A/N: Third chapter, yes. Review? Please?
Dove is the way: Yeah, I posted this once with her name as Kazia, but it wasnt very Air-Benderish. So I changed it. I missed a few spots, but I'll get to them...
Chapter Three: Disaster
The sun was rising over the trio's small campsite, and the embers from the fire sent a thin trail of smoke into the sky. "Wait till you see it, Katara," Kija said excitedly, fastening Appa's reins onto his horns. "The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world!"
Katara stopped packing their supplies for a moment to turn to Kija. "Kija, I know you're excited, but, it's been a hundred years since you've been home..." Kija wasn't fazed. "That's why I'm so excited!" Katara sighed, and resumed organizing the contents of the saddle. "Kija, it's just... A lot can change in a hundred years." Kija smiled gently. "I know. But I need to see it for myself."
With that, she jumped down from Appa and strolled towards the campsite. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple time!" The boy snoring in a blue furred sleeping bag rolled over.
"Sleep now, temple later," he said wearily. Kija frowned for a moment, before smiling mischievously. She grabbed a stick off the ground and began to poke Sokka with it.
"Wake up Sokka! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" Sokka woke up with a start, standing up and hopping around in his sleeping bag frantically, yelling, "AHH! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! AHHH!" He fell flat on his face, and scowled darkly, as Kija and Katara giggled.
"Great, you're awake! Let's go!" Kija grinned eagerly.
The gray-black battleship looked small and insignificant amidst the masses of newer, colossal warships lining it on all sides. "I want the repairs done as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay long and risk losing her trail," Zuko ordered as he strode out onto the dock, his uncle by his side.
"You mean the Avatar?" his uncle asked blandly. Zuko turned around sharply to glare at the older man. "Don't mention her name on these docks. Once word gets out that she's alive, every Fire-Bender will be out looking for her. And I don't want anyone getting in the way," he said angrily.
A cruel voice sounded from behind him. "Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" A dark haired man, dressed in a Fire Nation military gear approached them with an air of superiority.
"Captain Zhao," Zuko said with contempt, folding his arms over his chest. "It's Commander now," Zhao replied smugly, giving the younger man a condescending smirk. He turned to Zuko's uncle, and allowed him the slightest of bows. "And General Iroh, great hero of our nation." "Retired General," Iroh corrected graciously, returning the respectful bow.
"The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome guests anytime," Zhao said. "What brings you to my harbor?"
Iroh gestured to the smaller vessel, hunks of metal torn out of the prow. "Our ship is being repaired." Commander Zhao faked a look of concern and curiosity. "That's quite a bit of damage..." Zuko replied quickly, and somewhat awkwardly, "yes! You wouldn't believe what happened." He paused for a moment. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened."
Iroh's eyes widened, and a strange expression flashed across his face. "Uh... Yes! I will do that."
"It was incredible," the older man said, leaning over to Zuko and whispering in his ear, "what, did we crash or something?" Zuko grimaced, quickly thinking of a convincing lie. "Yes! Right into... An Earth Kingdom ship!"
Commander Zhao raised an eyebrow disbelievingly, and replied with thinly masked sarcasm, "Really. You must regale me with all the thrilling details," he leaned down towards Zuko, looking him in the eye and issuing a challenge, "join me for a drink?"
Zuko turned away. "Sorry, but we have to go," he said coldly. Iroh grabbed his shoulder. "Prince Zuko. Show Commander Zhao your respect." Iroh turned to face the smirking commander. "We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? Its my favorite."
Zuko snarled, and a burst of fire flared from his clenched fists as he reluctantly followed his uncle and the smug commander.
Kija sat in front of the saddle, gripping the reins tightly. She leaned forward, eager to see her home again.
A faint growling sounded form behind her, and Kija turned to see Sokka clutching his stomach and scowling. "Hey, stomach, be quiet, alright? I'm trying to find us some food." He began to rummage through their supplies, pulling out a tan cloth knapsack and shaking the contents out onto his hand. A few crumbs tumbled out of the bag.
