"...so, travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange large bird talking, take a closer look, it might not be a giant parrot but a flying man. A member of a secret group of Air-Walkers, who laugh at gravity, and laugh at those bound to the earth by it,"
"Aren't air bender stories the best?" Aang asked.
"Was it realistic, is that how it was back then?" Katara asked glancing at both Aang and Iris.
"I laugh at gravity all the time," Aang said and both two air bending siblings started laughing passionately.
"Gravity!" Iris said making them laugh louder.
The storyteller passed around all the travelers to collect his salary and when he came to Sokka, he had nothing to give, and he continued with the others.
"Well, in Western Air Temple, we used to narrate much frightening stories," Iris said.
"Hey, I remember one night when I stayed. Man, the story with the spirit that haunted a town..." Aang said as he quivered remembering it "...still frightens me," he said excitedly "I should go thank that man,"
As Aang fended away, Iris's gaze fell on Sokka. He seemed so bored. "I guess that story bored you out of your skull," she said raising an eyebrow.
"Pff, don't say that you enjoyed it," Sokka said.
"To tell you the truth," Iris started and she leaned closer "...I nearly slept a couple of times," and they both chuckled at the comment.
"Finally, someone who makes sense in here!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple, this is where they had the Championships for Sky Bison Polo!" Aang said.
"Remember when I took one?" Iris asked.
Aang chuckled on the memory "Man, Gershwin nearly kissed you that day!"
Now everyone looked at Iris, who was blushing lightly. Of course, she could never forget that day. It was awkward having everyone knowing about it "Aang!" she protested exclaiming.
"Oops, sorry," Aang said smiling at his sister nervously.
"Do you think we'll really find air benders?" Katara asked excitedly sitting beside her brother.
"You want me to be like you or totally honest?" Sokka asked indifferently.
"Are you saying I'm a liar?" Katara asked.
"I'm saying you're an optimist, same thing basically," Sokka said.
"Hey, guys, look at this!" Aang exclaimed excitedly as the main building of the Northern Air Temple came in sight.
It stood on a high cliff and there was snow covering it anywhere. There were also people with gliders flying around the temple. But they were not air benders. Iris knew that no one would survive after the beginning of the hundred year war and all the hopes Aang had for seeing air benders, got away the first minute.
"There really are air benders!" Katara said.
Aang rested behind and he crossed his arms "No they're not,"
"What do you mean they're not? Those guys are flying!" Sokka said excitedly.
"No one survived, Sokka," Iris said looking away and crossing her arms.
"Gliding, maybe, but not flying. You can tell by the way they move, they're not air bending, those people have no spirit!" Aang said. A boy came flying right onto them with big velocity, and his laughter heard along the place.
"I don't know, Aang, that kid seemed pretty spirited," Katara said pointing at him.
"Common, bro, let's show them how real flying is," Iris said landing beside her brother on Appa's head.
She jumped down on Appa and she started flying. Aang smirked, he always loved making show-off. He opened his glider and he jumped from Appa flying along with his sister.
The boy noticed another two flying and the one without a glider. He flew towards her and he said: "Hey, you're a real air bender!"
"Me and my brother used to come here a hundred years ago," Iris said as the three of them flew in the same line.
"That's amazing, you must be the Avatar!" The boy said excitedly looking at Aang "Let's land," he said and they all flew towards the temple landing on the courtyard where many other people were waiting. Sokka and Katara had just landed Appa and they came walking towards them
"And you must be the Defender, this is amazing, I've heard stories about you two!" The boy said excitedly.
Aang and Iris felt both flattered. "Thanks, kid," Iris said.
"Wow, this glider-chair is incredible!" Sokka said and he walked towards it.
"You think this is good, wait until you see the other stuff my dad designed," Teo said and he moved the wheels of his wheel chair, to move.
The main room of the Temple was filled with metallic pipes all over and strange contraptions. But it was dark... dark and dirty. Nothing like it was a hundred years ago. They couldn't believe how much had changed, and if they could even get used to that. Iris wasn't expecting to see something better. She had seen a lot worse, but the rage that fueled in her heart, watching the history of her people that was painted on the wall, nearly destroyed and covered from the contraptions.
She finally came face to face with the statue of the Head Monk of the Northern Air Temple. He was the oldest of all, and a very kind man...
...And the Golden pot of the winner team, of the Championship of the Sky Bison Polo, goes to..." The Old Monk announced, pausing the last words making them all wait anxiously "...Iris of the Western Air Temple!"
