"...And that will be all. Remember to practice what I've taught by the next class; I will know those who don't." Stated Aang lightly as he gazed at the tens of children, who all nodded and slightly bowed in respect before quickly dispersing.
Watching the children run off while laughing and playing, I sighed to myself as I knew only a few of them would actually practice, though I couldn't blame them; everyone wouldn't be as enthralled with bending as me.
Shaking my head, I turned around and walked away from the training grounds, intending to practice somewhere more isolated, yet I didn't get very far before I happened to spot Monk Jun.
"Monk Jun." Said Aang respectively as he clasped his hands and bowed to Jun, who flashed a faint smile before doing the same.
"I see you've been taking your teaching seriously, Aang." "Why would I not, Monk Jun?" Remarked Jun and Aang, respectively, as the latter glanced at the former in slight confusion, causing him to faintly smirk.
"Well, considering how it took all four elders to persuade you to teach this newer generation, none of us really expected you to take it that seriously." Replied Jun lightly as he continued to walk, prompting Aang to follow beside him, the two walking through the Temple.
"Well, considering the state of the world, I can't, in good conscience, not teach these kids when I know they could very well end up on the battlefield in the future. The last thing I would want is for them to lose their life because I didn't properly teach them." Stated Aang solemnly with a shake of his head as he glanced at Jun, who sighed deeply before nodding with a small smile.
"We're lucky to have you, Aang. However, although your teachings have been an immense help, you can't continue to stay; you're limiting yourself. You've long since learned everything the Temples have to offer; it's time for you to broaden your horizons and focus on a different element." Stated Jun with a grateful smile, only for him to shake his head as he stopped and eyed Aang, who softly sighed before nodding.
"I know, Monk Jun; these last few years, the progress I've made with air-bending and chi-blocking has been abysmal, to say the least…" Replied Aang softly as he gazed into the cloudy sky, only for him to shift his focus to the temple's peak.
"... However, you know I can't leave now, not with the way Monk Gyatso is. I will leave afterward, but until Monk Gyatso enters the cycle, I remain here… This is not for debate." Added Aang softly as he shook his head, his gaze softening, only for his expression to harden, prompting Jun to silently nod.
After mentioning Monk Gyatso, we went silent as we both stared at the Temple's peak, where he had been resting for the past six months, as his body could no longer support him on his own.
"Well, I'll leave you to it, then, Aang; dealing with those rowdy kids is a handful, especially without Brother Tashi to keep them in check." Said Jun with a faint smile as he glanced at the children flying through the sky before gently patting Aang's shoulder and walking away.
Parting ways with Monk Jun, I opted to save my training for later as I instead headed to the hot springs near the base of the mountain to clean myself since I had partaken in a bit of training earlier this morning for the class session.
After a few minutes, I softened my landing with a vortex of air while gently setting my glider on the ground beside the hot spring; taking my clothes off, I put them atop a large stone and entered the hot spring, stopping halfway when I saw my reflection in the water.
Although I was merely eighteen, I looked identical to adult Aang, minus the beard, as it hadn't quite yet come in, but I could see I was making steady progress. As for the rest of my body, it was also the same: a muscular yet lean build, one suited more for agility and speed rather than raw strength, though don't get it wrong, I was definitely quite strong.
'As uncomfortable as Hana was, she was indeed correct… I'm quite well endowed.' Thought Aang lightly as he glanced down at his manhood with a faint smile, only to shake his head as he entered the water.
It's been six years since the invasion and five years since I regained my ability to bend, though those years have been far from a quiet and peaceful time; the Fire Nation was silent for about one year after the invasion, most likely to lick their wounds and recuperate their losses. I, at first, thought Sozin might've given up, yet my hopeful thinking was just that, hopeful; shortly after I regained my bending, they attacked the Southern Water tribe.
However, that was merely a side goal; their true target was the Earth Kingdom, and to say the least, their attacks have been disastrous; every city they attacked, whether they succeeded or failed in taking it over, resulted in hundreds of deaths on both sides. Yet the worst was when non-combatants were involved, which tended to happen rather commonly, at least on the Earth Kingdom's side.
