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Lin grunted as she turned in this awfully uncomfortable bed. She thought beds on the Air Temple Island were uncomfortable but this one at the Eastern Air Temple was her worst enemy. She tried to cuddle up into Kya who didn't seem to mind the hard bed at all.
„Good morning” Kya chuckled at Lin's stirring and grunting.
„I miss my bed” Lin groaned.
„Me too but don't be such a crybaby, Beifong” Kya chuckled again.
„Four loud kids and a stupid hard bed. I think I have reasons to be grumpy”
„We can always get up and go take a walk, it's awfully early in the morning and I doubt that anyone except us is up” Kya offered.
„I think I'd prefer getting some sleep,” Lin said.
„We could watch the sunrise together and hold hands like those cute couples in books” Kya convinced.
„That's cheesy” Lin scoffed.
„But it's cute. Come on, get up and go be cute with me” Kya chuckled.
„Fine but I'm doing it purely out of love, not because I enjoy the cheesiness” Lin emphasized before she rolled out of bed.
„Of course” Kya giggled and followed her girlfriend with getting up.
A few minutes later they were walking through the air temple hand in hand, breathing in the morning air and enjoying the views of the rising sun. They weren't talking, they didn't need to. Each other's presence was more than enough for both of them. They walked into some building that seemed unused, some exploring never hurt anyone.
Once they entered they were met with a sight of a beautiful indoor garden that was enlighted in different colors due to the stained glass. In the middle of it, there was a stone fountain-like table with many different ornaments carved into it. The walls were covered in various vines and flowers from the floor to the ceiling.
„Have you been here before?” Lin asked, her mouth agape.
„No. We'll have to ask Tenzin about it, it seems like nobody was here in a while”
„Yeah, but what is it? He used to babble about air temples all the time and I can't remember him mentioning something like this” Lin walked towards the table in the middle, wanting to examine it.
„Look” Kya pointed at the two plain square stone slabs at each side of the table. They were the only plain ones among everything else that had various decorations on them. „Let's maybe try standing on those” she offered.
Lin shrugged and took her place by the other side of the table. They waited for a second but nothing happened so they started examining the pictures carved into the surface of the table. It presented two people standing across the table just like they were now.
„Maybe it's an instruction? Something like the one your dad and uncle Zuko used to learn the dancing dragon” Lin said.
„It would make sense... Let's try following it” Kya offered.
„We don't know what it is... I'm not sure-”
„Stop overthinking” Kya cut Lin off. „Let's just do it”
„If it turns out to be something bad...”
„Shut up. It looks like we're missing stones here” Kya pointed out as she looked at the carvings.
„There are some here” Lin kneeled and pointed at something that looked like shelves filled with various, colorful stones. Kya followed her and kneeled as well. „Those are crystals but I think we're looking for them” she informed. „What are we meant to do with them?”
„One second” Kya stood up and looked over at the carvings. After a short while, she went back to kneeling. „I think we should just... Pick? One for each of us”
„Alright” Lin picked a pink crystal without thinking and stood up.
„How- Lin! Give it at least a second of a thought” Kya whined.
„I don't need to” the earthbender shrugged.
Kya scoffed and after a while she stood up as well, holding a green crystal.
„We should place it here, I think” Kya put the green crystal at the top of the fountain-like table.
Lin listened and place the stone where Kya told her to. The carvings moved, causing Kya to jump slightly what Lin chuckled at.
„We should... Hold hands?” Lin said, examining the carvings as well.
Kya extended her arms towards Lin who caught her hands just like the carvings showed.
„It has some text here but it seems kind of destroyed...” Kya noticed.
„Well, the next thing is placing hands over the crystals so let's just do this” Lin offered.
They quickly followed the rest of the instructions on the carvings what resulted in the opening of something on the roof that let the sunlight fall directly onto them and the fountain at the top of the table filled with water.
„Damn it, that's bright” Kya chuckled as she squinted her eyes.
„You look beautiful” Lin complimented, causing Kya to look back and smile at her.
„Focus, Lin” Kya scolded. „But you're gorgeous as well” she added, trying to hide a blush.
„What now?” Lin asked.
„I guess we wait until the water turns off”
„Seriously?” Lin furrowed her eyebrows. As much as she loved Kya, she didn't feel like standing forever next to this fountain and holding hands with her.
„Good energy only, Lin” Kya scolded.
„Alright, alright...” the metalbender sighed.
„You know what? I've been thinking for a while and... I'm wondering how the heck we didn't end up together earlier” Kya tried starting some sort of conversation.
„What do you mean?”
