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Chapter Text

A young woman leaned against one of the wooden posts that held up her family’s yurt. The cold wind whipped around her, blowing her dark brown braids about her wind roughened cheeks. On her lap she held a whetstone from which she carefully sharpened arrows that were then placed in a quiver that sat at her side. Resting against her hip was a bag filled with provisions.

A much younger girl burst from the thick white flaps that made the entrance into the yurt, “Chime! Chime!” She called, as the young woman she addressed moved her head quickly to dodge the swinging flaps.

“What is it Hena?” She asked, trying to sound irritated, though she couldn’t adequately hide the amusement in her voice.

“You have to convince papa to let me have an air bison! He says I’m not old enough! But I am!” Hena explained.

“I don’t have to, Hena.” Chime responded with a wry smirk.

Hena gave her a dramatically appalled expression, “Oh! Don’t tell me you agree with him, Chime!” She exclaimed, horrified, “I just have to get an air bison! Taonga’s father is getting her air bison because she is close to having seen ten summers!” Hena dropped onto the ground in front of Chime with an air of dramatics.

“Ah, I see,” Chime responded, nodding her head sagely, “It’s very serious business then. If your best friend is getting an air bison, clearly you should have one as well.”

“I knew you would understand!”

“But, you are only six winters old, Hana,” Chime pointed out slyly.

Hena immediately cut Chime off, “Chime!” she pouted, “I’m eight winters! You know that!”

“Oooh that’s right,” Chime responded teasingly, rubbing her chin as if she had forgotten.

“You knew that!” Hena accused, sticking out her bottom lip at her older sister. Though the way her lips quirked up gave her act away.

“We have a family bison, Ivo. Not everyone has their own bison.” Chime pointed out while her sister was in a good mood.

“But you have Nili!” Hena whined.

Chime shook her head, “But Kalden is older than me and he doesn’t have an air bison.”

Hana pouted, “What would Kalden even do with an air bison anyway?” she demanded, “All he does is wander around and draw things and spend all the money he makes on supplies to make scrolls!”

Chime shook her head though she did not deny Hena’s disparaging report on their older brother, “I have Nili because I am a hunter. Do you want to be a hunter, Hena?” She asked skeptically, leaning forward and poking her sister in the belly.

“No!” Hena squeaked, wiggling away from Chime’s finger, “I’m going to be a weaver, like mother!”

“Then, there’s your answer,” Chime said, holding out her hands helplessly.

Hena glared and puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

“But you know, more than one person can ride an air bison. You can spend more time with Taonga if you go out with her and her bison instead of getting your own.” Chime pointed out,.

Hena leaned her head this way and that, “I guess you’re right,” she admitted, taking Chime’s bait, “and taking care of my own bison would be really difficult and smelly.”

Chime laughed out loud, “Take care of one isn’t easy.” She agreed. Their father would thank Chime for intervening before Hena had declared some sort of household war for an air bison.

Out of the corner of her eye Chime noticed a tall, lean figure approaching. Her attention flickered from Hena to the figure, who upon examination was revealed to be a young man. Hena noticed her sister’s distraction and followed her eyes.

“Oooh, hi Tahir,” she cooed in a suggestive tone, her eyes flickering between Chime and the young man.

“Oh, bug off you,” Chime snapped, getting to her feet, she reached out and ruffled Hena’s hair, making sure to mess it up.

“Oi! Don’t do that!” Hena protested trying to fix her hair. Her short braid was now a mess and she looked between Chime and Tahir before dashing into the yurt, “You’re going to pay for that, Chime!” she called as she rushed.

Chime laughed under her breath at her sister’s vanity as she bent down and scooped up her quiver, and the other bag of supplies that sat on her other side before walking over to meet Tahir.

Tahir gave her a wry smile, “Keeping look out for me, huh, Chime?”

Chime rolled her eyes, “You wish. It’s hard to miss the only stick that walks by itself.” She gestured to his too lean figure with her eyes.

“Oh ha ha, very funny. My figure will fill out eventually then everyone will be looking at me,” he joked.

Chime’s lips quirked up, “You sound like a girl. Will you ‘bloom like a lotus flower’?” She asked slyly, quoting one of the village elders who had taken upon herself to educate all the young girls in the village about the beauty of a woman’s blossoming. Tahir, being Chime’s childhood friend, had the misfortune of being the only boy present during this awkward conversation. He had been teased mercilessly by both genders until Chime had her fill of amusement and began doling out beatings to boys and girls alike until no one dared bring up the subject again. The joke had faded into obscurity until it became only an inside joke between Chime and Tahir.

Tahir’s wind roughened cheeks began to heat, “I didn’t mean it like that!” He exclaimed, dramatically waving his hands. Chime laughed out loud and swung her knapsack at him, slugging him in the shoulder good naturedly.

“You’re so mean,” Tahir pouted, rubbing his shoulder.

“You bruise like a babe.” Chime quipped back, and the two began to walk towards the air bison field. A moment of silence passed between the two friends as they walked their way through the village.

“Did you hear about our guest?” Tahir asked.

“What guest?” Chime asked, “We don’t have guests.”

Tahir shrugged, “We do today. How did you not know? It’s been the talk of the town.”

