The sun was rising as Aang started to tell Katara about the Southern Air Temple.
"Wait 'til you see it Katara," Aang said while tightening Appa's reins, "It's one of the most beautiful places in the world."
"Aang," Katara started, "I know you're excited but, it's been a hundred years since you've been home.
"That's why I'm so excited!"
"And that's also why I suggested that we stopped there first," Ann-Ji said standing up from the river.
"It's just, a lot can change in that time," Katara said dryly.
"I know. But I need to see it for myself," Aang said hopping down from Appa, "Wake up, Sokka!"
Did I forget to mention that he was still asleep? Yeah, he's a really heavy sleeper.
"Air temple here we come!" Aang cried excitedly.
Sokka groaned then said, "Sleep now. Temple later."
"Sokka, you can sleep in Appa's saddle," Ann-Ji said smirking.
Aang gained a mischievous grin on his face. He picked up a stick and started to drag it across Sokka's sleeping bag.
"Sokka!" Aang cried, "Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!"
Sokka's eyes snapped open before he cried, "Aah! Get it off!"
Sokka shot up and continued to scream.
"Get it off! Aah!" Sokka cried before tripping on a rock.
Aang laughed before saying, "Great! You're awake. Let's go!"
The group was flying through the clouds as they headed towards the air temple. Sokka was rummaging through Appa's saddle looking for something to eat.
"You know," Ann-Ji started, "If you had gotten up earlier, you could have eaten with us!"
"I don't want to hear it, Ann-Ji," Sokka said, still searching for food.
"I'm just saying!" Ann-Ji said in a sing-song voice.
"Alright, stomach, be quiet. I'm trying to find us some food," Sokka growled.
"Telling your stomach to stop growling doesn't work. I would know. I was once made to go several days without eating to supposedly 'meditate better without the distraction of food' but to be honest, the distraction of hunger was greater than that of food."
Sokka found a bag that was empty then said, "Hey, who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?"
Aang froze up before saying, "Oh. That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."
"You what?" Sokka cried, "No wonder the flames smelt so good."
"The Patala mountain range! We're almost there!" Ann-Ji cried.
Mai-Tang might not be around anymore, but she was really excited to see how some of her friends were fairing after a hundred years.
"Aang, Ann-Ji," Katara started, "Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you two about what happened to the airbenders."
"What about 'em?" Aang asked looking straight ahead.
"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you two might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother. They could have done the same to your people."
"Just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped."
"I know it's hard to accept."
"You don't understand, Katara," Aang insisted, "The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison. I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison."
"I don't think you need to worry about me, Katara," Ann-Ji added, "I'm 16. Trust me, I can handle a lot more than you think."
"Yip yip!" Aang cried.
Appa started to ascend sharply towards the air temple.
"There it is," Aang said.
"The Southern air temple," Ann-Ji finished.
"Guys, it's amazing!" Katara cried.
"We're home guys," Aang said with a smile, "We're home."
"So where do I get something to eat?" Sokka asked hungerly.
"You're lucky to be one of the first outsiders to ever visit an airbender temple and all you can think about is food?" Katara ranted.
"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs."
"So that's where my friends and I would play airball," Aang said pointing to the field of airball posts.
"There's where the bison would sleep," Ann-Ji said pointing to many caves near the game field.
Aang started to speak but sighed instead.
"What's wrong?" Katara asked.
"This place use to be full on monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds," Aang returned, "I can't believe how much things have changed."
"Sokka! You should play airball with Aang!" Ann-Ji cried.
"How do you play?" Sokka asked.
Really, it was a bit of a mistake to have Sokka playing airball since he can't airbend but, Ann-Ji had to cheer up her brother and he really wanted to share their culture with Sokka and Katara. So now they're both standing on airball posts. Ann-Ji was playing ref. Aang shot the ball towards Sokka. It hit him in the stomach and him and the ball both tumbled through the goal.
"No goal!" Ann-Ji cried.
"Why?" Aang asked.
"Technical foul. No having opponents flying through the goals with the ball. So you still only have 6 goals."
Aang came up towards Ann-Ji and tried to push her off of the ref post but he failed and she pushed him back, making him fall. They both were laughing like it was the day before he tried to run.
"Aang, Ann-Ji!" Katara yelled, "There's something you need to see."
"Okay!" Aang cried as he ran towards Katara, now juggling the airball ball.
Ann-Ji ran after him and towards Katara as well.
"What is it?" Ann-Ji asked when she got there.
"Uh, just a new waterbending move I learned," Katara said hesitantly.
"Nice one!" Aang said.
Aang and Ann-Ji looked at each other and nodded our heads. It was time to show them.
"Now, enough practicing! We have a whole temple to see!" Ann-Ji cried clapping her hands together.
Aang and Ann-Ji were running across the court yard. Then they found a statue of Gyatso, the monk that raised Aang.