She nearly shouted in excitement. The Western Air Temple Team started cheering her name happily winning the pot of the year. They picked her up altogether and they carried her to the old Monk who would hand over to her the Golden pot.
This was by far, the happiest day of her life. All the air benders of all the Air Temples were there for the final encounter and everyone was so excited and anxious to see the winner or win. The Westerners could never have believed that they would take the pot that year. There was only one pot on which they would carve the name of the winner and it would remain on the Northern Air Temple.
She nearly fell off the hands of her teammates. She left a small cry of alarm knowing that she would be falling down, but when she realized that she had actually landed on Gershwin's hands.
They stared at each other for a small moment. All the other air benders' cries of happiness, seemed to be fading away, any kind of sounds were difficult to be caught by their ears, as long as they stared at each other.
"Iris!" she heard a familiar voice coming from behind. Only then Gershwin released her on the ground and allowed her to run towards her brother.
"Aang!" she exclaimed happily and she ran towards her brother wrapping him in a tight hug.
"I'm so proud of you, sis!"
She smiled at the memory. How much she missed she could live it again. If she knew what she had learned, back then, she would have certainly kissed Gershwin...
(Brief A/N: Don't worry, guys, it's a Zuko fan fiction, she just needs more time ;)
...not just staring at him like they were ten-year-old children. But Aang couldn't forget that. He was eleven years old back then, difficult for that age to forget your sister ready to kiss a boy...
"Do you know what you did? You just destroyed something sacred, for a stupid bathhouse!" Aang shouted angrily.
"Well, people around here have started to stink," The old man said.
"This whole place stinks!" Aang shouted frustrated. He left a big cry of anger shooting one of the contraptions down the cliff with his air bending.
Iris would have normally stopped him, but Aang was right, people had no right destroying something highly sacred to a civilization that was nearly extinct. "This is a sacred Temple, you can't treat it like this!" she said exasperated.
"We've seen in when the Monks were here, we know how it's supposed to be like!" Aang exclaimed angrily.
"The Monks? But you're twelve, and you're nineteen," The old man said kneading his moustache finding it difficult to understand.
"Dad, he's the Avatar, and his sister is the Defender, they used to come here a hundred years ago!" Teo said excitedly.
"What are you doing? Who said you can be here?!" Aang demanded.
"Hmm, doing here?" The old man said and he turned around looking sadly "A long time ago, but, not a hundred years, my people became refugees after a terrible attack. My infant son, Teo, was badly hurt and lost his mother..." he paused sniffing and he continued "I needed somewhere to rebuild, and I stabled across this place. I couldn't believe it, everywhere pictures of flying people but empty, nobody, home, then I came across this fan-like contraptions,"
"Our gliders," Iris said casting the man a deadly look.
"Yes, little light, flying machines, they gave me an idea, to build a new life for my son, in the air where everyone would be on equal ground. So to speak, we're just in the process of improving up what's already here, and after all, isn't that what nature does?" He asked.
Sokka and Katara were both in tears hearing the sob story. Iris and Aang looked at each other not knowing what to do and say. "Nature knows where to stop," Iris said taking a step further.
"I suppose that's true. Unfortunately, progress has a way of getting away from us;" The old man said and then he turned over and looked at the three candles that lit on a table "Look at the time!"
Sokka wouldn't miss the chance to ask about it, but Iris didn't pay much attention and she looked over at her brother. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Are you?" Aang asked angrily. Although his anger was well hidden from the others, it was easily visible from her.
She huffed "No,"
"Hey, Aang, Iris, I want to show you something," Teo said from beside. They all started walking at a dark corridor deep within the tower.
"I just can't get over it, there's not a single thing that's the same!" Aang protested.
"I don't know about that, the temple might be different, but the creatures that live here, are probably direct descendents of the ones that lived a hundred years ago," Teo said giving Katara one of the insect.
"You're right, they're kind of keepers, of the temple's origins," she said and she handed it over to Aang.
"Besides, there's one part of the Temple that hasn't changed at all," Teo said.
The only place, that could not be opened by anyone else than air benders, was the sanctuary. Only air benders could open that door with air bending and even back then, only the Great Monks or the Avatar would get inside, none of the students.
"Hey, this is just like the door on the other Air Temple," Katara said.
