SUMMARY: With no home to return to and the beginning of war, the survivors must decide their role in the world if they want to survive.
…
It's a quiet night, the sky made up of thousands of stars and the moon seen from above... but there's something else, from above in the sky in the darkness of the night, you can also see a red light, the representation of a comet, but this comet is not like any other, it is the Great Comet, the one that only passes through the world every hundred years.
Today is the day that it has finally returned and more importantly, it is the day when the entire world is about to change forever.
Then from the earth, in a terrain of mountains and forest, a large and robust figure is flying in a hurry, because it seeks to reach its home and hopes that what it saw is not a possibility.
With this figure, there was also an old man, dressed in orange and yellow robes, typical of a nomadic air monk. His clothing also came with a hood that covered his face and partially prevented him from seeing, but he did not let that stop him. On top of the head of his flying bison, he gave him instructions on which path to take. The flying bison does so as quickly as possible, a flying bison called Lola, who knows the feelings of her human quickens her pace.
-Quick Lola, faster, we have to get there as soon as possible - says the monk, worried about being able to get there.
The bison hears her human's plea gives a grunt in response and tries to speed up her pace. She knows she must do it and that she must be faster. She may not be as young as she used to be, but her old bones can still do this, so she tried to speed up as much as she could.
The monk was relieved by his bison's response, but his relief didn't last long because he remembered that the danger he had seen had come to his home, the speed at which Lola was traveling made the air more intense, to the point that the hood that kept the monk's face covered fell and he finally knew who it was.
Well, it was none other than the monk Gyatso.
One of the leaders of the council of elders of the Southern Air Temple, who was also the teacher and guardian of the next Avatar, but now none of that mattered, not when he saw that his home and all who inhabit it were in danger, he doesn't know how it was possible or how no one could have anticipated it, the only thing he knows is that he has to return as soon as possible.
But he wasn't prepared for what he saw.
His home, the Southern Air Temple, was surrounded by flames and largely destroyed.
...
Time
Space
Reality
It's more than a linear path... It's a prism of unlimited possibilities, where a single choice can split into infinite realities and create worlds different from the ones you already know. I am Xiànshí, the spirit of reality, I am your guide in these new and vast realities, follow me and consider the question... What if...?
The search for redemption begins in the darkness and for Gyatso that is no different... in another universe, unable to find his young pupil, the monk Gyatso worried about Aang's well-being sets out on his search to see him, unfortunately, war spares no one, after Gyatso left, Fire Lord Sozin launched a major attack against the air nomads leading them to a massive genocide with very few survivors.
By the time Gyatso realized what had happened, he decided to return to the Southern Air Temple, only it was too late. Devastated and feeling guilty for having abandoned his people, Gyatso exiled himself and escaped from his former home.
A few years later, the former Grand Master of Air lives as a hermit in search of redemption, hoping to atone for his actions and still punishing himself for the decisions he made, or so he hopes...
...
Earth Kingdom.
A village in the Earth Kingdom was having a day like any other. The villagers went out to do their daily activities, the merchants opened their stalls to sell their products, and the farmers went out to sell the produce of their crops.
Some people went out to talk or go to places to do other activities. A calm and peaceful feeling could be read, the children played while a couple of children played at passing a rock with earth bending.
One boy in particular creates a large rock structure that sends the rock flying a great distance.
One of the boys goes for it and can continue with the game when suddenly he hears the sound of something approaching, he can feel the ground vibrating at the sound of large footsteps, he quickly raises his head and opens his eyes in horror at the sound of such a thing. With no time to waste, he starts running backward, straight to anyone who can hear him and screams.
-Fire Nation! The Fire Nation is coming!
Disbelief takes some people by surprise, they look in the direction where the boy came from and discover that the Fire Nation is indeed here. Several worried people start running to get to safety, and several run to various parts just at the moment when cavalry soldiers arrive and start throwing fire at the exits, causing more panic among the villagers, who try to escape but soon infantry soldiers begin to cover the streets and begin to surround the people, beginning to group them in the main square.
The crowd around was worried, these invaders had them grouped while they were ordered in various places, and they felt restless.
The stories they heard filled them with fear and worry.
The Fire Nation was invading the Earth Kingdom, a war was taking place and despite the efforts, after several years no one can say that they are safe, not when the Fire Nation goes deeper and deeper into the Earth Kingdom.
