THE AIR MASTER {LOK/ATLA}

(IX)

It was nighttime. I'd been in the outskirts of the city of Zaofu for the entire day. I was glad the city was so remote from everything else. Nothing but trees and more wilderness in the horizon.

Strangely, I kept replaying the day of my mom's—Aiko's—funeral in my head, over and over. I was only six years old when it happened, but I remembered certain things with so much detail... If I closed my eyes, I could pretend that I was back there.

I remember the two Beifong sisters telling me that I was going to be okay. I remember my dad's brokenhearted expression, and Uncle Tenzin and Aunt Pema taking care of me and all the necessary arrangements for the service. They really took full responsibility since day one, I recalled. I even remember Lord Zuko coming by, Aunt Kya... All the people who I once called my family. All people who turned out to be strangers.

I glanced to the starry sky and sighed. "Grandfa—Avatar Aang. I don't know what to do. How could they lie to me for so long? Can I even ask you for advice now?"

"There she is!" I heard Bolin's voice from under the tree I was sitting at the top of.

I just looked away. Korra walked towards the tree, glancing up. "Zaya..."

"We were so worried about you!" Asami said.

"Go away."

"I am so sorry, Zaya. I thought you knew. It wasn't my place to tell you if you didn't know," Suyin said apologetically.

"She's right. It was an idiotic thing to do. And I agree, Bumi should've told you a long time ago," Chief Beifong said. "But it doesn't change anything."

"Oh, so now I see that the Beifong siblings get along swimmingly. I guess blood calls to blood. Not that I  would know."

"Zaya, this is crazy. Come down here so that we can talk it through as opposed to yelling to you up a tree," Mako insisted.

"Everyone lied to me. They pretended to love me and made me think I was one of them," I sighed, holding back a sob. "Just leave me alone."

"Pretended? Who says they pretended?" Chief Beifong yelled, sounding slightly upset. "I won't tolerate this nonsense. It doesn't matter if you were found on the shores of Air Temple Island or not. Bumi and Aiko are your parents. Kya and Tenzin your Aunt and Uncle."

"That's not what that newspaper article said."

"I swear Zaya, if you don't come down this very instant, I will—"

"Chief! Let me handle this," Korra said, stopping her from doing who-knows-what. "I'm coming up, Zaya."

She did just that. Using her airbending, she got up and sat beside me, at the highest branch in the tree. She gave me a concerned look, but I didn't care.

"Zaya... Please, talk to me. I know you said you didn't want to talk, but I worry if you don't deal with your suppressed feelings, there will be severe consequences. Especially for you."

"What is there to talk about, Korra? I'm a nobody. The people I've given everything to for my entire life aren't even my real family."

"You know that they love you."

"The only reason I'm even one of them is because I'm an airbender. What if I wasn't? I wouldn't be special at all. I'm a nobody. I don't deserve to be called a Master, or to have taught the Avatar."

"Don't say that. Zaya, look around. Everyone here cares about you, especially me. And back at the Northern Temple and Air Temple Island, you've got even more people that care about you and love you," Korra took my hand and squeezed it gently. "It doesn't matter to me whether you are Aang's granddaughter or not. My connection to you is very real regardless."