Air Temple Island 42 years earlier:

"Do I really need to wear this?" Mako tugged at the back of the red and grey wing-suit. Even though it had been tailored to accommodate his tail, the tight outfit pressed down his spinal fur making it very itchy and uncomfortable.

"If you're going to train with us, you need to follow all our customs. That includes our attire," Jinora replied. As leader-in-training for the New Air Nation, she was trying hard to uphold the traditions of her people. Since she was going to be the one to train him, he had no choice but to adhere to her directions.

Meelo had also decided to join them and laughed at his obvious discomfort. "I think you look great, Mako."

Jinora rolled her eyes at her younger brother. "Don't you have anything better to do, Meelo?"

Meelo shrugged. "Not really. Besides, I didn't want to miss this."

Mako gave the young man an annoyed scowl. He didn't want an audience, especially not from Meelo who was only there to mock him.

Currently, they were standing in front of a series of giant panels attached to poles, commonly called the Wind Gates. Each panel was adorned with three swirls that represented the Air Nation.

Mako didn't need an explanation for the device. He'd seen it used by novice Airbenders when he'd lived on the island years earlier. A gust of air would send the panels spinning, then it was up to the student to navigate through without getting hit. Success required light feet and the ability to shift direction at a moment's notice. Although it was meant to train Airbenders, it was a skill anyone could learn.

"Ready, Mako?" Jinora asked as she readied herself to start the exercise.

He squirmed in his suit a moment longer before resigning to the fact that he was just going to have to be itchy. At least he only had to wear it while training on the island.

"All right. I'm ready," he finally said.

Jinora wound up and bent a gust of wind into the device. The panels that had been slowly swaying in the breeze all spun like tops.

"Remember Mako, float like a leaf," Jinora said.

He gave her an affirmative nod and stepped up to the spinning panels. He was looking for the best point of entry when Meelo stepped behind him.

"You're thinking about it too hard. Just dive-in," Meelo said and gave him a firm shove.

"Hey!" He yelped as he stumbled into the spinning panels.

"Meelo!" Jinora shouted at her brother.

Instead of floating like a leaf, Mako bounced around like a rubber ball. He tried to recover, but it wasn't as easy as the Airbenders made it look. He was two-thirds of the way through when two panels spun counter, pinched his tail, and held it tight. As he struggled to free himself, the other panels continued to smack him. With a final, solid tug, he was able to free himself, but the panels weren't done with him yet. Several more strikes and he was discarded out the side like a piece of rubbish.

Meelo's laughter carried through the entire ordeal. "That was definitely worth it," he said, wiping a tear from his eye.

Jinora gave her brother a nasty scowl before coming to help.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she crouched over where he lay in the grass.

"I'm fine," he huffed as he rolled to his feet. Besides some scuffs on his tail, only his pride was hurt, but he would be sure to payback the younger Airbender at some point.

"Don't get discouraged. Korra didn't make it through her first time either," Jinora said with a pleasant smile.

Present:

Northern Air Temple:

Ryu, Koji, and Mari, gazed up in awe at the grand mountain that towered above them. Barely visible at its peak, were a set of tall towers. Ryu shielded his eyes from the sun as he and Juji tried to take in the view.

"We're going to go up there?" he asked. "What about The Rampage?" There was no way they were going to get the large vehicle up the mountainside.

"She'll be fine. The Airbenders have a small cave they use for storage near the base of the mountain. That will work for a garage while we're here," Mako answered.

"Why does it look so new?" Koji said, his neck still craned to take in the view. "Aren't these temples supposed to be ancient or something?"

"In the year one-seventy-one, the temple was destroyed by an organization known as the Red Lotus Society when they kidnapped Avatar Korra. Their goal was to destroy the Avatar and end the cycle which they believed would bring true balance to the world," Mari explained.

Everyone stared incredulously at her, even Mako.

"Didn't either of you learn that in school?" she asked the boys, as if it should be obvious.

Koji shook his head while Ryu brushed the comment aside.

"Not much school in the Spirit Wilds," Ryu remarked. Even during his short stints in foster families, he often skipped classes.

"Well, Mari's right," Mako interceded. "The whole place came down during that battle. It took decades to rebuild. That's also when my brother learned he could lavabend."

Now the teens aimed stunned expressions at him.

"You were there, Papa?" Mari was just as surprised as the boys.

"I can tell you more than what's in you're history books," he replied with a clever wink.

The conversation was interrupted when shadows appeared overhead. A moment later, a group of Airbenders, in red and grey wing-suits, landed on the ground. Their apparent leader was a sixtyish man with an arrow tattooed on his shaved head and a slightly upturned nose. He smiled at them as he approached the group.

"Mako. You finally made it," the man said.

"Nice to see you again, Meelo," Mako cordially replied as the pair exchanged bows. "I don't think you've ever met my granddaughter Mari, and the boys are Ryu and Koji." He introduced them all in-turn.

"Nice to meet all of you," Meelo replied. "Why don't we get you settled, and then we can get to the reason you're here."

"That's obvious isn't it. You're gonna teach me how to blow air around. No big deal." Ryu spun a finger in a mock demonstration. He wasn't really excited to learn airbending. From what he understood, it was a lot of meditation and spiritual stuff. However, it was probably the stuff he needed to learn the most.

Meelo spun fast enough to send a gust of air past Ryu, and put himself nose-to-nose with the teenager.

"Airbending is more than just 'blowing air,'" the man stated with a scowl. "And you're going to be learning from the best."

Mako inwardly smiled. It seemed Meelo was still as egotistical as ever.

A rope elevator against the side of the mountain, helped the group up to the main temples. The structures were even more impressive up-close. Tall towers of white, blue, and gold behind a beautiful courtyard. The shrubs and flowers that decorated the yard were all weedless and neatly trimmed. Mako took in the view and thought about how much Shizuku would have loved it if she were with him. She had a fancy for greenery as long as it was outside where it belonged. He recalled when he had once brought her a dozen ash-roses as a surprise gift. What was meant as a sweet gesture turned into a twenty minute lecture on how flowers like that were only designed to slowly wither and die. She did put them in water though, and quickly forgave him for the unknown faux pax. After that however, it was only potted plants that could be added to her flowerbed.

