The last couple of days had been a bit hectic for Aang. First, he woke up at the South Pole, then he learned that the Fire Nation had unleashed a war during his absence and that now they were looking for him! His head was spinning with new information and he desperately wanted to find at least something familiar. Hence the decision to visit Southern Air Temple.

Katara sometimes gave him strange looks, but he preferred to ignore them. Soon he would be able to see how his home has changed! After the whole hundred years!

"Haven't cleaned my room in a while…" He muttered under his breath and grimaced. Aang could only hope there was only dust. He could handle that. Now, slugs one the other hand…

Katara, meanwhile, was worried about Aang's reaction. She knew about the genocide of the Air Nomads, about the brutality of the Fire Nation. The girl knew that as soon as young Avatar found out the truth, he would be devastated.

Sokka was just hungry. Their food problems wouldn’t solve themselves. And with Aang being vegetarian their choice narrowed even more.

---

After that strange incident with Avatar Roku statue, Aang spotted a lemur! Of course, at first, they thought it was a Firebender, but their guess couldn't be further from the truth. The first living creature in this place besides them was a flying lemur!

Sokka tried to catch the poor thing to eat it and Aang just couldn't let that happen. Their race through the Temple corridors reminded him of the good times. About the times before he ran away from his home.

The lemur ran into an old tent and hid behind a tattered curtain. Aang had already been far away from Sokka and therefore he was able to slow down, all this running around most likely frightened the animal.

"Come on out, little lemur! That hungry guy won't bother you anymore." Aang crooned, crouching down before the tent. No one answered him, he did expect this, so he could only move on. But the scene in front of him made him stop.

The floor of the tent was scorched by fire and cut open. It meant that a battle happened here. But the strangest thing was a figure in black clothes that was sitting in front of a small fire. A teapot of fresh tea was boiling merrily, and next to it were three mugs.

Aang didn't expect that he would actually be able to find anyone here, so he just froze in place and stared at the guy in front of the fire.

"Momo, did you piss off the birds again? I warned you the last time, now you'll have to deal with them yourself." The stranger scolded the creature that, apparently, was named Momo. He carefully took the lemur by the scruff with his and placed it on his lap. Momo waved his arm around, trying to explain something, but the stranger didn't seem to get anything. He just raised an eyebrow.

While this bizarre exchange was going on, Aang began to take a closer look at the stranger. He had long black wavy hair reaching down to his neck, and strange eyes. One was blue and the other was brown. He looked sixteen and Aang could see that he was quite tall even while he was sitting. He had a squarish jaw and straight nose, it felt like he was a part of some kind of royal family. His hands were bandaged, and Aang could see some dried blood on them.

There was a bag on the ground and next to it a steel bo-staff, slightly larger than Aang's. A little further from him lay a sheet in front of which was another cup of tea.

"Momo, you know perfectly well that I don't understand you." The stranger sighed. Momo made a squeaking sound, huffed and crossed his arms. He turned away from the stranger, as if offended, and his eyes fell on Aang. He squeaked again, his fur stood on end and he flapped into the air to hide behind the stranger. This caught his attention and he looked up.

He saw Aang and just stared at him. Aang stared back. They just silently looked at each other for a couple of minutes, until Aang heard faint footsteps echoing in the hall.

"Hey, Aang! You found my dinner yet?" Sokka entered the tent and stumbled when he noticed the stranger. Aang saw his hand jerk towards his boomerang, but Sokka was able to stop himself. Nobody moved, and it seemed that even the fire had stopped and did not dare to crack.

They didn't know how long it took before they heard another pair of footsteps.

Katara’s voice echoed weirdly when she spoke. "Boys? Where are you?" And, surprise, surprise, she also froze when she entered. Now, four teenagers and one lemur were eyeing at each other.

"Psst, Aang, why aren't we moving?" Sokka whispered, his eyes darting at Aang then back to the stranger.

Aang didn’t look at Sokka. He was trying not to blink. "I think he can only see us when we move, he will soon lose interest and leave." Aang answered just as quietly.

The stranger's eye twitched in annoyance. Aang thought that he didn't like it, since he slapped a hand over his eye. Aang and Sokka shared a glance. The stranger scowled for a moment, staring up at the sky angrily. He sighed and then turned toward Katara and raised an eyebrow.