Hey!" Sokka exclaimed, turning to glare at Kija and Katara. "Who at all my blubbered seal jerky?" He held up the empty bag. Kija winced. "Oh... That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry," she said sheepishly.
"You what?!" Sokka demanded indignantly. "Aww..." He sulked, placing the empty bag back with the rest of their things. "No wonder the flames smelled so good," he said longingly.
Kija spun back around, looking out at the landscape excitedly. "The Patola mountain range! We're almost there!"
"Kija," Katara said quietly, looking over at the cheerful Air-Bender. "I want to talk to you about the Air-Benders." Kija raised an eyebrow at the younger girl. "What about them?"
Katara turned away from her for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "Well," she started, moving to face the blonde girl. "I just want you to be prepared for what you might see," she said carefully. "The Fire Nation are ruthless. They killed my mother. They could've done the same to your people." Kija shook her head, but there was a hint of doubt in her gray eyes.
"Just because nobody has seen an Air-Bender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all," she said optimistically. "They probably escaped."
Katara placed a reassuring hand on Kija's shoulder. "I know it's hard to accept-" Kija shook her head and said determinedly, "you don't understand, Katara. The only way up to an Air-Bender temple is on a flying bison. And I don't think the Fire Nation has any flying bison. Right Appa?" She leaned down to scratch the giant creature's head affectionately.
"Guys, you might want to hold on," she warned. "Yip-yip!" Appa began a steep ascent up the side of the mountain. The wind whistled in her ears and she squinted her eyes as Appa crested over the summit. "There," she said quietly, pointing to a mass of turrets and bridges, crafted out of stone.
"The Southern Air Temple..." Katara gasped in awe. "Kija, it's amazing!" Kija sighed happily. "We're home, buddy," she murmured to Appa, "we're home."
"And by years end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule." Zhao explained, facing a large map on the wall. "The Fire Nation will finally claim victory in this war." Zhao turned around, his hands clasped behind his back.
Zuko was sitting in a straight backed chair, and said quietly, "if my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool." Zhao took a seat next to the prince and smirked. "Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue," he mocked. Zuko didn't reply.
"So... How is your search for the Avatar going?" A crash echoed from the side of the room, and Iroh held up his hands apologetically, standing next to a toppled weapons display. "My fault entirely," he said, folding his hands in his robe.
Zhao refocused his attention on the young man sitting next to him. "We haven't found him yet," he said stiffly.
"Did you really expect to," Zhao said cruelly. "The Avatar died a hundred years ago." Zuko looked away, his lips pressed into a hard line. Zhao smirked victoriously, noting the young man's reaction. "Unless you've found some sort of evidence that the Avatar is alive?" He questioned.
"No. Nothing," Zuko said coldly, shooting Zhao an angry glare as he clenched his fists against the armrests of his chair.
Zhao rose to his feet, his hands clasped behind his back. "Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one that can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found," he leaned toward the prince, his stance almost threatening. Zuko scowled up at the commander.
"I haven't found anything," he said firmly. "It's like you said; the Avatar probably died a hundred years ago." He stood up, walking away from Zhao. "Come on, Uncle, we're going," he said, without turning back.
The guards crossed their spears in front of the prince, stopping him from leaving. Another guard stepped forward. "Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let her escape."
Zhao's eyes widened for a second at the word "her." He stalked towards the prince, a cruel smile twisting his features. "Now remind me," he said, cornering Zuko like a predator would do to it's prey. "How exactly was your ship damaged?"
Kija ran up the twisting paths excitedly, Katara and Sokka walking along behind her. Sokka clutched at his stomach.
"So, where do I get something to eat?" Katara shot her older brother a withering glance. "You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an Air-Bender temple, and all you can think about is food!?" Sokka shrugged off her scolding. "Hey, I'm just a simple guy with simple needs."
