Adult Siblings Search and Arguing
Tenzin, Bumi, and Kaya are still out searching for Ikki though the sky has grown darker as night has come and now Tenzin is holding a lantern to not make it too dark.
"You know, this reminds me of a search-and-rescue mission I commanded years ago in the mountains outside of Ba Sing Se." Bumi mentioned.
"Here we go." Tenzin groaned.
"You know how he is when he's in the mood for stories." Kaya reminded her youngest brother of Bumi's moon.
"For five days we scoured the beast of a mountain, fighting our ways through blizzards, sandstorms, and three typhoons. Finally, we found the men huddled in a cave, seconds from death. With no time to lose, I piled all twelve of those poor souls on my back and single-handedly carried them down the mountain to safety." Bumi talked about one of his military days.
"And how exactly is that supposed to help us find Ikki?" Tenzin snapped at his big brother.
"It was supposed to inspire you. Clearly, you know nothing about being a leader of men. You obviously lack the trait of being a good leader." Bumi stated.
This keeps raising the question in Tenzin's head of how Bumi even got the position of commander in the Republic Army in the first place.
"I'm sick of your far-fetched tales. Three typhoons?" Tenzin pointed out.
"Well, I may have thrown in an extra typhoon or two for dramatic effect, but—" Bumi was gonna countered that, but Kaya called out to them.
"Quit arguing and bring that lantern over here. I found footprints." Kaya informed and pointed at the footprints.
Tenzin and Bumi over to see the footprints going down from the path all the way down to the bottom which means that Ikki has definitely come here before.
"Come on!" Tenzin said as he starts following little footprints.
"No, follow me! This will get us down fifty times faster." Bumi proclaimed as he jumps down from one rock to another.
"Bumi, it's pitch black, and the rocks are slippery. You're going to hurt yourself." Kaya tried to warn her big brother.
"Come on, you wimps! If I can do it, it should be no problem for a couple of benders." Bumi said while continue to climb down on his down.
"Fine." Kaya exclaimed, might as well give it a try.
Kaya jumps down the waterfall using her waterbending to hold herself while sliding down and Tenzin soon follow after using airbending to glide down on some rocks and going at the same pace Kaya is, and Bumi watch this feeling a bit angry of his younger siblings making this look so easy.
The two have arrived at the bottom then look back up at Bumi.
"You were right, Bumi! That was faster!" Tenzin joked as the two chuckled together.
"Oh, so Tenzin's the funny guy now." Bumi grumbled.
"If you need an airlift down, just say the word." Tenzin offered to help his big brother.
"Bah, I don't need your help. I've got everything under control." Bumi proclaimed as he tried to climb down.
However, Bumi quickly lost his footing immediately due to the slippery rocks he just stepped on and he fell down the waterfall crashing through some branches of a tree and fell right into the pond.
"Bumi!" Tenzin gasped.
Tenzin and Bumi hurried on over to the pond to see if Bumi is alright from the big splash as they search for a bit until the older brother came out, he was coughing for a bit and got himself up with a little help from Tenzin and Kaya.
"Are you okay?" Tenzin asked concern.
"Oh sure, nothing feels refreshing more than a big dip from a waterfall." Bumi joked, trying to act tough that the fall didn't hurt him. But he flinches from a slight headache.
"This one reminds me of a stunt I was dared to do since my days I used to be a soldier trainee." Bumi groaned a bit.
"Come on, I'll heal you up." Kaya sighed.
The siblings have walked over to a rock for Bumi to sit on and Kaya started her healing technique with her wanterbending.
Tenzin let out a soft sigh, this is something Bumi would do when he tries to boost himself about being a great man doing crazy things and sometimes he would try to actually do them to back up those claims. But those times can lead him to getting into trouble and getting himself hurt from time to time, like right now.
Speaking of Bumi, Tenzin can also remember the time when Kaya has been more free-spirited in their younger days and want to do things that makes her feel more comfortable, like the times she traveled around the world to "find herself" in the words she put it until she settled down with their mother. But she sometimes never took him seriously in some cases.
"I told you those rocks were slippery. You're lucky you didn't kill yourself." Kaya lectured.
"You done with the lecture, Mom?" Bumi talked back in a slight mocking tone.
"Oh, grow up! You haven't changed one bit since we were kids. You're still trying to prove you can do everything a bender can. Well, you can't. Deal with it." Kaya scolded in a firm tone.
"And you're not our mother. You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. Deal with that." Bumi talked back. This got on Kaya's nervous and drop the water on his head.
"Good luck healing yourself with your special nonbending powers." Kaya turned around with her arms crossed under her breasts.
"Hey, hey, back me up here, Tenzin." Bumi hoped for a little support from his little brother, after shaking the water off his head.
"Kya's right. You're the oldest of us, but you always acted like the youngest. I had to become the responsible one." Tenzin stated.