He looked her up and down and repeated it with Sokka and Aang. His gaze returned to Katara. "Are they idiots?" He asked, with only a slightly interested tone.

She sighed just as heavily and tiredly as him and shook her head, shrugging. "Sometimes."

"Hey!" Aang and Sokka exclaimed together, glaring at Katara.

The stranger didn't seem bothered and gestured at his side. "Right." He drawled. "Sit down, there is enough tea for everyone." He glanced at Sokka for a moment. "Oh," he breathed out like he just remembered something, "if you try to eat Momo, I will unscrew your head and shove it down your throat." The stranger said conversationally as he reached to pour some tea into the cup.

Sokka swallowed and nodded curtly. He looked around awkwardly. "Say, you have any food?"

"Sokka!" Katara scolded, her hands on her hips. Aang just shrugged and sat down opposite the stranger. The siblings started arguing, arms flailing and fingers pointing accusingly. Aang tuned them out and turned to the stranger, eyeing him curiously.

He leaned forward, smiling brightly. "Who are you? You don't look like an Air Nomad." He cocked his head.

The stranger picked up his cup. "Name's Michael, you can call me Mick." He sipped the tea. "What about the three of you?" Michael asked in turn. "Two South Water Tribe children and the last surviving Air Nomad," he hummed, "an interesting combination."

Aang stiffened. He didn't realize that he was shaking his head in denial. "No," he protested, "I can't be the last, Airbenders are experts in evasion and speed. Someone was able to escape." He mumbled, staring at the fire. "I'm sure."

To his horror, Michael gave him a pitying look. "Well, I think some did escape. But they were hunted down after that." He apparently noticed that Aang looked shaken, so he changed the subject. "Where have you been for the last hundred years? Nobody has seen a living Airbender since the Genocide." Aang's head began to spin again. So much for changing the subject.

He swallowed. "Genocide…?" His voice shook.

Mick was silent for a minute. His gaze fell into the fire. "Tell me, Aang," he spoke slowly, "how else can I call the complete extermination of Air Nomads?"

Sluggishly, Aang turned his head and his eyes fell on the only one cup that held cold tea. He looked around the room again and all traces of battle that scared it.

"Who is this cup for?" He dreaded the answer, he knew what he would hear, but he needed it to be said out loud.

"Tribute to the dead."

Aang’s head was spinning, his vision blurred. It gelt like there wasn't enough air for him to breath. He started when a surprisingly heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Aang turned to look at Mick, begging him to say that it was just a cruel joke. But Michael just shook his head.

"You better not see what's under the sheet, at least not right now." Michael warned him softly and patted his shoulder. "I'll take you to another place. Call your friends, our tea can wait." Michael got up from his seat and walked towards the sheet. He lifted it and grabbed something, straightening.

Aang, still in daze, realized that it was a bag. Michael noticed it and smirked, huffing a short laugh. "I've gotten too serious, fucking isolation."

"Language!" Katara shouted automatically and finally turned her attention to them. Michael looked up at the sky and mumbled something under his breath. He then headed deeper inside the Temple. Sokka and Katara looked at Aang for guidance. He just looked at them helplessly but was distracted by a chirping sound.

Momo was jumping up and down beckoning them with his fluffy arm. Sokka narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust that pop-eyed thing." He hissed. Aang sighed and got up, following Michael. Katara and Sokka joined him. Momo looked proud and raced ahead of them.

He climbed up on Michael's shoulders and poked out his tongue at Sokka. His indignant squeak went unnoticed, or, in Michael's case, ignored.

Michael confidently led them through old crumbled corridors, not once hesitating to turn. Aang was a little surprised by this, the Temple could be a little tricky for an outsider. But Michael said that he spent half a year here, alone with only Momo's company. He probably needed something to occupy himself. And learning to navigate the halls was a good way to pass time.

"Aang, why are we following this guy?" Sokka asked quietly. Aang shrugged.

"Why not? He's been here for some time; he might have found something important."

Sokka gave him a side-glance. "Well, if you’re sure…"

They fell quiet as they walked further. Michael never once turned around to look at them. Finally, Sokka couldn't hold it anymore. He leaned over to Aang and pulled Katara so that she too could hear what they were talking about.

