Fight 05: Rising
Aang was still bowing to the statue of Gyatso, just as he had bowed to the real Gyatso a hundred years ago. Katara tried to comfort him but then he just moved onward.
"Where are you going?" She asked him.
"The Air Temple Sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet." The Avatar answered resolutely while climbing the steps. The siblings looked at each other, shrugged, and followed their friend. The three arrived at the entrance of the Air Temple Sanctuary. It was a huge and massive wooden door dominated by an enormous woodcut comprising three air symbols protruding from its surface and arranged in a triangular pattern. The symbols were attached to tubes that ended in two horns near the bottom of the woodcut. Katara tried to warn the boy that no one could survive in there for a hundred years. To what Aang replied optimistically that it was not impossible: he had survived in an iceberg for that long. The girl agreed it was a good point. But both had forgotten one crucial fact. There was only one Avatar. He had certainly survived by entering a state of controlled hypothermia.
"Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!" Aang insisted, ecstatic.
"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious, cured meats!" Sokka popped out from behind the 112-years-old boy, eagerly rubbing his hands in fevered anticipation. He rushed forward and crashed against the door with a 'thunk'. He pushed at it and gave up after a few seconds, slumping down, and asking Aang whether he had the key. The Avatar answered that the key was airbending. He raised both his arms perpendicular to his body, and suddenly pushed forward with his arms, stepping forward with his right leg. He airbended two jets of air, one from each arm, into the horns at the bottom of the woodcut. The air ran through the tubes and one by one flipped the air symbols from the blue sides which had been showing to the maroon sides, which had been facing the interior of the temple, blowing a different music note as it gushed from the spirals. As each turned, it flipped another mechanism on the outside of the door, unlocking it. The door opened to reveal the dark, cavernous interior of the Air Temple Sanctuary.
"Hello? Anyone home?" The airbender called hopefully as the three walked into the dark room.
In the tent of the Fire Navy outpost, Commander Zhao was pacing in front of a rather cross-looking young prince.
"So, a twelve-year-old boy bested you and your firebenders? You're more pathetic than I thought." Zhao chastised; a mocking edge to his tone.
"I underestimated him once, but it will not happen again." Zuko justified himself vehemently. He was sitting on a chair. And two guards were standing behind him.
"No, it will not, because you won't have a second chance."
"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I..." The prince began, alarmed, before being cut off by the commander who turned to him angrily, flames erupting from his hand as he swept it in an arc.
"And you failed!" He approached Zuko, towering above him. "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now."
The teen launched himself at Zhao in frustration and anger, only to be restrained by the two guards who had been standing behind his chair.
"Keep them here." The man ordered while turning to leave. Zuko in a further act of frustration kicked over a small table on which a tea pot had been sitting. Everything broke to pieces.
"More tea please?" Iroh requested, tea cup in hand. He had been sitting and watching calmly and silently the whole time.
As Aang, Sokka, and Katara walked into the sanctuary, light flooded from outside to reveal many statues arrayed in a pattern following a swirl on the ground, quite similar to a snail shell. Alcoves had been built in the walls up to the peak of the tower to host the statues. The three headed to the center of the room. Sokka complained about the absence of meat but no one heeded him. After a time, Aang and Katara noticed that all the statues were lined up in the Avatar cycle: first air, then water, earth, and fire. All these people were Avatars, and Aang's past lives. It was thus no wonder that the airbender somehow felt like he knew them. He marvelled at the sheer number of statues.
"Past lives? Katara, you really believe in that stuff?" Sokka asked sceptically.
"It's true. When the Avatar dies he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle." His sister answered. Aang stopped in front of the statue of a firebender Avatar. Suddenly a light seemed to pass over its eyes. Katara appeared behind Aang and shook him by the shoulders.
"Aang, snap out of it!"
"Huh?" The child replied, dazed.
"Who is that?"
"That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."
"You were a firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met." Sokka said, joining them.
"There's no writing. How do you know his name?" Katara wondered.
"I'm not sure... I just know it somehow." Aang answered the best he could.
"You just couldn't get any weirder!" The water tribesman growled in frustration.
Suddenly, the three sensed the presence of another being and turned to look at the entrance. A long-eared shadow was advancing toward them. They hid, huddled behind two of the statues, Aang and Katara behind one and Sokka behind another. The shadow advanced between the two statues.
