Status: Well... I'm back. It's been a few years, and my grammar has inproved. Now, it will just take me some time to edit from the beginning. *sigh* -_- Still, I expect to finish book 1 in a month, or two.
You're Not the Only One?
Chapter 6: Southern Air Temple 1
“Wake up, Sokka and Jewel! Air Temple here we come!” I heard Aang’s annoyingly chipper voice call, too loudly in the morning. I ignored it, and let myself drift back in to peaceful darkness. Scratch that, I tried to let myself drift back.
“Sleep now... temple later...” Sokka groaned. He must have been closer to my sleeping bag than I thought, because his voice seemed too loud.
“Sokka! Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!”
“Aaahhh! Get it off! Get it off! Aaahhh!” Sokka jumped up yelling, until he fell and landed on me. I rose up suddenly, my hair a bird nest that seemed to defy gravity, wearing a twisted scowl, as I wiped away an eye booger. Aang flinched away for a second scared.
“Great! You're awake. Let's go,” I paused, then grinned, as I threw my pillow at him straight in the face. I high fived Sokka and we shared a laugh, before getting ready. After my morning routine I crawled in to Appa’s saddle, and away we went.
“Guys are so lucky, they don’t have to do anything to get ready. They just put on some fresh clothes and go,” I commented.
“I know, right? We have to do all kinds of stuff. Brush our hair, wash our face, put away everything,” Katara agreed.
“No, no. Guys have to do stuff too, it’s just we’re better at it than you. Cause girls are all nitpicky.”
“We are not nitpicky,” Katara argued.
“Ok maybe you’re just nitpicky,” he smiled.
“Aang, am I nitpicky?!”
“Uh… I can’t hear you Katara, the wind!” Aang lied making Appa go faster.
“I am not nitpicky,” Katara crossed her arms.
“I don’t think the importance of smelling, and looking good, can be considered nitpicky. Did you put on deodorant today?” I questioned Sokka.
“I only put deodorant on when I smell bad. You’re not supposed to put it on when you smell good.”
“You’re supposed to wear it all the time it prevents odors.”
“You say tomato I say tomoto,” he shrugged at me. I shrugged too, and leaned back.
“You're gross,” I heard Katara say, before my thoughts wandered. Are Zuko and Iroh ok? Is Zuko looking for me? Or is he looking for the avatar? I frowned because I think I knew the answer. It sort of hurt, because I knew he didn’t care. At least I think he doesn’t.
I sighed and changed focus. Should I keep traveling with these three? I glanced at them, and it was like seeing a perfect puzzle. The pieces just slid together. It was all so natural. Do I fit together with them too? My eyebrow furrowed in confusion, as I considered myself in that equation. I didn’t know where to go, or where I belonged. But for the moment this is right.
“Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?” I was torn from my thoughts by Sokka’s outburst.
“Oh, that was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry,” Aang said rubbing his neck sheepishly.
“You what? Awww, no wonder the flames smelled so good,” Sokka frowned, his mouthwatering.
“Hey look the Batola mountain range! We're almost there!” Aang shouted excitedly. We finished passing through a cloud, and I could see it too, glorious and vast. Clouds gently nuzzled around mountain peaks, and freshness hung in the atmosphere. Just inhaling gave me a sense of freedom, and clarity. I knew this was truly a land for monks, and benders of air.
“Aang?” Katara spoke uneasily. “Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.”
“What about 'em?” Aang questioned.
“Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless... They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people,” she rested a hand on his shoulder. I frowned the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. But I was taught that the fire nation went to war with the air nation army… and won.
“Aang,” I looked over at him. “The fire nation did go to war with the air nation army. And I was taught that we won.”
“Not possible. The air temples don’t have armies, we are peaceful and nomadic.”
“I ju-” I tried to argue. Because I knew it was a possibility, the fire nation had massacred his people… I wanted to plant the seed, so it wouldn’t be so devastating.
“Guys, just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all,” Aang responded optimistically, and in denial. “They probably escaped.”
“ I know it's hard to accept,” Katara rubbed his back sadly.
“You don't understand. The only way to get to an airbender temple, is on a flying bison. I doubt the Fire Nation had any flying bison. Right, Appa?” he grinned petting Appa. “Yip yip!” Appa began to pick up speed.
“Katara,” I whispered pulling her aside. “I don’t think I should go,” I fiddled nervously with my fingers.
“Why not?”
“Well… I’m from the fire nation… if it really is destroyed, isn’t that kind of insulting? Wouldn’t Aang be mad?”
“I think he would be mad either way, but not at you Jewel… It’s not your fault for what the fire nation does. And Aang’s right maybe they did escape.”
“Ok…. I’ll think about it.”
“There it is... the Southern Air Temple,” Aang said breathlessly. I’m pretty sure my mouth fell open. The sun shone in back of it illuminating its antique beauty. It’s sheer size and design was magnificent only adding to the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape.
“Aang, it's amazing!” Katara breathed.
“We're home,” Aang patted Appa’s head, as we descended towards the temple. It looked so tempting, but I felt my heart squeeze. I was more than sure this place had been desecrated by the fire nation. It hurt to feel like a part of that suffering. Maybe, this is why I shouldn’t travel with them. Maybe, being a part of something that was so against them, ruined their balance. Maybe, I didn’t fit.