"Only an air bender can open it, so inside it's completely untouched. Just the way the Monks left it," Tei said "I always wondered what it was like in there,"
Iris was smart enough to understand the kid's intention "Sorry, Teo, I can't open it for you," she said.
"This is the last part of the Temple that's the same as it was. It's better we let it stay that way," Aang said.
"I completely understand," Teo said with a slight tone of both understanding and disappointment. "I just wanted you to know it was here," he said.
"Thanks," Iris said as she noticed her brother turning rudely around and leaving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The wind will carry you. It supports something inside you, something even lighter than air and that something takes over when you fly," Teo instructed as Katara stood in at the edge of the cliff glancing at the other people around who kept gliding, no matter how much big the altitude was.
"I've changed my mind, I think I wasn't born without that something," Katara said frightened of the height.
Teo started laughing amusingly "Impossible, everybody has it,"
"Spirit," Aang said from behind and he walked towards the "That's the something you're talking about," Aang said.
"Yeah, I suppose it is," Teo said smiling kindly at the young Monk.
Iris placed her hand on Katara's shoulder and she said "Common, you can do this. If anything gets wrong I'll come and pick you up,"
"You'd do that?" Katara asked surprised.
"Of course, now, why don't you try?" Iris asked.
"Are you ready?" Teo asked.
"No," Katara said unsure and she finally jumped with a cry of alarm. Her cry turned to laughter as she seemed to finally start enjoying gliding. Both Katara and Teo started flying together above the tower of the Temple.
Aang and Iris looked at each other waiting to see if they were ready to start flying as well. Aang opened his glider and they both jumped in the endless altitude of the Temple. Aang used his glider, and Iris, Guru Laghima's technique.
"Hey, you gotta teach me that technique," Aang said flying along with his sister.
"Well, it takes a little more practice that usual," Iris said smirking.
"I can't believe I'm flying!" Katara said excitedly.
"Just make sure you keep your mouth closed so you don't shallow a bug," Aang said coming closer to her, flying from behind.
"Iris, how can you fly without a glider? I thought air benders used gliders as well," Teo asked.
"Well, this is a very high-leveled technique. Only a handful of air benders have mastered it," Iris answered.
"It's pretty cool," Teo said smiling and he flew away.
"Teo was right about the air. All I had to do was trust it, let it carry me," Katara said.
"Even though, Teo is not an air bender, he really does have the spirit of one," Aang said.
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it. How about we finally show him what's in the sanctuary?" Iris asked coming flying close to her brother.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing?" Aang answered and the both siblings landed back on the temple where Teo was waiting for them.
"We've been thinking, if you wanna see what's in that room, we'd be both happy to open the door for you," Aang said smiling widely at Teo, as the both siblings stared at him.
"Great!" Teo said excitedly.
"Wait, how do I land this thing?!" Katara's voice heard "What if I land over the-" it seemed that she had already swallowed a bug.
Both Aang and Teo looked at each other and they started laughing. Aang managed to open his glider but Iris stopped him saying "I got this," and she jumped flying towards Katara.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe I'm finally going to see what's in that room!" Teo said excitedly.
"Are you going to do it, little brother?" Iris asked looking at her brother.
"I believe it's your turn, sis," Aang said making a step back giving her enough space to repeat the air bending form.
She expanded her hands and she shot two strong air blasts at the door's openings. As the door opened, what they saw inside wasn't quite what they actually expected to see.
"This is a nightmare,"
There were weapons of each kind, and the Fire Nation flag right in the middle of the room. Turned out, Teo's dad had been making weapons for the Fire Nation. But he only did that so the Fire Nation wouldn't attack and destroy the temple. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Teo didn't understand, but Iris did. She knew how ruthless the Fire Nation could be, the old man was just trying to protect his people. But handing new inventions to the Fire Nation, wasn't something that would help either.
It was close to the time when the Fire Nation would come at the temple to take the new invention the mechanist had designed. Aang and Iris and Teo hid behind a desk as the Fire Nation mechanist entered.
"You know better than to keep me waiting, give me what you owe us so I can be on my way," he demanded. The mechanist hesitated "Is there a problem?"
"No, no, right this way," Teo's dad said but before they were able to walk outside the room, Aang and Iris barged in front of them stopping them
"The deal's off!" Iris said threateningly getting in her stance.
"The Defender, and the Avatar," The Fire Nation mechanist said looking at the both air bending siblings.
"Aang, Iris, don't get involved!" Teo's dad said.
