Avatar The Last Airbender Reader Insert Book One: Water

The Southern Air Temple - Part 1

"Wait 'till you see it, guys! The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the world!" Aang broke the early morning silence.

I was helping Aang and Katara load everything onto Appa so we would be able to leave. Sokka was still lying asleep by the dying embers of the fire we had the night before. I don't think Aang really understands what the fire nation did to the monks nearly 100 years ago.

"Aang, I know you're excited," she turns around to face him, "but it's been a hundred years since you've been home."

"That's why I'm so excited!"

"It's just that ... a lot can change in all that time,"  Katara replied to him, cautiously.

"I know, but I need to see it for myself." He graciously hopped off of Appa and walked over to where Sokka was still sleeping. "Wake up Sokka! Air Temple, here we come!"

Displeased with being awoken, Sokka turns away from us, "Ugh! Sleep now. Temple later." His obnoxious snoring continued.

Although I couldn't see Aang's face, I knew he was devising a plan to get Sokka up.

Grabbing a stick lying nearby on the ground, "Sokka! Wake up!" He took the stick and moved it up and down the sleeping bag, mimicking the move and feel of a critter crawling around. "There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!"

" Ahh!" Sokka jumped up immediately, still stuck in his sleeping bag. "Get it off! Get it off!" After hopping a couple times he toppled over landing on his stomach. Katara and I smiled in appreciation of Aang's humor. Sokka growled angrily, realizing that it was just a cruel trick.

Happily, Aang teased, "Great! You're awake! Let's go!"

***

We'd been flying for a couple of hours. I was inspecting our map, desperately looking for a distraction after sitting, bored for quite some time. The growl of a vicious monster tore me out of my muddled state of mind. Too much has happened in such little time. It's almost too much to wrap my head around.

"Hey, stomach? Be quiet, all right? I'm trying to find us some food."

Leave it to Sokka to have an angry polar bear dog for a stomach. I turned around and there he was rummaging through our bags, looking for, what I assume to be, food.

Turning up empty handed in his search for a snack, "Hey! Who ate all of my blubbered seal jerky?!" Sokka accused.

Putting my hands up defensively, "Hey, don't look at me." I nodded to the pair in the front before returning to the map.

"Oh. That was food? I used it to start the campfire last night." You could almost hear the smile in Aang's voice, "Sorry."

"You what?!" Sokka shrieked, obviously disappointed with our new companion. His voiced filled with longing, "No wonder the flames smelled so good."

Recognizing his surroundings, Aang shouted, "The Patola Mountain range! We're almost there!"

I took in the scenery around us. We flew swiftly between the towering pillars of rock, each one larger than the next. A hazy fog surrounded us as we continued our ascent.

 Through the vaporous veil, I could hear Katara say, "Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders."

Aang wondered, cheerfully, "What about 'em?"

"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless." Sadly, she continued, "They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people."

I didn't bother listening to the rest of their conversation. Now really wasn't the time I wanted to think about the death of my parents.

We rounded the peak of one of the mountains. Seconds later, the mist surrounding us vanished, and before us, built on the highest peak of them all, stood the Southern Air Temple.