Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Dragons Have Balls?
*Hey, everyone. Here's the rewritten version of Chapter 2. It basically combines Chapters 3 and 4, so from this point on, the original will no longer be found on this site. I included some notable changes to the main storyline, so I hope you enjoy it.
Goku was quickly led into a large, open chamber. After a few seconds of prep time, all five members of The Council of Elders, including Gyatso, sat in front of him. They each sat atop rectangular cushions designed with black markings placed on all four sides. However, Pasang, due to holding the title of High Monk, had a white and gold umbrella that was placed directly above his head. This both signified his importance to the Southern Air Temple and shielded him from the outdoor light.
"So, your name is Son Goku, correct?" Pasang asked sternly. His hands were concealed by the orange sleeves of his robe.
On his right, Monk Gyatso and another airbender wearing a red robe with a long black and white beard extending from the nose down sat in patient silence. On the left, Monk Tashi grumbled to himself alongside another airbender with rounder facial features than the others.
"Uh…yep. That's right." Goku sat cross-legged on a mat much smaller than that of the elders. His tail swished around sporadically, subconsciously searching for some form of sustenance in this ever-expansive temple from another world. Tashi, not really taking notice of the tail at first, pointed accusingly at the boy.
"Boy, is that tail real? Are you some kind of spirit?" Tashi rudely probed Goku for more information about himself.
Goku boldly turned his head in the direction of his backside and lightly tugged on it, trying not to tire himself out like what happened during many previous occurrences. Seeing this, the elders became more interested in figuring out what Goku even was.
"Spirit? Nah, I was just born with a tail. My grandpa, Gohan, told me so." Goku admitted with some sense of pride.
Tashi scoffed, not deeming Goku's response satisfactory enough. Born with a tail? That kind of nonsense had to have been a joke.
"And did this "Gohan" have a tail as well? You did describe him as your relative, so genetics had to have been at play somehow." Tashi questioned. Before now, he had never heard of a human being born with monkey-like characteristics, so Goku's presence there further confused him.
Goku lightly frowned at the remembrance of his deceased grandfather. Monk Gyatso took note of this sudden change in mood.
He interrupted the conversation by glaring at Tashi as a sign for him to "back off". Displeased with this gesture, Tashi sighed and crossed both of his arms in anger. Gyatso then glanced back at Goku and smiled sympathetically.
"Could you tell us more about your grandfather, Goku? Earlier, you referred to him as a martials arts instructor of yours." Gyatso asked in a much more considerate tone than Tashi's.
In a split second, Goku's somber expression shifted into one of childish admiration. Stars could practically be seen shooting out of Goku's eyes in that moment.
"Sure! He was a super awesome martial artist! When I was a baby, he found me in the woods after my parents left me there. Since then, Grandpa taught me how to fight and protect myself from wild animals on Mt. Paozu!" Goku's described his earliest childhood memories.
"Hmm, I see. So, he's an orphan then." Gyatso gathered from Goku's relatively brief mention of his "parents". "Just like Aang…"
Much like most airbending children, Aang never really knew his biological parents. From birth, he was almost immediately taken in by the Southern Air Temple's nuns and raised by them until early childhood. Gyatso agreed to become Aang's legal guardian ever since and frankly, he wouldn't change that decision for the world. Goku seemed to have gone through a similar experience, albeit because of different circumstances. The question was: what did happen to Goku's parents in the first place? He supposed that would be a much more difficult question to answer.
"He sounds like quite a kind-hearted man, Goku." Gyatso said warmly.
"Yeah, he was the best. I wish he were still around, but…"
Goku looked down at his feet in sadness. This sudden level of seriousness caught the monks off-guard, but Gyatso empathetically waited for the young man to continue his response.
"But, what exactly?" Pasang asked with a steady raise of his right unibrow. Goku tilted his head back up, a deeper frown still etched onto his face.
"…a giant monster came during the full moon and stomped on him one day. The next morning, he disappeared and I couldn't find him anywhere." Goku recalled, still feeling significant regret for not being able to save the closest thing he had to a father.
From atop the council building, Aang continued to intently listen in on Goku's conversation. He was particularly unnerved by the reply Goku gave about his grandfather's passing.
"A-A giant monster during the full moon? Could it have been some type of evil spirit or something?" Aang nervously whispered under his breath. Eager to further satisfy his own curiosity, Aang stepped a little closer to the hole he was looking through.
