Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Child of Two Nations
Book 1 - Water
Chapter 3 – The Southern Air Temple
The beams of the morning sun reflect on the water, bathing the whole scene in yellow light as the group have made camp on the shore. Appa is chewing on some grass while the smoke of the nearby campfire rises to the sky. Sokka is lying in a blue sleeping bag next to the fire, Aang sits on the bison's head and is checking the knots that tie the reins to Appa's horns. Katara and Sorin are sitting on the saddle, both of them fiddling with their luggage.
"Wait 'til you see it, Katara. The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world." Aang said excitedly.
"Aang, I know you're excited, but it's been a hundred years since you've been home." Katara warned him.
"That's why I'm so excited!" Aang replied, smiling broadly.
"It's just that a lot can change in all that time." Katara pointed out.
"She's got a point, Aang." Sorin agreed with her.
"I know, but I need to see it for myself." Aang jumps off Appa, landing softly due to his airbending as he walks over to a snoring Sokka, who is lying in his sleeping bag. "Wake up, Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!"
Sokka awakens from his sleep, making groggy noises "Sleep now... temple later..." He said sleepily and rolls over beginning to snore again.
Aang blinks, clearly not pleased with Sokka's actions when a mischievous grin spreads across his face as he gets an idea. Aang picks up a stick from the ground as Katara and Sorin watched him from the saddle on Appa's back.
"Sokka! Wake up!" Aang ran the stick-up and down the sleeping bag. "There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!" He yells out in fake warning.
"Aaahhh! Get it off! Get it off! Aaahhh!" Sokka cried out fearfully, hopping around in his sleeping bag until he loses his balance and falls flat on his face. Katara and Sorin both laugh at Sokka, who had an irritated look at what just happened.
"Great! You're awake. Let's go." Aang said, poking his head out from behind Sokka.
In the sky above, Appa flies through the clouds, with Aang and Katara atop the bison's head while Sokka and Sorin are in the passenger saddle. Sokka's stomach growls showing his hunger.
"Hey, stomach, be quiet, all right? I'm trying to find us some food." Sokka starts to go through the luggage and gets out a bag. He looks at it for a moment while it sways in the wind. With his tongue out of his mouth full anticipation, he sticks his hand in the bag and starts to go through it. He looks surprised for a moment, but quickly and with anticipation turns the bag upside down and dumps it out onto his glove, but only a few crumbs come out. "Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?" He asks the others.
"Wasn't me." Sorin raised his hands, but showed that he didn't really care.
"Oh, that was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry." Aang admitted sheepishly.
"You what?!" Sokka exclaimed in shock, then looks up before slanting his eyes and groans "No wonder the flames smelled so good." Sorin shakes his head with a sigh as Appa races past and ascends up to some mountains.
"The Batola mountain range! We're almost there!" Aang cheered excitedly.
"Aang? Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders." Katara told him uneasily.
"What about 'em?" Aang asked.
"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people." Katara reminded.
"Because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped." Aang said to her with a face of hopeful optimism.
"I know it's hard to accept." Katara replied as she places one hand on Aang's shoulder.
"You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison. Right, Appa?" Aang asked, rubbing Appa's head who grunts in response. "Yip yip!" Appa flies them up higher, turning tightly around a mountain face. Sorin, Katara and Sokka strain themselves against the wind shear the faster they move. Appa flies up over a rocky outcrop and treetops to reveal the tall spires of the Southern Air Temple behind it. "There it is... the Southern Air Temple."
Pathways and towers were built into the mountain, bridges linked the two as tunnels opened into the rock. The roofs on all the towers were a bright blue and the snow covered the lower parts of the mountain.
"Whoa..." Sorin said in awe.
"Aang, it's amazing!" Katara complimented.
"We're home, buddy. We're home." Aang said to the bison.
Now at the Southern Air Nomad Temple, Appa has landed at the base of snow covered stairs, leading up a winding path curving back and forth across the rock face of the temple's mountain. The three teens walk up towards the temple, Aang rushes ahead as Sorin, Katara and Sokka round the bend.
"So where do I get something to eat?" Sokka complained.
"You're lucky enough to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an airbender temple and all you can think about is food?" Katara questioned.
"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs." Sokka replied.
"I've got no comment on that." Sorin deadpanned as they reached Aang, who was standing at the corner of the path and looking down at the land below.
"So that's where my friends and I would play airball!" Aang revealed as there was a small field with two goals at each end and in the middle were a heap of uneven poles sticking up from the ground. "And... over there would be where the bison would sleep... and..." He then trailed off and sighed.
"What's wrong?" Katara asked.
"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds." Aang said as his eyes squint with sadness, standing on the ledge; his clothes flutter in the wind, a dead tree at each side of him. In a sad tone "I can't believe how much things have changed."
