Book 1: Souls Chapter 2: Meeting Master Jinora (Part 2)

## Previously From Chapter 2:

"Sorry for causing so much trouble back there. I thought this was going to be a fun trip, but now it's just boring and dramatic." I laid my head back on the wooden bed post, hoping that would help me relax a bit better. "Hey, I actually think that was the most exciting thing that's happened so far. I've never seen you get mad like that before, and it was kinda cool." I smiled slightly, because it would hurt my jaw if I smiled a lot.

Toka cleared his throat. "So, uh, I'll just go so you can rest..." He stood up, getting ready to walk away. I don't know what came over me, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back on the bed. "Please stay, I don't want to be left alone!" My face was getting hot, and I was starting to second guess how good of an idea this was. He sat slowly, staring at me. *Hopefully he doesn't think I'm crazy...* "Okay," he said. "I'll stay." I was embarrassed and relieved at the same time. "So...What do you wanna do now?" He asked.

## Present:

I shrugged. " I don't know...Just..talk?" He nodded, looking like he was searching for conversation topics in his head. "What happens next?" he asked. I shrugged. "Depends. What do you mean?" He rested his chin on his hands. "I mean, are you going back out to do the gates? You got hurt pretty bad." "No way. Of course I'm trying again, but not right away. I need guidance, not to be rushed into airbending. I can't have Hena be my teacher, she's not even the patient type..." Toka sat up and thought for a minute. "What are you saying?" he asked me. I sighed. "I need Master Jinora."

"Why'd you forgive me?" Hena asked. Po looked up from his sketchbook. "Because arguing isn't worth it. We don't need to talk about it anymore, I'm already over it." Hena walked over and sat on the ground next to Po. "Ok, but what did you mean by 'I'm used to it'? Do people say that all the time?" Po nodded. "I know you said it wasn't a big deal, but I feel like I owe you at least an explanation, if not a thousand apologies!" He smiled slightly and sighed. "Ok, fine. If it makes you feel satisfied, explain."

Hena twiddled her fingers searching for the straightest line through the story. "You've probably heard it all before, nonbenders' parents being killed by benders." He nodded. "Yep. But, what does that have to do with this story? You're not a nonbender." She huffed and blew a hair off of her face. "My father was a nonbender. And you already know that mother is an airbender. I never knew how they met, but they seemed really in love, from what I saw." Po leaned back on his elbows to get comfortable. "Ok, so what's wrong? You had a good life, your father and mother loved each other." She turned to him and sighed. "If only you'd let me finish the story..." He put his hands up in defense. "Ok, ok, continue."

"My dad. Sikon, was a traveler, so we often went places with him. But, on one trip..." she began. "My father told me and my mother that 'we wouldn't need any weapons on this trip' and that it was 'going to be safe', and we believed him." Po sat up when he heard Hena's voice cracking, as if she was about to cry. And one thing he didn't know how to handle is a crying girl. "Y-you don't need to finish the story, you can tell me some other time!" He insisted. She shook head. "I'm fine...." She took a deep breath and continued.

"We had eaten dinner and decided my dad decided to take a walk on a trail that he also said was 'safe'." she said. "Then...he didn't come back after a whole hour, so we went to go see what was going on, and then..." She had to stop, so that she could steady her voice. "We never saw him again..." Hena couldn't hold it anymore, so she let it all out and started crying. "My mother has been going on and on since then, saying that if he was a bender, he would still be alive today...And I don't know why I believed her..."

She felt arms around her, and looked up to see Po attempting to calm her down. "I'm sorry that happened. And I'm sorry you and your mom had to go through that.....And that's all I can come up with for now, I never know what to do when women cry...." He said in a whiny voice. Hena couldn't stifle her laugh. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't want to deal with this, but I feel like this is the only way I could redeem myself as an air nomad." She pushed herself up to give him some space. "We should go back inside. I don't want to make you more uncomfortable than you already are." Po raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I was perfectly calm!" Hena chuckled. "Ok, sure."

He shrugged, and jumped off the boulder they were sitting on. "Are you coming?" He turned to ask, reaching out his hand. She nodded her head and slid off the tall rock, steadying herself by grabbing his arm. *That made me feel a bit better,* she thought.

**MEDITATION ROOM**

I knocked on the door to see if she was there. "Master Jinora? I need to speak with you, please!" I heard footsteps and backed when the door swung open. But this wasn't Master Jinora, probably an air nomad. "Hello. Who might you be?" he asked. I realized he must not know that I was visiting at the air temple, so I gestured to myself and said, "Avatar Yuki. Sorry to disturb you, but where is the master? I need to speak with her."

"You? The Avatar? Prove it." He scoffed. I was kind of offended, but glad he asked, because I was ready to punch him with the force of a thousand rocks! But, if I wanted to prove I was the Avatar, I also needed to be calm about it. I stuck up my chin and put my hands on my hips. "Fine. Throw a rock at me. Oh, and we should probably take this to another room, for fear that I might burn your bed 'accidentally'." I said gesturing my fingers to let him know that it was sarcasm. I don't know why, but he seemed pretty sure that my confidence was just bluffing. "Ok, lets go. I'll get the biggest rock I can find, too. Hope you know how to duck, fake avatar." Bruh. What is wrong with this kid?