Chime shrugged in return, “I have better things to do than gossip. Perhaps if you sharpened your arrows instead of sharpening your tongue, you would be a better hunter.”

“And yet, you have time for both.” Tahir quipped, attempting to poke her ribs. Chime managed to dance out of the way of his hand. There was a small lull in their conversation before Tahir asked, “So you’re not at all curious about the stranger, at all?”

Chime rolled her eyes, “No, but you’re eager to talk about him. So to appease your need to gossip, tell me about him.”

“It’s not gossip,” Tahir protested but proceeded to tell her anyway, “He’s strange. About our age. Dark skinned and dresses like a scarecrow that the farmers use to protect the taro from the birds. He says he is looking for someone.”

“Well he certainly sounds odd.” Chime said to appease Tahir.

“That’s all you have to say?” Tahir whined.

“What more would you have me say? Looking for someone is as good a reason as one can have to stay briefly with a nomadic clan.”  

“Who do you think he’s looking for?”

“How should I have any idea?”

“You’re absolutely no fun, Chime.”

“And yet I continue to be your only friend.”

“My best friend.”

“By default.”

“Ouch, I felt that one.” Tahir joked, faking a wounded look. Suddenly Tahir’s gaze diverted and he pointed to a slouching figure that did in fact look like a scarecrow, “Look, that’s the stranger!” He said, too loudly for Chime’s taste.

Chime swiftly pushed down his hand shooting him an exasperated look, “It’s rude to point, Tah-”

Suddenly, the stranger who had been a yard or so away from them was in front of Chime, holding her other hand. His skin was rough, as if used to holding some sort of weapon, “Are you the old soul I seek?” He asked, “Your body is young but I sen-”

“Personal space!” Chime interrupted, yanking her hand out of his.

“But I-”

“No buts, creepy scarecrow,” Chime said, stepping around him. Tahir followed glaring suspiciously at the strange boy.

“I’m not a scarecrow.” The stranger responded, sounding more confused then insulted.

“Just keep away,” Chime warned, her grey eyes narrowed slits and then she stalked away with Tahir.

After they were out of earshot, Tahir snickered under his breath, “What was that?” He asked. Chime shot him a dangerous look, “What was what?” She asked.

“You were all ‘be nice to the stranger’ and then you freaked out.”

“He was being weird! And I never said that, I said don’t be rude.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Yes, I’m glad you noticed.”

Tahir laughed in exasperation, “Whatever you say Chime. That was weird.”

“Agreed,” Chime said in a tone that finished the conversation.

A few moments passed before Tahir changed the subject. He could never stand the silence for long, “So, what were you and your sister talking about?”

“She wanted an air bison. As if we could feed another one. Besides father doesn’t have time to take care of another bison.”

“You don’t think she’d take care of one?”

Chime raised an eyebrow skeptically at Tahir, “Oh sure, maybe for a few days. Until she realized all of the mucking and cleaning that comes with taking care of a giant flying fluffball. Then it wouldn’t be so fun.”

“So you talked her out of it, silver tongue?”

“I just told her she could get the best of both worlds by mooching off her friend.”

Tahir laughed out loud, “That’s rich coming from a hunter. You do all the work for the village, yet you advice mooching?”

“Exactly. Who knows the benefits of mooching better than I do? Hard work is hard.”

“Hard work is hard, words of wisdom. Truly you a wise teacher- omph!” Chime swung her bag, knocking him in the shoulder again.

“Abusive.” Tahir accused.

“Pain teaches us lessons.” Chime quipped in her ‘wise woman’ voice.

“Oh, yeah?” Tahir challenged, “And what did that just teach me?”

“That you lack skills in evasion,” Chime sniffed. Tahir and Chime shared a glance and moment of silence before they both bursts into laughs as they walked into the sectioned off part of the makeshift village where the air bison were grazing.

“What are you children laughing about?” Came a gruff voice that seemed to roll like distant thunder.

Chapter Text

The two young adults turned to face the voice that pulled them out of their conversation. The source of the voice was a mountain of man with slanted grey eyes the color of arrowheads.

“Master Suharto!” Tahir spluttered, scrambling over his words to make amends.

Chime merely stared. After Tahir had spluttered for a few minutes with no change in Suharto’s expression, Chime cut him off with a gesture of her calloused hand, “Do you wish to challenge us, Master Suharto?” She asked her voice even and cool, “We are not children. You know that we were both underwent the Ordeal last winter. To call us children is not only to slight our honor but the honor of our tribe leader who ushered us in as adults of the tribe. The tribe leader who is Tahir’s grandmother, another slight against Tahir. I cannot stand for such slights against my friend. Shall we duel or shall you yield?”

Tahir’s jaw dropped and he stared at Chime as if she had lost her mind. Suharto and Chime stared at each other cooly for a few moments before Suharto bowed his head, yielding. The silence was suddenly broken by Suharto throwing his head back and laughing heartily, “See boy, that is how you handle a situation. You better hope the old woman pays Yaser a high price for Chime’s hand.”

“We aren’t a couple!” Tahir yelped, his face turning red for various reasons. Chime rolled her eyes at Tahir’s hysterics. He was never good at keeping his cool.

“You don’t have to be a couple to get married,” Suharto pointed out with a booming laugh, “Now saddle your bison. We leave soon.”

