Taavi disembarked from the ferry on the main dock of Air Temple Island. After asking directions from an air acolyte, Taavi learned that Sheba and Yanis are still in their last subject which was Air Nation History. She rushed to the room the acolytes pointed and quietly sat on one of the chairs in the last row. She spotted Yanis and Sheba next to each other in the second row. The acolyte, who was about aged seventy, was distributing the test results to the class.
"Congratulations, Otaku," she said. "Your results are almost perfect. Keep it up." A chubby boy in tights rose and had the smuggest look on his face, clearly proud of his work.
The elderly acolyte continued her litany of the acolytes' names and stopped he mentioned Yanis' name. "Otaku, it seems you have your competition. Congratulations, Yanis, for a perfect score."
Taavi applauded softly. It was really customary for Yanis. He was always studious and diligent. The next name brought sniggering from the class. "Ah, Sheba. It's nice of you to score 2 out of 50."
Sheba rose to retrieve her paper and gave the class a condescending smile. She spotted Taavi who gave her two thumbs-up to whom she gave a playful nod.
"Surely, your test results will encourage you to keep up the good work," the elder acolyte said and turned to Sheba, "and work your hardest. History is not a hard course. Class dismissed."
The acolytes rose and left the room one by one. When Sheba and Yanis were approaching Taavi, they were held up by the elderly acolyte.
"Sheba, wait for a second."
"What is it, acolyte Ying?" Sheba turned and faced the acolyte who had a dead panned expression.
"Your test results are terrible," she told Sheba plainly. "2 out of 50 today? You barely made it to 1% percent of the test."
Sheba chuckled. "2 out of 50 is 4%."
The acolyte merely raised an eyebrow. "Anyhow, Master Tenzin will hear from this. I was also informed by Acolyte Pinta that you skipped morning and afternoon meditation yesterday and today."
"Let me save you some time," Sheba said and put a hand on the acolyte's back, "all of your meditation is useless on me."
"This calls for a disciplinary meeting with Master Tenzin," Ying spat. "You," she pointed at Taavi, "why are you not in your acolyte clothes?"
"Because I am not an acolyte," Taavi replied and sent ripples of laughter from Yanis and Sheba.
"Yeah, she's not an acolyte," Yanis confirmed. "She's our visitor."
The revelation caused Ying to snap. "Visiting hours are over. Master Tenzin will surely hear about this."
"Then by all means go tell him."
"You," she pointed at Sheba, "and you," to Taavi, "will be in for a disciplinary meeting. Yanis, I suggest you break away from this group. They are clearly a bad influence."
She stomped away leaving a dumbfounded Taavi with Yanis and Sheba. By the looks on Taavi's face, Sheba knew that Taavi already concluded that the Island is weird.
"Come on," Sheba said. "I've got kitchen duties."
"Kitchen duties?" Taavi asked, turning to Yanis.
"Yeah," her brother replied nonchalantly, causing Taavi to eye him suspiciously.
Sheba was never the cooking type of gal. In fact, she has never faced a stove with a pan on it. Why would she? Back in the Fire Nation, she would normally just ring a bell and a servant would come rushing in to attend to her wants and needs. Taavi has been witness to these occasions.
"You never cook, Sheb."
"What?" Sheba reacted, acting offended. "Cooking is easy. You just need to follow the recipe," she clapped her hands for emphasis, "If it says boil two cups of pepper, you boil two cups of pepper."
"What recipe is that?" Yanis asked dumbfounded.
"O…kay?" Taavi somehow agreed half-heartedly. "I will steer clear of your kitchen," she pointed at Sheba, "and you don't cook me anything!"
The three walked to the kitchen, discussing the past few days. Sheba has been in the sourest of moods ever since she reached the Island, complaining about the food, the clothes, the useless lectures, pointless meditations and the constant monitoring of Tenzin, who was clearly acting upon the Fire Lord's orders.
Yanis on the other hand has been enjoying history classes, likening it to one of his favorite subjects which is the World Natural History. However, getting up early for meditation and the vegetarian meals clearly put it off for Yanis. "I mean, why do you need to meditate in the morning when you can sleep longer at the same time as meditating?" he pointed out. Of course, their complaints were all kept to themselves.