"Hey guys! I'd like you to meet someone!" Aang said motioning to the statue of Gyatso.
"Who's that?" Sokka asked.
"Monk Gyatso," Ann-Ji said.
"The greatest airbenders in the world," Aang said, "He taught me everything I know."
"Did he teach you, too, Ann-Ji?" Katara asked.
"No, I was taught by my caretaker Mai-Tang. We lived in both the Eastern and Western Air Temples," Ann-Ji replied, "Mai-Tang didn't like to be too rooted, and I didn't mind getting to travel with her."
Aang and Ann-Ji bowed to the statue in respect.
"You must miss him," Katara said while putting her hand on Aang's shoulder.
"Yeah," Aang said dimly before walking towards the sanctuary.
"Where are you going?"
"The air temple sanctuary. There's someone I'm ready to meet."
The group walked until they reached the door that could only be opened with airbending.
"But Aang," Katara said, "No one could've survived in there for a hundred years."
"It's not impossible," Aang said looking up at the door, "We survived in the iceberg for that long."
Aang looked at Ann-Ji as he said the last part of the sentence.
"Good point," Katara said also looking at Ann-Ji.
"Katara! Whoever's in there might be able to help me figure out this Avatar thing," Aang said.
"Both of us, Aang. I'm the Avatar, too, now," Ann-Ji said while grabbing Aang's shoulder lightly.
"And maybe whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious, cured meats!" Sokka cried before trying to open the door, "I don't suppose you have a key?"
"The key, Sokka," Aang and Ann-Ji said together, "Is airbending."
Ann-Ji stepped forward and took a deep breath before bending air into the horns at the base of the piping. As the air flowed through the pipes, the door began to "sing" before it opened. The room seemed dark as Ann-Ji started to step in.
"Hello?" Aang asked, "Anyone home?"
With that, all four of them walked into the room.
Inside the room were hundreds of statues. They all followed a swirling pattern.
"Statues?" Sokka asked, "That's it? Where's the meat?"
"Sokka, I hope you know that air nomads are vegetarians," Ann-Ji said laughing lightly.
"Who are all these people?" Katara asked.
"I'm not sure," Aang said hanging his head, "But it feels like I know them somehow."
"Yeah, me too," Ann-Ji said looking at a statue of a man that looked to be from the fire nation.
"Look! That one's an airbender!"
"And this one's a waterbender!" Katara said.
"I think this one's a firebender," Ann-Ji said, still looking at the same statue.
Something about it was entrancing.
"They're lined up in a pattern," Katara said moving down the line of statues, "Air, Water, Earth, and Fire."
"That's the Avatar cycle!" Aang and Ann-Ji said in sync.
"Of course. They're Avatars. All there people are your past lives!"
"Wow. There are so many!" Aang said wandering between the statues.
"Past lives?" Sokka said in disbelief, "Katara, you really believe in that stuff?"
Aang stepped next to Ann-Ji. There was something about the statue she was standing in front of that was starting to bug her; like she should know who it was.
"It's true! When the Avatar dies, he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle," Katara returned.
The eyes of the statue glinted. Ann-Ji couldn't look away, and neither could Aang.
"Aang! Ann-Ji! Snap out of it!" Katara cried, "Who is that?"
"That's Roku!" Ann-Ji cried finally putting the name to a face, "The Avatar before us."
"You two were firebenders?" Sokka asked, "No wonder I didn't trust you two when we first met."
"There's no writing. How do you know?" Katara asked.
"We just do," Aang said.
"And I did see his face while I was meditating at the South Pole, remember?" Ann-Ji said, "I just had trouble putting a name to a static face."
"You two just couldn't get any weirder can you?" Sokka asked.
"Hey!" Ann-Ji fired back.
The group was startled by the sound of a hollow horn being blown. They turned to face the sound. There was a shadow being cast from the light of the door. They hid behind the statues. Aang and Katara were behind one, and Sokka and Ann-Ji were behind another.
"Firebenders," Sokka whispered, "Don't make a sound."
"You're making a sound!" Katara whisper yelled.
Sokka, Aang, and Ann-Ji all shushed Katara.
"That firebender won't know what hit him," Sokka said while preparing one of his weapons.
Sokka stood. Then Ann-Ji heard the gentle purr of a flying lemur. Sokka started to to get out from behind the statue, but stopped. The rest of the group looked up to see a flying lemur sitting on the ground.
"Lemur!" Aang yelled gleefully.
"Dinner," Sokka muttered.
"Don't listen to him. You're gonna be my new pet!"
"Not if I get him first!"
Sokka and Aang both sprang for the lemur.
"Wait! Come back!" Aang cried as the lemur ran from the room.
And Sokka and Aang ran after it. Knowing how persistent Aang can be, Ann-Ji knew that Aang would probably catch the lemur.
