't know how to handle this, Sokka had never cried like this before. She just held him close, "it's okay, Aang, you had no idea that this was gonna happen. You couldn't have prevented it. Right now the only thing you can do to help, is first learning Waterbending in the North Pole. Come on we gotta go."
Moments passed before he moved and even then it was sluggish. "Thanks, Katara, I know you're right, let's go." he stood up, this time with more determination.
Sokka popped out from behind his rock, checking to see if the coast was clear. Apparently, he deemed it so. He came out with the lemur right behind him. Aang laughed, "We're gonna keep the little guy. And his name is going to be… Momo. Yeah, Momo sounds like a good name for ya, doesn't little buddy?" Momo chirped his approval and climbed to Aang's shoulder.
They left the temple and found Appa. They were the last three remaining living things from the Southern Air Temple. They had to stick together. "Alright, guys, we gotta keep going."
§¨©ª
Iroh and Zuko finally made it into Zhao's port. As soon as they were off their ship they were immediately transported onto Zhao's. Two men each grabbed Zuko and Iroh and roughly set them in seats. Zhao came in, with holier than thou act as usual.
"We know, you're lying. So, why don't you just tell me what actually happened to your ship." he circled the men until Iroh gave in. "The Avatar, he's what happened to our ship." Zuko gave his uncle a sharp look.
Zhao sneered, "ah, I see, much thanks to you Iroh. Get these men off my ship now!" he barked his last order. "Oh, and Zuko, I don't ever want to see you again," he looked directly into Zuko's eyes, "that means if I see you coming after the Avatar, I will not hesitate in shooting you down, got it?"
Zuko stared back, "perfectly." he and Iroh were shoved from the ship. "Uncle, what are we going to do now?" he turned on his uncle, letting him feel the fire burning inside him.
Iroh looked back, not flinching, "We do what we started. We hunt for the Avatar. After the repairs are made."
Zuko smirked, "Let's go then. Now." they headed for the shops. They were on their way to capture the prize. The honor. The glory. The Avatar.