Several Airbenders and Air Acolytes, quickly came from one of the towers to help carry their gear. Normally, Mako would take care of his own belongings, but he knew it was part of their training as Air Nation novices. He let them take everything and excused Mari and Koji from helping, but not Ryu.

"Why do I have to carry stuff?!" the teen snapped. Mako was expecting this response since the teenager was unaware how Airbender society worked.

"Airbenders are steeped in tradition. You're here to learn airbending so that means doing everything Airbenders do," Mako replied. "Since you're a novice Airbender you help unload guests' belongings."

"Yeah, here novice." Koji smirked and tossed one of his duffle bags at Ryu who caught it with his face. His eyes went wide when a nasty smile spread across the other boy's lips.

"Want me to carry your bags, huh?" The ends of the bag began to smolder as Ryu bent heat through his hands.

"Wait. Stop. I'm sorry. I take it back," Koji quickly stammered under the threat of his belongings going up in flames. It was Mako who ultimately intervened.

"What's the rule, Kid?" the man stated.

The heat instantly stopped and Ryu rolled his eyes away in disgust. "Only airbending," he huffed.

"Only airbending," Juji repeated from his shoulder.

"Thanks buddy. You're a biiiiggg help," he grumped at the bird.

"Man, this thing is tight," Ryu said as he tugged at the sleeves of his red and grey wing-suit in an effort to get comfortable.

"Better get used to it, Kid," Mako replied. "That's going to be your uniform as long as we're here."

"You look like a sunburned Eel hound." Koji chuckled and immediately stopped when he received harsh glares from both Ryu and Mari.

Mari's pleasant demeanor quickly returned as she looked back to Ryu. "Don't listen to him. I think it looks good on you."

Ryu barely acknowledged her as he continued to pull at the tight material.

"Once you get into real airbending, you're going to like it," Meelo added.

They had all come outside to the first device that was going to start Ryu's airbending training. Large wooden panels, attached to poles, were arranged in a circle on a raised concrete platform. The panels were decorated with various patterns and designs. Not as traditional as the Wind Gates on Air Temple Island, but served the same purpose.

Although Mako and the other teens had come to watch, Meelo had brought along another group of young Airbenders who were also starting their training. They ranged in age from six to about eight. A frown darkened Ryu's face when he realized that the children were going to be his classmates.

"Airbenders need to be like air," Meelo began. "Light, and able to shift direction at a moment's notice. The objective here is simple; get through the panels without getting hit. Any questions?"

One of the children raised their hand.

"Can we be invisible like air too?" the child asked.

An exasperated expression covered Meelo's face before he addressed the youth. It reminded Mako very much of Meelo's late father, Tenzen.

"No, you can't turn invisible like air," Meelo answered with an exasperated sigh. From the sounds of it, the child often had odd questions like that. "Who wants to go first?"

Multiple hands popped into the air. Meelo picked one of the eager children and ushered them up to the platform. Then, he swung his hands and bent a breeze through the contraption. The panels spun at an almost leisurely pace. Level one for the young benders. The first child made it through with only a couple bumps as did the next few. Several children even cleared it without a single board touching them. Then it came to Ryu's turn. He glared at the panels with a look of sheer determination.

"You can do it, Ryu," Mari encouraged him while Juji happily bobbed on her shoulder.

"Don't charge it, Kid," Mako added. "The point is to take things slow."

"I got this," Ryu replied with a smug grin. Meelo refreshed the breeze through the panels and, as if to deliberately ignore Mako's advice, Ryu stormed in.

The teenager soon found himself bounced around by the large panels. They batted him between one another for several minutes like a cat with a toy, not giving him a second to get his bearings. Once they were through with him, they spat him out onto the grass where he tumbled a meter before coming to a stop. While he laid supine, he scowled at the sky as if it was to blame for his ineptitude. Giggles came from the children, and Koji, which were quickly quelled by firm stares from their betters.

"At least he didn't destroy it like Korra," Meelo whispered to Mako before the Fetchling went to check on his charge.

Mari reached Ryu first. "Are you all right?" she asked. Her long dark hair nearly reached his face as she bent over him. Mako soon joined her wearing a frustrated frown across his brow.

"I warned you not to go charging in," he admonished the boy. The outcome wasn't surprising. Like the Avatar before him, Ryu tended to focus more on power than patience. He offered his hand to help the teen up, but Ryu obstinately refused it.

"Whatever." Ryu huffed. "If it's so easy, I'd like to see you do it, Chief."

Mako was taken aback by the statement. He'd never claimed it was easy or even insinuated such. In fact, he knew from experience how difficult the exercise could be. But, if that's what it took to encourage the kid, he'd prove his prowess. "All right. After all, I don't expect you to do anything I wouldn't do." Ryu's skepticism followed him as he stepped up to the front of the device.

"You know what you need—" Meelo gave him a smarmy grin.

He interrupted the Airbender with a firm palm. "I'm not wearing the suit. Start it up."

The mocking smile never left Meelo's face as he bent a blast of air into the gates. This time, the large panels spun like tops, generating as much wind as the Airbender that had triggered them. Master level. Mako curled his tail tight to his waist, folded his arms behind his back, and waded into the tempest.

Despite it being decades, the movements easily came back to him. He quickly shifted between the panels, smoothly dodging the spinning boards as his legs moved seemingly without input from him. His movements weren't quite as smooth as an Airbender's. They were more like a stringent form than an elegant dance, but it was enough to get the job done. Soon, he emerged on the other side with nary a tuft of fur out of place. Once clear, he let his tail uncoil and looked to Ryu with an expression of "doubt me now?" The teenager's jaw was nearly to the ground at what he had just witnessed.

"I want all of you to keep in mind that Mako isn't even an Airbender," Meelo addressed his class. "If he can get through without getting hit, I expect all of you to be able to do the same." Chatter rose amongst the children, all of them now excited to try again after seeing such a masterful performance. While the class usurped the device, Mako rejoined his "students."

"That was amazing, Papa. I didn't know you could do that," Mari spouted while her tail wagged her excitement.

"How did you do that, sir?" Koji added.

The expression on Ryu's face said he wanted to know as well, but pride held his tongue.