"Firebender. Nobody make a sound." The warrior whispered to his frightened companions.
"You're making a sound!" The sister whispered back, exasperated.
"Shhhh!" Aang and Sokka said in the same time. The shadow was still advancing.
"That firebender won't know what hit 'em." The warrior whispered again, his club in hand. Then he jumped out from the statue, ready for the strike, and froze in sheer surprise. The other two also came around to look. Everyone blinked, registering the diminutive stature of the adorable intruder. It was a winged lemur looking at them with wide green eyes. His long ears flopped down on his back and he shrunk down as he saw the people staring at him, especially that menacing entity. It had only seemed big because of the angle of the setting sun projecting its shadow.
"Lemur!" Aang exclaimed happily.
"Dinner..." Sokka's mouth was watering. The black and white furred animal tilted its head in a cute clueless way.
"Don't listen to him! You're going to be my new pet." The airbender glared sideways at the other male.
"Not if I get him first!" The hunter contradicted him. And both lunged at the small animal, their arms outstretched. The lemur bristled like a cat and dashed away. The two boys ran after it in a frantic race, having no qualms using their weapons or bending abilities to impede the other. And still, Aang was grinning ear to ear.
The lemur jumped up onto the guardrail of a balcony, looked back at a fast approaching Aang, and then leapt again and flew away and down the steep cliff on which the balcony had been built. The Avatar jumped after him, laughing as he bounced off the rocks beneath him during his long fall to chase the lemur. Sokka, who had finally reached the balcony, leant over it to watch his friend's controlled fall and complained about the unfairness of the race. He was not a bender.
Zhao entered the tent where Iroh and Zuko were kept to inform them that his search party was ready and that once he was out to sea, his guards would escort them back to their ship and they would be free to go.
"Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" The prince taunted.
"You? Stop me? Impossible." The commander snorted derisively.
"Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you." Zuko stood up in defiance.
"Prince Zuko, that's enough!" Iroh tried to stop him, standing up also.
"You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you... you're just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn't even want you." Zhao spat venomously.
"You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne."
"If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."
"That's not true."
"You have the scar to prove it."
"Maybe you'd like one to match!" With a cry of indignation, Zuko launched himself to his feet, bringing his face within inches of Zhao's.
"Is that a challenge?"
"An agni kai. At sunset." An agni kai, a duel between two firebenders, and a popular method of resolving conflicts. Its outcome affected the honor of both opponents. The teenager had regained his calm and confidence.
"Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do." Zhao replied condescendingly before walking back out of the tent.
"Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?" Iroh asked his nephew.
"I will never forget." Zuko answered. As long as he had this scar on his left eye, he could never forget.
In the Southern Air Temple, a lemur landed on a stone clearing. Aang landed three seconds later and leapt like a frog to catch the animal that ran to the side beyond a decaying drapery of sort. The airbender followed it in the crumbling building and cooed. He approached and parted another drape. He walked through and drew a sharp breath, startled. There, right in front of him, the floor was covered with heaps of skeletons in firebender uniforms, half buried in the snow.
"Firebenders? They were here?" He whispered, surprised, his heart filling with dread. At the back of the room, in a heap of snow, bathed in sunlight coming from above, were lying the skeletal remains of an airbender monk. He had apparently fallen in combat while fighting against great odds. Then, Aang noticed the necklace resting on the corpse's chest. A necklace made of large beads, and a wood circle on which were carved three swirls, symbol of the air nomads...
"Gyatso..." The child murmured. He fell to his knees, devastated. Sokka arrived, pulling back the curtain.
"Hey Aang, you find my dinner yet?" He teased, still in the game, before he saw Aang, his head in his hands, crying. "Aang, I wasn't really going to eat the lemur, okay?" Then he remarked the skeleton. "Oh, man... come on, Aang, everything will be all right. Let's get out of here." He said reassuringly, but as he was going to put his hand on his friend's shoulder, the arrow on the airbender's head began to glow an incandescent blue. He lifted his head and his eyes were glowing brightly in an angry expression. Sokka gasped as he looks in alarm.
In the Temple Sanctuary, Katara saw Roku's eyes light up with the same incandescent blue light as Aang's before the eyes of all the other statues light up in order around the room. Worried, she cried out Aang's name and raced out of the room.