The siblings finally caught up to the eager Air-Bender. Kija was standing silently on the edge of the stone trail, looking around. She pointed to a mess of poles of all lengths sticking out of the ground.
"That's where me and my friends used to play airball," she said as Katara and Sokka approached her. She turned and motioned to a number of caves carved into the mountainside. "And that's where the bison would sleep; and..." She sighed and hung her head, a frown twisting her face as she stood in the emptiness of the temple.
"What's wrong?" Katara asked curiously, and Kija replied without looking at the younger girl, "this place used to be filled with monks and lemurs and bison..." She looked around the empty landscape with saddened eyes. "Now there's just a bunch of weeds..."
The wind ruffled her clothes, bright orange and yellow against the dull landscape. "I can't believe how much things have changed," Sokka and Katara exchanged a worried glance. Sokka spoke up, trying to distract Kija. "So, uh, this airball game- how do you play?"
Kija and Sokka stood on opposite side of the field, Kija holding a spinning ball in her hands. She threw the ball up, smiling mischievously, and used airbending to send the ball slamming into Sokka, knocking him the ought the goal.
"Kija: seven, Sokka: zero!" She cheered. Sokka sat up, grumbling, "making her feel better is putting me in a world of hurt," Kija walked over to the siblings. "That's enough playing, we've got a whole temple to explore!" Katara and Sokka looked at her, their expressions somber. She raised an eye brow quizzically. Kija shook her head, and motioned for the siblings to follow her into the temple.
Kija ran through a blue stone courtyard, a fountain in the center that had long since dried up. "Hey, you guys! I want you to meet somebody," Kija called from the end of the courtyard. The siblings stood a little ways behind Kija, who was smiling at a wooden statue of a bald older man. He had a shaved head, and a rather long mustache. Around his neck was a rope of beads. A circular charm with the air insignia lay against the figure's chest, and two tassels hung on either side.
"That's Monk Gyatso, the greatest Air-Bender of all time," she said fondly. "He taught me everything I know." Kija bowed respectfully to the weathered statue, overcome with memories.
"But the true secret, is in the gooey center..." Monk Gyatso said in his calm, lilting voice. He held a hand over the fruit cake, airbending the fruit center into a gooey swirl. Kija sat on the railing, staring off into the distance.
"Hmm..." She said. Monk Gyatso put the last cake on the railing and said softly, "My ancient cake making technique isn't the only thing on your mind, is it Kija?" She sighed.
"This whole Avatar thing... Maybe the monks made a mistake..." "The only mistake they made was telling you before you turned sixteen..." Monk Gyatso said firmly. "But we cannot concern ourselves with what was, we must act on what is!" He said, motioning out to the lively grounds of the temple, teeming with young bison and Air-Bender trainees. Kija didn't move.
"But Gyatso, how do I know if I'm ready for this?" Monk Gyatso turned to look at Kija."Your questions will be answered when you are old enough to enter the Air Temple Sanctuary. Inside, you will meet someone who will guide you on your journey." Kija raised her head eagerly. "who is it?"
"When you are ready, he will reveal himself to you," Monk Gyatso said quietly. He smiled kindly.
"Now, are you going to help me with these cakes, or not?" Kija stood up and grinned. "Alright." The two took their places, and moved fluidly into forward stances, pushing the air in an intricate move, and sending the cakes flying. They landed with a splat on the heads of monks meditating in a clearing. Lemurs darted from the trees and began to munch on the bits of cake as Monk Gyatso and Kija laughed.
* * * * * *
Kija looked up, pain and sorrow in her eyes. There wasn't a single chance that Gyatso was alive, and she knew that. She fought back tears as the siblings approached. "You must miss him," Katara said softly. "Yeah," she said softly, her voice cracking slightly. She shrugged off Katara's comforting hand and moved on, deeper into the temple.
