(Sorry about the inconsistent uploads. I've been doing a lot of housework. Small landscaping outside and installing Ethernet throughout the house.)
Given that I was currently wheelchair-bound, I was of little help when it came to searching and collecting the corpses of our brothers and sisters, which was a little frustrating; of course, I assisted where I could, but if the ground weren't smooth and clear of debris, it would just be more of a hassle than anything.
Glancing downwards at the stretcher the walls of my wheelchair propped up, I gazed at the charred corpse who was entirely unrecognizable; even their gender was hard to distinguish, though from their size and build, I could only assume it was a man, as for their age or anything else, I was clueless.
It was a little uncomfortable to have a corpse so close to me, so I usually averted my gaze away from it; besides, it would dampen my mood whenever I looked. After a few minutes of being pushed through the Temple, we eventually reached the entrance, where not a single person had survived, though it was the first place we checked, so there was already a narrow path through the debris that was just wide enough for me to fit through, luckily.
Exiting the Temple, we spent a few more minutes walking down the hill until we arrived near a sizeable plain where numerous Air nomads and several Flying Bison were currently present; besides them was a large crate filled with stretchers, which were used to transport the deceased to a nearby mountain where a memorial is currently being built in their honor.
As I was pushed towards the crate, I positioned myself right next to it while helping the person who had been pushing me, placing the corpse into the crate before they closed the door.
"The crate is full, Brothers." Said the monk loudly as he looked at the three Air Nomads atop the Flying Bison, prompting them to nod before snapping their reins.
With a flap of their powerful tails, they created a gust of wind that fluttered my clothes as they soared into the sky while the crate was lifted into the air by several ropes connected to each Flying Bison.
Watching them fly off, the Air Nomad grabbed my wheelchair and pushed me back up the pathway leading to the Temple.
"I've got it from here, Brother Tilo. Thank you." Said Aang softly as he grabbed the wheels and looked at Tilo, who raised an eyebrow before nodding with a faint smile.
"Of course, Brother Aang." Said Tilo as he clasped his hands and slightly bowed before turning around and walking away, prompting Aang to push himself throughout the Temple.
In the last month since the group had returned, we've made rather substantial progress, granted it doesn't feel nor look like it; however, most of our efforts were with giving our brethren a proper burial, and from what I've gathered, it seems like we only have a few more corpses left to bury. What took so long was the fact we had to carry the Flying Bisons to where the memorial would be, and carrying a ten-ton behemoth was by no means an easy feat; we needed nearly twelve Bison just to carry one, and although the memorial was only about an hour away, it ended up taking far longer.
Of course, I had Appa help with nearly everyone; he needed intensive exercise after gaining so much weight during his healing period, though now he was nearly back to normal; he might even be a little stronger than before.
'I am curious: if Appa stuck to a strict train regime, how powerful could he become?' Thought Aang with a curious expression as he looked up at the sky.
Deciding I should eventually train Appa, I continued to turn my wheels as I approached my room, where I unsurprisingly found Appa sleeping just outside. Sighing to myself, I gently patted his head before using the front of my wheelchair to push open the stone door as I entered my room.
Reaching for my bed, I pulled myself out of my wheelchair and sat down, only to slowly stand up while leaning against the wall, stabilizing myself.
Wincing, I slowly walked around my room while leaning against the wall, ensuring I didn't fall until I returned to my bed.
"Haa, well, my condition has definitely gotten better. Unfortunately, I still feel a sharp pain whenever I try to bend; Hana said it could take up to 18 months for my chi pathways to fully heal." Muttered Aang softly as he lay on his bed while staring at the sky, only to roll onto his side and grab a scroll.
Since I wouldn't be bending anytime in the near future, I decided to change my focus to chi-blocking, partially because I wished to learn more about chi and chi pathways, given I had injured it; however, it would also be an excellent way to incapacitate enemies without hurting them. Thankfully, since the Invasion failed, the Library of Scrolls had been untouched, so it was pretty easy to find several scrolls regarding Chi and Chi-pathways, though as for Chi-blocking, there weren't many.
Standing back up, I firmly planted my feet and began punching the air with my knuckles, similar to Ty Lee, who has yet to be born—if she ever will be now that the Invasion has failed. Since my legs were poorly working right now, I stayed in one spot and merely moved my upper body as I imagined myself attacking someone, aiming specifically for their chi-pathways.
It definitely wasn't the best training method, but it kept my mind occupied and served as a good way to slowly strengthen my legs, and it wasn't like I made zero improvements; they were just rather lackluster.
I would practice until my legs gave out, which was probably only about ten or so minutes, so it wasn't a long time.
"Haa, it's only been ten minutes, a-and I'm already out of breath. I-I'm really out of shape." Muttered Aang softly through his rapid breaths as he plopped onto his bed while his legs faintly trembled.
Taking a few minutes to catch my breath, I placed myself back into the wheelchair, and without Hina, who had returned to Wolf Cove since she had her own life to live, I was forced to deal with the soreness in my legs by myself.
Exiting my room, I glanced at Appa, who was still sleeping, before pushing myself off in a random direction, seeking places where I could lend a helping hand.
___
___
I felt the cold gust of wind against my skin as Monk Gyatso pushed me through the grassy plain alongside our companions while all the surviving Air Nomads walked behind us. We were approaching the memorial for all our brothers and sisters who gave their lives to protect their homes.
The walk was silent, and other than the heavy footsteps of our numerous companions, not a voice was heard; after a few more minutes of walking, we eventually arrived near a large stone stele with words carved into it. Behind the stone stele was an obvious gravesite with wooden tombstones embedded into each grave; besides each small grave was a massive one, housing an Air Nomad and their companion, respectively.
"Air Nomad Memorial." Muttered Aang softly as he read the words on the stone stele before gazing at the columns of names below it.
I didn't personally know most of these Air Nomads, but their willingness to fight for their homes was more than enough for them to earn my respect. Among the numerous names, only one was missing. Just above the stone stele was a statue of Monk Tashi, his stern eyes gazing down upon all of us.
Although none compared their deeds, it was unspokenly agreed upon that Monk Tashi, who had saved my life, deserved a statue in his honor for saving the life of the Avatar.
As we all silently stared at the memorial before us, Monk Gyatso stepped forward, clasped his hands, and deeply bowed, prompting me to do the same as I exited my wheelchair before copying his actions. However, it wasn't just us two; every other Air Nomad did the same, and even though we were silent, the sniffling and crying sounded louder than usual.
After a minute of bowing, we stopped and stood upright with Monk Gyatso walking forward, grabbing everyone's attention as he turned to face.
"Today will be a day of mourning, but from here on out, it will be a day of remembrance to honor what our brothers and sisters sacrificed their lives for. A yearly tradition akin to the Yangchen's Festival." Stated Gyatso solemnly as he raised his arms while gazing at everyone, seeking input, though all he got was approval, not a single refusal.
"Remembrance Festival." Muttered Iio softly as she wiped her tears while gazing at Tashi's statue, her words causing Gyatso to nod.
At Monk Iio's words, everyone began to slowly disperse throughout the gravesite, searching for their closest friends; the only remaining ones were the children. As for me, I returned to my wheelchair and silently gazed at Monk Tahshi's statue, only for Appa to suddenly lick my face.
"Haa… I love you too much to get upset with you, Appa." Muttered Aang softly as he scratched underneath Appa's chin, causing him to growl in satisfaction.