About five hours remained until we reached the Western Air Temple when local meteorologists—birds, in this case—predicted an unprecedented storm. Flying in bad weather is possible, but it's far from pleasant. I've had negative experiences before. It's best to simply observe the birds' flight occasionally; they won't lead you astray.
It was getting late, so we decided to spend the night on some unnamed island and continue our journey in the morning. A dry cave became our shelter for the night. No one objected. I'm used to such inconveniences, and the others didn't mind—everything was too new for them. After all, it was their first time beyond the lands of eternal winter.
"I wish I could learn waterbending sooner. Then I could see the whole world," Katara said dreamily. Sitting by the campfire is the most heartwarming experience. There's something mystical about the fire.
"You'd need a hundred years to reach that level," Sokka couldn't resist chiming in. He was thoughtfully twirling ordinary stones, trying to figure out why he couldn't create a spark with them, while I had succeeded with the same stones. Firebending chi—that's the key to success!
"Hmph," Katara sniffed, lifting her nose. "You're just jealous of my bending."
"Kids, no need to argue. Everyone has their strengths," Kaya intervened, stepping into the budding dispute.
"Mom's right. True power lies here," Sokka said, pressing his fingers to his temples. "Brains, intellect, wit—call it what you want, the essence remains the same." His words weighed on Katara, who preferred solving everything with bending. But she refused to admit he was right, so they spent the rest of the evening in silence.
"At least we'll get a few hours of peace from their arguments," Yui whispered to me. The flight had never been boring. Katara and Sokka were masters of debate, making our journey more… active, I suppose.
"This is nothing. Look at Kaya. She has to navigate between her two children's interests," I replied. Kaya genuinely looked a bit exhausted, especially emotionally. But I knew how to end her day on a pleasant note—I just needed to stay quiet.
Two hours later…
Well, a good, deep sleep is also a great way to end the day. We spread out our beds and prepared to sleep—or rather, finally tried to sleep. A heated argument erupted over the spot next to me: South Pole versus North Pole. Expressions, threats, facts, arguments—but in the end, friendship won. I had wanted to lie by the wall, my favorite spot… Now I'm trying to fall asleep with Katara and Yui lying on top of me—no, not just lying, but squeezing me tightly in their embrace. Where do such small bodies get so much strength?! In the end, Kaya didn't wait for my release from their tiny but tenacious hands. She fell asleep soundly, leaving me to the mercy of our adorable girls.
Morning. The mountain range north of the Fire Nation. The Western Air Temple.
"Looking at these upside-down buildings makes my head spin," Sokka muttered.
"How did they build this?!" Katara exclaimed in awe, eagerly examining the architecture.
"It's truly amazing," agreed my little sister, who was mesmerized by everything around her.
Kaya expressed her joy more calmly, but the sparkle in her eyes spoke volumes. The sight was indeed unusual. The entire temple was built under a cliff, making the buildings appear upside down, though people lived there just as they did in other Air Temples.
Inside, everything looked solitary but well-preserved. The rooms and some household items created a cozier impression compared to the Northern Air Temple. You could feel a woman's touch, though not as strongly. After all, different values were cherished within these walls.
The Air Nomads were the only "country"—if that term even applies here—where every person was more spiritually developed. Meditation was part of their daily lives. What mattered wasn't the strength of their bending but control over their chi. You could criticize them for their naivety, kindness, and compassion, but you couldn't help but respect them. They never started a war, not even a local conflict. They simply lived and grew, bothering no one.
We spent the entire day exploring the temple, which seemed small at first glance but had most of its rooms inside the mountain. There was a huge Pai Sho table, a beautiful fountain, and a Hall of Statues honoring the Avatars and the greatest Airbending Masters. In the evening, we gathered around the usual campfire.
"The Air Nomads knew how to choose locations for their temples," Sokka said respectfully. "But these cliffs…" He didn't finish his sentence as a strong gust of wind pushed him closer to the edge. "Stupid," he muttered, only after moving away from the dangerous spot.
"Sokka, be careful near the cliff!" Katara said, worried about her brother—though a bit too late. Sometimes her words just freeze me, but I have to admit, their bickering is entertaining, especially when you feel it more deeply, as I do. Katara was ready to use her waterbending if Sokka fell, but she didn't say anything—how sweet.
Hours passed in this atmosphere. Yui began enjoying their "exchanges of kindness," often deliberately provoking one side or the other. I had to rein her in occasionally.
The third and final day of our stay at the temple felt somewhat sad. To be specific, Katara, Yui, and Sokka didn't want to return home, but we had promised our parents to bring everyone back safely and as soon as possible. The weather wasn't helping either. A light drizzle started in the morning, and the sky looked gloomy, promising a full-blown downpour later. So, we should leave soon. I just needed to finish reading the last sayings of the Airbending Masters, and then we could return to the others.