Below, Gyatso and the elders became even more confused by the boy standing before them. They, with the exception of Gyatso, completely forgot that the same person who blasted a beam of energy just minutes prior was and still was, a child. He wasn't some monster they could blast off the mountaintop with a combined gust of wind and be done with it. No, Goku, despite having the tail of a monkey, was just an ordinary child with thoughts, desires, and above all, feelings like anyone else his age.
However, power such as his combined with the emotional instability of a teenage boy could lead to disastrous consequences. That could possibly make him the most dangerous individual on this entire planet, next to the Avatar and the Fire Lord themselves.
"Sorry for your loss. That must have been hard on you at such a young age." The round-faced elder shared his condolences.
Goku shook his head and went back to his previously joyful mood. Gyatso couldn't help, but compare him to Aang at that point in time, knowing full well how fun-loving and energetic the current Avatar could be.
"That's okay. Back in my world, I was able to fight with him one last time before his spirit permanently traveled to the afterlife. It was fun!" Goku sighed happily as he remembered the time he fought in Fortuneteller Baba's tournament to gather the Dragon Balls. There were a ton of weirdos fighting there, admittedly, but he still was able to resurrect Bora because of it.
"Say what now?!" Aang thought in reactionary perplexment. He couldn't tell what was the most bizarre thing Goku just mentioned in that moment. Fighting the spirit of an old man was one thing, but somehow arriving here from another planet entirely?! It was starting to feel as if he drank some bad Cactus Juice.
Simultaneously, all of the elders' jaws dropped to the floor at what Goku just so casually revealed to them.
"YOU'RE FROM ANOTHER WORLD?!" hollered the five airbending masters in unison. A sixth voice also stated the same thing, but Aang attempted to say it as inaudibly as possible, so he wouldn't get caught. Goku, with his heightened senses, caught on to this extra sound, but was smart enough to ignore it for the time being.
"Yeah, so?" asked Goku, none the wiser to their apprehension. The old monks gaped at Goku, their tempers starting to reach a consecutive breaking point in response to his naivety.
"You just said you weren't a spirit, yet you admitted to fighting with your grandfather's! Was that a lie?!" Tashi shouted with a beat red face and bald head to match. Goku covered his ears, unfortunately reminded of the times when Bulma would let out high-pitched screeches of anger as punishment for his cluelessness.
"I already said that I'm not and I meant it. Not sure if you guys know about him, but Avatar Roku sent me here." groaned Goku, growing annoyed with the crankiness of these "old Krillins" as he would like to call them.
The council room grew dead silent once again, each elder aghast by the intel Goku just casually shared, especially Monk Gyatso. Aang somehow recognized the name and who he was, but could not put his finger on it as to why he did.
"A-Avatar Roku?" Monk Pasang breathed out in disbelief.
"So, you do know about him! Cool." Goku nodded, taking the elders' shock as a sign they were aware of what he was talking about. "You see, I come from a world where martial arts and chi manipulation are pretty common. I was able to grow stronger through traveling around my version of Earth searching for these magic doohickies called the Dragon Balls." Goku boasted with his arms crossed and a cocky smile etched on his lips.
The Council of Elders exchanged looks, thinking of something completely different to what the Saiyan boy was actually implying.
"Dragon…heh…balls? He can't be serious! Hehe." Aang tried his best not to laugh out loud at the unfortunate name of these artifacts. He covered his mouth with the collar of his shirt to quiet himself down.
"What does he mean by that? Do dragons even have balls?" thought Monk Pasang, trying not to plague his atoned mind with shameful thoughts of more…private subject matter.
"How revolting! What kind of backwards civilization was he born in?" thought a wrongfully disgusted Monk Tashi.
"Care to elaborate about these…erm…'Dragon Balls', lad?" Monk Gyatso figured to ask since the others were busy jumping to conclusions like a quartet of scattered-brained Sky Bison.
"Well, the Dragon Balls are seven orange orbs that each have red stars indicating what number they are. I have a soft spot for the Four-Star Ball in particular since it's all I had left of my grandpa. Anyways, once someone collects them all, this ginormous dragon named Shenron will be summoned and grant any wish the user asks for. However, once a wish takes effect, Shenron will disappear and scatter the Dragon Balls across the Earth, unable to be used until a full year has passed." thoroughly explained Goku to the council elders. After finding out what the Dragon Balls actually were, Pasang, Tashi, and the other two mentally cursed themselves for being so vulgar without any source of information to go by.