Mako pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and took a moment to wipe his glasses. The storm he had just endured had left them covered in dust. "As you know by now, after I was cursed, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis." He paused as he replaced his cleaned lenses. "I didn't give it much thought at first. It was simply something I learned to live with, that is until I had a confrontation with an earthbending criminal. During the arrest, he hurled a chunk of stone at me. I didn't give it a second thought and blocked the blow like I was trained to do as a pro-bender. Back in my pro-bending days, I could have easily brushed-off an attack like that. Instead, I ended up in the hospital with a fractured arm…"

Three concerned faces stared at him as he continued the story.

"Fortunately, it was only a minor fracture, but it made me rethink how I should fight, or defend myself. I decided to ask the Airbenders for help so that I could be more evasive rather than taking attacks head-on." He turned directly to Ryu. "I spent a year training under Jinora and, just like you, I started at the bottom of the ranks as a novice. You think it's embarrassing being sixteen in a class of eight year olds? Imagine how I felt starting from scratch at thirty. I'm glad I did it though as the techniques I learned have saved me from serious injury on more than one occasion."

"Maybe I should train with the Airbenders too," Mari said before excitedly turning to Ryu. "We can learn together."

"I guess..." Ryu casually shrugged. It sounded like he didn't care either way.

Mari turned to her grandpa, her objective obvious.

"It's okay with me, sweetie," Mako responded. He wasn't going to deny her a chance to learn new skills. Especially if they could help her in the long run. It wasn't obvious yet, but there was a high probability she would end-up with the disease like him. "But don't expect any special treatment. You'll start at the bottom, just like Ryu."

"Of course, Papa," she replied.

"Then I'll make the arrangements with Meelo, and we'll have to get a suit tailored for your tail."

Mari's excitement was almost palpable as her tail wagged uncontrollably at her back.

"I'm glad I don't have to wear one of those clown suits," Koji added with a chuckle.

That did leave Mako with a bit of a conundrum. What to do with the young Earthbender while Ryu and Mari were training.

"Ughhhh…" Koji groaned while he waited for class to start. He should have kept his big mouth shut. His comment from the previous day about the Airbender outfit didn't go unpunished. Mako had decided that he should spend the day with the Airbenders to experience it for himself. Now, he was lined-up with Mari, Ryu, and the other novices getting ready to start training, with the red suit clinging tight to his…well… everything. Ryu obviously had no sympathy for his plight and had mercilessly mocked him all the way to the training grounds.

Be glad I'm only making you do it for one day. Mako had told him before they'd left the bungalow where they were staying, while he relaxed with his morning coffee.

Meelo was their instructor again. The senior Airbender had brought everyone to a pit with multiple wooden pillars erected in it like barren trees. Koji hung his face over the edge. Lining the pit was a bed of prickle plants. Anyone unfortunate enough to fall in was going to be picking out spines for days.

Everyone came to attention when Meelo started speaking. "Today is going to be about balance." A gust of wind sent him into the air, and he alighted on one of the pillars a moment later. There wasn't the slightest wobble as he perched on the narrow surface with a single foot. "But be careful, those are real prickle plants below. I'm sure our first-aid team would prefer they didn't spend their day pulling spines from novices." It was almost as if he was expecting them to fail. Another gust of air brought the man back to the front of the class. His voice was barely a whisper as he moved in close to Mari and Koji.

"And don't worry. I'll be keeping an eye on you two as well," he assured the pair. "This can be daunting for those that can't airbend."

Koji nervously nodded at the reassurance, but Mari looked almost offended. The ugly expression was rare coming from her.

"I can handle it, Master Meelo," she said. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation from her as she strode up to the pit and, with a single leap, landed on the first pillar. She wobbled a little, her arms outstretched as she got her balance, but then her tail came into play. It instinctively swung counter while she shifted on the log. She tilted and tipped to find her limits all while her tail helped keep her upright. At one point, she did push too far, startling her audience when she fell. But instead of landing in the prickle patch, she snagged the log with her tail and swung up to the next one. It was like the exercise was meant for her.

She confidently stood on the second log, the blue scales on her tail glistening in the sun, as she looked over her shoulder at the boys. They were still glued to the edge of the pit and were staring dumbstruck at her.

"Are you guys coming?"

That was enough to shake both boys out of their stupor.

"Right. Logs…"

"…and jumping and stuff." They stammered together while they regained their composure.

The pit sprawled out before the pair. By now, all the other novice Airbenders had left them in the dust and were waiting on the far side. Seeing Mari, a non-bender, enter the course proved to be a confidence booster for the fledgling benders. Mari was nearly on the other side too by the time the boys got their act together.

"Race you to the other side?" Ryu figured a challenge would spur Koji into action. The expression on his friend's face showed he wasn't ready to cross yet.

"What? I'm an Earthbender. I'm not cut-out for all this Airbender stuff," Koji snapped.

"All right." Ryu casually shrugged. "I'll just tell Mari you were too pig-chicken to do it." He hopped over to a pillar with Juji tight to his shoulder. It wasn't as easy as Mari had made it look however, and one foot slipped off the rounded edge. A flail of arms helped him recover, but it did send Juji into the air with a squawk. Once he was safely perched, he went back to mocking Koji "Have fun going around the long way." Suddenly, there was a loud thump followed by panicked grunting. Next to him, Koji had made his first leap. A scowl of determination was on his face as he desperately hugged his wooden post.

"You're not beating me, man," Koji grunted. He grasped the edge of the pillar, his fingers clinging tight, and hefted himself up. His balance wasn't good, but at least he was standing. With both boys over the pit, the "race" was on.

It wasn't much of a race however. Koji was definitely struggling. He was making the jumps, but they were far from graceful. Most of the time he was just barely managing to hang-on by the skin of his teeth.

Ryu was doing better, but it was more luck than skill that was carrying him. Every leap ended with a sigh of relief as his flailing limbs kept him from tipping over. It was when he was nearly across that he had to stop. Visions suddenly bombarded his psyche. An image of a masked figure being knocked away from a younger Chief by a blast of air; him flying over Republic City on some kind of glider. The previous Avatar was showing him how she used airbending. "Dammit." He quietly swore and grabbed his swimming head. "Not now, Korra."

Koji watched from his pillar as Ryu began to wobble. He'd seen it enough times by now that he knew what was happening. "Ryu! Hang on, man!" He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it in time.