"Boundaries exist only in your mind. How cliché. Every coach repeats that in their trainings," I muttered. But I wasn't in a hurry to leave. This particular inscription by Airbending Master Aila felt different, almost magnetic, with its unsolved mystery.
Reading the single line over and over, I began to delve deeper into myself. Memories started flooding in—memories of mastering an extremely difficult waterbending technique: absorption, the part where you gather water from the air. I had never managed to grasp it. Plants were easy, but this…
With each failure, I unconsciously lost faith, stopping practice and favoring more successful aspects of waterbending. All this time, I had been building a wall that hindered my progress. Convinced of its impossibility, I had strayed from the right path.
"Sometimes, all you need is faith," I said with a crooked smile.
Raising my hands, I focused on the water in the air. Just stay calm. Now, do it. Don't think!
"Ha-ha-ha!" My happy laughter echoed around. "I struggled with this for two years, and the answer was right in front of me."
There it was—a small volume of water, enough to fill a cup, floating in the air. The essence of happiness. But what's a little time? There's still plenty!
"How did you do that, brother?! Teach us!" Katara and Yui shouted. I had been so absorbed that I hadn't noticed the others arriving.
Ah, it feels good to be admired. And Kaya is looking at her super-talented man with wide eyes! Alright, a little self-praise never hurts.
"Earn your Master status, and I'll start your training immediately," I said, anticipating their increased eagerness and productivity. "Let's have a mini-lesson. Water is everywhere—in people, plants, animals, and even the air. Benders are used to manipulating only the water they can see. But if water is everywhere, why don't we use it all?" I asked the girls.
"It's harder! You need to approach it step by step, from simple to complex!" Yui blurted out. I wanted to say, "If you want to speak, raise your hand." Ah, school days… Sometimes I wish I could go back.
"That's the right answer," I said, pointing to her. "Katara looks determined. Anything to add?"
"It's too hard to imagine what you can't see, so you need to improve your skills first!" Katara added, expecting approval.
"Both of you are correct," I said, patting their heads. They're capable of more than just splashing water around. I could start teaching them this technique in a couple of years, during the full moon, when the connection to water energy is strongest.
"Oh, I think I left my bag in the farthest hall. Katara, Yui, Sokka—I have an important task for you! Go fetch it," I requested, folding my hands together.
"No problem!/You're so forgetful, brother!/You could've gone yourself, pfft," they replied. Guess who said what.
"We'll look elsewhere for now! Meet us back here in half an hour!" I called after them.
"Your bag is in the pile over there," Kaya pointed out.
"I needed to keep them busy," I explained. "Now we have half an hour," I said, cupping her hips in my hands. "Good moods should be shared. That's what we'll do," I added, lifting us onto a water platform. There was a beautiful meadow nearby—we hadn't done it in nature yet, right? No objections accepted. I sealed her lips with a kiss.
*
"It's just a mushroom. So what if it glows and tastes a bit nasty? Just a tiny bite," I tried to convince myself to eat a piece of this slightly toxic mushroom growing in our greenhouse. Yes, even there, mistakes happen. I needed to test my newfound resistance to poisons.
The second chakra opened the next day after we returned home. I realized I couldn't keep running from my problems. The water chakra had been ready to open for a while, but I hadn't wanted to face the unpleasant moments, so I kept postponing it. My success in waterbending gave me the extra push I needed.
This time, it felt mundane. The voices weren't as strong, and my mind wasn't clouded. I simply moved steadfastly toward my goal. I don't think it will always be this easy. It depends on the emotion blocking the chakra. The first chakra was blocked by fear—mine was strong, so it was harder to overcome. This chakra was blocked by guilt, and there wasn't much to fuel it. Sure, I have some transgressions, but they don't consume me. Alright, I'll admit it—I'm just shameless.
Since it happened so easily and ordinarily, I'm not entirely convinced…
The best way to test it is on myself! Mistakes taught people not to put their hands in the fire! What makes me any different if I eat this ugly mushroom?!
"I'm in the right mindset! Here goes nothing," I said, taking a tiny bite. I might be a master of talking, but I don't want to be stuck in the bathroom. That's their only side effect—they cleanse your system, so to speak.
"What's taking you so long, Yuki?" my father's voice called out. "I have a meeting soon. Are you coming out or not? The other bathrooms are far away."
"Coming out now!" I shouted back. I had rushed here right after taking a bite, just in case. Thirty minutes and no effects—the second chakra is mine.
Poison me! Poison me completely! I'm not scared anymore…