Chapter Text
South Pole, Wolf Cove, 10 BG
Jamyang
Flying atop his own sky bison, Jamyang let out a soft yawn. In the far distance, the icy shore of Wolf Cove finally rose over the cold horizon. He sat quietly on the back of his bison's neck, steering with the heavy reins attached to the creature's horns. Surrounding him in the freezing sky were Gyi and Gio, riding close on their own bisons. Just behind them, Gyahn rode carefully at the rear of the flying group.
Leading the line was Master Jun. The older master was guiding them all toward what would come to be their temporary home nation for the next ten years.
From what the elders had announced back at the temple, this massive move involved all of the Air Nation. The masters had given them multiple spiritual reasons behind it. The main purpose was to attain a better freedom from earthly attachments. They had lived as a nation in their beautiful, safe mountain temples for too long, and now it was time to test everyone's spirit by leaving their comfort zones.
And that was not all. The other reason for everyone to live at the South Pole was its prime location during the winter and summer solstices. The spiritual energy here was pure and raw, making it one of the absolute best places to train in deep meditation, spiritual touch, and intense airbending.
Given that airbenders could easily regulate their internal temperatures using their breath, this trip would be a massive test in itself—forcing them to perform the warming technique nonstop for ten long years.
This would indeed be one massive training trip, in Jamyang's opinion. But on the bright side, he would get to visit Horok again. The older teen was probably twenty years old by now, while he's just started into his teen years. Momentarily, he remembered his last nomadic trip down to the south pole a year ago. He helped fish with the older teen, and even helped head out with his master to fend off rogue water tribe pirates.
That aside, Jamyang looked down at his hands gripping the reins of his bison. Faded white scars lined his skin. They were the marks of the technique he had seen Tanza do years ago, which he had desperately wanted to adopt into his own repertoire of airbending. At first, he had wanted to practice and train in secret with the technique. He had succeeded in making it work, but that first breakthrough ended in the accident that now marred his hands.
Hindsight told him he should have had a master watch over him. But he was only ten years old back then. He had seen a cool, completely unknown technique, and his youthful pride wanted to attain it.
He shook his head and gazed forward once more, pushing the memory away. The incident had involved painful burns and slight lacerations, but thankfully, nothing severe enough to ruin his bending. He had just been a dumb kid trying to mimic a trick taught by the true prodigy of their generation. According to the recent rumors flying around the temples, Tanza had attained her official master rank not too long ago at the ripe age of ten, having shown the elders how to surf the wind with one's feet.
The rumors about how she had done it had been the main gossip across all four temples for weeks. Jamyang remembered the heated debates that broke out in the courtyards every time her name came up.
Some of the older boys had flatly refused to believe it at first. They had argued that it was physically impossible to stay balanced on a moving air current without falling straight onto your face. To them, the rules were absolute. You needed a glider staff to catch the wind properly, and anything else was just a fantasy.
But then the eyewitnesses would chime in. A few acolytes who had actually seen her test the move would proudly shut the doubters down. They described how she looked completely relaxed, sliding across the open grass and coasting along the edge of a jagged cliffside with her arms entirely free. They said she moved smoothly, just like a waterbender sliding across a wave of ice.
Jamyang had spent hours thinking about the sheer skill it required. Because of his own painful experience with her friction blade, he knew Tanza didn't just guess her way through bending.
Even the masters had been whispering about it. Jamyang had overheard a few of the elders talking in the library before the trip began. Inventing a completely new form of mobility automatically granted an airbender the rank of Master, but the fact that she had done it at age ten made her a legend overnight. Some of the traditionalist had grumbled, saying airbenders were supposed to rise above the earth, not slide across it like a Water Tribe hunter.
But Jamyang didn't care about the traditionalists' rules. As he guided his bison lower, his eyes saw the vast expanse of the South Pole beyond Wolf Cove. This was definitely going to be an experience of a lifetime.
Laya
She watched the white snow swirl outside the warm ice tent. She placed a gentle hand over her large, round belly. Inside, a new life kicked softly. This would be her second child, born into a world on the edge of a great storm. She frowned in worry, for many reasons.
Giving up Tanza nine years ago had been the hardest thing she ever did. For a whole year, Laya had held her baby girl, fed her, and watched her open her bright eyes.
But the Air Nomad way was to give children to the whole village to raise. Years ago though, they met again. Seeing Tanza as a growing girl had stirred up a weak pang in Laya's chest. It was Master Kelsang who helped Laya from dwelling too much on being concerned with attachments.