"Where are you going?" Katara's voice echoed after her. "The Air Temple Sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet," Kija answered, her voice slightly stronger. Katara glanced at her brother, who shrugged, before following her farther into the temple.
Kija came to a stop in front of a large wooden door, an intricate design of pipes in the middle of the weathered wood.
"But Kija, no one could've survived in there for a hundred years." Katara piped up. "Hey, I survived in the iceberg for that long," Kija said with a small smile. Katara shrugged in amusement. "Good point."
Kija turned to the younger girl, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!"
Sokka rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "And, whoever's in there might have a delicious medley of cured meats!" With that, he sprinted headlong towards the door, only to slam into it when the strong oak wood didn't open. He looked up at the tangled mess of bronze tubes locking the door.
"I don't suppose you have a key?" He asked Kija. Kija grinned at the Water Tribe boy, and replied, "The key, Sokka, is airbending." Kija stepped back, taking a deep breath, and thrust her palms forward, torrents of wind spewing forth and spiraling up the pipes, and three blue circles that made up the airbending symbol flipped over, and the door began to open with a rumbling creak.
"Hello?" Kija called out into the darkness. "Anyone home?" She began to walk into the dark, musty room. Katara and Sokka followed behind her cautiously, taking small steps as their eyes adjusted to the low light.
"So a fifteen year old girl bested you and your Fire-Benders," Zhao stated, pacing back and forth in front of the prince. He stopped and sighed, clasping his hands behind his back."You're more pathetic than I thought," Zhao sneered contemptuously.
Zuko scowled, glancing up at Zhao. "I underestimated her once, but it will not happen again." Zuko's gaze dropped back to the floor.
"No it will not," Zhao agreed sternly. "Because you won't get a second chance."
"Commander Zhao," Zuko began to protest angrily, "I've been hunting the Avatar for two years now and I-" Zhao spun around, an arc of flame flaring out from his palm as he cut the prince off, his voice cold.
"And you failed!" Zhao stalked towards the prince, his tone cruel and his expression hard. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. She's mine now."
Zuko lunged for the smug commander with a snarl, and two guards quickly restrained him. "Keep them here," Zhao ordered as he walked away. Zuko's face was contorted into an angry scowl as he turned, kicking over the small table next to him.
"More tea please," Iroh asked calmly.
Kija peered through the darkness, her eyes searching for signs of life in this dusty room. She looked forward, the light from outside the door falling on an assortment of statues. As her eyes became gradually used to the dark room, she could see many, many statues, one next to another, spiraling in circles around the room, even up the wall. She walked forward, through the eerie masses of stone figures, Katara and Sokka following not far behind.
"Statues?" Sokka said disbelievingly. "Where's the meat?" Katara rolled her eyes.
"Who are all these people?" Katara asked Kija, looking around the room in wonder. Kija shook her head, smiling a little.
"I-I don't know... But it feels like I know them somehow... Look!" She exclaimed, pointing to a stone figure with an arrow depicted on their head. "That one's an Air-Bender," she said happily. Katara turned to the statue next to the Air-Bender. "And this one's a Water-Bender!"
She quickly surveyed the room. "They're lined up in a pattern- air, water, earth, fire," she said, pointing to one statue after another. "That's the Avatar cycle!" Kija realized suddenly. Katara smiled. "Of course! They're Avatars! They're your past lives, Kija," Kija looked around in astonishment. "Wow... There's so many..."
Sokka crossed his arms and snorted. "Past lives? Katara, you really believe in that stuff?" Kija moved towards the statue at the end of the spiral, a Fire-Bender, she realized, noting the hairstyle. "It's true," she heard Katara argue from behind her. "When the Avatar dies, they're reincarnated to the next nation in the cycle."
Kija stared deep into the eyes of the statue, feeling herself drifting off, as if into a trance. A name floated around in her head, just out of her reach.
"Kija, snap out of it!" She was forced out of her trance as Katara shook her shoulder. Kija closed her eyes. "Huh?"