"Guys, we can't trust him, he looks shady. He might be a Fire Nation spy." Aang bit his lip, but still nodded, albeit slowly. Katara wasn't listening. She was worried about something else.

"Why are his hands bandaged? They look clean, so it is not a fresh wound." She began thinking out loud, rubbing her chin.

"Maybe it's a new fashion? Looks kinda cool – Sokka bandages his arms too. A lot could have changed in a hundred years." Aang suggested. "I mean, there was also blood on his left hand. Maybe he was training and got hurt."

"Well, he’s still shady." Sokka rolled his eyes and glared at Michael's back.

Aang hit him on the shoulder lightly. "His name is Michael. I’ve never heard such a name before; I wonder where he came from?”

"I have no idea myself. Never thought to ask." Michael spoke up, making them jump in surprise.

"He can hear us?!" Sokka yelped.

"With such acoustics as here, even a deaf person would hear you." Was Michael's grumpy reply. "So I advise you to keep quiet if you don't want to inform the birds about our presence." He shuddered a little. "Fucking flying rats, never liked 'em."

The four of them walked in silence for the rest of the way.

After a couple of turns, Aang realized where they were going and frowned. He sped up a little and caught up with Michael. "Why are we going to the gardens?"

Michael glanced at him. "It was a garden? I chose a good place then. There was just enough land for…" He paused. "Well, see for yourself, we're here."

He stepped outside. Others were blinded by the sunlight for a second. When they were able to focus their eyes, what they saw made them freeze with shock. Hundreds of graves were covered in snow and each of them was marked by some weapon. Staffs, swords, bows, and spears stood proudly in place of the gravestones. Some of the weapons were broken but still lay at the graves.

Aang just looked around with wide eyes, Katara and Sokka were no better either. The girl looked at Aang nervously, as if expecting him to break like a fragile vase at any second. Sokka just put his hand on Aang’s shoulder as a gesture of quiet support.

"Tribute to the dead…" Aang muttered and looked at Michael who walked to the far side of the new cemetery, where a few scorched trees still remained.

Walking toward the nearest grave, where stood a rusty spear and a broken blade Aang brushed all the snow from them.

{Rest in peace. FN.}

"Oh, Spirits." He instantly jumped to another grave, which was marked by a staff.

{Rest in peace. AN.}

"It's-" Aang hiccupped. "I-" His palms clenched into fists and he barely restrained himself from screaming. His people… his people were dead.

A hand landed on his shoulder and made him look up. Michael expression was unreadable. He held Aang's gaze for a few moments, then nodded at the trees.

"Come on, we're almost there." He said quietly and stirred Aang along.

Aang shook his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and followed Michael. Katara and Sokka caught up with them and after a couple of minutes, they were next to the trees. There was an unburied grave with a pile of earth next to it and an empty headstone. Michael laid his bag carefully on the ground and looked at Aang.

"I thought you might want to attend the funeral of the last of your people who hasn't been buried yet." Michael handed Aang a wooden pendant with the symbol of Air Nomads on it.

Aang didn’t remember when his fingers closed around the familiar wood. He didn't remember how long he stood there, staring at the small creak in it, thinking that Master Gyatso wouldn't like that.

Slowly, as if in a dream, Aang put the pendant on the staff that was here and get on his knees next to his Master's remains. It was surprisingly easy to pick them up. Aang couldn't imagine a single situation in the past when he would have succeeded in it. Tears blurred his vision, but he still managed to gently lower the bones into the grave. He jumped out of there and with a wave of his hand sent the whole pile of earth inside. With a flick of his palm, the air pushed down on earth was compacted and became similar to the rest of the graves around.

Aang turned to Michael. "You did it all by yourself? All alone?" Michael crossed his arms and nodded.

"It didn’t feel right to leave them there to rot." He said, like it explained everything and dropped down next to the tombstone. He snapped his fingers and the air around him shifted, all the water leaving it. The small droplets turned into a sharp blade which Michael used to carve something.

{Here lies Gyatso.

Great Master and friend.

Rest in peace.}

Katara gasped. "You're a Waterbender?" Aang frowned and glanced around slowly.

"When why did you…?"

Michael got up and shook off his knees. "There is no difference who belongs to which people. We will all turn to dust one day."

Aang swallowed and fell silent. "How many?"

"Does it matter?"

What a good question. It's a pity that Aang didn't know the answer to it.