CHAPTER 33: Anger is easy

"The quality of your life comes down to the quality of your contribution."

Nii felt like a wreck.

A myriad of emotions twirled through her body, a potent mix of guilt, anxiety, vulnerability rushing through her all at once.

She did not know how Aang would react now that he had found out the truth about the culture of her village and how heavily influenced it was by Air Nomad traditions.

She had thought about telling him many times, but…

Deep inside of her there lingered a nagging doubt, a fear that perhaps he would feel like her roots and spiritual beliefs were nothing but an emulation, a pale imitation of the Air Nomad culture that had strayed too far from the true essence of the philosophy that he knew.

She knew that even though her traditions and beliefs had roots in the Air Nomadic culture, it had also changed heavily with time, and he might find it insensitive, disrespectful even, to the legacy of his people.

She feared his reaction.

Would he be hurt?

Disappointed?

Angry even?

What if he retrieved his invitation?

What if he banished the newly arrived villagers from the temple?

What if he banished her?

What if he judged her, rejected her, for something that she felt powerless to change?

"Are you mad?" Nii asked him in a small voice.

They were walking along one of the many paths over the temple grounds.

Aang had been silent for a long time now, as if he had turned his gaze inward to contemplate everything Katara and Nii had shared with him.

"Mad?" he breathed while he gazed up in the sky above them that stretched like a vast, unbroken expanse of azure, completely devoid of clouds and offering little respite from the intense rays of the summer sun.

The air around them felt heavy, as if weighed down by the summer heat, and every breath was like inhaling warm, dry air, leaving a parched sensation in Nii's throat.

"No," Aang finally voiced. "Honestly, how could I be mad?"

He turned around to look at her, and they both stopped in their tracks.

Nii furrowed her brows at him and just as she opened her mouth to give him reasons, he beat her to it.

"Should I be mad that you and your people came here and found inspiration for living a life that you feel is true to your hearts and souls? Or maybe I should be angry because you held ceremonies here, in sacred ground that hasn't been touched for a hundred years, hm? Or, maybe, just maybe, I should be mad that you developed as a people and didn't stick to rules that were written down by nuns thousands of years ago?!"

She widened her eyes at him in surprise of the sharpness in his tongue.

There was an unusual and unfamiliar vibrancy to his words, a palpable crisp energy that radiated from him, where every word was charged with urgency and conviction.

His body suddenly seemed larger, or stronger than usual, and his eyes blazed at her like a wildfire, infused with a sense of righteousness.

To Nii, he actually did seem kind of mad.

She had never seen him like this before.

"If there's something I could be mad about," he continued as he started walking again in long strides, and Nii trailed behind, trying to keep up with his pace. "It would be that I'm the last one. The last Airbender. But I'm over that. At first, I felt angry. Anger is easy. But then I discovered that my anger was just a cover for my sorrow. And I'll probably never be able to rid myself of the sorrow of losing my people, but… Angry with you and your people?"

Aang abruptly came to a halt, his sudden stop catching her completely off guard, and she nearly crashed into him, as he turned around to gaze into her eyes with furrowed brows.

"Never."

Tension was thick in the air as they looked at each other.

His gaze was unexpectedly intense as he stared at her, steely almost, and it caused a shiver to run down her spine as his eyes traveled over her face and body.

A small part of her felt relieved that he did not reject her nor the culture of her people, but at the same time, she was shocked to see him like this.

Despite the urge to look away, Nii found herself unable to break free from his piercing gaze.

There was a magnetic pull to his eyes, drawing her in even as she struggled to comprehend the shift in his demeanor.

As the silence stretched between them, the tension became even more palpable, hanging heavy in the warm air like a thunderstorm on the horizon.

Each second felt like an eternity as her heart pounded loudly in her chest.

"And… you're sure that you're not mad?" she tried again, almost in a whisper.

He looked at her for a couple of tense seconds more before his expression softened, and his shoulders dropped, as he sighed out and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Nii," he breathed in his usual soft voice, reaching out to take her hand.

His hand felt hot in hers.

As if he had just held it over a fire.

"I'm just frustrated…" he said, letting his eyes drop to their hands that were intertwined between them. "Not with you, nor your people. With myself. It's like there's this war inside of me. Two parts of me raging against each other, and I…"

Nii reached up a hand to lay it on his chest just over his heart chakra.

Aang lifted his gaze again.

"To be honest with you," he said while a smile crept over his lips. "I think it was the first day that we met where I imagined you helping me to bring life to this place. I'd never in my life imagined that it would look like this."

Nii returned his smile as she felt her heart melt a little in her chest.

She felt connected with him again.

"And in my vision," he continued, a slight flush in his cheeks. "I didn't just imagine this to be a place that honored the Air Nomad culture, but also a sanctuary for renewal and awakening, a place that could inspire the transcendence of boundaries between all kinds of people."

She felt glimmers of hope and determination flowing through her body in waves.

His words were filled with sincerity, and she felt a sense of clarity wash over her, banishing any doubt or fear that had clouded her mind.

She understood that he had just presented her with a rare opportunity to make a real difference in the world.

She felt determined to seize it with both hands.

She wanted to help him outlive this vision.

"So," she smiled as she lifted her hands from his heart to cup his face. "Instead of Air Nomads, it's more like…"

Aang looked at her for a fleeting second, before he said: "Acolytes. Air acolytes."

They chuckled as they stood there.

It made sense.

To her.

To him.

They made sense.

Together.

Nii could sense that Aang leaned closer to her, and she could soon feel the heat of his breath against her skin, and when his lips finally met hers, it felt like coming home from a long journey - a feeling of belonging and completeness that filled her with a sense of pure bliss.

She felt her heart swell with love for him.

This wonderful guy that had captured her heart so completely.

When they pulled away, her lips still tingled with the memory of their kiss, and both of them could not help but smile at each other, while Nii felt her heart overflowing with love and happiness.

"I'm with you, Aang," she sighed sweetly. "It would be an honor and privilege to help you with your vision."

He looked at her with eyes full of affection and love.

But then, in the blink of an eye, his expression shifted, and his smile faltered as his gaze flickered past her shoulder.

"Appa?"