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"The Air Nomads had no care for their children. They abandoned them to the temples and never came back for them, neglecting them and only finding them important for their airbending. This is why our fire lord Sozin is urging family's to be closer than ever, respecting and loving each other."
That was what my teacher said. It was bullshit to put it quite simply. I always got a headache from his school, but my mom kept encouraging (forcing) me to go. I laid in bed and thought about everything my teacher had said today, frequently going back to the Air Nomads having no care for their children. That was such a lie it was physically paining me. I know my love friend Aang used to have so much love for children and everyone. I remember so clearly that women, Aang's empathy for her, and that room we spent hours in, only staying sane because of each others presence.
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The festival was boring so far. There was no dancing, no food that wasn't meat (though Aang swore up and down it was fine and hecouldeatlater,Kuzon-) It just wasn't doing it for me. You could look around and see every single thing happened then hyperfocus on it for 10 minutes then when you go to look back at the other people nothing would have changed. I really hoped I wasn't giving Aang a bad time, but he looked pretty happy so I suppose it's fine for now.
"Excuse me!" A woman around 27 ran up to them, cradling a child in her arms. I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Mrs?" Aang replied, looking slightly miffed at having having his attention pried from the mosaics on the walls but overall kind. The woman took a deep breath, looking troubled.
"You are an Air Nomad, yes?" Aang nodded, more interested in where this conversation was going than a second ago. "Oh goodie, I know you probably get this request a lot but I was really wondering if you would be able to bless me. I might have a miscarriage soon and I cannot possibly have that and live with it after. I would like some type of luck to see if I can still have my child." She choked up in the middle of it. Aang sort of just stood there, looking like a hawk when you tell them to deliever something to someone they have never met. He recovered soon after and plucked her child out of her arms, causing my jaw to drop.
"Aang, you cannot just steal somebody's baby from out of their arms!?" I whisper-yelled, watching Aang's eyes slide over to me. He blushed and was about to say something before the baby gurgled and his attention was focused back on the child. The baby was giggling and grabbing at Aang's clothes. I watched Aang's face soften and a smile grow, moving his fingers up to the child's face where the child grabbed and held on.
Aang had kissed the baby right on the forehead, and the energy around us changed. Aang didn't seem to notice, but the mother did. She had tears running down her cheeks now. "Where do you live? I'm not yet trained enough to give blessings, but I know some people that are." She had thanked him tremendously that night, telling him where she lived and how he could visit for food or anything whenever.
That was the start of it, at least. At times when Aang visited he sometimes visited her also to check if she and the baby were still ok. Her house was nearby, so I could watch the Air Nomads that came to bless her sometimes. I remember so clearly 2 months after the festival, when Aang had shown up out of nowhere to drag me out of my house. We were both in their pajamas, shoeless, and my hair wasn't even in my bun that I usually wore.
"As much as I love being dragged out of my room unannounced to go some place with you, where are we going?" Aang looked over at me, surprised as if he thought I knew.
"We are going to Ysimu's place because she's giving birth tonight." He said it as if it was the most logical thing in the world. At the time I had been thinking how no one else from the Fire Nation would even think to come, even if they were at risk. I had smiled and pushed that thought to the back of my head. I am many things, but I wasn’t a traitor to my nation. We reached her place and knocked, smiling at the man who opened the door. He looked slightly surprised but let us in.
Aang had sat down and pulled me down next to him, knees touching. I prayed he hadn’t noticed me blushing. We spent hours in there, quietly talking, messing with each other, and when we got finally got news Aang had been playing with my hands.
He had perked up and when the man who they had figured out to be the mother’s husband gave a thumbs up, smiling and nodding Aang had grinned. Tears had started to fall from his eyes and he looked at me, oh so very happy. I sat there, frozen watching him look down and sniff. I wanted to kiss all the tears away, but I didn’t. I hugged him instead, and he threw his arms around me, squeezing hard.
We sat there for a long time before we were permitted to go in to the room. The mother seemed like she was fighting to stay awake. Aang was given the baby, and he cradled it like it was the most precious thing in the world. I felt jealous, then I felt silly for being jealous of a newborn. Aang sunk to the floor, crying again (right after I had finally been able to get him to stop crying.) Even though he was crying, definitely needed sleep, and looked an overall mess, I had thought that he never looked better.
I made eye contact with the mother, who looked between Aang and I, then gave me a knowing look with a smile. We were told to go back home soon after because Ysimu needed rest.
A month after I was told by Gyatso Aang hadn’t been seen and was missing. 2 months after that, the sky turned red and we were told that the Air Nomads were all dead because of their ‘plot to take over the world’. Ysimu had yelled at them for it, cradling both of her children. I remember the smell of her burning flesh after, and how they had asked if anyone else wanted to go against what Fire Lord Sozin had said. Nobody said anything.
Many people had came up to me to apologize for Aang, and my father who was newly home from the army had said, “Your mother told me in letters about your boyfriend, Ong was it? You’re better off without him.” Then he had later said, “You better not be liking any more boys. It’s disgusting.” I hated my father. I had wished for him to go back to Sozin’s army where he belonged. I went to sleep with tears in my eyes that night, wishing for Aang to kiss them away and cuddle me to sleep.