Chime turned her head to Tahir and raised an eyebrow. Tahir blushed as he read the judgement on Chime’s face and spluttered in his defense, “How do you stare that man down? He’s taller than a bison!”

Chime rolled her eyes, “Square your feet and plant your roots, Tahir, and then the strongest wind cannot knock you down.”

“We’re airbenders, Chime. Talk like an air bender for once. You’re one of the best!” Chime scoffed. “It’s true!” Tahir protested, “You just don’t airbend like they do. But you’re insanely good!”

Chime hit her shoulder against his. She wasn’t one to listen to compliments for long, not that she was ungrateful, “Keep flattering me and maybe I’ll teach you to stand up against Master Suharto,” she joked, “Now go saddle up, I have to go tend to Nili.”

Chime walked over to where her air bison roamed, “Nili,” she called and the air bison swept off the ground and landed in front of her with a small crash, “Hey girl,” Chime greeted, springing off the ground onto Nili’s back. She spread out like an eagle, rubbing her bison’s soft white fur, “Let’s get you saddled girl,” she said, patting the space between Nili’s shoulder blades where she liked to be scratched.

Chime got to work saddling Nili. Nili was a special breed of air bison, not like the family bison Ivo. Ivo was bred to hold large amounts of weight. Nili was bred to be smaller, faster, and more nimble. She was the riding mount of a nomadic hunter and she was Chime’s pride and joy. The task of saddling went quickly, and soon Chime urged Nili forward to join the other gathered hunters.

Master Suharto floated on his air bison above the small crowd of hunters, “Alright, hunters. This is the last hunt before migration begins. You all know how hard it is to hunt while the sound of others chase away all the game. So make this hunting trip count!” Suharto took off on his bison after his short speech. The large mammoth seeming to leap higher into the sky, then took off fast.

Everyone gave a yell of agreement before following at their own quick pace. Air bison weren’t conducive to team hunts unless they were going up against large game so everyone quickly divided up into smaller groups. Tahir and his bison, Seok, came alongside Chime and Nili. Neither one had to give a verbal confirmation that they would be working together. They flew lazily in the air, their eyes scanning the ground beneath them. There were no trees to obscure their vision and they looked for movement that signified prey. They climbed higher in the sky until they were as high as the birds

“You see any game?” Tahir asked after the sun had begun to make significant progress through the sky. They were far away from the clan by now. Game should have been more plentiful out here then close to the clan.

“I see no more than you,” Chime responded.

Tahir gave her a sideways look, “You should do that air bending trick. It’s cold up here.” He complained. For a hunter, Tahir had little endurance went it came to the patient part of the hunt.

“You should have worn more furs,” Chime responded with little sympathy.

“Come on Chime, you love to show off! Being the first with game would be impressive.”

Chime gave Tahir an incredulous look, “I do not like to show off. You just like to brag and I just happen to enjoy pointing out where I’m better.”

Tahir shook his head, “You always show me up-” he began.

Chime cut him off by releasing Nili’s reigns and kicking herself back on Nili’s round flat platform like saddle. Chime folded her legs under her and assumed a meditation pose. Chime focused on her breathing and extended her senses to the air around her. Chime felt a tugging sensation as she tried her hunting trick but she pushed it to the back of her mind. A few minutes passed.

“Well?” Tahir asked.

She peeked open eye, “I could use airbending, or I could use my eyes,” she responded dryly pointing down to a herd of Saiga-deer. Tahir made a face at Chime.

“You saw them and you didn’t say anything?” He demanded crossly.

“I was waiting to see how long it would take you to notice,” Chime responded cheekily.

“You’re the worst.” He complained.

“I think you meant to say the best.” Chime corrected, gathering up Nili’s reins and pulling her into a nose dive.

Tahir shook his head and mimicked her, diving down as well.

Chime leapt to her feet and released Nili’s reigns as she got closer. Air whooshed around her but her stance remained firm, airbending out of the way of her body. She reached back and grabbed one of the arrows. Her stance subtly changed before she hurled it forward, throwing with her whole body. Wind hissed past her ear, making her braids dance fiercely around her neck and shoulders. Her arrow flew truer and faster than any flung arrow should have, thanks to her airbending.

As soon as the arrow left her hand, several more followed it. Chime turned her head and saw Tahir, hurtling arrows quickly, his airbending following after his arrows to correct their aim. A grin tugged on her thin lips and she followed her own arrow with a few more as Nili dived for the earth. At the last second, Nili swerved up, Chime’s rolled on the balls of her feet but maintained her balance. A handful of dead Saiga-deer lay on the plain, but a majority of the herd escaped onto the rocky steppe, their fur blending them into near perfection. It would be a waste to chase them now. Besides, they had killed enough in the hours they had been out. It would be wasteful to hunt the rest down.

The two hunters landed their air bison and began to load their catch onto Seok, “Are you planning on continuing your hunting?” Tahir asked when he noticed Chime dragged none of her  catches onto Nili. Chime bit her lip. The tugging sensation she had felt when she had pretended to meditate hadn’t gone away. Something in the wilderness was calling out to her. She shook her head, “I thought I saw a porcupine-leopard,” she lied, putting a notch in the ankle of her catches to mark them. She trusted Tahir with her catches, he wouldn’t cheat her.

