The Air Temple

As Appa descended, the sky was tinged with orange and purple hues, and his large shadow stretched across the snowy plains of the Southern Water Tribe. The icy wind bit against my face, but the tension among us felt colder. Katara and Sokka slid off Appa first, their wary glances lingering on me. Aang followed his steps slower, weighed down by the truths he'd just heard.

I stayed seated for a moment, watching them quietly. The way Aang's shoulders drooped, the way Katara hovered protectively beside him, and Sokka's hand never strayed far from his boomerang painted a picture of a group bound by fear, hope, and skepticism. This did not bother me one bit, hate requires time and love to reside completely. 

I landed on the southern water tribe softening the landing with a small dust of flames, he snow sizzled beneath my feet. Sokka's hand shot at his weapon instinctively.

"Relax, I am an ally remember" I said, with a small smile on my lips. Sokka shot a look and said 

"Oh yeah? And I'm the King of the Water Tribe." he rolled his eyes and continued saying "Look, buddy, no offense, but last time I checked, Fire Nation folks weren't exactly handing out friendship bracelets."

"Blaming an individual for the sins of their nation is like cursing a tree for the forest's fire," I said with an evergreen smile on my face. This served to infuriate so Sokka more, I guess seeing the person you hate even though very slightly smiling like that does kind of piss you off. I am going to keep doing it.

Aang stood between us, trying to bridge the invisible gap. "Let's not fight. We're… a team now, right?" His voice wavered slightly, betraying the forced cheer. I reassured him with a nod and took some steps back. We helped Katara and Sokka gather supplies from their village. The people stared, whispers trailing behind us like shadows. A Fire Nation emblem, even faintly visible, was enough to send waves of unease. I pulled my scarf higher, ignoring the glares.

When we were ready to leave, Gran-Gran approached, her gaze sharp as frost. She hugged Katara tightly and then looked straight at me. "Firebender or not, if you bring harm to my grandchildren, the spirits will not need to punish you—I will."

"This is a sad world, grandma. People curing children, for the reason of protecting their own and we are all relying on another child to save it. I don't believe in spirits, more like I don't trust them but I do trust myself so I am going to promise you this I will bring them no harm until they seek it on their own." I said, relaying in a wise-like tone. This was a surprise to me, was this how I was in my previous life too or was it my current self? Too many questions, very few answers.

The grandma also seemed to be surprised by the wise words uttered by a kid, almost half her age but nodded more assured that I meant them no harm. I look back at the festive goodbyes taking place here, it was beautiful and honestly sad since Aang was so worried. I sighed and went to find Katara, I found her a while later. 

"Yo, katara," I said she looked up at me, there was an instant hostility in her eyes although she did try her best to hide it.

"What do you want?" She said in an annoyed voice, "I have a lot of things to do, say it quick, or else leave"

"Clam down, we are not leaving today," I said to which she instantly shot me a glare that screamed 'explain'. "Look at Aang, he is very down not at all like we saw him. I guess he is still worried, I want you to go talk to him."

"That is surprisingly kind coming from Fire Nation" She scoffed, and said "Why don't you talk to him? You seem like a know it all" 

"Ahh, yes but wisdom is for those who lost their way not for those who need recovery. It is love that speaks the most when you want hope. Plus, I know that you recover faster if someone like you speaks to him, takes him penguin sledding or I am afraid the future ahead will not be kind enough to give us any time." I said, to which Katara snotted and left.

AN: Holy shit, I feel more and more like Shakespeare

Later, I saw that she went and talked to Aang as they went penguin sledding although I stopped them before they went near the battleship. This time Aang was more cheerful and with that, we set off again, soaring northward toward the Southern Air Temple. The wind was crisp, carrying the salty tang of the sea mixed with the faint warmth of the rising sun.

Aang seems to be back in his emo phase or I shouldn't think that, it is more like his emotional turmoil came back and hit him in the middle of the roadway or airway. Aang was quieter this time, his gaze fixed on the clouds drifting past. Katara tried to comfort him, her words soft but ineffective against the storm brewing inside him.

I decided to break the silence. "You know, Aang, the Air Temple isn't just ruins and echoes. It's part of who you are. No matter what you find, that won't change."

Aang glanced at me, his blue eyes clouded with uncertainty. "Easy for you to say. You didn't lose everything."

"You say I did not lose everything. Perhaps. But everything was never mine to keep, and neither is it yours. Life lends, and we learn." I said with some more oogway quotes, I then closed my eyes again. I said what I had to but it is he who shall decide his part to walk.

Hours later, jagged peaks pierced the sky like stone fangs. The Southern Air Temple stood in solemn silence, its grand spires weathered but proud. Snow blanketed everything, untouched, undisturbed—a frozen memory of a time long past.

We landed near the entrance. Aang jumped off first, his excitement briefly overpowering his dread. "This was my home," he whispered, his voice filled with awe and melancholy. Katara followed him closely, her eyes soft with empathy. Sokka, ever the skeptic, kept his guard up, occasionally glancing back at me.

I walked behind them, letting Aang lead the way. His footsteps grew faster, turning into a sprint as he darted through the temple gates, calling out names that would never answer. We explored the empty halls, and paintings of Air Nomad history adorning the walls. The vibrant paintings contrasted painfully with the silence that filled the space where laughter and life once thrived. Then we found the room—the one with the statues of past Avatars. Aang's fingers brushed over Avatar Roku's statue, his expression a mixture of reverence and sorrow.

Katara stood beside him. "They're part of you, Aang. You're not alone." But her words couldn't reach him. Not fully. Aang's grief simmered beneath the surface until we entered the sanctuary—a vast chamber with remnants of a battle long past. Scorched walls. Cracked floors. And at the center, the skeletal remains of monks, their airbender tattoos still faintly visible on weathered bone.

Aang froze. His world shattered in that instant. "No…" His knees buckled as he collapsed beside the remains, trembling hands reaching out but never touching. His breath grew ragged, the air around him shifting unnaturally. His eyes and tattoos glowed a brilliant white. The Avatar State erupted like a storm. The wind roared, stone cracked, and a sphere of raw energy enveloped him.

I instantly ignited the fire on my feet to anchor myself to the ground with a firewall surrounding me to protect me from the debris, I also protected Momo oh I picked up Momo sometime while we were going around the air temple. He is perched on my shoulders looking around curiously, as soon as I did that the wind hit us. Sokka flew back with Katara also going back, I sighed and created two ropes out of flames to pick them up. They were surprised as to why the flames did not hurt them but I didn't care of it.