On Roku's Island, Chenlian was sitting lotus style at the top of the volcano. As soon as she had arrived, she had started meditating over an hour ago. No emotion, nothing could be shown on her beautiful face. Nothing but a trickle of drool at the corner of her mouth... Her head suddenly fell forward against her chest. Continuous and extremely careful control of her firebending in order to fly such long distances... even with Guang's help, of course she would grow tired and fall asleep! Especially after a nice meal...
When suddenly, the spirit felt that huge power fuelled by unbelievable rage and sorrow, and, overcome himself by that surge of sheer power, shattered all the barriers in that girl's mind and broke loose. Chenlian was unable to hold back the outburst. Her blood boiling in her veins like the sulphuric acid of a volcano lake, red marking covered her whole body that was raked with excruciating pain like she was literally going to split open. But coupled with that physical pain was an intense emotional pain. And Guang was only a relay point. But if they only felt a dull echo of it, then just how powerful was the source?! Just how much suffering was it in?! Something flashed in her crumbling mind, it was the image of a boy, no older than twelve, in a dark swirling sphere or air and energy. He was bald, and dressed like airbender monks were over a hundred years ago. And the arrow tattoos on his head and arms were glowing an intense blue, almost white. She had a second vision of an air temple, surrounded by mountains, lit by the sun, and the smiles of all the young and old monks, and all those bison flying around. A name appeared, now forever etched onto her memory.
"AANG!"
The vision blurred and faded, tears of pain and sorrow flowed down her cheeks. Her head shot upward, her eyes glowing a golden light, a colossal pillar of fire burst forth from her mouth to the sky in a blood-curdling, heart-wrenching roar. The multicoloured flames twirled around above her to vanish into the blood and gold of the sunset. And the minutes strung out... The Avatar... The Avatar...
In Earth, Water, and Fire temples scattered across the world, lights also flashed in response to the awakening of Aang's Avatar spirit. In the Fire Temple, an old fire sage warned another to send word to the Fire Lord immediately. The Avatar had returned!
Back in the dilapidated building at the base of the Air Temple, a whirlwind began to form at Aang's feet. It spread out, swirling fast around the bones lying on the ground. Aang was still crouched, his hands balled into fists and his eyes and arrow glowing. The wind was picking up terrible speed around him. Sokka yelled at him to snap out of it but it was no use. A light blue sphere of energy surrounded the last Airbender and started to expand, knocking Sokka back out of the building. It expanded to the point where it blew most of the building apart, sending smoke and debris high into the air. The water tribesman landed outside where his sister joined him behind some rubble, both shielding their faces from the wind. The girl asked what had happened so her brother told her. He had found out that firebenders had killed Gyatso.
"Oh no, it's his avatar spirit! He must have triggered it! I'm gonna try and calm him down." Katara walked forward with difficulty.
"Well, do it before he blows us off the mountain!" Sokka shouted back, hanging onto the rubble, trying not to get blown away. Katara slowly approached Aang, struggling against the wind, as her important friend and his energy sphere slowly rose into the air.
In the Fire Navy Base, the arena for the agni kai was a rectangular stone structure, relatively tall, with very thick walls. Watch fires had been lit on the four towers at each corner. There were two large open gates, one at each end, for the contestants to enter. And two Fire Nation flags were flapping in the wind at the top of each gate. The sunset was a glorious mixture of red, orange, and yellow, reminding of the Fire Nation's hues. Inside the arena, Zhao and Zuko were kneeling at each end, their backs turned, preparing for battle, Zhao with four of his men in attendance, and Zuko with his uncle. As in all formal Fire Duel between males, they were both barefoot and bare-chested, with a traditional shoulder garment, golden arm circlets had been fastened just below their shoulders.
"Remember your firebending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons." Iroh advised his nephew.
"I refuse to let him win." The teenager stood up and turned around, his shoulder wrap falling ceremoniously to the ground. Zhao stood up and turned as well and his shoulder garment fell.
