Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > Avatar: Last of the Airbenders
Prologue
Aang stared out his window as the storm clouds drew near. He was scared and confused.
‘Why do the other monks think Gyatso is a bad influence on me?’ Aang thought to himself.
“They only want what they believe is best,” a voice answered from behind Aang.
Aang whipped around in shock as he saw a tall, elderly man with a long white beard and wearing dark red robes standing behind him… but the man wasn’t there per se. He had a bluish haze around him and seemed to be partially transparent.
“Who… who are you?” asked Aang in shock.
“I am Avatar Roku, one of your past lives young Aang,” replied the man.
“How am I talking to you?”
“All Avatars have the ability to speak with their past selves. I am here because when the next Avatar learns his or her destiny, it is up to the previous Avatar to explain what their destiny may hold and to help guide them through various choices in their lives. You may think of me as a personal mentor, if you will,” explained Roku.
“You said they only want the best for me,” asked Aang “how is separating me from Gyatso best for me?”
“The monks of the Southern Air Temple believe that a war is brewing and they are right,” scowled Roku “my former friend Fire Lord Souzen plans to use a comet that will arrive in a few years to wipe out all Airbenders in hope of destroying you so that the Avatar will have to be reincarnated again, delaying any possible threat to him,”
“How am I a threat?” asked Aang, even more confused now then he was before.
“You are the Avatar,” said Roku as if that explained it all.
“So I’ve been told,” muttered Aang bitterly. “That still doesn’t explain why they want to take me away from Gyatso,”
“They are blinded by what they believe is best, as opposed to what is best. They see things in terms of ‘the greater good’. Their hearts are in the right place, though. You need more training to prepare for the coming storm,” explained Roku “The monk they plan to send you to, Kamchatka, is a master Airbender. She will be able to teach you everything you need to know about Airbending within the next year. While she is teaching you during the day, I will be teaching you Firebending in your sleep,”
“You can do that?” asked Aang in shock.
“You’d be surprise at what you can do as an Avatar spirit,” smirked Roku. He paused for a moment, and then said, “I must go now, young Aang, but know that I’ll always be here for you if you need me. Until we meet again,”
Roku faded from sight just as there was a knock on Aang’s door.
“Aang,” said Gyatso “I will not let them take you from me…”
Behind him, Aang saw Elder Monks Moraku and Sakaya approaching.
“It’s all right, Gyatso,” said Aang, sadly. Tears were welling up in his eyes “If Moraku thinks I should leave… then I will,”
The three monks were stunned by Aang’s quick acceptance.
“My only request is that either I be allowed to visit Gyatso, or vice-versa from time to time,” begged Aang.
Sakaya looked to be about to object when Moraku replied, “I believe that is a warranted request. Gyatso may visit you once every three months while you are at the Eastern Air Temple. Is that acceptable to you, young Avatar?”
“It is,” replied Aang “Thank you, Moraku,”
“Pack your things, young Avatar,” said Moraku “you leave in the morning, weather permitting,”
Moraku and Sakaya turned and left leaving Aang alone with Gyatso.
“Aang, you don’t have to go. I will fight this-” started Gyatso.
“Its okay, Gyatso, really,” said Aang, looking out the window as the rain ceaselessly pelted it. “They are right. There is so much I need to learn and so little time to learn it,” Aang turned back to his guardian “If war is really coming, then the people are going to need the Avatar to balance things out. If that means giving up my childhood, then so be it,”
It was a long while before Gyatso spoke again, but when he did, it was with reverence, “You speak with wisdom beyond your years. If their ever was doubt you were the Avatar, it has been effective diminished,”
Without warning, Aang throw himself at the elder monk in a tight embrace to which Gyatso returned with equal force.
“I’m going to miss you, Gyatso,” murmured Aang, his eyes tearing up again.
“And I you, Aang,” Gyatso whispered back.
The next day, Aang was escorted with a dozen other monks as they set out for the Eastern Air Temple with a heavy heart, but a determined spirit.
Name pronunciations: Kamchatka (Cam-check-ka), Moraku (Moe-rah-koo), Sakaya (Suh-qua-yah)
Aang stared out his window as the storm clouds drew near. He was scared and confused.