"Ahem, I see. It appears the Dragon Balls are quite formidable objects." Pasang affirmed in dismay. This was proof enough that Goku's home might be equally as dangerous, if not more so, than theirs.
"That's fascinating and all, but why did Roku send you here? And the Southern Air Temple of all places!" snapped Tashi, still not buying any of the fairy tale mumbo jumbo Goku shared with them. Shenron, really? Did he just combine the first two names he could think of and shut off his brain for the day?
Goku simply remained silent, preferring to give a physical demonstration. From his hand, Goku projected a small ball of yellow and white chi. It whirred to life with a dim, buzzing sound and practically blinded the Council of Elders.
They already saw the majesty that was the Kamehameha Wave from a reasonable distance, but seeing chi up close and personal was truly a sight to behold. Only the ancient Lion Turtles could project energy in this pure, yet destructive form, so seeing it created so easily by a boy Goku's age was all the more astounding.
Nearby, Aang thought it seemed like an odd combination of air and fire mixed with the calm flow of water. It couldn't be put into words, but he could feel its essence somehow.
"Incredible. E-Even the smallest sphere of chi can hold this much power?" Pasang stammered in befuddlement. He practically collapsed onto his knees just looking too deeply into the sphere's inner core.
"Well, it takes a ton of effort for that to happen, but yeah, pretty much. With chi control, more and more energy can be condensed into a smaller space. That's how my Kamehameha worked back over there." Goku answered knowledgeably. It wasn't exactly dictated all that well, but Goku still summarized the basics of charging up chi, regardless.
"I cupped my hands like this, charged up as much chi as possible into my hands, and then, BOOM!" Goku threw up his hands to represent an explosion. "I let it all out as a chi blast. Pretty cool, huh?"
The elders didn't know what to make of these so-called "chi blasts". The fact that a mere child like Goku could effortlessly project streams of energy with a single phrase was far more disturbing than cool from their perspective. Since Goku was still learning, they wondered what utter devastation a fully realized chi-user could cause.
"A-And…are there those stronger than yourself who can use these blasts?" Pasang hesitantly inquired.
"Yeah, but they aren't exactly human like I am." Goku responded truthfully. To prevent any further confusion, he thought it best not to mention Kami and Mr. Popo for now.
"Back home, I became the strongest person in the world after managing to do what my master and friends failed to do: defeat an evil monster known as King Piccolo. This is why Roku brought me here; to train the next Avatar and make sure he's strong enough to face his own worst enemy: the Fire Lord." Goku revealed in a mix of sternness and frustration; sternness towards the fact that this training could help save innocent lives and frustration towards his inability to go home until this conflict was officially solved.
Aang, still eavesdropping nearby, grew confused by this explanation. "This kid was sent here to train…me?! But, why? Why would the Fire Lord be my worst enemy of all people?"
He began to breakout in a nervous sweat, unable to cope with so much information being thrown at him all at once. Aang knew he was the next Avatar and what not, but weren't all of these problems coming up a bit too fast? From what he knew, most Avatars didn't begin their training until they were teenagers at the latest.
Clasping the sides of his face, Aang desperately wanted to walk away and pretend he didn't hear this conversation. However, no matter how hard he tried, Aang couldn't move himself away from the hole. He was curious to hear what else Goku had to say.
This revelation frightened Gyatso in similar ways. He wanted Aang to have a normal childhood until the age of 16 when most Avatars started their journey, but Goku's purpose hindered those plans. With Fire Lord Sozin's plans for war against the other three nations, Gyatso knew that Goku's presence would serve as a catalyst for thrusting Aang into a destiny he was not yet ready to fulfill.
Pasang, on the other hand, was more than intrigued by this news. In fact, he began to view Goku's descent from the sky as an odd blessing of sorts.
"This form of chi truly is something the Fire Nation would not be expecting. With Goku around to teach Aang the same power in conjunction with the four elements, maybe there won't have to be a war, after all…" Pasang surmised with a slight smirk. He darted his eyes in line with Goku's, raising a hand to silence the murmurs of Goku's unbelievable feat and promise.
"Alright, Goku. Although most of your background is still a mystery, your motivation for arriving here seems benevolent enough." Pasang decided resolutely. "Plus, who else, but Avatar Roku could be powerful enough to transport you between whole dimensions?"