That advice had freed Laya's mind. It allowed her spirit to wander. A year ago, during a quiet trip through a green Earth Kingdom village, she ran into the man she had loved long ago. In that peaceful place, away from the worries of the world, they found each other again. Now, she was almost ready to give birth to their new baby, right here at the frozen bottom of the world.
Laya looked away from the swirling snow outside the tent flap. She turned her eyes toward the warm center of the large ice shelter. The space was filled with the soft sounds of crackling oil lamps and low murmurs. She was not alone in her heavy waiting. Scattered across thick bundles of fur and woven mats, several other pregnant airbenders shared the warm space with her.
Seeing them brought a quiet comfort to her worried heart. Some of the women were younger acolytes, their faces bright with the simple excitement of a first child. They sat in small circles, gently rubbing their bellies and laughing softly as they shared stories of their babies kicking. Others were older masters like Laya. Those women sat in quiet reflection, their eyes closed as they practiced deep, rhythmic breathing to stay calm and warm.
Looking at them reminded Laya of the beautiful, shared fabric of their people. None of these mothers would have to carry the weight of raising their children in isolation. In just a few weeks, these babies would be born together into a ready-made family of aunties, uncles, and elders. Even here, at the freezing end of the world with a war looming in the shadows, the ancient ways of the nomads remained unbroken. They would face the future as one large, breathing nation.
A soft smirk played on Laya's lips, replacing her worry with a sudden sense of amusement. She looked down at her round belly again, a playful thought bouncing through her mind.
She could only imagine the look on Tanza's face if she walked up to her right now. Her daughter was already a ten-year-old master! How would that little girl react to finding out that Laya was actually her birth mother?
Even better, Tanza would soon find out she wasn't just getting another temple sister of her own age group. She was getting a real, tiny baby sister by blood. It was a funny picture to imagine. The history-making Airbending master being completely thrown off guard by a crying, helpless newborn.
That aside though, away from breaking the social norm of her culture, which sounded new and exciting to her, beyond this doom and gloom, Laya steadily pressed her hands against the thick fur mats. She pushed her heavy body up into a standing position. She paused for a moment to find her balance. She took a slow, deep breath to settle the weight of her large belly.
She did not want to push herself too hard. Her body needed to save its strength for the birth. But she could not just sit inside and do nothing while everyone else worked so hard.
Laya walked slowly toward the exit of the warm shelter. She stepped into the crisp air outside. A large ice dome stood nearby, acting as a resting station for the long journey. Travelers and pack animals constantly shuffled in and out of its frozen entrance, letting in blasts of biting cold.
Laya took a comfortable seat on a wooden bench near the entrance of the transport dome. She closed her eyes. She began her soft, rhythmic breathing exercises.
As Laya closed her eyes, the sound of heavy boots crunching in the snow broke her focus.
One of the local men was readying a large wooden sled nearby. A team of sleek, restless otter-penguins barked softly in their harnesses. The man hauled a final stack of crates onto the back. He stepped outside the main gate and caught sight of Laya sitting on her bench.
A wide grin spread across his frost-nipped face. He rubbed his thick mittens together.
"Well, look at that," the man remarked with a cheerful laugh. "I was just about to head inside to ask for an airbender! This wind is brutal today. I could use some help keeping the air warm around the sled and me. Some of these supplies need to stay thawed for the long trip down to the deep south."
Laya opened her eyes and smiled back, welcoming the distraction.
But as the man stepped closer, his big grin suddenly faded. His eyes drifted down to her wide robe. He noticed the heavy, round shape of her stomach. His face turned red beneath his frostbitten cheeks. He looked completely embarrassed.
"Oh! Uh, I am so sorry," he stammered quickly. He took a step back, waving his thick mittens in the air. "I didn't see... I mean, I wasn't looking at your... please excuse me! You shouldn't be out here in the freezing cold working for me. You need to be inside where it is warm and safe for the baby."
Laya let out a soft, amused chuckle. She gently rested her hands back on her lap.
"The wind and I are old friends," she said with a warm smile. "And my little one in here likes the fresh air."
Before the driver could object again, Laya steadily pushed herself up from the wooden bench. She held the underside of her belly with one hand to balance her heavy weight. She walked over to the wooden sled with slow, careful steps.