"So, uh, this airball game? How do you play?" Sokka made an attempt to change the subject. Katara smiles at her brother and Aang's face clears up. He smiles too, as he looks at Sokka from the corners of his eyes.
The two stood on the opposite sides of the field, in front of their goals as Aang held the spinning ball in his hands with airbending. He lets the ball roll over his shoulders, tosses it from side to side and lazily tosses it up in the air. He looks and smiles innocently at Sokka with his hands behind his back. Sokka stood on guard ready before Aang threw the ball into the air and stood calmly with a smile on his face, Sokka looking confused. Aang opened one of his eyes and then spun to kick the ball at Sokka. It bounced on the poles between them and crashed into Sokka, sending him flying through the gate and into the snow and bushes behind.
Smiling broadly, Aang stretches out his arms above his head "Aang, seven!" He forms a Zero with his hands and makes a circular movement with his whole body "Sokka, zero!"
Sorin sat on a rock, shaking his head while chuckling "I should've bet money on this... If I had money..."
Sokka is now lying in the dirt, with a twig lying on his head while he looks a bit miserable. "Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt." He said while getting up from the ground then noticed something that stops in his tracks and walks over to it. It was a old Fire Nation soldier helmet lying on the ground. It has been battered by the elements, and shows signs of cracks and burns. He looks up at his sister "Katara, check this out."
"Fire Nation." Katara said accusingly.
"We should tell him." Sokka decided.
"Aang, there's something you need to see." Katara called out.
"Okay!" Aang yelled back cheerfully as he walks over with Sorin, still playing with the hollow ball. Katara gains a determined look to tell Aang the truth, which shifts to one of insecurity. She glances at the helmet and back at the approaching Aang. Suddenly she shifts her weight and brings her arms up. With one swift movement she swings her arms back, manipulating the overhanging snow to fall down, obscuring the helmet and Sokka from sight "What is it?" Sokka brushes the snow off his head and looks at his sister.
"Uh... just a new waterbending move I learned." Katara revealed as she innocently holds her hands behind her back.
"Nice one! But enough practicing." Aang excitedly turns around and start walking away "We have a whole temple to see!
Sokka brushes the last of the snow from his head and shoulders "You know, you can't protect him forever."
"Mind telling me what you guys are talking about?" Sorin demanded to know.
The entrance gate of the Air Temple itself, Aang runs in alone leaving Sorin, Sokka and Katara a moment alone to speak, as the dualbender was now caught up to speed on what they were hiding from Aang.
Sokka crossed his arms, looking stern as he spoke "Katara, firebenders were here. You can't pretend they weren't."
"I can for Aang's sake." Katara argued, walking away and Sokka comes up behind her and they walk together with Sorin ahead of them. "If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he'll be devastated."
"Hey, guys!" Aang called out. The three of them look up and see Aang standing in front of a statue of a monk, turning around and pointing toward it. "I want you to meet somebody."
"Who's that?" Sokka asked.
"Monk Gyatso, the greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang explained to them and bows to the statue, then stands up straight with a sad look upon his face.
"You must miss him." Sorin noted, understandingly placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah." Aang looked downcast, even when he moved towards the temple.
"Where are you going?" Katara asked.
Aang is walking up some stairs that lead to a corridor behind the statue. He looks back while answering "The air temple sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet." Aang enters the hallway.
As Sorin quickly followed, Katara looks questioningly at Sokka, who just shrugs. They both start walking after Aang and Sorin. They walked through the temple until they came to a very large door. On it was an enormous woodcut comprised of three blue air symbols protruding from its surface. They are arranged in a triangular pattern. The symbols are attached to tubes that ended in two horns near the bottom of the woodcut.
"But Aang... no one could have survived in there for a hundred years." Katara believed.
"It's not impossible." Aang retorted, opening his arms "I survived in the iceberg for that long."
"Good point." Katara replied, touching her chin with her finger.
Aang glances hopeful at her over his shoulder, speaking in a excited tone "Katara, whoever's in there might help figure out this Avatar thing!"
"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!" Sokka said as he rubs his hands together and practically starts to drool over the thought. Full of anticipation and longing, Sokka charges at the door, but it will not budge and he simply smacks into it, head first. He quickly turns around and puts his back to it, trying to push the giant door open. When the door does not move, he sighs, slides down to the floor, disappointed, and rests against the door "I don't suppose you have a key?"