Tahir knew that it would be dangerous to let a porcupine-leopard stay this close to the village. If they found one, it was their duty to kill it or at least drive it off. It was a good lie. It would explain why she would be returning without any catch, “Alright,” Tahir agreed, “I’ll take them back for you and prepare them.” He lay down ropes over their catches, lashing them down for the trip.

Chime watched Tahir leave on Seok. The wild steppe was lonely without him and she missed his presence as soon as he was gone. To calm her nerves she ran her fingers through the thick warm fur of Nili, “Alright, girl. Let’s go investigate.” She said and jumped up on Nili, grasping her reins and put Nili in the air, though only a yard or so off the ground.

The tugging sensation in her gut lead them forward. She urged Nili in the direction she was being pulled. Chime scanned the ground that they flew over and the ground they were nearing but nothing indicated that there was anything special about where they were going. She hoped wherever she felt she was being lead was not far.

Then, Chime noticed a patch of trees. Their leaves were such a deep green they looked almost black. The tugging in her stomach pulled her there and Chime urged Nili down to land. Nili landed gracefully. She made a noise of worry as Chime airbent off her back. She, like Chime, could feel that there was something different about this place.

Chime rubbed Nili’s head comfortingly, “It’s alright, girl,” she consoled. Chime took a few steps forward but was stopped by a cold nose pushing against her back. She turned her head and saw that Nili has pressed her nose against her, urging her not to go. Chime fully turned and pressed her forehead against Nili’s muzzle, “I’ll be right back girl, you wait here,” she instructed in a comforting tone. She pulled away from a distressed Nili and walked alone into the black grove.

Chime did not wander the grove. The tugging sensation in her gut urged her forward with clear direction. She walked forward with purpose. The way forward was not difficult, though it was not obvious.  She did not march straight but wove through the tree branches as if she going through a complicated air bending pattern. Perhaps that was the reason this grove had been tended? It had clearly been planted with a purpose but the wildness had taken a significant portion of it back. However, it seemed like there was some force keeping nature from completely wrapping it in its fold. There was a sense of otherness in this place. It belonged neither to nature nor to man.

Chime felt herself drawn to what she assumed was the center of the grove. It was a small clearing, just large enough for her to sit cross legged without bumping her knees into the trunks of the trees. She sat down, the snow feeling cool against the multiple layers of fur and leather that covered her body. The tugging sensation was now centered in her gut, pulling down. She was in the right spot.

“Why was I drawn here?” Chime asked quietly, looking around at the black trees that encircled her. She rested her gloved hands on her lap and let her eyes draw closed. There was something she was missing, something she didn’t understand. She began to meditate. It appeared and felt like that was the purpose of this place, so Chime complied with the wishes of the grove.

She cleared her mind and focused on her breathing, chasing away all distraction. It was a difficult procedure to clear her mind and keep it clear but she felt her mental prowess grow every time her mind drifted and she corrected it. No enlightenment came to her however and nothing of any note happened except the tugging sensation ending. It felt no different than when she meditated in the early morning back in the village. Chime shook her head in exasperation and opened her eyes. It wasn’t working. But as soon as she opened her eyes she realized that she had drawn her conclusion of failure too soon.

Chapter Text

Chime opened her eyes to a strange world. She knew instantly where she was, the spirit world. The elders of the clan spoke about the spirit world, where the spirits who did not remain in the physical world resided. Chime would not find the spirit of the Great Blue Sky here, the spirit which was most sacred to her people. But still that she had managed to find her way here was incredible and unbelievable. She was alive. How could she come here simply by closing her eyes? Even if the grove was sacred it should have taken a meditation master to enter, not a novice like her. It was unbelievable and therefore worrying. Either she had found her way here by some stroke of luck or something had brought her here. Both of those options were unsavory.

Chime stood up. The colors of everything here were saturated, too bright. It didn’t seem real, because it wasn’t and that steadied Chime. She would never think that this place was real, no matter how real it felt, as long as the colors remained this way.

Her grey eyes scanned the expanse of land. It looked like she was on a vibrant green grassland that stretched on forever in every direction with no trees and no breaks on the horizon. However, Chime knew that this wasn’t necessarily true. She could take two steps and find herself in a deep woods or the ocean, or perhaps she would have just taken a step on this vast plain. She had to be careful. Not too long ago this world had been a part of the physical world. It had been the Great Wan the ‘Avatar’ who had separated them. The elders of her clan still remembered and told stories about it. Chime had always found herself very interested in the stories, they reminded her of dreams she had but had forgotten but still echoed in the back of her mind.

She took a step to the right, and noticed that there she was not standing on grass but on some sort of stone. She bent down to examine it. With a quick motion she removed her gloves stuffing them between her pelts and her belt so that she could examine the strange stone. It was like no stone that had ever been brought from the mountains. The texture was strange to her fingers, hard and smooth. Smoother than stone she had run her fingers over. There were strange markings carved onto the stone and these marks were also completely smooth. There were no nicks in the stone to catch her skin on. It was very odd. Chime didn’t recognize the markings on the stone. Yet she felt as if she ought to. It was on the tip of her tongue. Like a memory or a lesson she forgot. She shook her head and stood up. It must have been the portal that brought her here. Whatever the marks meant was something lost to the ages.