„Remember us in our twenties? Before you started dating Tenzin? My friends thought we were dating back then and... I guess we had to act like it” Kya chuckled.
„You know, walking hand in hand and cuddling are also friend-like behaviors...”
„Yeah, sure” Kya chuckled again.
„Did you have feelings for me back then?” Lin asked.
„Now that I'm looking back to it, I probably did but just wasn't aware of it” Kya sighed. „Do you think if I made a move, it would become... something like that?” she asked.
„Probably... I mean, I wasn't aware of my feelings for you either but I think if you brought it up, I'd admit them to myself and most likely to you as well” Lin confessed.
„We lost a lot of time, huh?” Kya smirked.
„We did... But we wouldn't be who we are now so I guess it was worth it if, in the end, I get to be with you” Lin smiled.
„I think we can agree- look” Kya's thought was cut off by the water that started disappearing.
After not too long the fountain wasn't filled with water anymore and the instructions on carvings ended and the sunlight went away.
„That's it?” Lin asked.
„I think so...” Kya shrugged. „Do you think we can take those?” she pointed at the crystals.
„Mhm,” Lin hummed approvingly before reaching for the pink crystal she picked earlier.
„You know, this one reminds me of you,” Kya said, picking up her crystal. „And not only because it has the same color as your eyes. It just gives me the same energy... I know it sounds silly” Kya told as they started walking towards the exit.
„It doesn't. You know I don't mind you talking about this stuff. Besides, this one reminds me of you as well. That's why I picked it”
„Oh... That's nice” Kya smiled. „Do you know how they're called?” she asked.
„Yup, mine is rose quartz and yours is malachite” Lin informed. „Tenzin mentioned something about crystals having meaning or some spiritual properties so we can check this out or ask him about it later” she offered.
„Sounds great” Kya grinned. „I love you”
„I love you too” Lin kissed the waterbender softly.
——————————
Later that day, Lin managed to fall asleep on the couch in the common room that happened to be more comfortable than the beds. Bumi offered to play a prank on her but the kids decided against it since they didn't want Lin to get mad at them and Kya appreciated their maturity.
After everyone ate their lunch, Lin was still asleep and the kids, as well as Bumi and Pema, decided to go outside, leaving Tenzin and Kya the only people inside.
„So... I've been wondering. What are those indoor gardens at the Air Temples for?” Kya asked her brother as she was putting out the lunch for Lin.
„Indoor gardens? There are a few... Can you specify?”
„You know, stained glass as a roof, the fountain-like table in the middle, filled with crystals and stones at the bottom” Kya described.
„Oh, this is called a garden of souls. Lovers would go there and perform a ritual that included other elements, crystals for the earth, sun for fire, and water for, well... water. They'd take the stones charged with the energy they exchanged during their vows and make them as amulets that equaled wedding rings or betrothal necklaces except they could do what they wanted with those. Put it in a ring, necklace, maybe just hold it in a pocket... Whatever each individual felt like”
„And what was this ritual exactly for?” Kya asked.
„Air nomads believed that it was tying lovers' souls together. Something like marriage except for every next lifetime” Tenzin explained.
„Oh... Oh” the waterbender exclaimed as it hit her. She and Lin got accidentally married.
„Can I know why are you asking?” Tenzin furrowed his eyebrows.
„I was just curious”
„Where were you and Lin this morning?” Tenzin asked.
„On a walk. Lin couldn't sleep in the acolyte bed, it's too hard for her rich back” Kya chuckled.
„I've heard that” Lin mumbled from the couch.
„Zip it and sleep” Kya scolded. „But anyway, you have something more on this garden?”
„Well, the crystal each party takes is meant to represent their partner and remind them of them anytime they look at it. It can sometimes symbolize how they perceive each other. There's a book on it in the library if you'd like to look into it” Tenzin smirked, happy his sister was interested in the culture of the Air Nation. „Anyway, I'm going to join the rest outside. If you have any more questions, you know where to find me” Tenzin said before leaving the common room.
„Did you hear that, sleepyhead?” Kya asked as she settled on top of the earthbender on the couch.
„Yeah. So we're kind of married now?” Lin looked at Kya.
„I guess” the waterbender shrugged and sat down next to her girlfriend. „So I can call you my wife now?” she raised an eyebrow.
„If you like that” Lin shrugged. „Do we still need to get an actual wedding?” she asked.
„Would you like to have one?” Kya asked.
„Well... I don't feel like it's a necessity since we're married for all of our lifetimes but if you want one then sure” Lin answered sleepily.
„We don't need it” Kya shook her head no. „But we could make it official without a party”
„Sounds good to me” Lin chuckled.