Currently, I've received word from Bumi that the Fire Nation has attacked Omashu a total of twenty-two times, all times they lost, but the losses on their side have been catastrophic; from what he's told me, the only reason they were able to hold out for so long was thanks to their geographical advantage.
However, while the Fire Nations' full might is battering the Earth Kingdom, they aren't the only ones being attacked; The Southern Water Tribe is also being constantly attacked as well, though it's limited only to out at sea and although very few deaths have been reported, there is a shortage on food. The Southern Water Tribe relies heavily on the ocean for food, and with the Fire-Nation destroying all their fishing boats, they're slowly starving them to death.
"The butterfly effect… the Fire Nation wasn't previously this strong; it took them nearly a hundred years to take over Omashu, yet, from what Bumi wrote, it might happen next attack." Muttered Aang with a deep frown as he raised his head and closed his eyes, pondering deeply.
The White Lotus, while they hadn't outright helped us during the invasion, was proving invaluable when it came to secretly communicating without the Fire Nation's knowledge; however, although Sozin had already done a purge or cleansing of his top brass, removing any spies the White Lotus previously had, before he did that, we did receive word that an excessive amount of men have joined the army, and it seemed it was all thanks to the defeat they suffered during the invasion six years ago.
"Sozin lies lit a flame in them, and now, they're stronger than they should've ever been." Muttered Aang with a somewhat frustrated expression as he gently hit the water, causing it to splash everywhere.
As much as I despised Sozin for his underhanded tactics, he was a genius tactician, general, and dictator; that was something I had to reluctantly admit.
'I've even heard rumors from the White Lotus that Prince Auzulon has participated and led some attacks on the Southern Water Tribe despite merely being 6.' Thought Aang lightly with a deep frown, only to sigh as he grabbed a bar of soap off to the side.
"I'll visit Hina before heading to the Earth Kingdom to learn Earth bending." Muttered Aang lightly as he began to rub his body, using the soap to clean himself.
___
___
Knocking on the door, I slowly opened it and entered while remaining silent, not wishing to wake Monk Gyatso, who was most likely sleeping.
"Aang, is that you?" Asked Gyatso lightly, his frail voice echoing from down the hall, causing Aang to wryly smile.
"Yes, Monk Gyatso, though how did you know it was me?" Replied Aang softly as he casually walked down the hallway before entering another room, where Gyatso was looking out a window, enjoying the sight of the occasional flying bison.
"Hoho, it's not that hard to guess, Aang; you by far visit me the most-" Replied Gyatso with a withered expression and elderly smile as he glanced at Aang, only for him to be interrupted by aggressive coughing.
Quickly approaching him, I waved my hand, manipulating the water in his cup to fly toward my hand, where I then placed it against his chest as it emitted a soft glow, the same as Hina, Hana, and every other Watertribe healer. However, everything I learned was merely from copying what they had done, so my skill was subpar compared to Hina, let alone Hana, who could be considered a Master.
"Better, Monk Gyatso?" Asked Aang softly as he glanced at Gyatso, who nodded while dismissively waving his hand.
"It was just a cough, Aang, no need to get so concerned." Said Gyatso so lightly as he glanced at Aang, who ignored him while manipulating the water to return to his cup.
"So, how has your training been going? I've heard from the other Elders that you've seem to hit some plateau." Asked Gyatso curiously as he looked at Aang with a weak smile, causing him to softly chuckle.
"So it was that obvious, huh? Haa, they're not wrong; I've learned, mastered, and improved upon everything the Temples could offer me… And that was when I was sixteen." Replied Aang lightly as he glanced at Gyatso, who softly sighed while shaking his head.
"Haa, I'm sorry, having you stay behind to look after an old man like me; I'm sure it must be beyond boring for some like you." Muttered Gyatso apologetically as he lowered his head while sighing, prompting Aang to shake his head.
"I'm choosing to stay behind on my own accord, Monk Gyatso; you do no need to feel sorry for me. Besides, the children are good subjects to test my pranks on; Hina has told me I can be a bit extreme with them." Said Aang with a faint smile as he gently patted Gyatso's shoulder, only to wryly smile, causing him to chuckle while nodding in agreement.
"Hoho, she's not wrong." Said Gyatso softly, his words causing Aang's expression to twitch.