From the main street a small group of Komodo Rhinos was entering the main square, one of the villagers stepped forward, and despite his fear he decided to step forward, determined to face them, something told him that the leader of this attack on his village was there.
His assumptions turned out to be correct because soon the contingent stopped at a certain distance and proceeded to get off.
On the mainland, there was a soldier without a helmet unlike the rest of the soldiers and his armor was different from the others, in addition to his smug smile that implied that he was in charge of the situation.
That must be the commander, because behind him two others got off with him followed by what seemed to be elite soldiers, who advanced to different parts of the square, observing and verifying.
The commander only advanced until he reached the villager who stepped forward, at a distance that could ensure that he could hear him- You must be the mayor of this village... can you understand who we are?
The mayor with a frown nodded, letting it be known that he did know who they were talking about- Fire Nation.
The commander, seeing that the mayor had gotten his answer right, gave a crooked smile as he stepped forward and then asked- And you know what we're doing?
The mayor just stared at him without changing his expression, but inside he was very worried, he knew the answer to that he feared that this day would come sooner or later, and the only thing he could answer was a single word that could sum up all the atrocious actions that the Fire Nation had done during the last years- War.
The commander at that answer only gave another smile to the mayor- War... yes you could say that, but in reality, we are spreading a message, a vision... -to make his point clearer he took his eyes off the mayor and looked at the crowd to make his point clear- the vision of Fire Lord Sozin, a world united under the order of the Fire Nation, our world cannot avoid chaos, disorder, just as it cannot avoid pain and suffering but only under our light, the light of our leadership will be able to achieve it... -he said all that while walking around the center of the square before the gaze of the villagers as well as the mayor and the Fire Nation soldiers who were with him- but I do have another mission ordered by the Fire Lord himself, I hunt airbenders.
A momentary silence appeared followed by some murmurs of disbelief from the villagers at that statement, while the mayor sweated coldly as he exclaimed a nervous laugh and then said.
-Airbenders? There are no more airbenders, they haven't been seen in years.
This a subtle answer to a well-known truth, everyone knew what he was referring to in truth, airbenders were hardly seen anymore after what happened years ago, the day the Fire Nation started the war and did so using genocide.
The commander, on the other hand, was not affected by his words, he only nodded in agreement while he continued walking more carefully- Yes that is true, not since the beginning of this war -then he quickly turned to the mayor and dangerously approached him- but I assure you that there are still some and I am hunting them... do you know how to hunt air benders friend? -the commander stood in front of the mayor waiting for an answer, but he did not respond, because he did not know how to respond to that and because of the nerves he had about the direction this interrogation was taking- It is patience.
A tense silence filled the air, it could be felt everywhere, the commander simply walked away from the mayor and continued as if he didn't notice the tension.
-Airbenders can't help what they are, their compassion leaves a mark... for example, in my line of work you can hear it Rumors are spreading fast, this one has reached me recently, it is about an Airbender, hiding here in your charming village... perhaps we are dealing with a nomad who travels constantly or perhaps he seeks out others like him, arriving at this place and then finding you, a man in need of help... the needs of war must cost much and consume this village... and then what would an Air Nomad do? Help you and risk discovery? Or would he move on? If he were smart, he would ignore this and continue on his way but his morals and his teachings prevent him, like the itch he cannot help himself and so he steps in and helps your people!... You offer him a place to hide, food, and shelter, but the stories begin and travel quickly, his compassion has been your downfall.
When she stepped aside, the captain who came with him got into an attack position and fired a fire attack at the mayor intending to kill her, who upon seeing the danger closed his eyes, trembling in fear and waiting for the impact of the attack, only that it did not come when a gust of air appeared from one side, blocking the path of the attack and dissolving the fire.
The mayor, noticing that he was not suffering pain from burns or any pain, opened his eyes to see that nothing was heading towards him anymore.
But the commander and the captain also noticed it, the captain could see where the air had come from and quickly looked in that direction and noticed a small hidden figure that was hidden by the crowd, but when he saw it well, he could see that its robes and hood were orange and he could faintly see some yellow, in addition to the fact that he was standing in a position that gave away a teacher.
Smiling at the prospect, he turned and pointed to the spot in the crowd- There it is.