As we all dismounted I looked up at the glorious temple, and out at the vast land. Stay or go? Maybe I meant stay here, or see the temple. But in my heart I knew it meant, stay with them, or leave. I inhaled deeply choose.
“Sleep now... temple later...” Sokka groaned. He must have been closer to my sleeping bag than I thought, because his voice seemed too loud.
“Sokka! Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!”
“Aaahhh! Get it off! Get it off! Aaahhh!” Sokka jumped up yelling, until he fell and landed on me. I rose up suddenly, my hair a bird nest that seemed to defy gravity, wearing a twisted scowl, as I wiped away an eye booger. Aang flinched away for a second scared.
“Great! You're awake. Let's go,” I paused, then grinned, as I threw my pillow at him straight in the face. I high fived Sokka and we shared a laugh, before getting ready. After my morning routine I crawled in to Appa’s saddle, and away we went.
“Guys are so lucky, they don’t have to do anything to get ready. They just put on some fresh clothes and go,” I commented.
“I know, right? We have to do all kinds of stuff. Brush our hair, wash our face, put away everything,” Katara agreed.
“No, no. Guys have to do stuff too, it’s just we’re better at it than you. Cause girls are all nitpicky.”
“We are not nitpicky,” Katara argued.
“Ok maybe you’re just nitpicky,” he smiled.
“Aang, am I nitpicky?!”
“Uh… I can’t hear you Katara, the wind!” Aang lied making Appa go faster.
“I am not nitpicky,” Katara crossed her arms.
“I don’t think the importance of smelling, and looking good, can be considered nitpicky. Did you put on deodorant today?” I questioned Sokka.
“I only put deodorant on when I smell bad. You’re not supposed to put it on when you smell good.”
“You’re supposed to wear it all the time it prevents odors.”
“You say tomato I say tomoto,” he shrugged at me. I shrugged too, and leaned back.
“You're gross,” I heard Katara say, before my thoughts wandered. Are Zuko and Iroh ok? Is Zuko looking for me? Or is he looking for the avatar? I frowned because I think I knew the answer. It sort of hurt, because I knew he didn’t care. At least I think he doesn’t.
I sighed and changed focus. Should I keep traveling with these three? I glanced at them, and it was like seeing a perfect puzzle. The pieces just slid together. It was all so natural. Do I fit together with them too? My eyebrow furrowed in confusion, as I considered myself in that equation. I didn’t know where to go, or where I belonged. But for the moment this is right.
“Hey! Who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?” I was torn from my thoughts by Sokka’s outburst.
“Oh, that was food? I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry,” Aang said rubbing his neck sheepishly.
“You what? Awww, no wonder the flames smelled so good,” Sokka frowned, his mouthwatering.
“Hey look the Batola mountain range! We're almost there!” Aang shouted excitedly. We finished passing through a cloud, and I could see it too, glorious and vast. Clouds gently nuzzled around mountain peaks, and freshness hung in the atmosphere. Just inhaling gave me a sense of freedom, and clarity. I knew this was truly a land for monks, and benders of air.
“Aang?” Katara spoke uneasily. “Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders.”
“What about 'em?” Aang questioned.
“Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless... They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people,” she rested a hand on his shoulder. I frowned the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. But I was taught that the fire nation went to war with the air nation army… and won.
“Aang,” I looked over at him. “The fire nation did go to war with the air nation army. And I was taught that we won.”
“Not possible. The air temples don’t have armies, we are peaceful and nomadic.”
“I ju-” I tried to argue. Because I knew it was a possibility, the fire nation had massacred his people… I wanted to plant the seed, so it wouldn’t be so devastating.
“Guys, just because no one has seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all,” Aang responded optimistically, and in denial. “They probably escaped.”
“ I know it's hard to accept,” Katara rubbed his back sadly.
“You don't understand. The only way to get to an airbender temple, is on a flying bison. I doubt the Fire Nation had any flying bison. Right, Appa?” he grinned petting Appa. “Yip yip!” Appa began to pick up speed.
“Katara,” I whispered pulling her aside. “I don’t think I should go,” I fiddled nervously with my fingers.
“Why not?”
“Well… I’m from the fire nation… if it really is destroyed, isn’t that kind of insulting? Wouldn’t Aang be mad?”
“I think he would be mad either way, but not at you Jewel… It’s not your fault for what the fire nation does. And Aang’s right maybe they did escape.”
“Ok…. I’ll think about it.”
“There it is... the Southern Air Temple,” Aang said breathlessly. I’m pretty sure my mouth fell open. The sun shone in back of it illuminating its antique beauty. It’s sheer size and design was magnificent only adding to the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape.
“Aang, it's amazing!” Katara breathed.
“We're home,” Aang patted Appa’s head, as we descended towards the temple. It looked so tempting, but I felt my heart squeeze. I was more than sure this place had been desecrated by the fire nation. It hurt to feel like a part of that suffering. Maybe, this is why I shouldn’t travel with them. Maybe, being a part of something that was so against them, ruined their balance. Maybe, I didn’t fit.
As we all dismounted I looked up at the glorious temple, and out at the vast land. Stay or go? Maybe I meant stay here, or see the temple. But in my heart I knew it meant, stay with them, or leave. I inhaled deeply choose.