Tashi audibly scoffed from his seat. "I still think the boy shouldn't be trusted…"
"Don't be difficult, Tashi. The boy hasn't given us any notable reason to doubt his story." Pasang calmly rebuked the monk for his behavior. In response, Tashi begrudgingly kept himself quiet.
"I will allow you to stay at the Southern Air Temple on one condition." Pasang said as he raised up one of his fingers.
"And what's that?" Goku asked.
"You will remain under the watchful supervision of Monk Gyatso until further notice and assist him in Aang's training as the Avatar. Us members of the Council will also record your various uses of chi for future studies. Is all of that understood?" Monk Pasang lectured in a no-nonsense sort of attitude. Goku nodded along, but still felt a bit conflicted by the second part of this aforementioned condition.
"It seems okay to me. But, what do you mean by record my uses of chi?" Goku asked in a more suspicious tone.
"Record as in write down the steps to unlocking one's chi and being able to, more specifically, manipulate it. In case the Fire Lord attempts an invasion of the Air Temples, I feel it best to make sure a significant number of airbenders gain the power necessary to defend themselves. Scrolls detailing specific bending techniques were created with a similar purpose in mind." Pasang elaborated.
Goku scrunched up his face in slight hesitance. "I get what you're saying, Pasang, but…I dunno. Chi is dangerous stuff, so not everyone can learn it without proper practice."
Monk Gyatso, understanding Goku's concerns, kindly smiled at him.
"You have no need to worry, Goku. As monks, we try to keep ourselves at peace with the world around us. Chi should be no exception." Gyatso assured that the airbenders would handle chi control in a manner void of hostility.
Feeling the warmth emanating from Gyatso's aura, Goku smiled back in relief. Maybe he'd be able to get along with the airbenders, after all. He hoped Aang would end up the same way.
"Alright then. I'll trust you guys." Goku agreed to comply with Pasang's terms. Said monk grinned in amusement.
"Good. Now that we're on the same page, you are officially dismissed, Goku." Pasang instructed. Before Goku could walk away, his stomach let out a low, prolonged growl. He turned toward the Council of Elders apologetically.
"Can I get something to eat first, please? Hehe." pleaded Goku with an awkward smile. The elders, especially Tashi, all stared at Goku in disappointment until Gyatso broke the silence.
"Just wait outside, Goku. I'll be done here shortly." Monk Gyatso kindly shooed him away with his hand. Goku caught onto this gesture and got up from his seat, running toward the exit at a moderate pace.
"The boy appears to have a mighty strong appetite, it seems." The portly elder chuckled.
"Feh! He's clearly too immature for his own good. How do we know if he'll even be a worthy instructor for Aang in the first place?" Tashi continued to doubt Goku's skills. Vast strength did not equate to intelligence, and Goku was fairly lacking in the latter. That was not a good combination for mentors to have, especially those specializing in martial arts, bending, and, in this case, chi.
"Goku clearly has tons of experience beyond his years, Tashi. He mentioned defeating an evil monster, after all. The one called King Piccolo, if you recall?" Gyatso replied, darting his eyes toward Tashi to directly size him up.
"I doubt this "Piccolo" had an army as vast as the Fire Nation's. It's not an apt comparison in terms of how many lives are at stake and you know it!" Tashi barked accusatively.
"Yes, but how many firebenders can measure up to what Goku displayed with his Kamehameha? And based on what Goku mentioned, King Piccolo was, at one point, far stronger than him." Gyatso wisely debunked Tashi's baseless claim. He grew bug-eyed, no longer having the proper words to debate against Gyatso's point.
"I-I…erm…"
Seeing that Tashi had nothing left to say, Monk Gyatso got up from his seat and headed for the door. This meeting appeared to be officially over, at least for him.
"I have full confidence that Goku will do a good job as Aang's teacher. In fact, they might even learn from one another." Gyatso expressed his high hopes for both Goku and Aang. The old airbender felt their similarities with one another would be prominent enough to spark some kind of friendship between them.
Pasang stroked his moustache in curiosity. "Learn from one another? What do you mean by that?"
"You'll see with time. Keep in mind that Goku has no idea what this world is truly like. It'll be as foreign of an experience as it will be for Aang, I'm certain." Gyatso assumed. He then marched closer to the door and made his leave.
"Yes. He really does have no idea what this world is like." Pasang thought in newfound concern. "And how greatly unpredictable it can be as well."
Pasang interlaced one sleeve over the other as he watched Gyatso walk away. He hoped that Gyatso would be able to do what was best for both Aang and Goku when the time came. Those two would determine this world's fate more than they even realized.