When they reached the kitchen, Sheba asked Taavi how her past few days went. Taavi informed them that it went better than she expected. "I thought I was gonna cry," she said as she narrated her 'orientation' with Lin. Her mother issues still bothered her, she confessed, and that she's trying to introduce herself to this strange 'Lin land' where she's the daughter of a police chief and her mother is a skilled metalbending-crime-fighting-police boss; instead of a caring, gentle nurse who constantly shows her affections in kisses and hugs.
When Sheba asked her how she spends dinner with Lin, Taavi answered, "In silence. I kind of get that she's that kind of person who doesn't joke around."
"Really?"
"I'm pretty sure I haven't laughed at all since I met her."
It was a totally new thing for Taavi, and she admitted that she misses home and Tamara.
They entered the kitchen where a woman in acolyte clothes was cooking. Sheba introduced her to Taavi, "This is Pema. She's the wife of Master Tenzin."
Pema and Taavi shook hands and Taavi commented how nice the kitchen smells from Pema's cooking. The older woman asked whether Taavi cooks and Taavi responded with an enthusiastic 'yes.' Yanis went to a corner and gathered utensils and placed them in a mobile tray, and Sheba sliced some pies by the table. Taavi approached Pema and admitted that she barely knows any vegetarian dishes.
"Fire Nation's mostly about the meat," Taavi said. "If it doesn't have any meat, it's just a side dish."
"Yeah, and most of our side dishes contain meat as well," Sheba added. "Remember that classmate of ours, Singh, whose father was a chef. He opened up a vegetarian restaurant and made vegetarian counterparts of Fire Nation dishes."
"I really liked their spring rolls," Taavi said. "Shame they closed down after a year."
Pema smiled and stirred the pot on the stove, "Each to his own, I guess." Pema apologized for the lack of their preferred food on the Island and suggested that they ask Tenzin to take them to the city once in a while. "I'm sure he won't mind."
Taavi gleamed at the thoughtfulness of Pema and said that the airbender's wife reminded her of Tamara. Pema smiled at the compliment and welcomed Taavi to the Island. "You could always come here. I'm sure being away from your family for the first time is hard, especially for you. You seem to be so close to your mother."
"Thank you," Taavi said. "That's really sweet of you."
Sheba felt comfortable around Pema and started voicing out her stand against meditation, to which Pema laughed off. "I had difficulty about it when I first came to the island, and I thought of so many alibis to get away with it. But then, Tenzin led us one morning and I noticed him. I was never late for meditation since."
Taavi laughed heartily and noticed there was a change in Sheba's mood. When Pema walked out of the kitchen, Taavi grabbed the opportunity to question Sheba on her opinion on Pema.
"Are you okay? One moment you seem comfortable with Pema, and the next you seem icky about her."
"Pema's okay," Sheba said. "It's just this picture that keeps on popping in my head whenever I picture her with her husband…that's all."
"What?" Taavi pressed on, contemplating the reason of Sheba's uneasiness. "Is Tenzin ugly?"
"No," Sheba said truthfully. "He's just…I don't know…" A beat of silence. "…elderly."
"Like a cradle snatcher?"
Sheba shook her head and dropped the knife she was holding. "Not that kind of 'old.' What I meant was…okay," she settled in her seat, "how old do you think is Pema?"
"Late thirties? Early forties?"
"Right," Sheba said. "Now how old do you think my mom is?"
"Mid fifties?"
"Right, and my dad's just two years older. Your mother?"
"She's thirty-seven. My dad was five years older."
"The other mother," Sheba clarified.
Taavi crinkled her nose and huffed out a little bit of air, "I don't know…fifty-ish? What's your point?"
"I just think Master Tenzin is…a little too old for her," Sheba confessed. Taavi waved it off and suggested that if Pema fell for a guy way older than her, that's her choice. Sheba slightly agreed—"If that's what you think"—and noted that she just wasn't used to that kind of relationship.
"You're just not that mature," Taavi retorted, earning her a slap on her arm.
When Pema returned, she informed Sheba that dinner was ready and asked both girls to bring in the pies to the dining hall.