Chime looked around her. There was something here other than the plain. There was a great winding river that dipped into the earth, making it look as if there was nothing on the horizon. It was only about a mile or so away from her. It was the only landmark Chime had to go by so she began to make her way towards it. Moving in the spirit world was different than moving in the physical world. Chime focused her mind on reaching that river, not allowing her mind to wander from it. If she did, she could wind up somewhere else. It was a hard walk, even though it was flat and the weather here was comfortable. Each step had to be focused by the time she reached the river her head was beginning to thump.

The river was crystal clear. Chime could see the pebbled riverbed clearly. There didn’t appear to be any fish, which struck Chime as odd. She knelt down by the water and scooped it into her hands, splashing it onto her face. The water was cool and felt good against her face. When the water fell back into the river, Chime’s ears detected a difference. It didn’t sound like water hitting water. Her eyes opened and she saw that the water was quickly turning to blood. She started back with a cry. The colors of the world began to darken, influenced by Chime’s changing mood. She started to her feet and ran. The water turned to blood and shot out at her feet. Chime just barely managed to spin out of the way, shoot of a blast of spinning air as she did which blew the blood back into the river. She took off running along the riverside. She needed to stay ahead of the blood, if she ran off the blood would shoot off in a straight line and catch her. She managed to stay just ahead of the blood. The blood moved and jerked around erratically and Chime feared what it would turn into should she linger and it caught her.

Her braids thumped against her back. Chime turned her head when she heard a roar behind her. She spun around and saw that the blood was rising out of the river, taking some sort of shape. Another roar ripped from the forming blood creatures, splashing onto Chime’s face. Panicked, Chime thrust her hands out in front of her. Air flew from her, throwing her body backwards. The air slammed into the creature sending it stumbling back a few steps. As Chime flew backwards, her foot caught on a stone. She twisted in the air as she fell to the ground, hitting the ground face first. Her momentum made her skid painfully across the ground. The roaring grew until it was drowning Chime and then everything went silent.

Chapter Text

Chime opened her eyes and found herself not on the grassy plain but somewhere else entirely. Everything around her was death. The ground was rough and cracked. Not to far in front of her she could see dried blood and broken arrowheads. It looked like she had appeared in some sort of battle field.

Chime rolled to her knees. The motion revealed a brilliant light in the center of her chest. Chime cried out in surprise and pain, shielding her eyes from the light. After a few moments Chime moved her hands slowly adjusting her eyes to the light. She couldn’t look directly into the light that was radiating from her, but she could see the shadows the light made, allowing her to examine it indirectly. There was a notch in the shadow, where it dipped into the bright light, as if a part of the sphere of light was missing or covered.

Chime didn’t have time to wonder too deeply about the new light. She noticed that she was not alone on the battlefield, there was another, a middle aged man, sitting a few meters away. Chime had no way of knowing if this were a friendly spirit or not, but seeing as she needed help getting out of the spirit world, she had little choice but to step forward and greet the spirit, “Hello?” She called, trying to sound friendly and not nervous.

The man turned around and Chime was struck by how familiar he looked, even though she didn’t recognize the face at all. It was strange and uncomfortable. She found her feet taking her forward till she was standing only a few feet in front of the man, “Are you a spirit?” She asked.

“Yes and no,” the man replied.

Chime’s nose wrinkled at the complicated answer. Chime watched him carefully. His answer, however odd, did fit. He didn’t fit the world he was in. Everything, even here was saturated in a red light, but he was not. He didn’t fit the environment at all. He had a kind face. A mouth that looked like it was made to smile. He seemed to real to be in the spirit world and yet not real enough for the physical world. Immediately Chime felt a deep bond with him, as if she knew him. She immediately felt trust for him. Chime didn’t know if she should trust this feeling. The spirit world couldn’t influence her emotions and feelings, could it?

“What do you mean?” she asked carefully.

“I was once alive just like you and I’m not really dead now.” Chime’s face screwed up at the answer. This man wasn’t good at explaining himself. The man laughed, “You do not like my answer?” he asked. Chime blushed not realizing the face she was making, and feeling as if she had just been very rude, “I-I,” she stumbled over her words, “I just don’t understand.”

“You don’t like things you don’t understand.”

“Most people don’t,” Chime replied.

“That is true,” the man responded solemnly making Chime’s words sound much more insightful than she had meant them, “People lash out at what they don’t understand.”

“That is true...” Chime admitted, remembering the stranger in her clan and feeling a bit guilty. She ought to have been nicer. A silence passed between them before Chime asked with some nervousness, “Who are you?”

“I am Avatar Wan,” the man replied. Chime’s eyes grew to twice their size, “The hero?” She asked. This was not the hero she imagined when she heard his story. He was too kind looking. His eyes too sad. He didn’t look like he could have done the amazing things people claimed he had.

“Is that how I’m remembered?” Wan asked wryly.

Chime blushed, “By some,” Chime admitted, “Some of the Air Nomads think that you were wrong to separate the spirit world.”

Wan nodded his head, “That’s putting it mildly, I believe, Chime,” he said with a grin.  He has faced such criticism in life and did not expect them to change after his death.