"The key, Sokka, is airbending." Aang revealed. Sokka, Sorin and Katara stood back as Aang takes a deep breath. He spreads his arms and thrusts them forward, sending an air current into both of the tubes on the door. The right air current travels through the pipe. The wind makes one of the blue curled tube turn around. When it does, the tube changes colors to purple and the wind blows out like a horn. The process is repeated for the other two blue tubes as well. When the three blue tubes have turned and become purple, which has unlocked the door, which cracks open and light penetrates the dark room. The doors sway open and Aang is seen standing there with Katara, Sokka and Sorin, then he brings his hand besides his mouth "Hello? Anyone home?" He called. before he was first to walk into the room, Sorin, Katara and Sokka following.
Inside was dark and cold, their eyes taking a bit to adjust to the limited light. The door however let in enough light for them to see the main focus in the middle of the room. Statues filled the floor and they lined the walls as well, all winding up towards the distant celling. They walked among the statues in interest.
"Statues?!" Sokka complained in disappointment "That's it? Where's the meat?"
"Sokka, airbenders don't eat meat." Sorin deadpanned, then looked at Aang "Right?"
"Right." Aang agreed with him.
"Who are all these people?" Katara wondered, ignoring her brother.
"I'm not sure, but it feels like I know them somehow." Aang muttered, then points at the statue of a man with airbending mastery tattoos in front of him "That one's an airbender."
Katara points at the statue of a male dressed in Water Tribe clothes next to the airbender "And this one's a waterbender." She looks to the right and back to the left "They're lined up in a pattern." She points at the respective statues "Air, water, earth and fire."
"That's the Avatar cycle." Aang grinned.
"Of course! They're Avatars. All these people are your past lives, Aang." Katara realised.
"Well, how about that." Sorin said, staring at the statues curiously.
"Wow! There's so many!" Aang commented, looking around the entire room.
"Past lives? Katara, you really believe in that stuff?" Sokka questioned skeptically with his arms crossed.
"It's true. When the Avatar dies he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle." Katara reminded him as Aang was now staring up at the Fire Nation statue. He had a topknot on his head, a Fire Nation decorative on top of it. His beard went down to his chest and his arms were calmly placed together before him. is still mesmerized by the statue. Katara appears behind him, grabs his shoulders and shakes him a bit. "Aang! Snap out of it!"
"Huh?" Aang muttered, dazed as he blinked and then looked back at statue with a smile of fondness.
Katara curiously follows his gaze and looks at the statue as well "Who is that?"
"That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me." Aang told them.
Sokka walked up to them "You were a firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met."
"There's no writing. How do you know his name?" Katara wondered as she looked up from the base of the statue.
"I'm not sure... I just know it somehow." Aang admitted.
"You just couldn't get any weirder!" Sokka growled irritably while crossing his arms.
Sorin smirked at that "That's funny coming from you." Sokka threw him an annoyed look after hearing that comment.
The quartet startles and stares with big eyes in front of them when they hear something. They turn around as a long-eared shadow of another being is approaching from the doorway. Quickly they hid behind the statues, Sokka with his club, while Sorin gripped the hilt of his sword but has not took it out yet.
"Firebender. Nobody make a sound." Sokka whispered.
"You're making a sound!" Katara retorted irritably. Aang and Sokka both shushed her, putting their fingers before their mouths. They watched the floor as the shadow creeped towards them.
"That firebender won't know what hit 'em." Sokka whispered as he raised his club while getting to his feet before a sort of roar sounded, vibrating.
Sokka appears from behind the statue, his club to the ready, but lowers it after seeing who appeared. Sorin poked his head out from behind him as Aang and Katara peek from behind their statue as well. Before them was a lemur. It had long white ears, wide green eyes, a black face and a curled long tail as it crouched down and looked at them.
"Lemur!" Aang shouted excitedly.
"Dinner..." Sokka said while drooling.
"Don't listen to him! You're going to be my new pet." Aang decided as the lemur pricks his ears and slightly tilts his head.
Aang glares angrily at Sokka, who spoke up while still drooling "Not if I get him first!"
Sokka stretches his hand while he excitedly lunges himself at the animal from behind the statue. Aang runs up at the lemur as well. The lemur arcs his back in fright, his ears, hair and tail standing upright as the snatching hands of the boys draw closer. It startles, quickly turns around and makes a break for it. Sokka barely misses the animal and falls down. Aang nimbly avoids tripping as well by using Sokka's head as a stepping stone. Sokka quickly gets up and runs behind Aang and the lemur as they exit the sanctuary.
"Wait come back!" Aang called out.
"I wanna eat you!" Sokka's voice sounded as Katara and Sorin looked surprised, then shared a look.
"How is he related to you?" Sorin decided to ask.
Katara shrugged her shoulders "I have no clue."
While Sorin waited for Aang and Sokka to return, Katara had been following the avatars spiral, looking at each face before she stopped at Roku's statue. She looked up in time to suddenly see Roku's eyes glow. Beside him the earth bender's eyes glowed as well. Spiralling up in the motion of their order, all they way up the walls and into the celling, the avatars' eyes all began to glow. Sorin turned around to see that, and went wide-eyed in shock.
