Story of the Past ~~ Avatar: TLA - REWRITING

3 - is About the Bull & the Friend

   When Tenzin was having his attack, Monk Kwan had saved him a lot of trouble and informed the supervisors at the sky bison stables that he wouldn't be coming in until evening, and covered for him when people asked why he hadn't been around anywhere else. Now Tenzin was back at the stables brushing out the dirty coat of a male bison. The poor bull had flown into the west cliff wall and fell into a tree. After he was examined by the superintendent and deemed fine, he was sent to Tenzin to get cleaned up. Bison were very large, tough creatures that the whole of the air nomads respected reverently, as they were the first airbending teachers. Even though airbenders were given bending by the lion turtle, they still needed to learn to control and use the ability. Every air nomad child at the age of six is sent to an air temple that has a new batch of sky bison babies to find their own animal guide.

Tenzin stopped brushing the bison when he again pulled on the restraints. This bison was wild and had no master. They were harshly difficult to tame and train if you tried at this age; that is why the children get them young, so they can grow together and learn together. Tenzin brushed his hand through the impatient animal's long hair, "thank you for not blowing me away." It wouldn't have been the first time that happened. With the restraints now untied, the bull turned his head towards Tenzin, and he worried that he'd given the bison ideas. He bowed to the animal, praying for mercy, and tilted his head up slightly so he could see it. The bull nodded his head, so slightly that Tenzin thought he'd missed it, and flew out of the wide open concept of the stable. He blew out a breath in relief and grabbed a broom to clean up the excess hair. Sky bison were Tenzin's favorite animal in the air nation because of their high intelligence, their determination, and their loyalty.

For hours now he had been trying to push aside the speech Monk Kwan gave him back in his house, but he knew he needed to face it. Or did he? He could wait a little longer to divulge his feelings on the matter. No, he shouldn't allow it to fester and remain unresolved.

"Hey, air head!" Tenzin squinted his eyes in confusion and turned to see a silhouette in front of the sun. He lifted a hand over his eyes and now squinted in order to see the one calling him names. "What, I'm gone a week and you don't recognize me?" The familiar voice laughed and Tenzin relaxed when he saw his friend, Shangmu. He couldn't help but laugh along with his friend as he walked over to embrace him.

"How could I recognize someone I've completely forgot about?" Tenzin joked and Shangmu pretended to look hurt. It was rare for Tenzin to lighten up, but he missed his good friend, and the silly young airbender brought it out of him. Tenzin moved Shangmu to get the sun's glare out of his face and noticed his friend's clothing. His eyebrow went up in amusement and Shangmu looked down at himself, grinning wide and holding his arms out for Tenzin to see.

"I went shopping! This is a traditional Earth Kingdom hat, and bag, and belt, and--" He continued to ramble on about all the green things he wore, and Tenzin couldn't help but chuckle at how out of place they looked in a sky bison stable in the Southern Air Temple. Shangmu's father was a farmer and grew a wide assortment of vegetables in the abundant fields here. Every time he had extra produce, he would travel to a nearby earth town or Ba Sing Se and sell them there for a fair and honest price. The money he earned he would donate to charity, as was a popular custom in the air nation. This time he had taken Shangmu with, which must have been a mistake as he couldn't possibly had any money left over to give to the poor after Shangmu went shopping. His friend didn't mind farming, and Tenzin figured that even after he earned his airbending tattoos, he would continue with agriculture. Tenzin didn't know what he wanted to do, the only thing he allowed himself to do was care for the bison since he was asked by one of the monks to help out when they were understaffed a few years ago, and he was never asked to stop.

The two friends decided to walk to Shangmu's house to wait for his father, so that they could tell Tenzin all about the Earth Kingdom Capital they went to. Tenzin was happy to have a valid excuse not to think about Monk Kwan's lecture. "We even went to the zoo--you know what a zoo is, right?"

"That's where people go to see wild animals right?"

"Exactly, but they're locked up in little cages, it's so unfair. My dad had to leave early because he couldn't handle the sight but I stuck it out." Tenzin gave Shangmu a look that said, I can't believe you stayed. "Hey, I was curious! There was a miniature boar-q-pine, deerdogs, an elephant mandrill, elephant rats, fox antelope, gemsbock bull, gopher bear, platypus bear, skunk bear, a hog monkey, you name it! I could go on, but there were so many and it was so cool. I really hope I can go again soon, maybe you could go with us next time." Tenzin nodded, that was definitely something he wanted to do one day and learn the culture of the Earth Kingdom, and maybe visit the Southern Water Tribe. It was far away, but closer than the other Air Temples. "It's a good thing we came back on time, I wouldn't want to miss the Season." Shangmu winked and lay down on the floor with his leg folded up.

Tenzin turned away from Shangmu and tried to change the subject. "Father went to the Northern Air Temple just after you left." His friend rolled his eyes and sat up on his elbows.

"I know that, we talked about it before I left. We are talking about the Season whether you like it or not. I'm going, definitely. I don't want to wait another three years. I'm young! I'm handsome! And I want to see the Eastern Air Temple again! But I refuse to go without by best friend." Shangmu hinted, and Tenzin groaned in irritation.

"Why won't anyone leave me alone? I don't want to go participate in this Season. Maybe the next one."

"Tenzin, we're eighteen years old and this is the first year we're eligible to go! Don't you want to try it out? See what it's like? I've heard it's nice." Tenzin head snapped to his friend.

"People are not supposed to speak about legal bonding, it's inappropriate and private. Shame on you," He turned his head away from Shangmu in disappointment, but even he couldn't deny his curiosity of how the Season worked, "and I still refuse to go."

Shangmu dropped his smile, things were going to get serious. "Did something happen? Do you need to talk?" Tenzin stayed silent. "Did you have another attack?" Nothing. "Monk Kwan talked to you didn't he." A teardrop fell from his eye, and he was thankful that he'd turned away from Shangmu earlier, he didn't need to see him like this. But Shangmu crawled closer to him, sensing the turmoil in his close friend.

"Tenzin, we've been friends since we were babies. Our fathers went to their Season together and have been friends since. I know you think you aren't good enough to go to the Season, that you'll get laughed out of there, but you won't! There were so many non-bending earth people I met, and many have families. One man that I met had seven children, seven! And each and every one of them were earthbenders. Do you know how rare that is in the Earth Kingdom? Maybe a third of the entire kingdom are non-benders, and they're still respected members of society. Nobody thinks ill of you here, you need to accept that."

Tears kept coming to Tenzin's eyes, and he didn't want to brush them away and alert Shangmu, but when he accidentally sniffled, his friend came closer and hugged him from behind. Right at that moment, the door flew open and a large, 250 pound airbender came stomping in. "Looks like you boys couldn't wait a little longer for the Season."