She opened her eyes again, and Katara asked, "Who is that?" Kija smiled and stated surely, "that's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."
Sokka walked up behind them. "You were a Fire-Bender in a past life? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met," he said, shaking his head.
Katara looked over the statue intently before asking Kija, "there's no writing... How did you know his name?" Sokka crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, looking suspiciously at Kija. She shrugged. "I'm not really sure... I just... Know it somehow," Sokka groaned. "You just couldn't get any weirder," he grumbled.
Suddenly, a sound echoed through the room, and the trio stiffened, turning around. A shadow could be seen from where they were, and it bobbed closer and closer. "Fire-Bender," Sokka warned as they ducked behind the statues. "Don't make a sound."
"You're making a sound!" Katara hissed, and both Kija and Sokka hushed her quietly.
Sokka held his club tightly in his hands. "That Fire-Bender won't know what hit him," he whispered. He narrowed his eyes, and leapt out from behind the statue, ready to swing his club.
A skinny lemur looked up at him innocently. Kija leaned out from behind the statue. "Lemur!" She cried out excitedly. "Dinner," Sokka mumbled, his hand clutching his stomach. "Don't listen to him. You're gonna be my new pet," Kija said eagerly. "Not if I get him first!" Sokka challenged, m rushing forward. The lemur tensed, and darted away. "Wait! Come back!" Kija called. "I wanna eat you!"'Sokka yelled out.
The two ran through the temple hallways, and Sokka swept out his club, trying to knock Kija over. She laughed, and jumped onto the wall, using airbending to run sideways, passing Sokka smoothly. She sent a ball of air rushing towards him, knocking him off his feet. Sokka's hood fell over his head, and he groaned.
Kija chased the lemur out onto a balcony, where it jumped out into the air, flying downwards. Kija laughed, and climbed over the railing of the balcony, jumping off happily, the wind tangling her hair and making her squint her eyes as she leapt from rock to rock down the mountainside.
Zuko didn't look up when Zhao strode confidently through the flaps of the tent. "My search party is ready," he stated. "Once I am out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship, and you'll be free to go." Zuko's golden eyes darted to the side. "Why," he asked, jerking his head around to meet Zhao's smug gaze. "Are you afraid I'm going to try and stop you?"
Zhao chuckled cruelly. "You? Stop me? Impossible," he said scornfully.
Zuko lurched to his feet, glaring at the older man hatefully. "Don't underestimate me Zhao, I will capture the Avatar before you!"
Iroh put a warning hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Prince Zuko! That's enough!" He barked.
"You can't compete with me," Zhao taunted cruelly, his eyes cold. "I have hundreds of warships under my command. And you... You're just a banished prince," he said dismissively. "No home; no allies; your own father doesn't even want you."
"You're wrong," Zuko muttered through gritted teeth. "Once I capture the Avatar, my father will welcome me home with honor," he spat. "And he will restore my rightful place on the throne."
Zhao narrowed his eyes as a smirk grazed his lips. "If your father really wanted you home, he would've let you return by now; Avatar, or no Avatar," he stated coldly. "But in his eyes, you are a failure, and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."
"That's not true," Zuko snarled, but there was a glimmer of doubt in his eyes.
"You have the scar to prove it," Zhao said indifferently.
Zuko shot to his feet, only inches away from the commander. "We'll maybe you'd like one to match," he growled, his face twisted with rage.
"Is that a challenge?" Zhao scoffed.
Zuko stood toe to toe with the older man. "An Agni-Kai," he spat. "At sunset."
Zhao backed away, clasping his hands behind his back. "Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you," he mocked. "I guess Your uncle will do," he finished, turning and walking away.
"Prince Zuko," his uncle chided, "have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?"
Zuko's eyes narrowed, his scarred face an emotionless mask. "I will never forget."