The Airbender seemed to realize that he had fallen into a trap, especially when the people around him who were covering him stepped aside in panic as Fire Nation soldiers moved in to capture him, he quickly created a gust of air to push two who were in front of him away and pushed himself with his air bending to get out of there as quickly as possible.
A pair of spearmen, seeing what he was trying to do, quickly began to attack to block his way, the Airbender stopped dead and pushed himself back.
He tried to go in the opposite direction, but when the captain appeared behind him and grabbed him by the hood, alarmed by this perception the airbender ran to get away but the captain reinforced his grip on him, the captain then uncovered his head to reveal the airbender.
A girl who looked no older than fifteen, with brown hair and grey eyes, childhood features still present, clearly a girl.
The commander quickly approached to stand in front of the girl and then said.
-Prepare her for interrogation...
The Airbender took a deep breath as panic took hold of her, looking everywhere for a possible exit.
But then a rock fragment is thrown from the side and the captain is knocked down, taking several by surprise, including those who had the Airbender trapped, but then two people appear who grab them from behind, knocking them down and starting to struggle, so that while they were dealing with their attackers, the soldiers lost sight of the Airbender who had fallen to the ground, shocked by what had happened.
-Run!
The mayor's shout took her by surprise, she looked in his direction and saw that he was looking at her with a mixture of desperation and concern, one that reached her deep down and she wanted to refuse, she wanted to help him, the man as well as several other kind people had welcomed and protected her, and right now they were risking themselves for her, it didn't seem fair that they were sacrificing themselves for her.
But then she noticed the commander approaching her with anger and fury filling her with fear of what that man could do, she looked back at the mayor, and with great regret, she had to listen to him. She quickly stood up and with her air bending she pushed herself to be able to get out, dodging some soldiers, shooting air bursts to avoid them or to get them out of her way, the young Airbender proceeded to hide among villagers to facilitate her escape, the soldiers followed her but then several villagers finding a little courage got in their way so that they couldn't get to her.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who had the aAirbendercaptive finished freeing themselves, and the captain recovered from the attack, while the commander looked with a frown at the crowd that prevented them from successfully capturing the now fugitive.
However, a woman unhappy with the treatment they were receiving decided to step forward and make an important point known.
-The Fire Nation has no authority here, this is The Earth Kingdom, and what they did, will not remain...
Before he could finish, the captain threw a fireball at the lady, who, upon seeing it, tried to cover herself but was not fast enough and ended up hitting her in the face and burning part of her face. Several captives were left between astonished, horrified, and scared, some tried to help the lady who was now on the ground enduring the pain of her burns, but several soldiers of the Fire Nation soon prevented it.
The commander only shook his head as he turned his attention to the mayor who now had an expression of fear- That was a big mistake... -without saying anything else he turned around to leave, he walked straight to his mount that was already waiting for him, but before leaving he gave one last order to his soldiers- burn this place and everyone here!
The soldiers nodded without a change and began to throw fire wherever and whoever.
The captain for his part stood next to his commander waiting for orders.
The commander for his part knew what the captain was doing, so he didn't turn to look at him or anything, he just said- When we're done here, search the surroundings, but find that Airbender, I don't care how you do it, bring her to me.
The captain nodded as the commander climbed onto his mount as did a few more soldiers and proceeded to leave.
Leaving behind the chaos and destruction.
...
In a remote village, an old man dressed as an Earth Kingdom commoner walked through the village streets, the village itself showed more activity than on other days, but it was becoming a common sight to see, meanwhile he covered his air nomad tattoos with the help of a hat, at most it made him look like a wandering traveler that you wouldn't stop to look at twice, but even so he had to be very cautious and be aware of everything, after all, Gyatso knows that now he must hide to survive.
-This is a war! The Fire Nation will not stop unless we stop them, everyone who can fight must enlist in the Earth King's army, we must protect the Earth Kingdom!
He stopped to look at a part of the central plaza, finding in the center, an Earth Kingdom officer, dressed in a green battle suit, a scroll in hand, and speaking to everyone who would listen, managing to draw the attention of several people, Gyatso could tell that the guy was a recruiter, coming to get more troops for the Earth Kingdom to fight in the war.