"Ryu!" Mari had also noticed and worked her way back across the pit.

What happened next was a tangle of limbs as Koji and Mari collided with Ryu just as he fell from his log. Meelo bent a whirlwind of air beneath the trio, but he wasn't prepared to catch three teenagers. There were sharp yelps as they all ended up in the prickle patch.

"Are you okay, Ryu?" Mari was first to recover. She tried to stand only to discover her tail fur was snarled in the brambles forcing her to remain on her hands and knees.

"I'm fine…" Ryu winced and grabbed his head as he sat up. "Korra has terrible timing." He took a moment to look around. "Koji?"

"I'm here." The Earthbender was just getting to his feet. "Guess these suits aren't so bad after all." Even though he was covered with the spiny plants, none of them had penetrated the material. He'd come away with only scratches on his exposed hands and face.

"If only they covered tails," Mari added from where she was struggling to free herself.

"Are you three okay?" Meelo called down to them.

"We're fine," Ryu replied. "But Mari's tail is stuck. It's going to be a minute."

"Do you need me to come down and help?" the man offered.

"No. I can get it," Mari responded. The cadence in her voice was enough to note that she specifically didn't want Meelo's help. Which was odd because, not only had she lived with Airbenders, she was normally very accepting of anyone. It was just part of her sweet nature.

"Are you sure?"

"I said I can get it. You don't need to wait for us," Mari repeated, insistently.

There was a brief look of confusion on Meelo's face before he responded. "Okay then. I'm going to take the class to the next area. Catch-up when you can."

"Will do," Ryu replied.

Koji nervously crouched beside Mari. "Can I help?" He'd never deliberately touched her tail before and didn't want to do it without permission. Plus, the attitude she had thrown at Meelo, he didn't want directed at him.

Mari seemed unsure for a second before nodding. "O…Okay."

Koji endured the scratches as he helped pull strand after delicate strand from the plants. A few tufts, hopelessly tangled, had to be left behind, but overall there was minimal damage to the fur. Once Mari was free, he helped her to her feet.

"All good?"

"Umm…Yeah…" Mari nervously shoved a strand of hair behind her ear. To prevent a repeat of the incident, she firmly wrapped her tail across her chest like a sash.

Ryu had watched the entire interaction. He wanted to help, but figured Mari didn't need both of them tugging at her tail. And, he wasn't sure why, but the whole scene annoyed him. "Why didn't you earthbend a platform, Koji? Then we wouldn't have ended up in the prickles." He flicked a small prickle from his suit into the other boy's face which caused him to wince.

"I don't know. Maybe because I was too busy trying to catch you," Koji spouted as he rubbed the fresh scratch. "Why didn't you earthbend?"

"Because I'm not supposed to," Ryu countered. "The Chief said only airbending, remember?"

"Like you ever listen to the Chief."

"Will you two stop it." Mari interrupted the argument. "Nobody's seriously hurt and that's what matters."

Both boys yielded to her scolding.

"You're right…" Koji was first to concede.

"Yeah. Let's get out of this pit," Ryu added. It was only about two meters deep which shouldn't be too difficult for them to escape. The entire time, Juji anxiously chirped at them from the edge of the pit. "Sure. You just sit up there and watch."

Mari went to the wall first, gripped a narrow ledge, and began her ascent.

"You don't need to climb, Mari," Koji said. "I can bend us some steps." He swung his arms out and the proposed steps erupted from the wall in a series of small outcroppings.

"I can get up on my own," Mari insisted, ignoring the stepping stones while she continued to climb.

The boys traded a concerned glance before Ryu simply shrugged. "Since I can't really airbend yet, guess I'm climbing too," he said and grabbed onto the wall much to Mari's surprise. Next, Koji smacked the side of his fist into the wall causing his stone steps to recede. "Can't be an Airbender for a day if I'm earthbending, right?" he said and, in a sign of solidarity, joined them on the wall.

Even though the wall was relatively short, it wasn't an easy climb. The surface had few handholds to grab. Working together though, all three teenagers made it to the top. They huffed as they eventually flopped onto the grass and shared a proud smile at what they had accomplished without bending. It was proof that they could get through anything together.

One thing Mako and Mari were excused from while staying with the Airbenders was their vegetarian diet. Because of their unique physiology, protein was a must and meat was the best way for them to get it. The Airbenders allowed it on one condition, they eat in private, away from the communal areas where the Airbenders normally met for meals. He made sure to respect their wishes.

While he was cooking dinner, in this case pork fried rice, his three charges returned to the bungalow. The first thing he noticed were the scratches on their faces. Despite that, they all were happily chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

"Ended up in the prickle patch I see," he said with a knowing smirk. He'd fallen in himself the first time he attempted the balance pit. "Bet you appreciate that suit now, Koji."

"Yes, sir," Koji replied, his lesson learned. "But I'm glad I don't have to wear it anymore. I'm going to change right now."

Mako watched him dash off before addressing the others. "How about you Mari? Did you enjoy your first day as an 'Airbender?'"

"It was okay, Papa," she politely replied.

"She was amazing," Ryu added. "You should have seen her, Chief. She made it across the pit first try. The only reason she ended up in the prickles was because she was trying to help me because I was having a vision attack."

"Oh?" Mako noted while he waited for the rest of the story.

Mari curled her tail tight around her legs. "It was nothing. When I saw Ryu wobbling, I went back to try and catch him before he fell. Koji was trying to help too. We collided, which is how we all ended up in the prickle pit."

Mako turned his concern to Ryu. "You okay, Kid?"

"I'm fine…" Ryu plopped onto a stool by the kitchen table. "I just wish Korra would leave me alone. I don't need her flooding my head with her memories. I can figure things out on my own."

As much as he would have liked to talk to Korra again, Mako couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the teen. Ryu just wanted to have his own life and wound up stuck as the Avatar. He would always have that other presence buried in his subconscious. "We are with Airbenders. They're experts when it comes to spiritual matters. I know it's not the funnest training, but they should be able to help get those visions under control," he said.

"Maybe…" Ryu continued to mope.

"I'm going to go get changed, too," Mari finally said. "These suits are nice, but my spinal fur is all itchy."

