Reborn In Water || ATLA

The House That Built Me

The Northern Air Temple

"I thought if I could touch this place or feel it this brokenness inside me might start healing. Out here it's like I'm someone else, I thought that maybe I could find myself. If I could just come in I swear I'll leave, won't take nothing but a memory from the house that built me." - Miranda Lambert 

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"So travelers, the next time you think you hear a strange, large bird talking take a closer look. It might not be a giant parrot but a flying man." Aelita couldn't help but chuckle as she noticed how painfully bored and unconvinced Sokka looked beside her. On the other side of him sat Aang and Katara who were deeply immersed in the story. As the four continued along their path through the Earth Kingdom to the North Pole they had stumbled upon a traveling post where they decided to stop for the evening. That was how they found themselves front row as others gathered around a graying man telling stories. "A member of a secret group of air walkers who laugh at gravity!" The man gestured towards the sky. "And they laugh at those bound to the earth by it!"

"Those sound like your kind of people Aang." Aelita grinned at the bald boy.

"They sure do." He smiled back at her. Aang was happy to hear tales of his people alive and well. "Aren't airbender stories the best?"

"Was it realistic?" Katara questioned. "Is that what it was like back then?"

"I laugh at gravity all the time." The monk told her as he began to laugh loudly. "Gravity."

"Jingle jingle!" The storyteller thrust his hat out in front of Sokka, jostling the coins in it given by other listeners. Sokka dug through his pockets despite the fact he knew he'd find nothing. When all he produced from his pockets were crumbs and a dead bug the storyteller started grumbling along the lines of "cheapskates."

"Hey!" Aang called, hopping up as the man walked away. "Thanks for the story."

"Tell it to the cap boy!" The man declared as he thrust his cap back behind him, not even bothering to face the Avatar. Unfortunately for him when he did so two bronze pieces fell from his pile. Momo swooped down from Aang's shoulder and picked up one, Mushu scurrying down from Aelita's lap and snatching the other. When Mushu tried to run back to his mother happy with his find, he was met with Aelita shaking her head at him.

"No sir." She told the ferret. "You know better, he's not a pirate so no stealing. Give it back to him."

Mushu set the coin on the ground and plopped his butt on top defiantly.

"One..." Aelita held up a finger. Mushu didn't budge.

"Two..." Still, the ferret sat still.

"Two and a half..."

Mushu jumped to his feet and ran to drop the bronze piece back into the man's cap. Momo did the same. At the sound of money, the storyteller turned and smiled at the two animals.

"Much obliged little bat and rat things." He said as he smiled and patted their heads.

"It means a lot to Aang to hear airbender stories," Aelita explained from her place beside Sokka.

"It must've been a hundred years ago your great-grandpa met them." Aang chimed in.

"What are you two children prattling about? Great grand pappy saw the air walkers last week."

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At the first light of dawn, Aang woke the gang and urged them into the saddle. He knew how close they were to the Northern Air Temple, and he wanted to get there fast.