"This will be over quickly." The commander said, obviously thinking very little of his opponent. Atop the gate a gong sounded. Both men assumed firebending stances. They glared at each other. Prince Zuko initiated the combat and fired the first shot which passed harmlessly to Zhao's left. He fired again; this time it passes without effect to Zhao's right. Zuko fired several more, all easily dodged except for the last that was just as easily blocked. Satisfaction was evident on the commander's face, while on the contrary, the prince was losing his presence of mind and his breath in anger and frustration. Zuko moved forward towards his opponent, unleashing more fire from his feet. When he aimed at Zhao's legs, the latter stepped up, crouched forward and shot flames from his joined fingertips at the ground close in front of him, splitting Zuko's flames in two. Iroh, who was watching anxiously, yelled at his nephew to remember his basics and break his enemy's root. Indeed, even though the prince had been the only one attacking until now, it was obviously the commander who had the upper hand. But now it was that commander's turn to attack.
Zhao fired many volleys of flame, alternating between his fists, and thus kept advancing. The teenager managed to block them all, but he was being forced back. At last, on the last volley the older man knocked Zuko over, sending him skidding backwards in the ground. The commander jumped at him and lands at Zuko's feet, just as the boy was trying to get up. Zhao fired right at him but Zuko rolled out of the way just in time, and swept Zhao's feet out from under him. The boy landed on his feet, smirking. He had regained his calm and confidence as well as his footing. The prince was now the one advancing towards Zhao, using his feet to produce small waves of flame that rushed toward his opponent. The man, caught off balance, was slowly wobbling slowly backward. Iroh, fists clenched in an expression of hope, was starting to smile seeing his protégé so focused and forcing his opponent backward. Zuko finally knocked Zhao out flat on the ground with a blast of fire. He rushed up to him, prepared to deal the final blow. But he was hesitating. Kill the enemy or let him live. It was a difficult decision for him.
"Do it!" Zhao challenged. The young prince released a blast before dropping his fighting stance. It had hit the ground next to the commander's head, leaving a smoking and blackened hole.
"That's it? Your father raised a coward." To Zhao, being pitied by the child he looked down upon so much was a horrible black taint on his honor.
"Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back." Zuko turned his back and begins to walk away. The fallen commander got up and unleashed a whip of flame at Zuko with his foot. A hand stopped the dishonourable attack and closed over the outstretched foot. The two men remained frozen for a moment before Iroh hurled Zhao back into the dirt with little effort. With a howl of rage, Zuko rushed to avenge the insult, but was stopped by his uncle.
"No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory." Then Iroh turned to face Zhao, a contemptuous look on his face. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat... Disgraceful. Even in exile my nephew is more honorable than you." Zuko looked at his uncle in surprise at this comment. "Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious." The former general said again. The content was certainly sincere, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his politeness. Iroh left, his nephew following close behind. With subdued anger, Zhao watches them exit the gate of the arena.
"Did you really mean that, Uncle?" Zuko quietly asked his kin.
"Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite." Iroh was no doubt being sincere again but he was also being sly, purposefully avoiding saying what the exiled prince really wanted to hear. Iroh and Zuko left the arena and walked back to the ships.
Aang was still suspended in mid-air inside his ball of raw energy. The contained storm continued to rage as Katara and Sokka desperately clung to the rocks, just like the stormy pillar of fire was still raging on Roku's Island.
"Aang, I know you're upset..." Katara shouted, her tone still calm. She wanted herself reassuring. "... and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom. Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family."
Family...
A hairpin shining in the sun. A beautiful hairpin of coiled shining gold with a lotus flower. Nestled at its heart was a diamond of perfect purity, on each of the three small petals facing downward blue amber was ensconced, on the two outward petals, yellow ambers were installed, red ambers were on the two inner petals while a red diamond was set in the large middle one, and ornamenting warm mahogany red hair blowing in the wind. The pretty girl with warm amber eyes seemed to be dancing... or training... and moving in accordance with her movements was the ghostly form of a golden dragon. They were dancing in a circle, one on each side. It was really bright and beautiful and heart-warming, like the sun shining again after an eclipse. She was smiling. But no matter how pleasant she might look, there was something sorrowful about her. She had also lost something that was very precious to her. They joined up, and the dragon disappeared into her body at chest level. She put her hands on her chest where the dragon had disappeared and closed her eyes. The boy was snapped back to reality by Katara's voice.