"You think you're the responsible one?" Kaya scoffed and turned around to face Tenzin.
"Where were you after Dad died and Mom was all alone? Because I was the only one who packed up and moved my whole life to be with her." Kaya pointed out as she approached Tenzin.
"Sure, after years of flitting around the world, trying to find yourself. It was time for you to settle down somewhere." Tenzin said as his eyes became a little narrower, feeing a bit of anger.
"You two have no idea how it feels to have the future of an entire culture on your shoulders." Tenzin proclaimed.
"Oh, boo-hoo. Must've been real hard for you, flying around the world with Dad, riding elephant koi all day." Bumi commented sarcastically and sat on top of the rock.
"Oh, so that's what this is all about." Tenzin said.
"That's what it's always been about. You think you're some savior who has to carry on Dad's legacy." Kaya frustrated.
"Who else is going to do it?" Tenzin asked. He doesn't see any other Airbenders around here who can do the job.
"How about all of us?" Kaya stated herself and Bumi to help Tenzin carry on the burden.
"Yeah, we're Aang's kids too." Bumi pointed out.
"We never should have come on this vacation." Kaya believed this had been a waste of time, seeing that her two idiot brothers, mostly Tenzin, have just proven to her how stupid this way to being together.
"I couldn't agree more." Bumi crossed his arms with a glare at Tenzin.
"Well, I didn't want you to come in the first place." Tenzin agitated, wondered how he let his mother convinced him to take these two on his family vacation in the first place.
"I can't be around you two right now. Go back to the temple and see if Ikki returned. I'll keep looking out here." Tenzin ordered firmly as he wants to be alone right now.
"Fine!" Kaya snapped before walking off.
"Fine!" Bumi snapped too, following Kaya soon after.
"Fine!" Tenzin yelled before continuing the search on his own.
The three siblings didn't say another word to each other as they didn't feel like even wanting to look at each other for a long while, but that will soon change after some alone time for some deep thinking.
(Morning)
The sun has started to raise, and Tenzin is still out searching for his youngest daughter though there has been still no sign of her anywhere in this region.
"Ikki! Ikki, where are you? Shoo! Go bother someone else!" Tenzin tried to shoo off two two-tailed lemurs as they land on him which annoys the Airbender even more.
"You two are worse than Kya and Bumi." Tenzin said with one eye twitching a bit.
"Okay, everybody here?" Ikki's voice softly echoed, but Tenzin was able to hear it.
"Ikki! Oh, thank goodness." Tenzin relieved as he hurried toward where her voice is coming from.
"Juniper Lightning bug, paws off the table!" Ikki sounded like she was scolding someone.
Tenzin followed the sound until he spotted a wide open cave entrance where the sound of Ikki's voice was coming from, meaning that his little girl is right in there.
The scene shows Ikki is still in one piece and appears to be having a meal time with four baby Sky Bisons, two sitting quietly at the rocky platform that is the table though the other two are just being a little lazy.
"This is going to be a civilized breakfast. Daddy always says a blessing before we eat, so..." Ikki was cut off when one baby bison stumbled over the other one.
"Be quite and listen up!" Ikki yelled then calmed herself down.
Tenzin arrives at the cave, but then stops himself when he saw how Ikki was trying to have breakfast with the baby bisons like a family moment.
"We are thankful for this super yummy food and for being the best-est new friends in the world." Ikki prayed, causing Tenzin to smile at this adorable scene.
"But we are most thankful because Meelo and Jinora aren't here, because they stink." Ikki added.
Hearing that Ikki didn't want anything to do with her siblings anymore causes Tenzin to feel sad and his face frowned which makes him think about his own siblings, wondering if he had been too harsh on them last night in that argument and how he wasn't being fair to them either.
Now he is worried that Ikki might end up going down that same path to push her siblings away.
After the prayer, Ikki noticed her dad standing at the entrance of the cave.
"Oh! Hi, Daddy. I guess you found me. Do I have to go now?" Ikki asked, looking sad as she does not want to go now.
"Actually, is there room for one more?" Tenzin decided to stay with Ikki for a while, he also needed some time to think back on his life and how important his siblings are to him.
"Uh, sure. You can sit next to Blueberry Spicehead." Ikki surprised and pointed at the bison she named Blueberry Spicehead.
"Nice to meet you, Blueberry Spicehead." Tenzin greeted the baby bison as he sat down next to him.
"And that's Princess Rainbow, and that's Twinkle Starchild, and that's Juniper Lightning Bug. They're my new brothers and sisters." Ikki introduced the other baby bisons.
"New ones, huh? Can they be my new brothers and sisters too?" Tenzin asked, wishing to be part of this new little family.
