#zuko second year of exile: where the hell's the avatar this people need a teacher

[a-mirror-of-memories]

Not the last Airbender Au

From Kyoshi’s novels we learned that Air Nomads can lose their bending by neglecting their spiritual side and clinging to earthy desires and that’s exactly what happened to the survivors of the genocide who managed to stay hidden. Even if they wanted to cling to what was left of their culture their fear for theirs and their loved ones lives shackled them like anything else. Wanting to preserve at least a little of their heritage some Air Nomads went to great lengths to painstakingly write down every airbending form, dish, book, plant, festival or anecdote they still remembered; then they hid them away with the hope that they’ll be found only when the war’s finally over and their descendants could start to rebuild their lives. Others decided to pass their stories the oral way, sharing their culture with their children in secret even if they couldn’t fully embrace it as non benders.

But the children, not fully understanding the tragedy they were living been so young, weren’t always non benders.

Not all their children and not on every generation but airbending keep finding its way back and refused to be erased without a trace. After 100 years of war what was left of the Air Nomads culture was small and hidden away but against all odds was still fighting for survival.

Some parents cried when they saw their kids’ airbending for the first time, passing down everything they could even if it should forever be kept a secret from everyone else. Others were terrified of the danger it implied, punishing and beating the child until they were unable to create anything stronger than a small breeze. But there were still those who the war had turned cruel, who saw such children as something disgusting that should be destroyed before anyone found out.

It was exactly the later situation that prince Zuko stumbled upon only a few months after been exiled.