With a smooth twist of her wrist, she called up a tiny, gentle spiral of air beneath her feet. The soft lift gave her just enough boost to step right over the high wooden edge. She slid comfortably into a small, empty space nestled right between two soft bundles of thick fur blankets.
The driver's mouth fell open. He looked at the heavily pregnant master now sitting snugly on his cargo, then looked back at his barking team of otter-penguins.
"Well," the man stammered, a sheepish grin returning to his face. "I guess you have a ride now."
Laya closed her eyes and began her slow, rhythmic breathing. A pocket of perfectly warm, cozy air instantly wrapped around the entire sled, shielding them from the biting frost. "Let us go," she said softly.
South Pole, outer parts of the Spirit Forest
Tanza
Tanza held the thick canvas tent flap wide open, her hands steady. Her dark blue master tattoos stood out sharply against her skin as she watched two sturdy airbender men carefully carry the stretcher inside.
They moved with practiced, gentle steps, using soft pockets of air under their feet to keep Kelsang's comatose body perfectly level. They set the stretcher down onto a thick pile of soft furs in the center of the warm tent.
The air inside the shelter felt completely different from the freezing coast. This camp was pitched right at the edge of the secret, unfrozen oasis. A gentle, earthy warmth seeped up through the soft grass floor, mixing with the clean scent of nearby green trees.
It would have been an anomaly in another world, like her previous ones, but in this world, the oasis itself was a sacred anchor of pure spirit, holding back the winter by its own ancient rules.
She took one last look at the green trees and a blue distant light hidden deep within the forest itself, before Tanza let the heavy tent flap drop shut behind her as she entered. She walked over to the stretcher with quiet steps, before she knelt down on the soft grass floor.
She reached out to gently smooth the edges of Kelsang's robes. Her teacher looked entirely peaceful, as if she were merely resting after a long flight. Here, away from the icy chaos of the coast, Kelsang's breathing was slow and steady. The deep, humming energy of the spirit well seemed to wrap around the older woman like a protective blanket, keeping her body alive while her mind wandered elsewhere.
She looked back at the male airbenders, and nodded, "Thank you." She spoke respectfully, earning kind smiles from the men.
"Not a problem, little one." One took a gentle bow, before exiting out.
The other remained, but gave her a simple smile nonetheless. "I have to say, how does it feel being a master at your age?" he mused with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, "I mean, I just earned mine last year, but to earn the rank at your age… that's a lot on one's shoulder!"
Tanza eyed the man, he looked about in his late teens, or early twenties, that time in youth where you still had some innocence left, before adulthood fully took over. She offered him a thin smile, "I can safely say it was earned, but I still have much ahead of me." she reasoned back, earning a nod from him.
The young master turned to leave, but as he pushed the canvas aside, he almost ran straight into Elder Paaru.
"Oh! My deepest apologies, honorable elder!" the young man stammered quickly. He stumbled backward, bowing his head in a sudden panic.
The old woman let out a warm, rasping chortle. She reached up and patted his shoulder with a wrinkled hand. "None of that, none of that, my boy. No need to fuss so much." She gave him a gentle nudge toward the exit.
"Besides, you are just the bender I was looking for. There is an empty wooden sled sitting by the edge of the forest. The driver needs an airbender to ride back to the coast with him. He wants someone to help push his sled faster for the otter penguins!."
The young master perked up instantly. A bashful smile crossed his face. "Yes, Elder Paaru! Thank you!" he said quickly, before rushing out into the green trees.
Tanza watched the whole exchange from her spot on the grass.
Granny Paaru let out a long, heavy sigh. She let the heavy tent flap drop shut behind her, cutting off the outside world once more.
"So busy, so young," Paaru muttered, a grim smile touching her lips as she looked around the quiet space. "Youth these days. They run so fast just to meet the storm."
Tanza offered a slow, understanding nod. "They want to feel useful, Elder. It keeps the worry away."
Granny Paaru let out a soft grunt. She moved slowly, her old joints popping as she lowered her fragile body onto the soft grass beside Tanza. She rested her hands on her knees, her sharp eyes turning toward the sleeping form of Kelsang.
As the silence fell between them, Tanza let the moment settle. This was the woman who had looked after her and her sisters from the time she was handed off to the elders as a baby, right up until she began her true training under Kelsang.
The quiet did not last long. Paaru finally spoke up. "So, what is this I hear about you figuring out how to perform chi-blocking, hm?"
Tanza kept her face calm, but her eyes showed a flash of annoyance as she looked away. "Reshi said you explained it to her."