We went into the outdoor corrridor I had walked through to get in the temple. He grabbed a sharp rock, small, but I guess he didn't know the definition of 'the biggest rock he could find'. "Ok, you ready, 'avatar'?" He teased. I sighed, but went along with it. "Oh no, hopefully you don't throw it too hard! Because if I weren't the avatar, you'd hurt me real badly..." I said in a baby voice. He pulled back his arm and threw the rock with extra force from the wind. *Pssh, easy.* I ducked backwards as it flew over my head. Just as he was about to celebrate, I smiled secretly. *He doesn't see the huge rock flying behind him.* I stood upright as I yelled, "Oh no, a giant rock behind you! Too bad I'm not the avatar, so I can't stop it!" I brought it closer, him not realizing that I was bending it. "Help!" He cried as the rock was just above us. I couldn't hold in my laugh anymore!

"Oh my gosh, how did you not notice me bending-" I was laughing so hard I couldn't speak. I didn't hear anything for a moment, so I lifted my head to see his reaction. When I didn't see him, I looked down. He wasn't pouting or mad. He was bowing. "My apologies, avatar. I didn't realize because you were in an air nomad hospital gown. Welcome to the Northern Air Temple." "What are you doing? I only did one element!" He shook his head. "You don't need to do more than one element for me to feel the spiritual energy. I am a student of Jinora, you know." That...kinda made sense. But wait, a gown? I looked down and realized that I was wearing a loose orange gown with a brown sash hanging down and wrapped all around the clothing. *H*ow *did I not notice my change of clothes?*

I almost forgot that there was a bowing nomad below me. "Oh um, you can stand if you want, you know." I reminded him. He jumped up excitedly. He bowed again, and said "Master Jinora is right down the hall, Ms. Avatar." I nodded my head to signal that I understood, but didn't walk away just yet. "Hey, what's your name? I don't want to call you "stranger" just in case we run in to each other again." I said.

He smiled. "My name is Hilang, and once again, I hope you stay." I walked past him waving goodbye. I was almost out the corridor when I felt eyes burning into my back. I turned around sharply, only to find out that no one was in sight. *Weird...* I thought. I reached the end of hall and I saw a door. *Hopefully this is the right room...*

I knocked twice, and nothing happened. I knocked a little louder, but not too much for fear that she might be meditating. "Master Jinora? Are you in there?" The door swung open, this time revealing the woman I need to speak to. "I see you've woken up. How are you feeling?" I touched my hand to my temple and tried to see if I felt any pain. "I'm feeling much better, thanks to Toka's healing." Jinora nodded. She swept her elegant arm through the door, telling me to come in. She had a table in the middle of the room, with two cups of tea sitting on top. "Who were you drinking tea with?" I asked. She sighed and looked to the table, with a distant look in her eyes. "My father. I made him his favorite tea, and laid out an old newspaper, the one my father had read once Up until recently, I haven't read them." I looked up at her and she seemed sad, but the satisfied, and happy kind of sad. I walked towards the small, round table, my silky loose blouse trailing behind me. I bent down to take a look at the headline of the newspaper.

"Who...who were the equalists? And Hiroshi Sato? None of that rings a bell." She bent down next to me and propped a finger on a part of the page. "Look a little closer." She replied. I ran my finger along to tiny words, hoping something would pop up so that I could understand what I was supposed to be seeing. I stopped my finger on a sentence that made me want to look closer. "Avatar Korra, Asami Sato and Bolin spotted at Sukioshi Spa....Avatar Korra? MY past life?" I exclaimed. Jinora chuckled, but nodded. "Yes. She and Asami were just trying to go somewhere to relax, but Bolin felt so left out, he followed them to the spa, but got them all kicked out because he had snuck in his fire ferret, Pabu."

I nodded but had one question to ask..."Why are you showing me this?" She took the news paper and set it the desk behind us. "Because, Yuki, you have nothing that help you get to know your past life. And your connection to you past lives..." She stopped and walked around the table to sit on a chair across the room. "What is it? What about my connection?" Master Jinora shook her head. "You're not ready." I was confused. "Not ready for what?"

"Not ready for the story. It will mean nothing to you, not when you know nothing about the spiritual side of your strength." Then I remembered what I had come here to do. "What about you? Would you help me? You were friends with Avatar Korra, you have experience with the Avatar! Couldn't you help me with my airbending, and my spiritual side?" She looked up from her head in hands, surprised. "I thought Hena was going to mentor you." I shrugged. "Well, she's not exactly teacher material, or even the patient type." She scoffed. "What makes you think that?" I raised my eyebrows and pointed to my head injury. "I see..." She said. She thought for a couple minutes, nodding her head. "Alright. I'll try my best."

"Yes!" I jumped up with my fist in the air! *Just wait until Toka and Po, and-* She raised a hand to stop me and calm me down. "But ONLY if you're ready to accept the challenge. I'm not here to teach you so you can learn for fun. You have a legacy to fulfill. Are you willing to accept the fact that you are going to have to take the call of the world when you are needed most?" I thought for a moment. I was excited to learn airbending, but was I ready to train for saving the *world*?

I was the Avatar...I had to step up to the plate, it was a now or never situation. I lowered my head and put my arms at my sides to bow. "I'll do whatever it takes, Master." She lifted my chin to look at me, and smiled. "We start at dawn."