Love in Danger chapter 10: The Air Temples

Guru Pathik sat at the top of a shrine overlooking the rest of the Eastern Air Temple, meditating tranquilly. The full moon beautifully illuminated the black sky and the light emitting from it shone down upon the wise Guru.

"Is something wrong Chang?" the wise Guru asked calmly, somehow realizing the man was there without opening his eyes.

A man emerged from behind a rock wall and awkwardly approached Pathik. He had not meant to be seen, he was talking a walk and wished to be alone. He was a former Earth Kingdom soldier, an Earthbender as well, though he had left service after he had lost his right arm in battle.

"I was just taking a walk" Chang said uncomfortably. Chang was one of the many injured and displaced soldiers and benders who had taken refuge in the Eastern Air Temple after the war had ended. Guru Pathik had continued living at the temple to help guide and nurture the refugees.

"It is awfully late to be taking a walk my friend" Pathik responded softly. "You should get some sleep, you seem tired."

"I don't really sleep anymore" Chang informed in a matter-of-factly manner. "Not since this happened." He pointed to the armhole on the right side of his shirt sleeve.

"All injuries heal with time my friend" Pathik comforted. "But I do not think that is what you mean."

"...It isn't" Chang hesitantly admitted. He had not spoken of the horrors of the war to anyone, but something about the strange Guru's kind, understanding nature caused the instinctive locks to open. "It's the nightmares. Every soldier has them, anyone who has witnessed war."

"Yes" Pathik said, nodding his head but with his eyes remaining shut. "Though not every soldier's nightmares are the same; tell me, what are your personal struggles?"

Chang shook his head, and whispered "It's too horrible Pathik."

"Tell me" Pathik offered gently. "Sometimes just talking about something makes the pain of it a little less intense."

Chang bowed his head. The desire to release his pain was too great. Finally he submitted and told, "When this happened. (He again pointed to what remained of his arm) My parents' house was being burned down with them and my sister inside of it. By the time that Firebender was finished with my arm, I couldn't do anything to help them. It was so scorched up that when it was over they had to chop it. It was like having a dead snake attached to my shoulder. If I didn't let that happen my family might still be alive."

Guru Pathik finally opened his eyes. "You have indeed endured great pain my friend" he said as

he felt the condition of his chi. "But all wounds heal in time."

"I don't care about my arm" Chang said decrepitly. "The pain of having it burned off was nothing compared to losing my family."

"That is what I meant" Pathik explained patiently, seeing as he obviously didn't expect Chang's arm to grow back. "The grief of your loss has indeed upset your inner heart. Your Air Chakra is blocked; your grief is stopping your chi from flowing freely, but one day love will again find its way to you and reopen it."

That morning, on a balcony at the Southern Air Temple overlooking the mountain range two boys were tossing a toy to one another that belonged to a smaller, younger boy who stood in the middle of them as he jumped up to try and reach it.

"Give it back! Give it back! Give it back!" the little boy pleaded as his tormentors laughed cruelly. "Try and make us!" one of the bullies shouted mockingly.

Just then the guardian of the temple Jeong Jeong appeared among the three children. The Earth Kingdom children stood frozen in fear of the Firebending master. Though they were young, the instinctive fear of Firebenders had been instilled in them by their families with terrifying, nightmarish tales of them burning villages to the ground and slaughtering hundreds of innocents. Though the soldiers who had guided them from their razed homes had ensured them that the old Firebender in charge of protecting the temple was kind and not like the Firebenders who had invaded their land, few of the refugees had an easy time believing that claim, though few refused to go on this ground, seeing as they had no other home or place of sanctuary.

All three of the boys reacted as if a man-eating bear stood before them as Jeong Jeong said nothing. Nonchalantly the old master reached for the bully who had the little boy's toy. The bully cringed in fear, expecting a ball of fire to melt his eyeballs from inside their sockets. Instead Jeong Jeong took the toy from his hand and gave it to the little boy who took it hesitantly.