“How did you know my name?” Chime asked surprised and a bit mistrustfully. She knew nothing of how spirits worked. She didn’t know if they would just know her name. She didn’t see why not but still it struck her as odd.

Wan gave her a wry look, “It’s a perk of being in the spirit world.”

Chime shook her head in befuddlement. It was difficult to get a straight answer from Wan but he did appear to be trying. She didn’t feel deceit from him. He felt honest to her, “What did you mean, Avatar Wan, when you said you weren’t really dead?” Chime asked. Wan smiled, “I was reincarnated, you are my reincarnation.”

Chime jolted back as if she had been physically struck, “What?” She demanded, “Reincarnation?”

“You see,” Wan scratched the back of his head, “I joined with a spirit, Raava, and because of her my soul, your soul, uh our soul is reborn.”

“Raava...?”

Wan groaned, “I’m not explaining this very well, am I?” he asked. Chime responded by shaking her head. Wan sighed and offered his arm to her. Chime took it and he began to walk along the forgotten battlefield alongside him.

“I suppose I should start at the beginning,” Wan began, “I was born destitute and had to steal to feed myself and my friends. I wasn’t very good at it, and often got caught and beat. So I devised a plan to gain power. I went into the Spirit Wilds to go hunting,” Wan laughed and scratched the back of his head, “Hunters went to the lion turtle that was the protector of our village and he gave them, uh us in this case, firebending to protect ourselves out in the Spirit Wilds. I attempted to raid the Chou estate, the rich family I often stole from and who beat me severally several times. It failed, and I was exiled for my crimes, though I was allowed to keep my fire bending.”

“I was a thief in another life?” Chime asked sounding a bit insulted and confused, “What does this have to do with reincarnation?”

Wan scratched his head, “I really suck at this whole explaining thing. Next time, you can do it.” Chime shot him an unamused look.

“I got caught in between a fight between Vaatu and Raava. Vaatu was, is a spirit of chaos and darkness. Raava is a spirit of peace and light. They exist to fight each other, and when Vaatu wins there is 10,000 years of darkness but if Raava wins things remain as they are. Vaatu lied to me when I stumbled onto their fight and I freed him from Raava’s hold on him. To correct my error I traveled the world to convince other lion turtles to give me different elements and in the end I had to merge with Raava to defeat Vaatu and seal him away inside the Tree of Time. However there is still darkness in the world and Raava and I made it our life time mission to restore balance to the world. A task I never completed but a task that you shall maybe have more luck.”

Chime stared at him, “What...?”

Wan laughed heartedly, “If its confusing for you, imagine how confused I was! I didn’t know I would be reincarnated until just before I died! Though I’ve had a while to prepare what I would say to you. I’m still making a muck of it though.”

Chime smiled despite herself. She shook her head, “I still don’t understand. How can I be a reincarnation of you?” She asked, “You’ve explained what happened to you, but not me.”

Wan sighed, and ran his free hand through his fingers, “When I died Raava’s spirit left my body and went to find a new host. You. You still been in your mother’s womb. Weeks, days, or moments from birth.”

“Alright. That makes sense. But why me specifically?” Chime demanded confused. She was a good airbender. She was brave. She did her best to look after her family and her clan. But surely there were people better? People more connected with the world. Nomad she was, but she was a hermit. This great power, Avatar Wan spoke of. If it was true, and Chime couldn’t explain it but she felt like it was. It couldn’t be meant for her.

Wan shook his head. He didn't know why she was chosen any more than Chime is, “Chime, you and you alone, have the power to master every element. You alone have a connection to the spirit world because you are part spirit. Raava is inside you as well. She brought you here.” Chime smiled at that. It did explain the tugging sensation from inside her drawing her to the apparent portal to the spirit world.

“So you want me to go out and learn all the elements?” She asked.

“Well yes, but not just for mastery’s sake. Chime, I know your world is very small. You have only lived in your one clan and though you are nomadic and have seen much of the world your scope of it is very narrow. You might not know about the other people and cultures that exist out in the world but as the only person who can truly experience all of the different ways of life, through your bending and your connection with the spirit world, you can be an instrument to better the world. The world might not want you and they might not acknowledge you, but you have a duty to help.” Wan released her arm and turned to and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Chime looked around at the battle field then back into Wan’s eyes. He was trapped here, she realized. Stuck in the mistakes of the past, in his perceived failures. Wan thought he had failed the world, despite the fact that he had given so much of himself trying to protect it. There was no way to permanently save the world, was there? But telling Wan that wouldn’t help him and it wouldn’t get him out of the past. She could tell him no. But she would be running away from what she was born to do, if she could even run from her fate for long.

“I don’t have much of a choice do I?” Chime responded a half-smirk on her lips.

Wan frowned, “You always have a choice, Chime.”

Chime shook her head, “It’s not like I can say no and someone else will do it. If I can help, I want to help.” She replied.

“People you don’t know? People who have no claim to you?”

Chime nodded, “If I can, I should.” She found as she said the words that Wan wanted to hear that she meant them. A surprise to her. She was from a very isolated community that didn’t help people outside of it. Yet, Chime found that she did honestly want to help.