‘Why do the other monks think Gyatso is a bad influence on me?’ Aang thought to himself.
“They only want what they believe is best,” a voice answered from behind Aang.
Aang whipped around in shock as he saw a tall, elderly man with a long white beard and wearing dark red robes standing behind him… but the man wasn’t there per se. He had a bluish haze around him and seemed to be partially transparent.
“Who… who are you?” asked Aang in shock.
“I am Avatar Roku, one of your past lives young Aang,” replied the man.
“How am I talking to you?”
“All Avatars have the ability to speak with their past selves. I am here because when the next Avatar learns his or her destiny, it is up to the previous Avatar to explain what their destiny may hold and to help guide them through various choices in their lives. You may think of me as a personal mentor, if you will,” explained Roku.
“You said they only want the best for me,” asked Aang “how is separating me from Gyatso best for me?”
“The monks of the Southern Air Temple believe that a war is brewing and they are right,” scowled Roku “my former friend Fire Lord Souzen plans to use a comet that will arrive in a few years to wipe out all Airbenders in hope of destroying you so that the Avatar will have to be reincarnated again, delaying any possible threat to him,”
“How am I a threat?” asked Aang, even more confused now then he was before.
“You are the Avatar,” said Roku as if that explained it all.
“So I’ve been told,” muttered Aang bitterly. “That still doesn’t explain why they want to take me away from Gyatso,”
“They are blinded by what they believe is best, as opposed to what is best. They see things in terms of ‘the greater good’. Their hearts are in the right place, though. You need more training to prepare for the coming storm,” explained Roku “The monk they plan to send you to, Kamchatka, is a master Airbender. She will be able to teach you everything you need to know about Airbending within the next year. While she is teaching you during the day, I will be teaching you Firebending in your sleep,”
“You can do that?” asked Aang in shock.
“You’d be surprise at what you can do as an Avatar spirit,” smirked Roku. He paused for a moment, and then said, “I must go now, young Aang, but know that I’ll always be here for you if you need me. Until we meet again,”
Roku faded from sight just as there was a knock on Aang’s door.
“Aang,” said Gyatso “I will not let them take you from me…”
Behind him, Aang saw Elder Monks Moraku and Sakaya approaching.
“It’s all right, Gyatso,” said Aang, sadly. Tears were welling up in his eyes “If Moraku thinks I should leave… then I will,”
The three monks were stunned by Aang’s quick acceptance.
“My only request is that either I be allowed to visit Gyatso, or vice-versa from time to time,” begged Aang.
Sakaya looked to be about to object when Moraku replied, “I believe that is a warranted request. Gyatso may visit you once every three months while you are at the Eastern Air Temple. Is that acceptable to you, young Avatar?”
“It is,” replied Aang “Thank you, Moraku,”
“Pack your things, young Avatar,” said Moraku “you leave in the morning, weather permitting,”
Moraku and Sakaya turned and left leaving Aang alone with Gyatso.
“Aang, you don’t have to go. I will fight this-” started Gyatso.
“Its okay, Gyatso, really,” said Aang, looking out the window as the rain ceaselessly pelted it. “They are right. There is so much I need to learn and so little time to learn it,” Aang turned back to his guardian “If war is really coming, then the people are going to need the Avatar to balance things out. If that means giving up my childhood, then so be it,”
It was a long while before Gyatso spoke again, but when he did, it was with reverence, “You speak with wisdom beyond your years. If their ever was doubt you were the Avatar, it has been effective diminished,”
Without warning, Aang throw himself at the elder monk in a tight embrace to which Gyatso returned with equal force.
“I’m going to miss you, Gyatso,” murmured Aang, his eyes tearing up again.
“And I you, Aang,” Gyatso whispered back.
The next day, Aang was escorted with a dozen other monks as they set out for the Eastern Air Temple with a heavy heart, but a determined spirit.
Name pronunciations: Kamchatka (Cam-check-ka), Moraku (Moe-rah-koo), Sakaya (Suh-qua-yah)
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