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"And we have to convince him, why?"
"Bokuto, I don't mean to be rude," Kita looks at Bokuto with a dead expression. "But we've explained this more than once. Akaashi-san has the ability to control the spirits with his water bending, and without the Avatar around we need all the help we can get."
Bokuto Koutarou was the last of the air-benders to ever survive the hundred-year war. Tanaka Saeko was the one who found him as a kid, all alone in broken ruins. Since her future husband was an air-bender like Bokuto, he taught him everything he knew. By the time Bokuto was fifteen, he had already left out and set his own place in the United Republic. There he met Kita Shinsuke, a wanted fugitive in Ba Sing Se who was framed for stealing from the Earth Queen. Then he met Suna Rintarou, a male who was raised in the Southern Water Tribe but had no water-bending abilities and instead can bend glass. They lived in the streets of the United Republic for two years until chaos started to ensue. Bokuto and Kita were already seventeen by then, and Suna was turning sixteen.
And ironically, they were finding a powerful water-bender who was the same age as Suna.
"I think that's the temple." Suna says and points over at a large, glass building. They hiked on until they reached the top. Now, with a closer view, they just saw that Akaashi was just sitting inside a temple-looking glass square. Suna looks at Kita and Bokuto, confused. "Should I use my bending to let him out or...?" "No, it's not glass." Bokuto says, holding the texture. "It's ice. Ice is clear like glass." He added. Looking a bit closer, Bokuto sees that Akaashi had his eyes closed, a blue aura surrounding him. "Is he... sleeping?" He asks, looking at the two."
"Probably." Suna shrugs. "Well, we might as well let the world die as we know it."
"Suna," Kita starts with a stern tone. "Don't joke like that."
Bokuto ignores the two bickering as he continues to stare at Akaashi. The blue aura was moving around as if it was in a deep ocean. Out of curiosity, Bokuto moved his hand to the left.
Some part of the aura moved over to the same direction as his hand.
Bokuto blinked, then moved his hand again to the right. The same thing happened. "What the...? I thought I was an air-bender... how can I move water?" He muttered quietly, moving his hand away from the ice. In that moment, the ice-looking temple melted, shocking Suna and Kita. "Hey, what did you do this time?!" Kita asks, immediate shock waving over him. Bokuto raised his hands in defense. "I swear, I didn't do anything! I just moved my hands!"
"The Avatar returns." They turned to see Akaashi, who was standing up and stares at the three. "I couldn't sense it, but here you are after a century."
Kita faints after hearing that from Akaashi and Suna manages to catch him. Bokuto points at himself. "Huh? Me? But I'm an Air Nomad! How can I---well, do that?!" He asks.
"I'll explain, but it will take some time." Akaashi sighs. "And out of everyone, it had to be you..."
Bokuto pretended not to hear that last part, but for some reason he couldn't help but look at Akaashi's eyes. They were a deep blue, and somehow... it reminded him of someone.
Someone whom he treasured.
Tanaka-san, Tsukishima-san, there's something that I've discovered after two weeks of being in the mountains with one of the best water-benders.
I'm actually the last Avatar, but I didn't know. How I knew was... out of the blue. I somehow managed to control water and ice, fire and electricity, metal and the dirt, and even air. This has become a shock to everyone, but mostly me!
I won't be back for a while, but when I come again, I'll be a different person from before.
Your Former Student,
Bokuto Koutarou
Bokuto was about done in finishing his letter while Suna and Kita were still writing theirs. Akaashi was just sitting over the lake, staring at the starry skies. Bokuto puts the letter in his back pocket before going over to Akaashi and sat down next to him. "It's a pretty night, huh?"
Akaashi responds with a "hmm", still staring at the sky. Bokuto looked down at the lake and stared at his and Akaashi's reflection. His blue eyes were giving out a sense of... grief. "Hey, are you OK?" He asks, still not looking at him directly. Akaashi sighs before saying, "How can you talk so casually? After what you did to me?"
"Whatever I did, I'm really sorry." Bokuto says. "I know---By now I should be able to remember you because I know I've seen your eyes somewhere... but I can't." He admits.
"...you left me, Bokuto." Akaashi says, now looking at him. "I thought you were gone, then I see that you're the Avatar like before and then---then, you're just going to leave again."
"Stop me."
"Huh?"
"Stop me if I leave again, if it'll make you forgive me." Bokuto says, now looking at him with a determined face. "Just stop me if I think of leaving: Blood-bend me, trap me in ice, drown me---just stop me."
Akaashi puts his hand on top of Bokuto's. "I can't forgive you fully," He says. "But I can try to."