AMS
ARE YOU THE AVATAR?
During the night, Quey meditated seriously. He was busy letting all his earthly tethers go, flowing down the creek. He suddenly couldn't feel his bed anymore. Opening his eyes, he smiled.
"I'm levitating. I did it. I became wind," he whispered to himself.
Yes, he had made friends, and yes, he did feel an attachment to all of these new people. But, because he lost people he thought were his parents for his young life, he found it easy to let them all go. He didn't feel the need to hold onto them. He had survived without them, and he could have survived without the twins' help. They just made surviving easier for him. Since he knew that at any point in time, they can all change their mind and leave or be killed off in seconds, he let them all flow down the creek when he opened the chakra at the crown of his head. He floated over to Brady who was lightly breathing. Brady didn't snore. But Brady had complained to Quey once about his snoring, to which he laughed. He shook Brady, smiling like a kid during Christmas morning, too impatient to wait to open the gifts. Speaking of gifts, he really loved the book Tenzin had gotten him. It filled him with joy and happiness everytime he opened it to read a poem or a story. Brady gently moaned and squinted his eyes. He sat up in his bed, rubbing his face and then looking at Quey.
"What do you want?" he asked, not yet registering the fact that Quey was levitating.
Quey frowned.
"Don't you notice anything?" he asked, mildly annoyed but more exasperated.
"Dude, I'm half asleep. Notice what?"
"My feet are not touching the ground," Quey said blandly.
Brady smacked his dry lips and nodded, his nod slowing ever so slightly before he stopped smacking his lips and his eyes grew wider and wider, dropping his fist that was rubbing his eye ever so slowly onto the bed, and he looked down at the ground, then back up at Quey.
"You're levitating... am I dreaming?" Brady whispered, mildly afraid.
Quey snorted then pinched Brady's upper arm, eliciting a small yelp from him.
"That hurt!" he whined before realizing. "It hurt," he repeated more thoughtfully. "I'm not dreaming! You really are doing this! How?!"
Quey felt awkward now. He could just tell him that he let go of his earthly tethers, that it's something all air nomads do. But, then he wouldn't be able to explain why the other air nomads aren't levitating and flying around.
"Well, unlike the other airbenders we have seen so far, which would be Master Tenzin and Mister Bumi, I was able to let go of my earthly tethers, enter the void, and become wind. It's a high skill airbending technique," explained Quey carefully.
"Earthly tethers? What are those?" Brady asked, tilting his head curiously.
"Things that tie me to the world. I let them all go," said Quey, getting increasingly nervous.
"Oh. What were your tethers?"
You ask way too many questions. That might get him killed one day. Quey sweat some more, now fearful for Brady's life in the future. Quey decided to tell a half truth, since he didn't want to upset Brady unnecessarily. Letting go of him and his sister didn't mean he didn't care about them. It just meant he was willing to let them go to master his element. That was all it meant. It sounded a lot worse in his head when he put it that way. Power over friendship. Is that what he has stooped to now? But, since they could go at any second of his life and never return, was it really so wrong? For now, they were still here, so for now, he could care about them. But he wasn't bound to their friendship like the twins were.
"My dead adopted parents were my earthly tethers. Since they're dead, I let them go," half lied Quey.
Brady's smile faded and he nodded sympathetically.
"Hmm. Well, it's a good thing you got my and my sis," smiled Brady before suddenly wondering something.
"Oh, friendship is an earthly tether too. Did you have to let me and my sis go too?" he asked.
Quey wasn't sure how to answer that, and he became nervous. But the more I stall, the more suspicious he'll get. But what do I answer with?
"Dude, if you did have to let us go, I won't be mad. Truth be told, I kind of expect it since on a whim, people attacked the people who took care of you. It's no wonder you'd be so quick to let people go. I get it," smiled Brady.
Quey sighed and nodded, rubbing the back of his head the same way Aang used to do. But Brady was too young to have seen Avatar Aang do something so casual. Had it been anyone who has seen Aang do that, they would have made connections right away. But now even Quey himself knew who he truly was. For all he knew, he was just an air nomad with an earthbending father, and that he was going to travel the world and learn things about each nation and its people, while helping wherever he went. His biggest dream involves traveling the world, but traveling isn't his biggest dream.
"So, Quey, what are your dreams for your future?" Pema asked during breakfast.
Quey looked up in between bites and sat his fork down.
"I want to travel, learn all I can about every nation and its people and the cultures with other air nomads. But my biggest dream? I want to meet the Avatar, and teach him or her airbending, and help him or her restore peace and balance to the world," Quey said, his eyes shimmering with excitement just thinking about fighting alongside the Avatar.
Pema smiled, as did the others.