Mako inwardly grinned as he recalled his own experience with the suit. "Okay, sweetie," he said, and watched as she disappeared into her room.

"Hey, Chief? Is something going on with Mari?" Ryu suddenly asked.

Mako was surprised by the question. "I don't think so?" he replied as he carefully tossed the contents of his wok. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. She just seemed—off, today. Like, when we fell in that pit. Koji bent some stone steps from the wall to climb out, but she wouldn't even look at them," Ryu explained. "Said she could do it herself."

Mako shifted his gaze to the door his granddaughter had stepped through. His policy had always been that the teenagers could talk to him about anything, but he never forced the issue. Only reminding them that he was always available if they ever needed him. Whatever Mari was dealing with, he would give her some time before addressing it. It was just as likely that maybe she was having a bad day. Unusual for his normally cheerful granddaughter, but not unheard of. After all, she was human just like anyone else. "I'll talk to her later," he assured Ryu. "Now, you should go get dinner."

"That's why I'm here. I'm starving," Ryu said.

"Doesn't work that way, Kid. You're training with the Airbenders, you eat with the Airbenders," Mako stated. The first night, they'd all had dinner at the bungalow so everyone could get settled. That wasn't the case anymore.

"What? You do know they're vegetarians. I can't handle that!" Ryu snapped. "Besides, you're eating meat. I thought I didn't have to do anything you wouldn't do."

"Mari and I get a pass because we have specific dietary needs," he replied while he focused on his cooking. "That doesn't count for you."

"C'mon…You're already making dinner," Ryu practically whined.

Mako wouldn't budge.

"Whatever." Ryu hopped off his stool. "I didn't want your lousy food anyway," he scoffed and Juji gave a firm hiss from the teen's shoulder as he marched out the door.

When Ryu was angry, he would march off in a huff and wreck inanimate objects. Koji was too laid-back to be angry often, but when he was, it came with lots of swearing. Journaling was how Mari dealt with her anger. She sat in her bedroll and reviewed her latest entry. It was full of ugly words and thoughts, a reflection of her mood for the day. A knock at her door stirred her from the angry page.

"Mari? Can I come in?"

It was her papa's voice.

"One moment." She quickly snapped the journal closed and stashed it in the secret pocket in her purse. "All right. You can come in."

Her grandfather stepped into the room and curled his tail over his lap as he took a seat on the floor beside her. "Ryu was worried about you. He told me you seemed 'off' today. Is there something you want to talk about?"

She tucked her tail deep in her bedroll so it wouldn't betray her thoughts. It was a discussion they'd had before. Why wasn't I born a bender? His answer would be the same as always. That's just how it goes. It was the blunt, honest truth. She knew there was absolutely nothing to do to change that fact anymore than she could stop being a Fetchling. But the way Meelo kept talking down to her today, had brought those ugly feelings of jealousy back. So easy even a lowly non-bender can do it. Those weren't his exact words, but they might-as-well have been as far as she was concerned. She pressed her leg down on her suddenly twitching tail. It was as angry as she was.

"It's nothing, Papa," she finally said, giving him her usual, sweet smile. "Just a bad day I guess." She didn't like lying to him, but she wasn't in the mood to rehash the old conversation.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything," he persisted.

She nodded. "I'm okay, Papa. Really."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her. She was certain he saw through her facade, but she also knew he wouldn't press the matter. She'd talk to him when she was ready…maybe.

"All right. I'll be in the living room if you need me," he said and gave her a gentle horn bump.

"Thanks, Papa."

Once he was gone, she laid down in her bedroll and did her best not to cry.

While Ryu and Mari were off training, Mako did his best to hold Koji to a routine. He took the teenager out every morning for daily exercises and forms. The boy still struggled with the early hour, but at least he was no longer falling asleep on his feet. It was after one of their morning sessions that Mako noticed Meelo meditating on a patch of grass. He quickly grabbed Koji and dragged him behind a nearby building.

"Sir?" Koji was obviously confused by the sudden need for stealth.

"Shh…" He shushed the teen as he pressed against the wall. Then, he cautiously peeked around the corner. Meelo was still lost in meditation. Perfect.

"Koji. I want you to do me a favor," he said.

"Ummm…Okay?" Koji nervously replied.

Meelo's face wrinkled up when a loud crunching noise interrupted his meditation. The sudden dark was noticed even through his closed eyelids. What's going on? He opened his eyes to find himself covered by a stone dome. A beam of light streamed through a small hole in one side. There were only two people currently at the temple who could have done it. He pressed his eye to the hole in an attempt to find the culprit. That's when he spotted Mako.

"Mako? Did one of those kids with you do this?" he asked.

Mako tipped sideways to peer at him through the hole. "Oh, Meelo? Are you stuck?" It was obvious the other man was mocking him.

"Of course I'm stuck. I'm in a stone dome," he spouted. "What's the big idea?"

"I'm sure it will come to you, but don't think too hard about it," Mako smirked at him.

Meelo's eyes went wide when the realization hit him. The Wind Gates. "You've been holding on to that all this time?!" he yelled through his air hole. "It was forty years ago!"

"Spirits hold a grudge," Mako replied with a shrug. "Since I'm half-spirit, I'm not above a little spirit vengeance."

"What? Mako!" He pounded a fist against the stone wall. "All right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shoved you into those panels. Will you let me out of here?" He knew Mako wouldn't keep him trapped for long. Not after he'd made his point.

The smug smile never left Mako's face as he nodded to the boy next to him. At the wordless request, the teenager stomped his foot into the ground. The dome split open and a small stone pillar ejected Meelo from the structure. Grass flew in the air as he tumbled across the small lea. Once he came to a stop, he groaned and rubbed his aching back. Despite his discomfort, a smile spread across his face. He was impressed with the prank. After all these years, he had been caught completely unawares as he never expected payback.

"I think that makes us even," Mako gloated over him as his tail wagged behind him.

Meelo had to agree. "It was pretty good." He reached up a hand which Mako took to help him back to his feet. "You're not going to tell Jinora about this are you?" He didn't think his oldest sister needed to hear about this little gaff.

"Are you kidding? She's first on the list," Mako replied with a laugh.

Meelo let out a sigh. He had deserved it after all.