"Sokka and I, we're your family now." The waterbender said, desperately trying to convince her friend of the sincerity of their feelings and save him from himself. And it did reach him. Aang started to descend, his feet gently alight on the ground. The wind died away. His eyes and arrow still glowing. Katara and Sokka came up on either side of him.
"Katara and I aren't going to let anything happen to you. Promise." The warrior comforted him, gently. Katara took one of Aang's hands in her own. The glow instantly faded from his eyes and arrow markings. Grief-stricken and exhausted, the airbender collapsed into the girl's arms and she held him around his shoulders as they knelt on the ground.
On Roku's Island, the pillar of flames receded at last before completely dissipating. The markings and glow were receding too. Then, she fell, as if her body had been held by strings that had just been cut. Her fall was stopped in midair, her markings had reappeared. This body belonged to Chenlian, and usually the most they would do was share consciousness. But this time, because of the Avatar's awakening, he had been overcome, and he had involuntarily unleashed all his power, overcoming his host and taking control of her body. Although she would not show it, and would try to hide it even to herself and to him, he knew because they were so strongly linked: after almost three years without moving a single limb, she was very exhausted, and it was extremely difficult and strenuous for her to keep that level of firebending for going from island to island. Their relationship was based on their absolute trust in each other and control of themselves. And now he had pushed her body over its limit. Even if she were to rest for a few days at each island, the fatigue would accumulate and it would certainly take a certain time for her to completely recover and get used to constant physical effort again. However, staying here would be dangerous. And when she was going to wake up, she was going force herself to endure again and fly immediately to the next island. But now she needed to recuperate, even if it was just for a little time. Using their firebending with minimal effect on her body, Guang brought his fainted host back at the campfire where she was laid to rest.
"Forgive me." And he let her sleep at last.
"I'm sorry." Aang apologised despite how tired he was.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." Katara reassured him in a comforting manner.
"But you were right. And if firebenders found this temple that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender." The boy said sadly, closing his eyes. Katara held him tighter and Sokka put a hand on his shoulder. Some time later, Aang was standing once again in front of the statue of Avatar Roku. Katara came up behind him.
"Everything's packed. You ready to go?" The girl inquired.
"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?" Aang asked, still looking at the statue.
"Maybe you'll find a way." She reassured him.
"You know... I had a vision while I was in the Avatar state."
"A vision?"
"Yes. There was a girl with red hair, and the spirit of a dragon was with her. They seemed to be training, or dancing maybe... it was really beautiful and warm, but it felt like they were kind of sad too. I wonder if it means she can help me too."
"Maybe. I'm sure you'll find your answers in time. But whatever happens we'll be there for you." The waterbender put a comforting hand on his shoulder. They both turned around to see a familiar furry creature in the doorway of the temple. The lemur had returned. It ran to its right where Sokka was and deposited a bunch of fruits and nuts at his feet. Sokka began to wolf down the food. The lemur dashed away. Aang and Katara watched with smiles on their faces.
"Looks like you made a new friend, Sokka." The young Avatar said.
"Can't talk. Must eat." His male friend replied through a full mouth.
"Hey little guy." Aang greeted the lemur as it scurried up his chest to perch on his head.
They all joined Appa on the platform at the foot of the abandoned temple that had once been their home. The sky graded from a light and luminous pink to a deep indigo.
"You, me, and Appa. We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together." Aang said with grave nostalgia, the lemur on his right shoulder and his left hand on Appa's cheek. "Katara, Sokka... say hello to the newest member of our family..." He approached them both, with the small animal on his hand. Sokka was still eating a peach.
"What are you going to name him?" Katara asked curiously. The lemur jumped off Aang's shoulder and returned a second later with the fruit.
"Momo." The airbender answered naturally. Sokka was still poised to bite the fruit that was no longer in his hand. The shock at having literally the bread (or in this case the fruit) been taken away from his mouth seemed to have been too great for him. Aang and Katara began to laugh.
For Aang's sake, Sokka was the one leading Appa as they flew away from the Southern Air Temple. The sky was now an even darker indigo. The night had almost completely fallen. Aang watched the temple recede in the distance as Appa flew them away. He looked back with sadness as the clouds finally obscured his childhood home from view.
Author's note: sorry for the delay, due to work I was too tired yesterday and I forgot about it.