"Maybe, but only if they say it's okay." Ikki said before leaning over to one baby bison. "Uh-huh, uh-huh. No, no, he's nice." She promised, then went back to Tenzin.
"They say it's okay." Ikki smiled, and so the breakfast moments with the baby bisons have begun for them.
After having breakfast together, Ikki formed an airball and having it run around for three of the baby bisons to play by chasing the air ball around while Tenzin is petting the fourth one forming a little bond that is special enough for them to share.
"You like that, don't you, Blueberry Spicehead? Yes, you do." Tenzin cooed the baby bison who snuggles against him.
"You know, I could get used to it here. No one's yelling at me or telling me I'm delusional." Tenzin smiled in relief.
"We should have Uncle Bumi and Aunt Kya come visit. I bet they'd like it too." Ikki suggested, thinking they could liven up the mood a little more.
"Let's not. They'll only spoil our good mood." Tenzin proclaimed. Not feeling the mood to see them yet.
"What do you mean? Aunt Kya is super nice and pretty and always asks me how I'm feeling, and Uncle Bumi is, like, the funniest person in the world." Ikki described how she feels about Aunt Kaya and Uncle Bumi.
"But what about Meelo? He's hilarious too, you never know what's going to come out of his mouth. And Jinora can be so sweet and gentle." Tenzin pointed out how Jinora and Meelo are in their own way of being fun to be around.
"And mean. And bossy." Ikki scowled, but then her expression changed to sadness the more she thought about her big sister and little brother.
"Being part of a family is hard, huh, Daddy?" Ikki asked.
"I couldn't agree with you more." Tenzin nodded.
The baby bison Tenzin is petting suddenly woke up from its nap and flies out of the cave with its siblings, going up in the air and reuniting with their parents. This makes Tenzin and Ikki feel happy for the baby bisons to be with the rest of their family which also makes them think about their own family.
"But I guess the nice part about a family is they'll always be there for you. Even though Twinkle Starchild and Princess Rainbow fight, they still love each other." Ikki smiled, seeing the one baby bison biting on the other one.
"That's very wise of you, Ikki." Tenzin smiled proudly of his youngest daughter being mature and kind with her words, now believing Ikki think more thoughts on Jinora and Meelo.
"We should probably head back, huh?" Ikki asked.
"I suppose. We can't hide in this cave forever." Tenzin agreed, he took Ikki's hand into his hand and they began walking back to the air temple together.
"Don't worry, Daddy. We'll come back and visit Blueberry Spicehead. I know you really bonded with her." Ikki promised.
"Yes, I'd like that." Tenzin smiled, looking forward to that visit.
(With Bumi)
Bumi is within the hall of Avatars, wooden statues of each Avatar from the previous time and the former general is looking at the statue of his father.
"Uh ... Hey there, Dad. You're looking well." Bumi greeted the statue, then looked sad.
"Look, uh, I'm sorry I didn't turn out to be an airbender like you hoped. But I've tried my best to keep the world safe. Hope I made you proud." Bumi apologized.
"Of course he'd be proud of you, Bumi." Kaya said walking up to him which surprised Bumi.
"Kya! I-I was just, uh ... cleaning off Dad's statue. It's so dusty in here." Bumi played off the visit, dusting on Aang's statue with a chuckle and cough.
"Come here." Kaya hugged Bumi, not saying another word.
"Thanks, Kya. You always know when I need a hug." Bumi smiled.
(With Tenzin and Ikki)
Tenzin and Ikki returned to the air temple where the family are waiting for them, and Pema smiles upon seeing Ikki as she runs up to her.
"Sweetie! You're okay! Oh! I was so worried!" Pema hugged Ikki, then turned to Jinora and Meelo.
"Do you have something you wanna say to your sister?" Pema asked, the two walked up to Ikki.
"Ikki, I'm glad you're back." Meelo smiled.
"Yeah, sorry we made fun of you." Jinora apologized.
"Thanks. Wanna play airball?" Ikki asked, the two siblings agreed and all three ran off to play together.
Now it was time for Tenzin to make some peace with his older siblings.
"I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday. I've worked so hard to celebrate Dad's legacy that I may have overlooked the parts of him that were less than ideal." Tenzin apologized to Kaya and Bumi.
"And we're sorry for dumping our frustrations with Dad out on you." Kaya apologized as well.
"Yeah, you didn't deserve that." Bumi realized that too.
"I thought you two might wanna see this. Mom gave it to me before we left." Kaya showed the family photo of the siblings when they were kids, Tenzin being a baby at the time, along with both their parents.
"That is one good-looking family, huh?" Bumi commented.
"That's one happy family." Tenzin believed smiling.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Well, that family vacation was something on a bad step with the adult siblings having a big argument of their family problem, but things were able to work themselves out with Tenzin and his siblings forgiving each other as the same can be said with Ikki and her siblings.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!