Tanza gave a single nod. Of course Granny Reshi would talk. Tanza had gone to her specifically to ask if the elders had more information about chakra points.
Apparently, her own home at the Western Temple was where the old lessons on chi-blocking were kept. It was not a skill that was widely taught to everyone. Instead, the knowledge was merely held in secret scrolls or spoken about in whispers among the oldest masters.
"I was actually trying to figure out a different technique," Tanza confessed softly, her eyes drifting back to the sleeping form of Kelsang. "I wanted to understand the technique my master was trying to master. But the path my research took led me somewhere else entirely. Instead of what I wanted to learn, I ended up reverse-engineering chi-blocking."
Granny Paaru blinked in surprise. Then, she let out a sudden, loud chortle of pure amusement. She slapped her wrinkled knee, her old shoulders shaking with laughter.
"Oh, it is just like you, Tanza!" the old woman chuckled, a bright twinkle returning to her eye, and calmly clasped her hand on Tanza's shoulder with gentleness, "Leave it to you to discover an ancient technique completely by happenstance while looking for something else!" Paaru calmed after that, before slipping her hand off Tanza's shoulder, and returning it to her knee.
With that said, the atmosphere lifted from a somber one, but its presence was still there with Kelsang.
Granny Paaru let out a long, heavy sigh. She leaned her head back against the warm canvas wall of the tent.
"It is probably best now," the old woman remarked softly, her eyes focusing on Kelsang's peaceful face. "It is time we try to help your master wake up."
The words caught Tanza completely off guard. A sudden spike of surprise shot through her, and her head snapped to look directly at Paaru.
For three long years, she focused on her training. She had pushed herself to focus on her forms, her travels, and her tiers. Tanza had spent her travels warning the world and rushing to earn her master tattoos. She never bothered to sit still long enough to help the woman who knew more about her than most.
Paaru met her shocked gaze with a steady, knowing look.
"You were better off completing your mastery first, little one," Paaru explained gently, her voice low and calm. "Three years ago, you had too much on your shoulders. You had to run, you had to learn, you had to physically train. But now?" Granny leaned forward a bit towards her, "Your physical training is done. It is time for you to start on your spiritual journey."
Tanza opened her mouth to speak, but Paaru raised a wrinkled hand to keep her quiet.
"You know as well as I do that our people are born with the wind in our veins," the elder continued, turning her head back toward the tent flap. "But not all airbenders delve into the spirit world. Most never do at all. It is a rare path, meant only for those with a unique spark."
Paaru gestured toward the back of the tent, pointing in the direction of the deep forest outside. "We are resting at the very precipice of the southern spirit portal. We have never been closer to the spirit world than we are right now. The barrier between this grass and the realm of spirits is thin enough to poke a finger through."
The old woman turned back to face Tanza, her grim smile returning. "This is your chance, Tanza. The world is changing, and Kelsang needs you. You are going to focus entirely on your spiritual training now. Though, I must warn you... with the Fire Nation looming and your master fading, this will be a brutal crash course for you."
As the air felt more serious than ever for her, Tanza's eyes narrowed. "Where do we start, Granny Paaru!?" She asked urgently. She needed Kelsang out of her coma now, sooner than later.
Granny Paaru did not answer right away. She reached out and gently tapped the center of Tanza's chest, right over her heart.
"We start by emptying that cup of quiet rage you carry inside you," Paaru said softly, her sharp eyes seeing right through Tanza's tough outer shell. "The spirit world is a mirror, little one. If you step across the boundary while holding onto deep emotions, the spirits will reflect that chaos right back at you. It will tear your mind apart before you ever locate Kelsang."
Tanza's breath caught against her throat, before she looked back at Kelsang. She remembered back to the first time she entered the spirit world. Of the time that Owl Spirit Bou You Va sent her there, and it was there, that her emotions caused her to switch from Tanya Degurechaff, to Tenya the salaryman, before she attained help from Kelsang when she arrived to help calm her, and bring her form back to Tanza.
But with Granny Paaru training her, hopefully it will be better this time. "Tonight, you will sit by the glowing edge of the oasis." Paaru commanded, her voice dropping to a final, serious whisper. "You will breathe, you will listen to the trees, and you will learn to let go of your deep emotions." That caused both of them to look at each other, "Prepare yourself, Tanza. When the sun goes down, your true training begins."
With those final words, a heavy silence settled over the warm tent. The distant blue light of the forest flickered through the tent, waiting for the young master.