[Next day]
"Ikari," Taro said, arms crossed behind his back, his gaze steady beneath graying eyebrows. "Do you know what the Fire Nation is?"
The two of them were in the small cellar beneath Taro's house, a cramped space lit only by a flickering oil lamp that cast dancing shadows on the earthen walls.
The boy nodded slowly. "They're the bad men. They burn everything."
"Exactly," Taro continued, leaning forward. "They're bad—very bad. And if they find out what you can do, they'll come after you, your mother, and me. There'll be no escape." He extended a hand, pointing at Ikari's chest. "If you want to learn how to use that gift, you must make a promise. One you can never break."
Ikari swallowed hard.
"Never use your airbending in front of others unless it's to protect yourself or your mother. Only when there's no other choice. Swear it, Ikari."
The boy blinked. "But I already promised Mom I wouldn't use it in front of others."
"Then promise me too."
"Alright," Ikari murmured, lowering his head. "I promise."
Taro placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Good. Now, let's begin."
***
The scorching summer sun blazed outside as Hana and Ikari stayed inside the modest wooden house. She folded freshly washed clothes, placing them carefully into a basket, while Ikari flapped his arms like a bird, his black hair falling into his eyes.
"What are you trying to do, my love?" Hana asked, smiling despite the constant worry in her chest. "You look like a little bird trying to fly for the first time."
Ikari laughed. "Look, Mom!" He flapped his arms harder, and a sudden gust of air lifted him a few inches off the ground for a moment. "I can fly!"
Hana set the basket aside, kneeling beside him, her eyes wide with surprise and tenderness. "Oh? Then you really are a little bird. The bravest one I've ever seen." She tousled his hair, but her smile faltered as she thought about what her "little bird" might face if he were ever discovered.
***
Ikari practiced under the watchful eye of his grandfather, who observed with his hands behind his back and chest puffed out like a demanding master. "The air is free, Ikari," he said, his voice filled with a wisdom that seemed to come from ancient times. "You don't force it—you guide it."
"How do you know that, Grandpa?"
Taro coughed, losing his posture for a moment. "It's written on the scroll."
At that moment, Ikari released a gust of wind that knocked over a pile of scrolls from a shelf.The boy's eyes widened, expecting a scolding, but Taro simply laughed, the rough sound filling the room. "At least we're making progress... in some way."
***
It was late at night when Hana knocked on her father's door. Taro opened it after a few seconds, frowning at his daughter's tense expression.
"Dad, we need to talk," Hana said, entering without waiting for an invitation. She waited for him to close the door before continuing. "I saw Ikari today. He's getting good, Dad. Too good. And that terrifies me."
Taro crossed his arms, sitting down in his chair. "And what do you want me to do, Hana? Stop teaching him?"
"Yes!" Hana exclaimed. "If he never uses airbending, no one will know. He can live a normal life, like any other kid. Teaching him is like… like painting a target on his back!"
'We've talked about this...' Taro sighed, running a hand through his scruffy beard. "Hana, listen. If Ikari doesn't learn to control his power, he'll use it by accident. One slip at the wrong time, in front of the wrong person, and the Fire Nation will be at our doorstep." He stood up and walked over to her. "If he learns to master air, he can hide better. He can protect himself. He'll be stronger than if he grows up afraid of his own gift."
Hana shook her head, eyes brimming with tears. "And what if he gets caught because of it? What if the training draws attention? I can't lose him, Dad."
"No one's going to catch him." Taro placed his hands gently on his daughter's shoulders, his voice firm but kind. "Teaching him isn't just about power, Hana. It's about giving him a chance to live."
Hana wiped away a tear, nodding reluctantly. "I just want him to be safe."
"So do I," Taro murmured, pulling her into a hug. "So do I."
***
Winter brought cold winds to the small village, and Hana and Ikari spent the nights huddled under a thick blanket, holding each other close to share warmth. "Mom, do you think one day I'll be able to not feel cold like the great airbenders?"
"Of course you will," Hana said, pulling him closer. "But then you won't be able to wear the sweaters I make for you."
"Oh…" Ikari bit his lip, thoughtful.
"I'm just kidding. I'll always make sweaters for you."
***
[One year later]
In the village center, under the warm late afternoon sun, Ikari stood among a group of children, his eyes fixed on Kento, a dark-skinned boy proudly showing off his bending. "Did you see what I can do?!" Kento stomped his feet on the ground, raising two small rocks that floated for a moment before falling.
"Ohhh!"
"Wow!"
"Whoa! He's an earthbender!"
Kento puffed out his chest, declaring that he would become a great warrior and fight the Fire Nation, just like their parents.
The children cheered, but Ikari remained silent, reflecting on things he was only now starting to understand. 'Why is there war?'
'Grandpa said the Fire Nation kills airbenders like me. But why?' Ikari frowned, picturing the temples among the clouds, like the drawings in his grandfather's scrolls. Places full of people who lived their lives in peace, who flew with bison, played, smiled, learned. People like him.
'If they were so kind, why would someone want to hurt them?' His thoughts wandered to his mother, who always let fear show in her eyes when he bent the air. 'Mama always gets so scared when I bend, but why? Why am I different from the others? Why do I have to hide who I am? If air is free, why can't I be?'
A shout cut through his thoughts. "Ikari! Hey, Ikari!" It was Riko, a girl with shoulder-length black hair. "We're going to play hide and seek, wanna play with us?"
"Oh," Ikari took a second to return to reality. "Sure."
"Then run! Aoi's already counting!" Riko shouted, already darting toward an alley between the wooden houses.
Without thinking much, Ikari started running too.
***
[Pov. Ikari]
My last memory was of lying in bed. So how did I end up… here?
I'm in a dense forest, with trees so tall I can't even see where they end. A heavy, white mist blankets everything around me, making it hard to see more than a few steps ahead.
I turn around, searching for something familiar, but it's useless. Everywhere I look, it's just forest upon forest. No paths, no birdsong, not even the buzzing of insects — just a heavy silence.
How did I get here? Am I dreaming? But everything feels far too real.
I take a hesitant step forward. "Hello?" There's no answer, only the echo of my voice… wait, why is my voice echoing?
Then I see something move in the mist. It's subtle, almost imperceptible — a shadow slipping between the trees, a shape that vanishes as quickly as it appears.
"H-hello?" Still no response, but I can feel something circling me through the air.
"Little bender."
Suddenly, a voice speaks, low and deep, as if coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
"I see your path traced along trails where the sky is veiled in ashes and the winds whisper laments. On moonless nights, your steps will echo among shadows that dance to the sound of drums, guiding you through paths where the echoes of the past resound in every stone. And when the dawn seems far away, you will remember that even in the deepest darkness, there is a light that guides those who dare to follow."
"What—" Before I could finish, I felt myself being pulled away.
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.