"Those are very nice dreams, Quey. But if you want to be the Avatar's airbending teacher, that means that you will have to help look for the Avatar. But because of the invasion in Ba Sing Se, the Avatar might have been reborn into the Fire Nation already unless they were born in Omashu, Zaofu, or even what's left of Republic City," said Pema seriously, still with a smile plastered onto her face.
"That won't be too trouble. I can fly now," cheekily said Quey as he then levitated from his seat and flew around the table, causing everyone to gape.
"...my word," breathed out Tenzin. "I thought the legend of Guru Laghima was false. But, it was true! How did you do this so quickly?"
"I let go of my earthly tethers, and I entered the void and became wind," explained Quey. "Since the only people I ever thought were my parents were taken from me, it was pretty easy to let all my tethers go."
"Sad, but I'm happy for you!" beamed Bumi.
The week went by with Quey going through the airbending spinning gates. He stumbled a little bit at first, given the fact that he had never gone through such training, but Rohan was able to go through it with no problems at all. Quey was happy for him and sort of expected it since Rohan is Tenzin's son. After that exercise, the three meditated peacefully for hours. Rohan, like Meelo once did, fell asleep after an hour whereas Quey and Tenzin were both able to clear their minds and just sit there peacefully, without falling asleep. After that, they took a lunch break with the others and drank lychee juice that Pema made in a gallon jug for everyone to enjoy. She remembers how much Korra and the kids loved it, so she always made it for others to enjoy since then. Pema wiped a tear, remembering her three trouble makers and the Avatar. The Avatar had been like her fifth child. For months, Senna and Tonraq had stayed at Air Temple Island since they couldn't trust themselves to be in their own house in their depression. When Pema wasn't busy, she had given them counseling. Little by little, they were no longer a harm to themselves and went home in the South where they decided they would do what Korra would have done and they helped their neighbors with anything they could. Pema looked over at Quey who was joking and laughing with everyone at the table. Something about that crooked smile...it seemed so familiar to her. Yes, that's right. Korra used to make the same smile. But there was no way he was related to Korra. She saw him being born right here in this temple from Opal, and Korra was not a man. This is Opal and Bolin's son. So why does he smile like her? Pema shook her head at herself.
"Heh, yeah right. He's not the Avatar. I mean yeah, his mother used to be a nonbender who was born from a metalbending family, and his father is an earthbender, but Quey was born with airbending since his mother was given airbending from Harmonic Convergence. He isn't an earthbender," Pema scolded herself mentally before shoving her food in her mouth and downing her glass of lychee juice.
Everyone at the table looked at her with their eyebrows raised. Pema's mouth was full, but she still spoke.
"What? I really outdid myself this time," Pema made up, food flying from her mouth.
Tenzin didn't know what to make of this since his wife was usually so composed. The last time she acted like that was when she was an air acolyte in training. She had just come from overseas, and at first, she had terrible table manners and even asked if they had imitation meat. She gave the acolytes training her migraines, so Tenzin told them he would take over since he was the most patient man out of all of them. While he was giving her table etiquette, his girlfriend Lin had walked in, and Pema's face went from looking happy to sad. He remembers standing up to kiss Lin, and out of the corner of his eye, Pema looked away, pretending to take in the view of the island. Lin sat down next to them and extended her hand out to Pema to shake.
"Hi, I'm Lin. Republic City's top police woman. You must be the new air acolyte I've heard about. I also heard you're really spunky," Lin smiled. "Perhaps we can get along."
Pema managed to smile at Lin, and decided to let her jealousy go for the sake of friendship, and shook her hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Lin."
From then on, Lin would come sit next to them, and tell Pema jokes and stories while Tenzin taught her the way of the nomads. He would smile everytime Lin got Pema to laugh. Then, Pema grew more and more restless the more and more Lin came over and snuggled up close to Tenzin. Pema started to notice more and more how Tenzin wasn't really sharing her affections anymore, and when Tenzin was in his study late at night and Pema had just gotten out of the shower and into her nightgown, she knocked on his door. Tenzin opened the door and looked down at the air acolyte. She was blushing, and she looked incredibly nervous, shifting in her place, her hands behind her back. Tenzin on the other hand, looked tired and ready to sleep, but he also looked patient and worried about why she looked nervous. What was she about to tell him? Was it bad news?
"Um, Tenzin," she started, making eye contact again.
He sighed and stood straight.
"Yes, miss Pema?" he asked smoothly.
She loved his voice. It was so calm, smooth, and so deep she could get lost in it. Not to mention he looked like a younger version of his father. Pema could definitely see why Katara got with Aang whenever she looked at Tenzin.
"Just tell him! You know Lin's not the right one for him. You are! You're an air acolyte and she's a metalbender!" her conscious told her.
She stuck out her chin, and made the most determined face possible.
"You're with the wrong woman, Tenzin. You should be with me. I love you!" Pema announced.
