spiralmovements | Tenzin-Aang, set IDK.

Tenzin-Aang, set IDK.

It just wasn't fair.

Tenzin is silent - even more so than usual, which is a hard thing to manage, since whenever he is in his training robes he is always more somber than other boys his age. But as soon as he decided to look down at the floor, he bolts through a window.

Katara bends down and picks up the newly-shorn wolf tail and breathes heavily.

"Don't even think about chasing him, Aang. He wouldn't listen to anybody right now."

Not that his mother blames him - even with one foot in two worlds, he just gave up a piece of his Water Tribe self.

No, she thinks. We made that decision for him.

"Can you tell where he is?"

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"Mom's Water Tribe."

And Tenzin isn't.

"I am aware, yes."

He still doesn't get it.

"And so's Kya. And Bumi doesn't bend, but he definitely is far more like them than like me.

"But now I'm going to be a student, and I have to carry on tradition, and I'm going to be by myself."

Momo's back at Tenzin's elbow again, and it's easier to look at the lemur than keep talking.

Ah. There it is.

"And you think that by studying with me that you're leaving your mother behind."

"How am I not?"

"Well for starters, you know that she's going to observe the first dozen or so lessons we have together."

It's almost like she doesn't one hundred percent trust that Aang won't accidentally kill her child or something.

"Is that a good thing?"

"The Council is still undecided at this time," he says shooting Tenzin a lopsided grin.

"Your mother loves you for being you, Tenzin. Nothing will ever change that."

"Tenzin the airbending kid," he mumbles.

"Tenzin the airbending Master," Aang counters.

"Mom won't even let me bend Bumi into the water."

"It's usually frowned upon to use our gifts against others, yes."
Being diplomatic, all part of a day's work for the Avatar.

"I miss my hair," Tenzin retorts suddenly. "I used to look like Uncle Sokka. Now I don't look like anybody."

"Really," he says turning to look at his son, raising a single eyebrow as he does so. Aang shakes his head. "I don't know, you still look the exact same to me: the splitting image of your grandfather. Well...except for the baby-skin. I'm afraid you've inherited that from me."

Even though he knows she is no where within earshot, Aang knows that somewhere Toph is being smug at his expense.

"I'm sorry I flew off."

"I understand, apology accepted. You're hardly be the first airbender to remove himself from a stressful situation by flying out a window. Though you might be the first to do so for having his wolf tail cut off, so you do have that going for you.

I am sorry about your hair, Tenzin."

"...Thank you."

For saying 'sorry', and for coming, even though he didn't really want him to.

"I meant what I said before: If you'd prefer to have another teacher I won't be offended. I'm sure Yonten would be more than happy to instruct you if asked."

Yonten is arguably the most skilled of the Acolytes, and as such serves as the Air representative on the Republic City Council.

"Don't be dumb, Dad."

"I can't help it, it's just my lot in this life to be so. It must be such a heavy burden, dealing with my idiocy all the time."

"Of course I wouldn't pick someone else.

"I still want to be Water Tribe, but I'm an Airbender too."

"I should hope so," he says turning serious yet again. "Because you're always going to be both. Just as your brother and sister are always going to be both. They are no less Air Nomad because they are not airbenders, just like you are no less Water Tribe for the loss of your hair.

Never forget, Tenzin: Air can move water too."

Sometimes, being the son of the Avatar is complicated.

But then sometimes, Tenzin can just nod, say "Okay", and have that be enough.

"The Air Nomad tradition of shaving one's head is two-fold," he says in his Lecture Tone. "One, it marks us as students of the Air Traditions. And two it serves as a constant reminder of how we strive to detach ourselves from the trappings of the material world.

Having said that," he pauses, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "I think you look good."

"Well.

"I am related to Mom."

As Uncle Zuko might say, burn.

	
		OSZAR »

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