The large, white bison's six legs barely made a sound as it alighted in the courtyard. The beast was loaded with supplies that the Airbenders couldn't normally get on their mountain-top oasis which included lamp oil and seasonal fruits.

Mari and Ryu rushed to help unload the items. It was part of their responsibilities as novice "Airbenders." Once everything was unloaded, it was bison duty for them. They lead the beast to the stables where they could remove its tack and clean it after the long trip.

"I still don't get why we need to do all this extra stuff?" Ryu grumped while he casually leaned on the shovel that he was supposed to be using the clean out the stables.

"Airbenders believe that service to others fulfills the spirit," Mari explained as she brushed the bison. Low grunts came from the beast as it enjoyed the attention.

She was trying to hide it, but Ryu picked-up the sadness in her voice.

"Are you okay, Mari? Ever since we came here you haven't…" Juji bounced on his shoulder as he shrugged "I don't know. You just don't seem like yourself."

"It's that obvious, huh?" There was a sad smile on her face as she paused from brushing. "I thought it would be fun. Training with you and the other Airbenders. Following in Papa's footsteps. But…" Her tail curled tight around her legs. "All it's done is remind me I'm not a bender. And the way Meelo talks." Her voice turned bitter. "He's so condescending."

"I guess I hadn't noticed," Ryu remarked.

"Oh course not!"

He was surprised by the hurt scowl Mari gave him.

"Because you're not only a bender, you're the Avatar! You get all four elements while I get none!" she snapped at him. "Why would you notice?!" The bison she had been brushing jumped when her tail slapped the floor.

"I…I'm sorry, Mari." He didn't know what else to say. He'd never seen her so angry, and he couldn't help it that he was the Avatar. It certainly hadn't been his choice.

Mari's anger quickly turned to shock. "No. I'm sorry, Ryu. I shouldn't take my anger out on you. It's not your fault." Her tail found its way around her legs again. "Forget I said anything."

"Mari?" After all their time together, he knew she was still holding something back from him. He wanted to help, he just didn't know how.

A smile returned to her face, but not her normal smile. One that even he could tell she was forcing. "C'mon. We still have lots of work to do," she said, and went back to brushing the bison.

"If that's what you want…" Ryu said.

Mari stood inside the peak of the tower and anxiously looked out over the dark courtyard. She knew she shouldn't be up here. It wasn't like her to be so reckless. Not only had she snuck out of the bungalow in the middle of the night in her wing-suit, she was preparing to jump out the window of the temple's lowest tower in an attempt to glide. It was more like something Ryu would do. The scales of her tail threatened to cut her palm while she wrung it and mentally debated if she really wanted to make the jump.

"You've been hanging around me too long."

She turned around to see Ryu, dressed in his wing-suit, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest.

"How did you…?" She thought she nobody had seen her.

"I'm a delinquent remember. I've been sneaking out of houses since I was eight," he said with a soft smile. Juji was conspicuously missing from his shoulder. Probably didn't want the bird blabbing while he snuck out of the bungalow.

A slight chuckle escaped her. "I suppose that would make you the expert."

They both leaned on the windowsill and gazed out at the moonlit sky.

"I think I know what you're trying to do. And I can't believe I'm the one saying this but…it's not a good idea," Ryu said.

"I know…" Mari sighed. Although she had been going through the training with Ryu, she couldn't participate in the actual airbending training like him. For her it was mostly history lectures and the occasional exercise. "A part of me hoped that—if I tried—I might find out I'm actually an Airbender." She traced the window ledge with her finger. "It's silly. I know…"

"It's not silly," he said. "After all, it wasn't that long ago that there were only a few Airbenders, right?"

She playfully bumped her shoulder into his. "So, you were paying attention in class," she smiled. It was one of the lessons they had learned during Airbender history.

"Sometimes." He smiled back. "Y'know what. You may not be an Airbender, but maybe I can help you feel like one," he offered and began adjusting his suit to glide mode.

"Really?" Her tail wagged behind her.

"Pretty sure. Just stay close okay."

"Okay!"

Ryu carefully helped her out the window onto the roof.

"Now, you need to keep your arms and legs straight and I'll bend air beneath you to keep you up. Got it?" he instructed.

"Got it." Mari responded with a firm nod. She spread her arms and stretched out the thin material that connected them to her legs. Once she was ready, Ryu waved his arms and forced a breeze beneath her. Slowly she lifted into the air, suspended by his airbending. She wobbled a little at first until she found her center of balance.

"This is amazing! It's even better than I imagined." Mari closed her eyes as she enjoyed the rush of the wind through her hair and fur. It was almost as nice as swimming. She was so lost in her flight that she didn't realized she'd veered off course.

Ryu tried to pull her back, but he wasn't quite skilled enough yet.

"Uhh…Mari…"

He wasn't sure if she was ignoring him or couldn't hear him over the wind.

"Mari!"

Mari's eyes popped open when she heard Ryu shout. Directly in front of her, was the white wall of a tower. Instinctually, she blocked her face with her arms. Not the best idea since the material attached to them was supposed to be keeping her afloat. She bounced off the wall and went rushing to the ground. She stopped suddenly when something snagged her tail. Ryu had dove after her and, although he couldn't stay airborne while he held her tail, it was enough to slow her descent before they hit the ground. They ended-up a ball of limbs as they tumbled across the grass before coming to a stop.

Ryu's face went red when he realized he was laying on top of Mari. Before she could notice, he quickly untangled himself from her and stood. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to pull your tail. It was the only thing I could reach," he spouted.

"I'm all right." She tried to pick herself up off the ground and winced when pain shot up her arm. Her previous statement about being okay had been premature. A quick examination showed her wrist was already swelling. "Maybe not quite."

Ryu brushed his embarrassment aside and went to help her up. "C'mon, we better get you to the healers."

Mako was still in his pajamas as he marched into the infirmary, escorted by one of the resident air acolytes. As soon as he'd been informed his granddaughter had been injured, he didn't waste a second before coming to find her.

"Mari?"

She looked up when he entered the area where she was being treated. The younger Fetchling was seated on an examination table while a healer wrapped her wrist. His brow angrily creased when he saw Ryu with her. And both of them in their wing-suits. They had definitely been up to something. He took a deep breath before he jumped to any conclusions. Priorities.