Tenzin's eyes were wide open now, and the blush returned to her face with a passion. She held her breath. It was all out there. She had already packed all her things in a suitcase right before this, ready to flee the island if he rejected her. Then, his features softened, and he placed a hand on her cheek, knelt down and pressed his lips on hers.
Tenzin smiled at the memory. In a way, Pema had been like Korra, but on a milder scale. She didn't call him a terrible teacher. Sure, she raised her voice in frustration every now and then, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Then he realized that it was because sub consciously, he was in love with her. Pema seemed to have thought of the same memory too, because she swallowed her food and just sat their quietly, a light blush on her cheeks and a small smile.
Quey had already gotten back to chatting with the others as their laughter no longer sounded muffled in Tenzin and Pema's ears. They were finally back in reality. Bobbi and Brady were walking down the dock to the boat where Quey was levitating with his legs folded, waiting patiently. When they looked up and saw Quey waiting for them, they brightened up a bit as Quey unfolded his legs and sat them back on the deck, and walked up to them. The twins just now noticed that Quey's hair was gone. He was completely bald, but still no tattoos.
"How much longer until you get your tattoos, you think?" asked Bobbi, stifling her sniffles.
"I'm guessing a couple days or so. At most another week," answered Quey, smiling.
"Dude, since you can fly and all, please visit us," pleaded Brady.
Quey couldn't stop himself from laughing at Brady's disguise. They made him look like a Mary Sue. Brady blushed and frowned.
"What?" he demanded.
"You know what," smirked Bobbi as she gently elbowed her brother in the arm.
"No one asked you, baka," he muttered under his breath.
Quey finally stopped laughing, but looked like he could start back up again any second.
"If this wasn't a disguise, I'd totally date you," Quey said, laughing his head off again but with Bobbi joining him this time.
Brady wanted to stay mad, but he couldn't stop the smile creeping on his face which just made him even more upset. After saying their goodbyes, the twins boarded the boat to go to Varrick's. As they all waved to each other, Quey suddenly saw a young version of Sokka and Katara waving back at him. But the image disappeared when he blinked, and he saw Brady and Bobbi again. Maybe it was just the lighting and the fact that they're water tribe? That was what he chalked it up to.
"Quey? You okay? You look like you saw a ghost," asked Tenzin.
"I'm fine. I just thought I saw young Sokka and Katara waving back to me while riding away on Appa," laughed Quey, "It was probably just the lighting though and the strenuous training."
"What?" Tenzin gasped. "Has anyone ever told you about Sokka, Katara, and Appa? And perhaps showed you pictures since you somehow know what they all look like?"
Quey thought about it. He remembers seeing pictures of the master healer Katara. But in the pictures he saw her in, she looked old.
"I only saw pictures of old Katara in the newspaper, but no one ever showed me any other pictures of Sokka and her when they were young, and there were no pictures of Appa in my home. Huh. That's weird," Quey said, rubbing his bald head. "No one ever told me about Sokka and Appa either."
Tenzin, wide eyed, took a step back, unable to stop the thoughts forming in his head.
"Have you ever had dreams where you saw any Avatars?" he asked suddenly.
Quey looked over at Tenzin like he was some magician.
"It was a year ago, shortly after my parents were killed, that I had a dream. In that dream, I saw a trial where there was this guy, and he was a bloodbender. Aang was in it, and he took away the man's bending. I never really knew what it meant, but I chalked it up to having a dream about a bloodbender due to my home being invaded by bloodbenders," explained Quey.
"Could it be? Even though you started airbending first before earthbending... then again you were born shortly after Harmonic Convergence so it isn't a stretch and the Avatar can bend all four elements, I guess it doesn't matter in which order," Tenzin mumbled to himself, stroking his pointy beard in thought.
The very thought of being the Avatar himself filled Quey with unwanted anxiety. No, he thought, I don't want to be the Avatar. That would mean I would have to go back to Ba Sing Se and not only see the bloodbenders, but deal with them!
"Sir! I'm not the Avatar! I'm just an airbender monk. That's all I am. Nothing more, and nothing less!" pleaded Quey, tears forming.
Tenzin looked down at the pleading airbender who was clutching at his long robe, leaving creases in it. But Tenzin could care less about creases right now.
"I just want to try something first. A test. To see if you are the Avatar or not. If you're not, like you say, then we can resume your airbending training peacefully," calmly said Tenzin.
Quey was certain he wasn't the Avatar since he started airbending first before earthbending. He thought that there was no way, and that him somehow knowing Sokka, Katara, and Appa and that dream were all just a coincidence. Tenzin and Quey walked back to the temple. Tenzin walked with a slight pep in his step, eager to tell Pema, his brother and sister his thoughts and about the test. Quey lagged behind, not wanting to make it back so quickly. While a big portion was telling him he had nothing to worry about, that he's not the Avatar, a small part of him told him to not be so sure about that.
