Avatar: The Legend Reborn - Book 3: Harmony

Chapter 11: Life Goes On

Book 3: Harmony
Chapter 11: Life Goes On...

Gyatso

Daybreak. The village chicken-pigs crowed, signaling the light of the rising sun. Gyatso was already awake, staring at the wall of the hut; he had been all night long. Akira didn't sleep either. She just lay on her back in bed and weeped. Neither of them knew what to do. They couldn't process the truth of the situation.

Gyatso kept expecting Jiansu to walk through the door any minute and tell them to get their lazy butts ready for the day. He had always been that guiding light they all needed, not just during times of conflict, but in their everyday life. Though he'd never realized it, Gyatso didn't really have a purpose in life until six years ago, when Team Avatar was formed. Since then he'd always had something to do. And yeah, Akira was a huge part of that, and a very important aspect of his life, but Jiansu was the leader. Now that he was gone, they were both lost.

After hours of silence, Akira was the first to speak. "I can't believe he's gone."

"I know. It doesn't seem real." Gyatso said.

"What do we do now?" Akira sniffled.

Gyatso shook his head. "We need... to find a new purpose. We have to make ourselves move on, even if we don't want to."

"I don't. I really don't."

"Neither do I. But there's nothing we can do to help him now. We have to remember we're not the only ones who've lost him. Your mother, the kids, Kinlei. None of them even know. We need to get off this island."

Akira wiped her eyes. "I know. Agh! I know. How am I gonna tell them? What am I gonna tell them?"

Gyatso shook his head. "I'm not sure, but first we need to actually reach them, and that begins with just one step. Come on Akira, we have to find a way home."

She stared blankly at the ceiling. "Help me up. I can't move."

Gyatso picked himself up with great difficulty and traipsed over to Akira. He leaned over and hugged her, pressing the human side of his head to hers. "Come on, we'll figure this out together."

They struggled to their feet and wandered out the door into the street, Akira clutching her bandaged abdomen as she hobbled along. As soon as they exited the hut, Taima and the phoenix swooped down out of nowhere and bombarded them with cuddles.

Akira managed a halfhearted laugh. "Hey guys, how are you holding up?"

Gyatso heard someone clear their throat, and turned to see who it was. Tenzin floated over and bowed respectfully. "Good morning."

"Hey... Grandpa Tenzin." Gyatso greeted him.

"Hi." Akira said.

"Avatar Akira, Gyatso, my deepest sympathies for your loss." Tenzin offered.

Akira steeled herself before replying, and when she did, her voice sounded broken. "Thank you."

"I suppose you'll be departing now that you've managed to free Jiansu's soul from Mother Kyrlin, and the pirates' leaders are dead?"

Gyatso remembered what Akira had told him about Jiansu's blood oath; the pact he'd made to restore the lost connection. He'd never gotten a chance to tell Jiansu how much that had meant to him, and how much it had helped the world.

Akira nodded. "That's the plan. We need to get everyone back to their families safely. I... can't afford to lose anyone else."

Tenzin gestured towards Taima. "Then you'll be needing a new saddle, since you lost your old one in the crash. My bison Oogi has been gone for quite some time, so I won't be needing this."