It was a known fact that out of everyone within the Southern Air Temple, the one with the strongest spiritual connection was Aarro. Since she was young, she'd been more connected to the spirit world than some of the air bending masters that the nation held.
She was young, fourteen, when she once returned from the spirit realm with news for the council as she called them. "Afiko, pleaee, you have to believe me!" She pleaded with the man, on her knees as she looked up at him desperately.
She turned to the other nomads, "Anaga? Gyatso?" Aarro clapsed her hands together, "Why would I lie about this? About something so serious?" She questioned, "I take my job as a—!"
"Enough!" Afiko yells, "That is enough! You do not have a job, you aren't even close to mastering air bending and you think you have the right to speak to me about a job?" He steps towards the young girl.
She cowers, shrinking into herself, "I apologize." Aarro bows her head, "I just... I know what I'm saying. Aang is Avatar Roku's reincarnate." Her voice shakes as the man stands above her.
The nation started to not accept Afiko as their own, as the monk had begun to slip. He didn't follow the rules, so to speak.
"Just because you think your brother is special, does not make him the Avatar." Afiko argues. Gyatso steps in, "If I may." The man looks to his fellow monk, "Aarro is more connected with the spirit realm and the energy of it than we are."
"Gyatso is right," Anaga agrees, "I believe we should hear her out." The woman looks down at the girl who's eyes shimmer with hope.
"Thank you." Aarro stands, "I can feel her. I feel Raava inside of Aang. The energy, she's intense and overwhelming. His power cannot be contained much longer." She explains, "I believe we should take him to Omashu first, before anywhere, and get him started with earth bending."
Afiko's face is harsh, "We aren't even sure!"
"Aang was born the night Roku died!" Aarro begins to lose her patience, "I am telling you, he is the Avatar. I would not be here if I wasn't sure of it!"
"We will monitor Aang," Gyatso decided quickly before Afiko could begin yelling again, "We will monitor any possible actions that prove he is the Avatar."
Gyatso's words were only spoken to ease Afiko. Aarro could tell the man was on her side. He was her mentor, and now Aangs. He was like a father to the two kids. He would always be on Aang's side.
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"Aang, what are you doing?" She asked, looking at her brother with a frown. It had been two years since the talk with Afiko, Gyatso, and Anaga. Since then, Aang has grown as an airbender. He had taken the title of the youngest nomad to receive the arrow tattoos.
"I can't do it," He tells her, "I can't be what you need me to be!" He throws his bag on top of Appa's saddle. "I'm not asking you to be anything, my brother." She steps forward, taking his face into her hands, "All I ask if for you to be a kid."
"But Afiko didn't, and neither did Anaga! They want me to be some... hero!" Aang exclaims, his big eyes glossing with tears. Aarro sighs, looking around, "If you're leaving then I'm coming with you. Just wait here for a second," She steps back, almost reluctant to leave him.
"Don't leave without me, Aang." Aarro pleads. The boy nods, using his bending to push himself into the air and land on top of Appa's shoulders.
Aarro turned on her heel and ran from the bison stables, going towards her bedroom within the woman's complex. She was quick to pack her belongings, even grabbing the sleeping lemur on her bed.
The animal squealed in surprise as she was tucked under the air benders arm, "Sorry," Aarro tossed her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her glider. Her sandals padded lightly against the ground as she ran right back to the stables.
Aang was waiting.
She let out a gust of air, floating to the back of the sky bison. Aang narrowed his eyes, "The lemur?" He questioned his sister.
"Leave Meree alone!" The older girl scoffed, "Let's just get out of here before Gyatso catches us," Aarro urges.
"Or worse, mom catches us." Aang grins. "Not like she would care," Aarro scoffs, placing the lemur down and crawling up to the front of the saddle and leaning her arms on the wood. Aang let out a yip-yip
and flicked the reins.
The bison took flight, Meree jumping and digging her claws into Aarro's cape. "Where do you plan on going?" The girl questioned, admiring her little brother. "I dunno, maybe Omashu. I want to see Bumi." He shrugs.
"So, you have no plan at all?" The girl raises an eyebrow, "Besides, this isn't the way to Omashu. We're heading towards the southern water tribe."
"Whatever," The boy turned, glaring at Aarro, "Why don't you navigate, then?"
"Don't wanna," She smiled, laying back in the saddle and looking up at the sky. It was unusually dark, and she could hear the thunder, "Storm." Aarro noted, "Fly carefully, please."
Aang nodded.
As much as he tried to, the storm got worse as they got further into the south. The air was freezing, and so was the rain. Aarro had Meree tucked under her orange and yellow suit, shielding the poor animal from the harsh winds.
"We need to turn back!" Aarro yelled, "I have a bad feeling, Aang!"
"We can't!" He argued.
Aang tried to fly safely, but the wind was strong. It was too strong. Appa was a resilient animal, resisting the best he could against the winds, but he lost.
The group of four. The avatar, a regular air bender, and two animals, go plunging into the ice cold water. The coldness pained Aarro.
It felt like needles in her skin.
Being stabbed with tiny knives, over and over.
Her lungs froze when water entered them.
Her eyes burned as they screwed shut.
Then, she was plunged into darkness .
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"What is that?" The softly glowing spirit whispered, standing in front of of Aarro's body. Or her spirit. "A human, obviously!" The other nudges the spirit away from the girls body as she sits up with a gasp.
"Oh my, spirits!" The girl scrambles to her feet, hands tapping all over her body, "A nightmare?" She wonders, looking around. Her eyes traveling over to the two spirits who stood just as tall as her
She almost passed out right then and there, but that was relatively impossible.
"Who are you?" She looked at them. She was used to being in the spirit world and seeing spirits, but right now she was afraid she was dead.
"I'm Tuing!" The tallest, a chubby green figure with a long neck and weird, circular face introduced, "This is Xuing," He puts his hand out to the light green blob.
"You come here a lot, right?" Xuing asks, looking at the girl curiously. She nods.
"I told ya i recognized her! You can just feel her energy, too!" Tuing points an accusatory hand at his friend, "You said I was wrong!"
"Am I dead?"
The two turn to the girl, her sudden question catching them off guard. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "What? No. We would know." Tuing assures.
"Your body's alive, your spirit is just... Trapped here." Another voice speaks from behind. She is tall and the aura surrounding her is comforting, "Only
for now. You will soon be released back into the human world." The woman assured.
"Who are you?" Aarro looks suspiciously at her as Xuing and Tuing sit on their knees. Almost like they worshiped her.
"Lady Tienhai," They speak in unison, their eyes shimmering with admiration.
"Just stay with me, my dear, and I will keep you safe here," She holds a hand out for Aarro and, without hesitation, she places her smaller one within the womans.
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AUTHORS NOTE
Lady Tienhai is a canon comic book character in the rift trilogy but because i never read the comics i don't know anything about her.
But, her design is beautiful and her backstory is so beautifully tragic, because of that I wanted to add her. Obviously I know nothing more about her so I guess I'm changing? some comic plot? I dunno. doesn't matter!