He frowned at the thought of war, he heard a lot about it in every city he passed by, the damn war of Fire Lord Sozin, expanding every time in the Earth Kingdom and leaving nothing but ashes and destruction. He could see how several enlisted as volunteers, but honestly, Gyatso simply looked away and continued on his way, he was going to the markets, and he needed supplies for his trip, while it is true that it is better to avoid large cities or even smaller towns, there are things he needs to do to fulfill his mission.
Meanwhile, he continued walking until he reached a stall that looked like it contained what he needed. He stopped in front of the stall owner and then took out some money that he was carrying with him.
-I need supplies, I'm not asking for much, just water and something to eat.
The owner nodded, taking the money and entering his store to look for what Gyatso had asked for, meanwhile, the old monk was waiting when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, drawing his attention, he looked back to see who it was, showing two Earth Kingdom soldiers with the same recruiter who had been in the square.
They entered marking their steps, making their presence known, he came to stand next to Gyatso waiting for the owner, who soon returned with some of the supplies that Gyatso had requested.
-This is what I can give you for what you gave - said the owner looking at Gyatso and putting the supplies on the counter, Gyatso nodded as he took out a sack he had with him and began to put the supplies in one by one, then the owner focused on the recruiter, who soon said the reason for having come.
-The army needs supplies, food, nourishment, medicine, and everything you have that could be needed.
-They have the means to pay for them
The recruiter frowned as he took the owner by the collar of his tunic and brought him closer to his face to say seriously- I think protecting your village, establishment and your life could be enough payment, don't you think? There's a war out there, my friend. The resources must be necessary to supply the armies that fight against the Fire Nation -without further ado, he said to the owner who fixed his tunic frowning at the recruiter who now gave him a crooked smile- if we don't have them we can't guarantee the permanence of soldiers to protect this place and if we're not... well, I wouldn't like to think about what could happen to them if we're not there.
The owner frowned as he nodded at the recruiter's threat. Without further ado he opened a door near his counter, gesturing to the soldiers who were with the recruiter to accompany him. The recruiter gave an order to his soldiers who soon entered the warehouse and began to take various things.
The recruiter, meanwhile, stayed there, looked away,y and noticed that Gyatso was looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
-Do you have something to say? -The recruiter asked in an intimidating way, challenging Gyatso to try something or show himself against his authority.
Gyatso knew what he wanted to do, he wanted to provoke him, he wanted Gyatso to simply stay out of his business or else he would learn a lesson, the guy himself was a bully, one who only abused his authority to gain benefits or get what he wanted.
If there was something that Gyatso did not like, it was injustices like this, war brought out the worst in people, but as much as he wanted to intervene, he knew he could not do it, he could take care of this matter, find a way to fix the conflict or mediate between the owner and the recruiter.
But the moment he thought about it, he knew he should not, the man who did that long ago understood that doing so would be a death sentence, Knowing that as much as he disliked it, the path of the air nomads would only bring problems for him, he could not allow himself to use their teachings with the risk of being discovered.
-No.
He looked away and took his things again, put them on his shoulder, and proceeded to leave the place, while walking to the exit he heard the recruiter speak to him.
-It seems that you are smart, do you want some advice? I do not recommend traveling, the roads are full of bandits and with the Fire Nation roaming around here... however, we could escort you, of course with a generous contribution in exchange.
Gyatso stopped to process what the recruiter had just told him, a kind of deal as long as he paid for him to receive a kind of escort, he simply moved his head to look at the recruiter out of the corner of his eye, being able to see the same crooked smile that he was giving the owner as long as he accepted.
-Although I appreciate your generosity, I will have to refuse, I am fine as I am.
The recruiter frowned at Gyatso's refusal, he was about to insist again, although more harshly, but then he heard a call from his men, requesting to speak with him, he turned to see Gyatso when he noticed that he had already left.
...
With the sunset in the sky and slowing down towards the outskirts of the city, Gyatso kept his eyes forward, but he remained alert in case someone was following him. More than once he had found people who were preparing to follow him with such intentions, something common every time he went to a populated place, possible bandits believing that since he was an old man without weapons, they could take advantage of him and steal his belongings either in a good way or in any other way.