"Aang!" Katara shouted in worry and races out of the room. Sorin immediately followed his friend out.
Sorin rushed at a balcony and used his firebending to jump over it as Katara found the stairs. As the dualbender jumped, one of the buildings below him exploded and a tornado appeared. After landing, he ran forward in time to see Aang standing in the middle of a column of air. Sokka is hiding behind a broken bit of wall, to which Sorin joined him.
"What happened!?" Katara crouched beside her brother, shouting above the raging winds.
"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka answered.
"It must have triggered his Avatar spirit!" Sorin said, referring to the blue glow.
"I'm gonna try and calm him down." Katara decided.
"Well, do it before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka worried as he held onto his piece of broken wall while Sorin conjured ice claws and stabbed them into the rubble and Katara fights against the fierce wind storm, ducking and being pushed back as Aang rose up into the sky.
"Aang, I know you're upset..." Katara shouts calmly with a sad expression on her face "And I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Sorin was the same way when he lost his parents." She frowned and diverts her eyes "Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sorin, Sokka and I, we're your family now." Katara assured as Sokka and Sorin glanced at her.
Aang retained his emotionless expression as he began to descend to the floor. Katara, Sokka and Sorin watch him lower himself back to the ground; the winds start to die down and the air sphere that surrounded Aang disappears, allowing the trio to pull up next to him, with Katara on one side and Sokka and Sorin on the other.
"Sorin, Katara and I aren't going to let anything happen to you. Promise." Sokka assured in a gentle tone.
"We're sticking by your side to the bitter end." Sorin added reassuringly, as Katara took Aang's hand. The moment she does, the glowing fades away and Aang collapsed from exhaustion. Katara caught him before he could hurt himself and lowered Aang to the floor.
"I'm sorry." Aang said in a mixture of sad and tiredness.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." Katara assured.
"But you were right. And if firebenders found this temple that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender." Aang closed his eyes in sadness. Katara hugged him tightly as Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder.
"And you can rebuild the nation once again." Sorin reminded him "Because of you Aang, all hope is not lost." He smiled, which Aang does so.
Afterwards, Aang is stood looking at Roku's statue in the sanctuary as Sorin stood at the doorway with crossed arms. Katara appeared behind him, giving a solemn nod as she approached Aang.
"Everything's packed. You ready to go?" Katara asked.
"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?" Aang wondered.
"Maybe you'll find a way." Katara assured.
They glance at each other when they hear something behind them. They turn around and see the flying lemur standing on its back legs in the middle of the doorway and it hopped over to Sokka who'd entered the sanctuary and was behind them. The animal reaches his feet and drops the load he was carrying: a variety of fruits. The lemur quickly dashes away as Sokka sits down and starts to stuff his face with the fruit, taking large bites of two different pieces of fruit.
"Looks like you made a new friend, Sokka." Aang said as he, Katara and Sorin all smiled at him.
Sokka continued pushing the food in his mouth with his two hands. Looks up with an exhilarated look upon his face. With a full mouth, he speaks "Can't talk! Must eat!" He takes another big bite. The flying lemur climbs onto Aang and hides behind his head, his tail curled around Aang's neck.
"Hey little guy." Aang greeted the lemur. After finally leaving the sanctuary and now outside, Aang stared at the temple on the mountain as he stood beside Appa with the lemur sitting on his hand. "You, me, and Appa." He said to the lemur, a hand on Appa's cheek. "We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together. Sorin, Katara, Sokka..." He turned to the three who were sorting out their luggage along with their new supplies, even while Sokka is munching on a peach "Say hello to the newest member of our family." He walked over to them.
"What are you going to name him?" Katara asked.
Sokka is about to take another bite of the peach he is eating as Aang looks surprised when the lemur suddenly leaps off his arm and returns, holding the peach. The animal starts to nibble from it.
"Momo." Aang decided as they looked at Sokka, whose mouth was open and hand in front of his mouth, ready to take a bite, however, he has no peach anymore. The others start to laugh upon seeing Sokka's annoyed expression.
After the group got onto the saddle, Appa began to fly away as Aang is sadly staring back at it, leaning on the luggage that is tied at the back on Appa's saddle. Momo chitters quietly as they fly further away from the temple. Dark clouds slowly move in front of the temple, obscuring their view.
End of Chapter 3
A/N: And the third Chapter is finished, the group now been to the Southern Air Temple. Next chapter might be slightly longer to upload due to real life issues happening at the moment. Until then, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or the story image, just the OC
Next Chapter: The Warriors of Kyoshi