"Are you all right?" He kept his voice level and tail tight around his waist. That way it wouldn't betray how angry he was. The healer finished their work and quickly ducked out of the room so they could talk in private.

"I'm all right, Papa," Mari replied, her eyes downcast to her wrist. "It's just a sprain."

Once he knew she wasn't seriously hurt, he aimed an accusatory glare at Ryu. "What. Happened?" He was certain the kid was behind Mari's injury, but wanted to hear it straight from the boy's mouth. Ryu responded with a worried, almost apologetic look on his face. It was strange since he was used to the teenager automatically getting defensive when he was challenged. To his surprise, Mari spoke first.

"Don't be mad at him, Papa. He was doing it for me," she said.

He had to pause to make sure he'd heard right.

"I wanted to know what it was like…" she trailed off. "I'll accept whatever punishment you feel is appropriate, but right now…I just want to get back to my room."

She slid off the table and he watched as she dragged herself out the door. Ryu followed her a moment later.

"It was an accident. You know I wouldn't put her in harm's way on purpose." The boy gave him an annoyed scowl as he passed.

Mako did know but, after seeing Mari injured, he'd let his cynicism take over. In the far back of his mind, Ryu was still the troublemaking punk kid that stole cars. He'd definitely have to reconcile the issue later.

Mari sat on her bedroll and rubbed her wrapped wrist. It really had been foolish of her. She was lucky she'd only come away with a sprain, and a slightly sore backside. Ryu catching her by her tail hadn't exactly been pleasant. Her chest heaved as she sighed. All she wanted to do now was sleep and forget the incident had ever happened. That idea was interrupted when a blue, shadowy figure shimmered into existence. It took her a moment to recognize the form floating in front of her. "Nana Zu?" She knew her papa could separate his spirit, but she had never seen her grandmother do it. "How are you here?"

"I-I didn't spend all these years with your grandfather without p-picking up a few tricks," the woman said with a sly smile.

"I suppose Papa told you what happened?" she frowned. It was the only explanation for the woman's sudden appearance.

"H-he did call and told me you'd hurt yourself trying to fly. I know you're a Fetchling b-but, last I knew, you didn't have wings. Has that ch-changed," the old woman said with a playful smile. She always joked around to try and lighten conversations.

"I still don't," Mari replied. "I just wanted to know what it was like to be a bender. Even for a little while."

A gentle smile covered the old woman's face. "Oh. I see…" It was a conversation that had been broached before. "Did you t-talk to your grandfather about it?"

Mari scoffed and folded her arms atop her knees. "He only ever says 'that's just the way it is,'" she grumped.

Her nana chuckled. "Y-your grandfather does t-tend to be straightforward." Then her tone shifted to be more serious. "But, he is right. Th-that is just how it is sometimes."

"Gee…Thanks Nana…" Mari gave her grandmother an annoyed frown.

"Don't b-be like that." Nana Zu placed a transparent hand to her chin. "You're strong, Mari. You always h-have been. But y-you don't need to be strong all the time. It's okay to be sad, or angry, or jealous. You don't n-need to hold it all in."

A sniffle escaped from her as she continued to listen to the woman.

"Th-this is what I want you to do. I want you to let it all out. Scream, cry, curse, w-whatever you feel."

"I don't know Nana…" She never really behaved like that. Even when she was a child.

"H-humor your old Nana. You can start b-by telling me exactly why you're upset," her grandmother insisted.

She could already feel the tears burning her eyes as she began to shout. "Why? Why wasn't I born a bender?! People treat me like a monster because of how I look, and now Meelo looks down on me because I can't bend! I can't help it!" It wasn't long before she was sobbing uncontrollably. "And then there's Ryu. He can bend all the elements and he doesn't even want to be the Avatar!" She threw her face into what would be her Nana's lap and slapped her tail on the floor. "I know I shouldn't be jealous, but it's just not fair!" She continued to cry until the tears would no longer come. Then, she laid still for several minutes, all her frustrations laid bare.

"Feel better?" Nana Zu said.

"I do. I really do," she replied as she sat-up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"G-good because you have a little s-something hanging from your nose," the old woman chided with her usual smile. It probably wasn't true as that was just how Nana was at times, but her face was wet with tears. Mari returned the smile before grabbing a handkerchief from her purse to clean her face. While she cleaned-up, her grandmother placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not a bender, you can't change that. You also can't ch-change the fact that you are a Fetchling. I-it's simply the hand you've been dealt. What you can change is your p-perception of these things, right?"

Mari gave her a silent nod.

"Don't w-worry about what others can do and f-focus on what you can do. You're smart, compassionate, courageous. I also know you love b-being a Fetchling and that's given you h-horns that can smash and a tail for grabbing things. These are th-things no one else in the entire world can do except your grandfather. And, I'll let you in on a-a little secret." Nana Zu leaned close to her ear. "Th-that horn bump thing you do with him, makes me a little jealous. It's something I can n-never share with him."

"Really Nana?"

"The honest truth."

Mari stroked the fur on her long tail. Everything her Nana said was true. She did love being a Fetchling, but she never really took into consideration how special that made her. Mostly because people outside her family only saw her as a monster. It was probably why she had gotten so jealous. Everyone accepted benders; few people accepted Fetchlings. "You're right, Nana. I'll never be a bender, but I'm going to work on being the best Fetchling I can be."

"Y-you don't need to be the best Fetchling…Be the best y-you, Mari dear," Zu gently corrected.

"Right." Mari's cheerful disposition returned. After the talk, she honestly felt like herself again.

"That's my girl," Nana Zu replied. Mari was a little surprised by the statement as it was something she heard more commonly from her grandpa. "And you call me w-whenever you feel your grandfather won't understand. Don't feel like y-you h-have to hold it in."

"I'll do that Nana. Thank you for helping," she smiled.

"Any time, Mari."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Then, Mari watched as the blue shade vanished.

Shizuku opened her eyes in a darkened room and immediately grabbed her woozy head. Sitting in the lotus position on a pillow across from her, was a grey-haired woman with a blue arrow tattooed on her forehead.

"Are you all right, Shizuku?" the woman politely asked.

"Give me a m-moment please, Jinora," Shizuku replied as she collected herself. Casting her spirit wasn't as easy as her half-spirit husband made it look, even with Jinora's assistance.