Wan gave her a brilliant smile that had Chime smiling as well despite herself. Though her words were brave and noble she felt nervous and confused, but also excited. She was a nomad. She hated staying in one place. Even though her clan moved, she still felt like she was in the same place always. She wanted to see more. She did wonder, in the back of her mind, why she was really saying yes. Was it for herself, for an epic adventure, for Avatar Wan, or because she genuinely wanted to help? Maybe it was a combination. Still, Chime didn’t feel all that great. She felt small and overwhelmed.

“You are going to make an excellent Avatar.” Wan told her and a bright light flooded her vision. The light was so intense Chime instinctively closed her eyes and turned away from the light. The hands on her shoulders lifted and the bright light grew until she could see it through her eyelids.  

Chapter Text

The light was gone suddenly and the absence of it made everything look dark in comparison. Chime was significantly colder. She fingers ached and she felt almost numb she was so cold. All around her, she could hear muddled voices. Slowly, the voices grew until she could make out what they were saying. Chime distinctly heard Tahir’s voice and Suharto’s along with two other hunters she knew relatively well. She opened her eyes, and was greeted by Tahir’s warm brown eyes.

“Chime!” He exclaimed in surprise. He glared over his shoulder at the others, “I told you I thought she was waking up.” He said, in an accusatory voice. Chime wondered what they had been saying previously about her to bring on this tone.

Chime blinked at them, trying to gather her wits, “Have I be… out long?” She asked, holding back discussing her vision or trip to the spirit world, or whatever had just happened. She wasn’t sure how to explain it yet. It sounded crazy to her. She only barely believed it herself and she had actually experienced it. She couldn’t expect other people to believe her so easily. She had no proof. Its not like she could water bend, or anything.  

Tahir nodded, “When the sun started to set and you hadn’t come by, I got worried. So I went to Master Suharto and you hadn’t reported in. So we got together a small search party for you. Luckily Nili was easy to spot from the sky and you didn’t go too far. I was afraid you had gotten hurt. What were you doing out her?” Tahir demanded, his worry turning into anger, “We found you mediating except we couldn’t wake you up at all!”

Chime shook her head, “I don’t know…” she responded knowing that both Tahir and Suharto, who was giving her a stern look, would fall for an act of innocence, “I was going after the porcupine-leopard and I just felt called to this spot. I came here and I don’t know why, but I began to meditate.” She explained, not lying but leaving out key pieces of information.

“Did anything happen after that?” Suharto asked.

“The next thing I knew I woke up.” Again not a lie, Chime just didn’t specify where she woke up. It wasn’t like anyone would believe her if she spouted off about going to the spirit world. They would just think she was crazy. She would tell them the truth later, maybe.

“Your freezing,” Tahir said breaking the silence that had descended upon the party. He had a blanket in hand that he wrapped around her shoulders as he helped her up. Chime allowed Tahir to lead her to Nili. Nili looked happy and relieved to see her.

“I’m sorry girl, did I worry you?” Chime asked, rubbing Nili’s cheeks.

Nili nudged Chime’s face softly, careful of their size and strength difference before Tahir guided Chime on top of Nili, taking the reins for himself. They all took off for home but Chime could tell from the sideways looks that Tahir kept flashing her that he didn’t fully believe her story. He suspected that she was leaving things out. Chime sighed and snuggled deeper into the fur blanket he had provided her with. Her body was freezing and her fingers ached from the cold. Chime just hoped he let sleeping hedgehog-dogs lie as she watched the village appear on the horizon.

Chapter Text

Nili touched down in the air bison grazing fields. Twilight had descended on the village. All of the children were inside for the night though Chime knew that the adults and young adults would still be milling about. Tahir airbent down and then held out his hand to help Chime down. Chime didn’t really need all that much help. Her bones were freezing and she felt tired but it would serve her purposes better if she let Tahir think she needed his help. She took his warm hand and let him help her down. Tahir gave her another sideways look that made Chime wonder if perhaps she had made the wrong decision and he was seeing right through her ruse.

If he suspected anything, he said nothing as he began to lead her back to her family’s yurt. Suharto and the other hunters did not accompany them instead they tended to their mounts and Nili. Tahir swung one arm around her shoulders as he lead her off. He leaned his head near hers

“You are full of bison crap,” Tahir whispered with a frown.

Chime turned her almond-shaped grey eyes to his brown ones sharply. Her eyes narrowed. Tahir wasn’t intimidated. He just returned her glare.

“What really happened, Chime?” He asked softly, “You’re not telling me everything.” He sounded hurt. Something in Chime spiked. Her nerves were frayed from the ordeal she had just gone through and she didn’t need this right now. Why did Tahir act as if he had some sort of hold on her that allowed him to know everything? Yes, he was her oldest and closest friend, but that didn’t mean he got to know everything.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Chime responded with a shrug of her shoulders that played off the seriousness of their situation. Tahir opened his mouth to rebuke her and to call her out again on her misdirection when their conversation was interrupted.

The stranger from before had been watching them talk from the distance. His dark almost black eyes were keyed in on Chime’s short frame. In movements too fast for Chime’s eyes to follow and too fast for Tahir to react to, “You’ve changed,” the stranger said, grabbing both of Chime’s hands, “You’ve woken-”

“Hands off, stranger!” Tahir snapped, pushing the boy hard in the chest. The young man stumbled back a few steps releasing his hold on Chime. Tahir’s arm tightened around Chime’s shoulders and he ushered her away from the stranger. The strange boy didn’t attempt to follow after them or try to talk to them again.