He often had to resort to his air bending in a rather discreet way, because he knows of the dangers that lurk for air benders, mercenaries looking for possible rewards, and soldiers of the fire nation hunting, it was best that he did not use air bending under any circumstances, but it was his best tool which he used as a last resort, Gyatso has had to do things that he is not proud of and that he would like to change somewhat, but he knows that this sacrifice will be worth it in the end when he can succeed in his mission, when he finally finds it.
Meanwhile, he knows he must continue, so he continues walking until he is far enough away from the village so that the relief of the field can be distinguished, the vegetation that leads to the forest where he makes a couple of turns, moves a couple of branches and enters a small clearing where Lola, his bison is eating a couple of fruits from a bush.
The bison hears the footsteps of someone approaching, stands in front, and recognizes his companion who has returned, approaches him to greet him, caressing his head with his body, Gyatso at the affectionate gesture laughs lightly, rubbing his bison's head with his hand.
-Yes, I missed you too, but I told you I wouldn't be long - he said in a soft tone to convince Lola that he was fine.
After getting her to calm down, Gyatso entered a part of the clearing where he had set up a small camp, he left the bag of his supplies nearby as he proceeded to approach a preparation for dinner, with what he brought from the village plus a few rations he had saved, it would be enough for a couple of days, so in the meantime he had to make sure to establish the next course of action.
...
At nightfall he prepared everything so he could allow himself to rest, he gathered food for Lola, and Lual lay down so he could eat, he prepared something for her and allowed himself a moment of tranquility, allowing himself to eat, once he finished he simply decided to sit down and rest.
As he sat down, Gyatso allowed himself to stare into the fire of his campfire for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. He immediately reached for a nearby saddlebag, opening it and pulling out a large scroll followed by a piece of charcoal. He unrolled the scroll, revealing it to be a map of the Earth Kingdom. One that itself was quite scribbled on. There were route lines as well as several crossed-out dots as a sign to discard them. But what stood out the most was that of those marks, they were the ones that stood out the most on the map. Gyatso simply used the charcoal to mark the village he had just visited where he was on the map. Examining it once more, he saw that he had almost covered a large portion of the continent.
-There are few places left to search... at this rate, there will be no other choice but to start going further south, possibly even go straight to the Southern Water Tribe - Gyatso said as he looked up to see Lola who was in front of the fire, the bison upon hearing that they would possibly have to go further south, grunted annoyance.
-I know, I know, you don't like that option very much, neither do I, if what is said is true, then it is not good to go there if the Fire Nation has the Water Tribes as its target... let's not lose faith, Aang may still be somewhere, there are places in this part of the Earth Kingdom that we have not searched yet - he said with new determination to convince his bison.
The bison, faced with the determination of her companion, simply responded by eating a couple of fruits that Gyatso had gathered for her.
Gyatso gave her a smile - In the meantime, we will have to rest, we will continue tomorrow.
...
The next day...
When the sun rose, Gyatso began to pack his entire camp on Lola's saddle, which after a last breakfast, renewed energy to undertake the new trip, following Gyatso's instructions took flight, but at a higher altitude to avoid being seen, the flying bison although they offered an effective means of transport could become quite noticeable, the great heights helped to maintain discretion, the large banks of clouds were also a great ally for that task, flying near them offered a window that made that if someone had suspicions of seeing something in the sky in the end they would end up confusing it with a bird.
However, the prolonged flight was not a very advisable option, because Lola is not a young bison, she is old enough to need rests for certain periods of time. One of those breaks led Lola to descend to a small hill in the middle of a pasture, Gyatso got off his mount and took a couple of fruits from the forest that he had collected from his last stop, which was what he fed her with.
-When you finish rest a little, we will be here for a while and then continue -Lola was about to answer when she saw something in the distance, she growled at Gyatso, who for his part was disconcerted when he saw that Lola had stopped eating- What's wrong?
Lola for her part continued to growl while she raised her head upwards so that Gyatso would turn around, who upon seeing better what she was doing understood what she wanted, so he did so and fixed his gaze on where the bison was looking, being shocked to see a large column of gray smoke coming out in the distance, indicative of a fire or an attack by the Fire Nation.
Which meant that the Fire Nation wasn't far away.
"That's not good, I know I promised you a break but we have to move," he said to Lola who grunted accepting that fact, she quickly finished her food and Gyatso climbed on her head to get out of there as soon as possible, however as Lola rose Gyatso couldn't take his eyes off that column of smoke, whatever was there, it was because of an attack by the Fire Nation and as much as he wanted to help, he had to give up having to do so.