"It can be a little disorienting the first time," Jinora smiled. It was her abilities that had actually allowed Shizuku to visit her granddaughter.

"So it s-seems." Shizuku gave her a soft chuckle. "Thank you for your help. I-I know it's late."

"Anytime Shizuku. Is everything okay?" Jinora asked.

"Mako's a g-good parent," Shizuku answered, "but sometimes a girl just needs her grandmother."

Once her grandmother was gone, Mari hugged her knees to her chest as she composed herself. A tingle up her spinal fur told her that Papa was right outside the door. It was something she always felt when he was nearby. He'd probably heard the entire conversation. A little rude, but she knew it was because he was probably worried. The slightest footsteps told her he was leaving now that her tantrum was over.

"Wait, Papa," she called and the footsteps stopped. She went to the door and was surprised when three worried faces greeted her; Papa, Koji, and Ryu. Before anyone could speak, she wrapped her arms around her grandfather.

"I'm sorry I made you worry. I just wanted to know what it was like to be an actual bender. I shouldn't have been so irresponsible," she said.

"It's all right, Mari," he replied with a gentle squeeze. "And I heard what you said to your grandmother. I'm sorry if you felt like I wasn't hearing you. Next time, you yell at me and tell me so." He smiled at her.

"I promise, Papa," she replied. She released him and turned her attention to Ryu. "I'm sorry to you too, Ryu. I was jealous and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have done that either. You didn't ask to be the Avatar any more than I asked to be a non-bender."

Ryu awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose…I mean…You don't need to apologize. When I heard you crying…I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him next. He froze and blushed beneath her grasp; still unused to such signs of affection.

"I'm glad you're okay too, Mari," Koji added. "Now I know why you didn't use the steps I made in the prickle pit. I hope you know it wasn't because I thought you couldn't do it. I was only trying to help."

"I know, Koji. I was just upset." She wrapped her tail around his waist and pulled him in for a group hug. "But thank you." They sat there for a moment until Ryu shoved out of her grasp.

"That's enough of the gross huggy stuff," he huffed, though it was obvious he wasn't entirely displeased. "I'm going back to bed."

"Huggy stuff," Juji echoed.

"Yeah. Me too," Koji stammered as Mari released him. His embarrassment at the sudden embrace was different than Ryu's. It was more like he was unsure if he should hug Mari as opposed to Ryu who simply wasn't accustomed to hugs.

"All right. You three get your rest. It's going to be another day of training tomorrow," Mako said.

Mari stepped up to him and pressed her horns against his.

"Night, Papa."

"G'night sweetie," he smiled at her. As the three teens went to their bedrooms he took note of his granddaughter. When she'd hugged him, her horns were right at his cheek. When did she get so tall?

The next morning, Ryu and Mari joined Meelo for their daily training. The elder Airbender was waiting for them in one of the large courtyards outside the temples. As they approached, Mari marched straight up to him. "Master Meelo? Will you please stop using non-benders as your measure for comparison. We're just as capable as any bender," she stated with a deep bow.

Meelo was taken aback by her sudden directness. She really was Mako's granddaughter. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it," he said. "But you're right. As an Airbender, I should hold to a higher standard. Even at my age I can still be taught a thing or two. I'll do better."

"Thank you, sir." Her piece said, she went back by Ryu to await their lesson. That's when they noticed a group of older Airbenders with their teacher instead of the typical beginner students.

"What are we doing today, anyway?" Ryu finally asked.

"I heard about your little escapade last night," Meelo began pointedly. "Normally that kind of behavior would be disciplined. Novice Airbenders shouldn't be trying to glide on their own."

The two teenagers traded a nervous glance, sure they were going to be in trouble.

"But, given your unique circumstances, I've decided to give you both an early gliding lesson with the help of my more experienced students."

The teens nervousness changed to excitement.

"All right! Let's go!" Ryu spouted.

"Not yet. We're still waiting for one more," Meelo replied.

Several minutes later, Mako arrived with Koji. A smile spread across Mari and Ryu's faces when they saw what the elder Fetchling was wearing.

"These things are just as uncomfortable as I remember," Mako mumbled as he adjusted the flaps on his wing-suit.

"Look at you, Chief!" Ryu laughed. "And Koji said I looked like a sunburned eelhound. You even have the tail to match."

"That's enough out of you, Kid." Mako gave the teenager's head a playful shove.

"What are you going to do? I'm already wearing the suit," Ryu replied as he continued to chuckle. Mako wasn't going to be able to use it as a punishment like he had with Koji.

"You're going to glide with us, Papa?" Mari interrupted.

"That's right," he answered. "It was fun the first time I did it, and now I get to enjoy it with my family." When he had trained with Jinora all those years ago, he'd wondered the same thing Mari had; what it was like to actually glide. She had obliged and used her skills to help him fly. That's why, instead of punishing Mari, he'd spoken with Meelo to help her experience it for herself. Besides, the sprained wrist was probably lesson enough for her.

"What about you, Koji?" Mari tilted past her papa to address the other teen. His flight suit was conspicuously missing.

"No thanks. This Earthbender prefers his feet on the ground." Koji stated with a firm stomp, as if he was gluing his feet to the dirt. "But I hope you have fun up there," he finished, and gave her a pleasant smile.

"Everybody ready?" Meelo asked.

"Whenever you are, Meelo," Mako replied.

Soon, the trio was up in the air held aloft by the team of Airbenders below. As an additional precaution, a group of more experienced Airbenders joined them in the sky. They were there to guide them or catch them if they started to fall.

Mari was elated. A wide grin spread across her face as she glided in the breeze with her long tail floating behind her. Ryu was also having fun although he was pushing his limits. Several times he tried to break free of his handlers only to be quickly corrected. Avatar or no, he still had a lot to learn.

Mako was also enjoying the flight. It wasn't his first time flying through the air, or even his second. As a Firebender, he was technically able to fly by using jets of flames as thrust, but it wasn't the same as this. This felt more free. He looked over to his granddaughter. The smile on her face held his heart. He couldn't make her a bender but, if he could help her feel like one, even for one day, he would do it. He wanted her to be happy as much as possible. As a non-bending Fetchling, things were only going to get harder for her as she got older.