The lemur sat in an overgrown courtyard, and Kija unsuccessfully tried to sneak up on it. "Hey! Come back!" She cried out as the creature darted through tattered purple drapes that hung from the doorway to an old building. She pushed the ratty curtains aside. "Come on out, little lemur! That hungry guy won't bother you any more." Her eyes scanned the room, landing on the skeletal forms along the sides of the walls, the bones draped in Fire Nation armor.
"Fire-Benders? They were here?" Her voice shook as she reluctantly turned her head, to take in the rest of the room. Her gaze fell on an Air-Bender skeleton, and her head clouded with pain. There, on the tattered, dirtied yellow robes, was a simple wooden necklace with the Air-Bender symbol, and two tassels on the sides. Her body slumped to the floor.
"Gyatso..." Tears dripped down her face, and a scream of pure pain and sadness tore itself from her throat as she came to realize: the Fire Nation had killed all of them. Everyone she knew and loved was dead. And it was all her fault. If she had... If she had done something, maybe they'd be alive. She felt a hand on her shoulder, heard Sokka's voice in her ear. She couldn't express the agony tearing through her soul, and another earsplitting scream echoed through the room before everything went white.
Katara walked slowly through the halls of statues, wondering where her brother and Kija were. She came to a stop in front of the life size depiction of Avatar Roku. The statue's eyes began to glow a brilliant blue-white, like when Kija had been in the Avatar State. The statues around the room began to light up one by one. Katara's eyes widened. "Kija!" She said to herself, turning and running out the door.
"Kija! Come on!" Sokka yelled, as the girl rose up, her eyes and tattoos glowing white. A whirlwind began to form around her, debris and dust flying into the air. "Snap out of it!" He tried to move towards Kija, but a strong gust of wind blew him backwards as she began to rise up off the floor and burst through the ceiling. Katara struggled through the gale to Sokka's side.
"What happened?" She had to yell to be heard over the roaring winds. "She found out Fire-Benders killed the Air-Benders!" Sokka replied. Katara's eyes widened. "Oh no! It's her avatar state! She must've triggered it! I'm going to try to calm her down!" She began to inch towards Kija, her hands up to shield her face. "Well hurry up, before she blows us off the mountain!" Sokka was clinging to a piece of rubble as the gale picked up.
"Prince Zuko... Remember your firebending basics," Iroh reminded. "They are your greatest weapons."
Zuko rose up from a kneeling position, shedding the sleeveless jacket he wore. "I refuse to let him win," he said determinedly, turning to face Zhao.
"This will be over quickly," the older man stated darkly, moving into a bending stance as a gong sounded, signaling the fighters to begin.
Zuko began the fight by throwing a powerful punch, flames billowing out from his fist. Zhao sidestepped the blow easily, and another fireball was already rocketing towards him. He quickly dodged to the side, and stopped the following fire blast with his bare arms, smiling smugly. Zhao took this opportunity to go on the offensive, leaning down with his hands pressed together, a stream of fire pouring out from his fingertips. The fire ceased, and he straightened up.
"Basics, Zuko! Break his root!" Iroh called from the sidelines. A ball of flame rocketed towards Zuko, knocking him back a few inches. Another fireball followed, that Zuko blocked with his hands, sending him sliding back again. A burst of fire came barreling towards him, knocking him off his feet. Zhao ran towards him, his fist positioned in front of the young prince's face. A flame began to pour out of his fist, but Zuko quickly hooked his leg around the commander's ankle, knocking him off balance as he jumped to his feet. A small smirk flashed across the scarred prince's face as he slid his foot along the ground, flames licking at Zhao's legs as he reeled backwards. A sharp kick sent the commander tumbling backwards, landing with a groan in the dirt. Zuko approached him warily, ready to claim his victory.
"Do it!" Zhao growled. Zuko snarled, launching a fireball past Zhao's shoulder. A plume of smoke rose from the charred earth.
"That's it?" A scowl marred Zhao's face as he spoke. "Your father raised a coward." Zuko stood tall, unfazed.