"Do not take things that don't belong to you" Jeong Jeong advised calmly and rationally, much to the boys' mutual surprise. "As long as we all live in this temple we must learn to get along and show each other respect."

The two boys who had been bullying the youngest one nodded and left quickly. Jeong Jeong turned to leave as well.

The boy who Jeong Jeong had defended was nervous at first but then called, "Wait!" Jeong Jeong stopped and turned to face the boy.

"Thank you" the boy said. Without thinking he instinctively bowed politely and added, "Master Jeong Jeong."

The aged Firebender seemed taken aback by this; the thought of a child from the Earth Kingdom thanking him for anything was incredibly foreign and yet...revitalizing. Jeong Jeong smiled and bowing he replied, "You are welcome."

Meanwhile Master Piandao was awake early at the Western Air Temple, doing routine stretches to stay loose.

As he stayed calm, with his acute sense of hearing he heard a subtle clanking sound off to the distance. He then realized that he had forgotten to bring his sword with him when he had left his

new bedroom that morning. He left to investigate the metallic noise.

Piandao walked to around a pillar and stopped when he saw the source. He saw a young woman of no more than 15 years holding his jian in her hand and attempting to replicate sword fighting forms, to little avail.

As she continued with this Piandao watched patiently, silently critiquing her form.

After two minutes had passed Piandao emerged from his hiding place and said, "Hold your arm closer to your body."

"Master Piandao!" the teenager shouted, fearfully surprised. Her shock caused her to drop the weapon. She picked it up carefully and rapidly apologized, "I am so sorry master. I didn't mean to wake you. I swear I was going to give your sword back. I'm so sorry I took it." She placed the sword in her palms and offered it to the old man.

"I didn't said to give it back" the swordsman replied. "I said hold your arm closer to your body." "...What?"

"Like this" Piandao said as he took the sword and demonstrated a forward thrust, keeping his arm pressed close to his body as opposed to wildly swinging it about as she had done. "There's no focus in the way you were doing it. Keep your power centered."

He handed the sword back to her. Confused at first, she repeated what he had done. "Much better" the sword-master praised. "Continue."

The girl smiled and continued practicing with Piandao's sword. Other than occasional corrections he interrupted only once to ask, "What's your name?"

"Ring" she answered with a grin.

Meanwhile back in the Fire Nation Aang and Zuko waited in a prison interrogation room for the guards to bring in the former Fire Lord Ozai.

"Do you want to speak with him alone, or should I do it, or should both of us?" Aang asked.

"I need you here to detect lies, and I have a few choice words for him. We'll speak together" Zuko decided as he said it.

"I don't know if I can detect his lies" Aang informed. "Why not?"

"Azula was able to lie without Toph being able to detect it. Ozai might be even worse than her; he may be able to lie without me catching it."

Zuko thought about this for a few minutes. "I don't think he can" he told Aang. "Why?" asked the Avatar.

"Azula probably could lie without detection because she used to have complete control over her emotions; she was cold and calculating, not emotional and energetic like normal Firebenders.

That's how she could generate lightning so easily. But my father is more like other Firebenders, he lets rage and passions fuel his strength so I think he feels it when he lies, even if he doesn't regret

it. I also think that even if he used to be able to, he can't now, seeing as he's been stripped powerless and robbed of his throne I don't see him as having that kind of control left."

"Maybe you're right" Aang concurred.

The door to the room burst opened and two guards forcefully shuffled the withered heap that once was the world's most powerful Firebender into the room and threw him into a chair at the end of a small table that together were the only contents of the room.

Sitting up lazily, the former Fire Lord merely said, "Why can't you just leave me to die in my cell peacefully?"

Zuko ignored this comment. "We have some questions to ask you" was all he said. Ozai did not respond.

"Azula was murdered and my son Lu Ten, your grandson was nearly dealt the same fate. I'm sure you already know that though. What the Avatar and I want to know is, did you see or hear anything that might give us a clue about the people who did it the night it happened?" Zuko asked roughly.

"The answer to your question is ....." Ozai said shortly.