"If I leave without the thing I came for, the Fire Nation will burn this whole place to the ground,"
"Get out of here!" Aang exclaimed angrily sending a powerful air blast slapping the Fire Nation mechanist. "You're leaving empty-handed,"
"Then the destruction of this Temple will be on your heads," The man said pointing his finger at the two siblings and he got away from the entrance he got there.
Iris, with an air blast she closed the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This is bad, very bad!" Sokka said panicked.
"Aang, Iris, what are we gonna do? How can we possibly keep all of them away?" Katara asked.
"I'll tell you how, we have something they don't," Aang started and he pointed at the sky "...air power, we control the sky, that's something the Fire Nation can't do," Aang said "...we can win!"
"I hate to break it to you, Aang, but... when they attacked the Western Air Temple, we had 'air power' too, but we did not win," Iris said from behind as she crossed her arms.
They looked at her sadly but before any of them had the chance to say anything, Teo's dad came from behind saying "I want to help you,"
"It's worth trying," Aang said back to his sister.
The mechanist and Sokka managed to get the war balloon on action and they'll be working all day to fix it. They would use everything they had, all kinds of bombs, which they'll be throwing from the air, flying. Sokka and Teo's dad took some time more and the Fire Nation soldiers were already on their way.
"Are we ready?" Teo asked.
"Yes, but where's Sokka with the War Balloon?" Katara asked worriedly.
"There's no time, we'll have to start without them," Iris said and he landed, from Appa's head to the floor with all the others.
Aang opened his glider and everyone else got to theirs. Teo nodded to Aang and Aang looked over at Iris to see if she was ready. The both siblings looked at each as they stood at the edge of the cliff. Iris nodded and the exact same moment they took off. The Fire Nation soldiers had started walking towards the Northern Air Temple.
They started throwing bombs at the soldiers. Aang created a small avalanche that buried two lines of the soldiers. "We've got them on the run! We need more slime!" Aang shouted.
Just before they were able to reload, they saw some of the Fire Nation's machines hanging from chains, wrapped to the cliff, and moving upwards. Iris flew towards one of them and she tried to cut the chains. She blew the air around it freezing the chain and then with a strong hit of her daggers she cut it and the machine started falling down. But it shot another chain, which Iris immediately dodged, blocking from hang again on the cliff.
There were many of them, and there wasn't much time to take them all out. They reached the snowy cliff and the both air bending siblings landed in front of them while the people in the tanks threw fire blasts towards them.
Aang used his air bending and Iris used some of the fire bending she had learned from Jeong-Jeong to open her way through the flames. Aang shot powerful air blasts towards the tanks, but they were made in such way, to continue coming.
Katara came landing with the air bending siblings and she used her water bending to create a spiky part of the ice to cut one of them in the middle. Iris saw the way Katara did and she tried it with some others while Aang was covering them from the fire blasts. Appa landed in front of them taking out the rest of the tanks. They all got on Appa and they flew back to the Temple. They were out of bombs and there was nothing else they could do.
Until Sokka and Teo's dad appeared on the War Balloon, and then a huge explosion was all it took to get all the Fire Nation soldiers on the run.
"Look!" Aang said "They're retreating!" he said excitedly and all the villagers started cheering.
"We're going down!" Sokka shouted.
Iris and Aang flew towards them. Aang wrapped the mechanist, and Iris took Sokka. He tightly wrapped his hands around her waist forcing their bodies touching.
"Thanks," Sokka said gratefully looking at the endless white altitude as they flew away.
"Looks like I'm doomed to keep saving your butt forever," Iris said teasingly raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I guess," Sokka said smiling letting his fears go and focusing on planting his hands around her waist. He could have continued the conversation, but then he realized that they had landed with the rest of the people around them cheering in happiness.
"You know what? I'm really glad you guys live here, now," Aang said "Maybe you weren't born here but you found this empty shell and made it your home and now you protect each other," Aang said.
"That means a lot, coming from you," Teo said and he smiled at the both air benders in front of him.
"Aang, you were right about air power," Sokka said. "As long as we got the skies we'll have the Fire Nation on the run!" he said and the people around started cheering.
But the Fire Nation discovered the War Balloon...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, here it is!
I know it is a bit boring with no romantic stuff thrown in it. But don't worry, three chapters left to finish the 1st season and in the 2nd there are many nice moments!!!
Votes and Comments are appreciated!
:)