Sheba led Taavi to one of the dining table where Pema, and the person who Taavi presumed to be Tenzin were sitting.
"Master Tenzin," Sheba said. "This is my best friend, Taavi."
"Hello," Master Tenzin returned and shook Taavi's hand. "Welcome to Air Temple Island."
"Thank you," Taavi responded.
Tenzin asked about Taavi's apprenticeship with Lin Beifong, noting that Lin has never had an apprentice. "She used to say apprentices were unnecessary in the building," he said. "Maybe you are an exception."
Taavi replied that she was surprised as well and is still getting used to the fact that she works there. "The experience is still new to me, and the culture is a bit different from where I grew up." She noted some similarities with the Fire Nation and Republic City like the way interact with each other and the busyness of the streets. "I haven't even seen an animal-drawn carriage here. In the Fire Nation, komodo rhinos are still being used."
Tenzin agreed with Taavi's views on the cities, saying that modernization somehow betrayed tradition along the way, to which Taavi disagreed.
"Traditions will always be there if you preserve it well," Taavi said. "The Fire Nation is very keen on that."
"And that everyone," Yanis mocked, "is why my dear sister is valedictorian."
"Shut up," Taavi returned.
The master airbender smiled and noted Taavi's straightforwardness. He even suggested that she should consider turning in to politics, an idea Taavi immediately dismissed saying that the Future Leaders organization was Taavi's least favorite extra-curricular group.
After dinner, Tenzin invited Taavi to have tea with them in the living room.
"I think I should go," Taavi declined the offer. "It's almost nine and-
"I'm sure Lin will understand."
The moment he said those words, an acolyte entered his living room and informed them of Lin Beifong's arrival. Tenzin informed the acolyte to let her in.
"Hello, Lin," Tenzin greeted her as she entered.
"I'm here to fetch Taavi," she replied curtly.
"Well, would you like some tea?"
"Taavi," Lin called, ignoring Tenzin's invitation. "Let's go. Now."
Taavi went over to Lin and threw an apologizing look to Tenzin and Pema who seemed to act as if it were a normal occurrence.
"Bad day at the station, huh?" Yanis whispered to Sheba.
"I'll walk you out," Tenzin said and strode to keep up with Lin and Taavi. Tenzin engaged Lin in a conversation about Korra's new plans and a little side comment on the Avatar's relationship with Asami Sato. Lin gave him short answers and told him to just inform her in whatever help they would need.
As they reached the docks, Lin boarded the ferry immediately with her face passive as Taavi chatted with Tenzin for a little bit.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Master Tenzin," Taavi said and extended her hand which Tenzin took and shook. "Although I wanted to apologize for blowing you off for tea."
"It's quite alright," Tenzin replied. "Lin is just looking out for you."
"Sure," Taavi returned. "Again, thanks."
Taavi left the airbender and the ferry began its trip towards the city. Tenzin waved goodbye and eyed Taavi until she was blurry, unconsciously noting resemblances she has with Lin, only remembering them as he lay down on the bed he shares with his wife.
When Lin and Taavi arrived at the apartment, Lin asked Taavi how the dinner went. Taavi smiled and said, "It went surprisingly good. Master Tenzin was so nice and Pema was just sweet."
"Uhuh," was Lin's only reply. She looked at Taavi, wondering if Taavi prefers to live on Air Temple Island than with her. What added to her worry was how Taavi kept on talking on how welcoming the Island seemed to her.
"The living room at Master Tenzin's was really cozy," Taavi remarked. "And Pema just reminds me of mom."
Lin stopped in her tracks. Apparently, Taavi seemed more at home with Pema than she is with Lin. Taavi did not seem to notice she said something worrisome to Lin and pressed on about the technique Pema taught her when stir frying vegetables. It was the first time Lin saw Taavi smile this wide and jealousy began engulfing her.
When Taavi finished talking all Lin could do was offer her a forced smile. A new wave of determination began growing inside Lin and its goal is to keep Taavi with her and her alone. She already lost Tenzin, and she will never allow losing her daughter to the same woman.
Author's note: Thanks for reading. Tell me what you think! :)