Chime looked at him over his shoulder as she was lead away. His shaggy black hair was constantly in his face, creating a need to push it out of his face. He looked so alone, watching as Tahir escorted her away. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him and a little irritated at how Tahir had treated him, even though she had been rude to him earlier in the day.

She turned away from his piercing stare and focused on where she was walking. What he said struck her as reminiscent of her conversation. Did he know she was the Avatar? His earlier words about who he was looking for made sense if he were here for the Avatar. But how could he know that she knew she was the Avatar? It didn’t make any sense whatsoever. Still, there was something odd about him, and strange things rarely happened to her clan. For her to discover she was the Avatar at the same time this random strange appeared was too random. They had to be connected and Chime resolved to get to the bottom of it.

“Here we are,” Tahir announced, breaking Chime out of her thoughts. She blinked and observed her surroundings. She was indeed in front of her house. She took off the blanket Tahir had given her and handed it back.

“Thanks for your help,” she mumbled. Tahir gave her an odd look before shrugging, “You would have found your way back without me,” he said, for once not bragging about his accomplishment. Chime shrugged. He was right but that didn’t mean she wasn’t thankful.

“You alright?” Tahir asked, noticing her strange quiet.

“I’ll be fine,” Chime said. Tahir raised an eyebrow at Chime’s subtle acknowledgement that she wasn’t alright, “I should go inside. And you should get back to your family,” Chime said, stopping the conversation before Tahir asked too many questions. She could tell from the look on his face that he wanted to. Tahir nodded his head, clearly not wanting to leave but couldn’t think of a good reason to linger.

“Alright,” he said after an awkward silence, “We’ll talk later.” It was more of a question then a statement of fact.

Chime nodded her head, “Of course,” it felt like a lie on her tongue. Tahir waited for her to make the first move and she did. Chime turned and headed into the yurt, leaving Tahir behind her.

Chime walked into the her family yurt, only to immediately regret it. Her family was gathered around the wood fire looking apprehensive. She glared over her shoulder in the general direction where she had seen Tahir last. The bastard hadn’t warned her that her family knew about her disappearance and were waiting up for her. She turned her attention back as Hena exclaimed, “Chime’s home!” The eight year old girl launched herself from her place at the fire into Chime, throwing her arms around Chime’s curved form.

Chime caught her sister in her own arms, steadying her flight, “And you’re hurting me for it, that cuts deep sister,” she said with her usual amount of sass. The thick tension in the room began to dissolve.

A young man, a few winters older than herself, looked up from the scroll he was writing in. His eyes shown in the fire like tiger-gems, “Nice to see you didn’t die on the steppe, sister,” he greeted sarcastically, masking a look of worry that glowed in his eyes.

“Kalden!” Their mother scolded, swatting at him.

Chime stuck her tongue out at her older brother who returned the gesture. Then they both smiled. Their relationship was somewhat antagonistic but for the most part it was simply play acting.

Hena blubbered against the thick furs that encased Chime’s figure, “We were so worried, Chime! Tahir arrived with your catch and was so surprised when you weren’t here! He said you were fighting a porcupine-leopard! I thought for sure you had gotten eaten.”

Chime scoffed, “As if a porcupine-leopard could get both Nili and I,” she scolded, ruffling Hena’s hair and giving her a little squeeze. Hena pulled away and gave a watery smile, “Yeah, of course,” she sniffed, trying to sound as if she hadn’t been worried at all.

Chime’s father raised his deep brown eyes to Chime, a stern aura resonating from him, “Why didn’t you come back with Tahir?” He asked coolly. Chime’s teeth set on edge, but she inclined her head respectfully towards her father.

“As I said,” she fought to keep her voice even, “There was a porcupine-leopard. It would have been irresponsible to leave it. Someone had to take our game back and someone had to go after the porcupine-leopard.”

“And you elected to track it?” The accusation was clear and Chime’s jaw visibly clenched, “And yet you come home empty handed.”

“It eluded me,” Chime lied, with a shrug. She walked across the yurt to her small sleeping area, dropping her things by her bed.

Her father must have moved to say something or do something because behind her, Chime heard her mother say, “Yaser, please,” in her quiet voice. Her mother never raised her voice yet she had firm control over the family. She ran the family differently than Chime’s late grandmother but her gentle but firm hand was preferably to her grandmother’s iron fist.

She flopped onto her bed, and yanked the curtain closed. It snapped closed with a satisfying snap. Chime closed her hands into fists and pulled her arms in slightly. That never closed the way she wanted it to and this one time she got that snap, at the perfect moment.

Chime rolled on her side allowing her thoughts to float to different matters. She was going to have to talk to the chief about leaving. Would the chief even let her leave? Would she believe Chime when she told her about being the Avatar? Should she even tell her? Chime sighed quietly, knowing her family was probably listening for her as they stopped their vigil for her and went back to readying themselves for the night. She pulled off her furs and other layers, until she was in her first layer of clothing. Chime flopped back on her bed and closed her eyes. The sooner she resolved this the better. She would wait until morning to talk to the chief.