He simply sighed as Lola began to fly away from that place, not realizing that someone had noticed them.
...
Later...
Managing to keep distance between the old place and them, Gyatso decided that they could take a break from having to fly, so at an appropriate time, Gyatso gave Lola the order to descend so she could rest, arriving at a valley full of vegetation so that Lola could look for food, Gyatso for his part lowered his cape, as well as his things and Lola's saddle so that the bison could rest properly, today she had demanded more than usual and she had earned it.
Luckily this valley was in the middle of nowhere and it would be enough to be able to sneak through for the time being.
Gyatso set up his camp while he prepared everything, he was so wrapped up in what he was doing that he didn't notice that a strange figure with a stick in his hand had arrived at the valley, he stayed watching Gyatso for a moment, then diverted his attention to Lola who was not far away, she was near a river drinking some water.
Cautiously he approached her so as not to alarm her.
But instead, he didn't notice that Gyatso had taken out the bisque fruits that Lola had eaten earlier, he was taking them away when he noticed the strange figure that was near his bison.
Alarmed, Gyatso rushed to protect Lola, launching a gust of air that caught the hooded person off guard, sending her to the ground and causing her to drop her staff, alerting Lola who backed away and became hostile towards the strange figure.
Gyatso stood in front of his bison to find out who it was, it could be a spy, a hunter, or someone from the Fire Nation, whoever it was he couldn't allow it to leave and give them away, he slowly approached the figure.
The person, recovering from the surprise attack, was surprised by the speed and how she was knocked down. It was using airbending. She did not know how it was possible, but then she noticed that the old man she had seen before was approaching her in a hostile manner. Alarmed, the person raised her hands to stop him.
-Wait! - a childish voice caught Gyatso's attention, which made him lower his guard. Meanwhile, the hooded figure, seeing what had made him stop, lowered his hands, still nervous.
While doing so, Gyatso studied the figure, or rather what he could see when he saw that his clothes were hiding this unknown person. However, he soon put that aside when he noticed that this person himself had an orange hood. In addition, the person proceeded to lift it and when he did so he saw that he had orange and yellow robes.
The colors of the air nomads.
As she stood up, the person removed the hood revealing a girl who looked no older than fifteen, with brown hair and gray eyes, childhood features still present, clearly a girl.
She turned to see Lola and said in amazement- A flying bison, I knew it was a flying bison - she happily approached the bison while leaving Gyatso in disbelief at seeing that girl.
Lola was also bewildered by seeing that girl, although she soon forgot about that when that girl approached to give her hugs, which Lola gladly accepted- You are beautiful! I never thought I would see one here, you must have been through a lot but I don't understand how you are here alone, where is your partner?
-You are in front of him - Gyatso's voice caught the girl's attention.
Having recovered from the surprise, Gyatso slowly advanced while removing his hat as he revealed his arrow tattooed apart from his hair, the girl gasped in surprise at seeing that arrow, looking at the old man who had it was what surprised her even more.
-You are an air nomad... you are like me.
Gyatso nodded as he looked at the girl somewhat curiously- Nice to meet you, my name is Gyatso... and who are you, girl?
The girl opened her eyes at the old man's name, she had heard that name before, in her days at the Eastern Air Temple, according to what they said Gyatso was the name of one of the greatest nomadic air monks there ever was and now he was here in front of her, asking her name, maybe it would be a good idea to tell her instead of being speechless from the impression.
-My name is Malu
...
Hello to all readers, how are you? I'm back! Here I present the first chapter of the new book of this story, I already showed you an image of Xiànshí and a cover and for having reached 500 views I'll give you part one of the first chapter.
I've often seen stories of Aang with his relationship with the air nomads and his feeling of guilt, but I asked myself the question, what if we saw him with someone else like Gyatso? Well, here we have how this adventure is starting. According to canon, there were air nomads who survived and managed to escape the first attack of the Fire Nation, so during the first years of the War the Fire Nation hunted down all the survivors, the moments of Malu and Gyatso reflect how I imagine the situations were that the air nomads had to go through during those dark times.
Right now it will be a matter of seeing what the next chapter will lead to, without further ado that's all for now.
See you in the next chapter.
Thanks.