Ann-Ji started to walk out of the room, her hands on the back of her head.
"Should we go after them?" Katara asked.
"Nah," Ann-Ji said, "Knowing Aang, he'll catch that lemur and won't let Sokka hurt it."
"Okay."
"Come on. Let's head back out to the courtyard. Oh! I know! I can show you the old clubhouse!"
"I think I'm just gonna stay in here."
"Okay. Suit yourself."
Ann-Ji started to run towards the old clubhouse. She heard Aang's voice as she soon got there. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sokka climbing down the cliff face. Ann-Ji stepped into the clubhouse to hear Aang whisper,
"Firebenders? They were here?"
Aang and Ann-Ji stepped into the back room. Ann-Ji saw a skeleton that was wearing the same necklace that Monk Gyatso would wear.
"Gyatso," Aang whispered.
Ann-Ji turned to look at Aang and he looked totally shocked.
"Aang-," Ann-Ji started.
Aang collapsed on the ground.
"Hey ,Aang," Sokka said coming into the back room, "You find my dinner yet?"
Ann-Ji shot Sokka a mean look as Aang let out a gentle sob. She started rubbing Aang's back soothingly. Ann-Ji could feel tears stinging her eyes now.
"Aang, I wasn't really going to eat the lemur. Okay?" Sokka said coming near us.
Sokka saw Gyatso's skeleton.
"Oh, man," Sokka said hollowly.
"Come on, Aang," Ann-Ji said calmly, "Everything will be alright."
Sokka rested his hand on Aang's shoulder then said,
"Let's get out of here."
Just then, Ann-Ji felt a surge of power as Aang's eyes and tattoos lit up. Sokka let out a gasp. Air started to swirl around Aang.
"Aang! Snap out of it!" Sokka and Ann-Ji pleaded.
Sokka and Ann-Ji were thrown back as the roof of the clubhouse was blown off. Then Aang started to rise as Katara appeared beside Sokka.
"What happened?" Katara yelled.
"Aang found out that firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka yelled over the howling winds.
"Oh no! It's his Avatar spirit! He must have triggered it!"
"I could feel it just before his eyes and tattoos started to glow, right before he fully entered the Avatar state! I felt like, a strange surge of power!" Ann-Ji yelled.
"I'm gonna try and calm him down!"
"You do that!"
"Before he blows us off the mountain!!" Sokka cried.
Katara inched closer to Aang as the wind became more violent. Then she was thrown back against a rock.
"Aang! I know you're upset. 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. Sokka and I. We're your family now. And Ann-Ji is still here for you."
Aang started to lower from his position in the sky. The wind started to calm as Aang touched the ground again.
"Katara, Ann-Ji, and I won't let anything happen to you," Sokka said, "Promise."
Katara took Aang's hand after I gave him a comforting hug. Aang came out of the Avatar state and I let him fall into Katara's arms.
"I'm sorry," Aang mumbled.
"It's okay," Katara said, "It wasn't your fault."
"But you were right. If the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones too."
Suddenly, something dawned on Ann-Ji.
"We really are the last airbenders," Ann-Ji said sadly.
Katara hugged Aang tightly. Ann-Ji felt a tear carve a path on her cheek. Sokka gave her a comforting hug.
The group was back in the air temple sanctuary. Ann-Ji was standing in front of Roku's statue.
"Everything's packed," Katara said coming up behind Aang and Ann-Ji, "You ready to go?"
"How is Roku suppose to help Ann-Ji and me if we can't talk to him?" Aang asked.
"Maybe you'll find a way."
They heard the hollow sound of the horn again. They turned to see a flying lemur standing in the doorway. The lemur leapt towards Sokka and left fruit at his feet. Sokka sat down and started eating hungrily.
"Looks like you made a new friend, Sokka!" Aang said.
"Can't talk. Must eat," Sokka said through a mouthful of food.
Ann-Ji used airbending to pull a fruit towards her and she took a bite. The lemur bound its way up Aang's body and stopped at his head.
"Hey there little guy!" Aang said while trying to look up at the lemur.
Aang and Ann-Ji were standing next to Appa outside of the air temple,
"You, me, Appa, and Ann-Ji," Aang started, "We're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together. Katara! Sokka! Say hello to our new family member."
"What're you gonna name him?" Katara asked.
The lemur jumped from Aang's arm and grabbed the peach that Sokka was about to eat, and jumped back onto Aang's arm.
"How about 'Momo'?" Ann-Ji asked.
Katara and Ann-Ji started to laugh at Sokka's stunned face. Then Aang followed in. Soon they were flying from the air temple. Aang and Ann-Ji both looking out the back of the saddle. Ann-Ji was longing for her people. The airbenders. She wished that they were all back. But right now, she had more to worry about than a wish.