"Next time you get in my way, I promise, I won't hold back," he said darkly, turning his back on the man lying in the dirt. Zhao stood up, furious. An enraged yell echoed around the sparring ring as Zhao sent a burst of flame towards the prince's turned back. Iroh leapt forward, catching the commander's foot and sending him sliding backwards.
Zuko started towards him with a snarl, but Iroh caught him by the shoulders.
"No, Prince Zuko," he chided. "Do not taint your victory." He turned Zhao, lying in the dirt. "And this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat?" He said scornfully. "Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you."
A small smile lingered on his face. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious," he said, turning to leave.
As they walked out of the door of the sparring area, Zuko asked, "did you really mean that, Uncle?" A small smile played at his features and her replied,. "Of course. I told you ginseng tea was my favorite."
"Kija, I know you're upset," Katara yelled over the wind as she clung to a rock, "and I know it's hard to lose the people you love! I went through the same thing when I lost my mom."
Katara dug her hands into the rock as the wind picked up, her hair tangling behind her in the gale.
"Monk Gyatso and the other Air-Benders may be gone," she continued, "but you still have a family! Sokka and I! We're your family now."
Katara and Sokka began to stand up as Kija lowered down to earth, the wind dying down. Her feet touched the rocky ground, and the gale disappeared completely
"Katara and I aren't gonna let anything happen to you," Sokka said as he approached the young Air-Bender, whose eyes were still glowing. "Promise."
Kija stood still, and the glow began to fade. She fell to her knees, her eyes shut tight. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Katara said forgivingly, laying a hand on the Air-Bender girl's back to comfort her. "It wasn't your fault."
"But you were right," she said despondently, "and if the Fire-Benders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too." Kija's eyes clenched shut momentarily. When her eyes reopened, there was a sharp gleam of angry determination to make the Fire-Benders pay. "I really am the last Air-Bender."
Before leaving the Southern Air Temple, Kija decided to visit the Air Temple Sanctuary one last time. She stood motionless in front of the statue of Roku, staring into his stone eyes. "Everything's packed," Katara said as she walked up behind her, her hand folded in her parka. "Are you ready to go?" She questioned.
"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him," Kija asked no one in particular.
"Maybe you'll find a way," Katara reasoned optimistically, looking up at the statue of the past Avatar.
A familiar noise sounded from behind them, and Kija turned to see the lemur standing in the doorway.
The little creature scampered over to Sokka, dropping an armful of fruit at his feet, that Sokka eagerly began to devour.
"Looks like you made a new friend, Sokka! " Kija said with a small smile. Sokka continued to eat the pile of fruit with vigor. "Can't talk, must eat," he mumbled with a full mouth.
Kija laughed as the small lemur leapt onto her shoulder, it's tail wrapping around her head. "Hey, little guy," she said affectionately as the group started the descent from the temple.
"You, me, and Appa," Kija said sadly, her hand on the sky bison, and he lemur on her shoulder as she gazed at the empty, lifeless temple. "We're all that's left of this place," she murmured. "We have to stick together," she said, smiling at the lemur, who she had yet to name.
"Katara? Sokka?" She called to the siblings, who were busy packing. "Say hello to the newest member of our family."
"What're you gonna name him?" Katara asked as Kija walked towards the duo, the lemur perched on her arm.
Suddenly, the small creature leapt from her arm, stealing a peach that Sokka was about to eat right out of his hand.
"Momo," she decided with a smile, as Katara chuckled at Sokka's stunned expression.
The sun was setting by the time the trio boarded Appa, and disappeared behind the mountains as they flew off. Kija leaned back out of the saddle, her eyes trained on the temple that grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
She kept her gaze locked on the turrets and spiraling towers until clouds blocked them from view. Only then did she hesitantly turn back around, head bowed. "I will make it up to you, Gyatso," she thought to herself. "I'm sorry."