Meanwhile, after he first left the Council of Elders, Goku walked outside and abruptly stopped in place. He looked up at the temple's roof in suspicion, remembering the faint sound of someone's voice from earlier on. He then utilized energy detection, a technique taught to him by Kami and Mr. Popo, to figure out this noise's origin.
The boy closed his eyes, scanning for any prominent chi signatures, apart from the five airbending masters he left behind. Surely enough, as suspected, he found one right behind him, causing him to instantaneously jump up to their hiding place. Staying as quiet as humanly possible, Goku sidled up along the wall and spotted Aang leaning up against a nearby window.
"Huh, what do you know? I guess he was spying the whole time!" thought Goku, impressed by Aang's stealth capabilities. He tiptoed closer to the monk and then, lightly tapped him on the shoulder. This did not go as well as planned.
"GYAHHHHHH—" Aang cried out in surprise before his mouth was covered by Goku's hand. Thankfully, the Council of Elders were too caught up in their own conversation to hear the young monk's surprisingly girlish yelp.
Wiping a hand over his brow in relief, Goku let go of Aang and gave him some time to calm down.
"Hey, Aang! Long time no see." Goku quietly greeted with a wide smile. Aang grabbed his knees, attempting to calm himself down as he looked at Goku.
"H-How did you even know I was up here?" whispered a stupefied Aang.
"I sensed your energy. It's something chi-users can do." said Goku while lightly poking at his forehead.
Aang peered at Goku in absolute wonder. "Geez! I guess you can do basically everything with chi, huh?"
"Not everything, but a lot of cool stuff, yeah." Goku sniggered. He then noticed that Aang's expression looked a bit more confused than happy with the mention of "chi".
"So, if you do train me like you mentioned, would I learn how to do that?" inquired Aang with a pensive, yet somewhat excited grin. Goku frowned, scratching the back of his head in nervousness. He expected this conversation to go a bit better than this.
Goku, his stomach on the line, only took in bits and pieces of what the airbending kid just said and practically pushed both of them off the ceiling in a hunger-induced rush.
"How much did you hear about that?" The monkey-tailed boy muttered. Aang looked down at the floor in discomfort.
"Enough, I think. Something about my past life, Avatar Roku, sending you from another world? To help me fight Fire Lord Sozin?" Aang summarized the basic goal of Goku's quest.
"That's sort of what he told me. I remember something about you mastering the four elements as well, but it was all a bit too complicated for me. Hehe." Goku chuckled, still struggling to really grasp the concept of an Avatar in general. Was Aang technically Roku in some way? Is that what past life meant?
Although these thoughts made his head hurt, Goku could tell Aang was struggling to cope with this entire dilemma, as both the Avatar and just a normal, everyday kid. Being gone from his own home, Goku essentially felt the same way.
"Look, Aang, I—" Goku's stomach roared even louder than before. Aang could have sworn he felt the whole Southern Air Temple shake for a second.
"Woah! What in the world was that?" Aang hoarsely cried in shock.
"That, Aang, is the sound of a stomach desperately searching for a good meal." Gyatso humorously whispered as he clasped both Goku and Aang's respective shoulders.
"Gyatso?" Aang questioned in puzzlement. He didn't even see or hear him leave the temple, let alone jump onto the ceiling.
Gyatso placed a finger over his lips. "Shhh. We can talk about this matter in greater detail at home. Does that sound good with you two?"
Due to his stomach being on the line, Goku only took in bits and pieces of what Gyatso said, but smiled widely, regardless.
"You better believe it! Let's go!" shouted Goku as he practically dragged Aang off the roof in a hunger-induced rush. Gyatso calmly went along with Goku's antics and gave him the proper directions to his living quarters.
Not far behind, an annoyed Tashi walked out of the temple and chose to follow them.
Aang and Monk Gyatso both lost their appetites the moment Goku started to eviscerate the fresh produce laid out in front of him. Fruits and vegetables of all types were entirely inhaled in one gulp by the adolescent, leftover scraps splayed below and all around the dining table. Aang attempted to speak out against Goku's seeming lack of manners, but Gyatso insisted that they wait until he was finished, rightfully assuming that the boy would have hunger-induced tunnel vision until his stomach was completely full. Much to Aang's chagrin and heartbreak, Goku also beat him to the highly cherished egg custard tart the moment they sat down. After what seemed like ages, Goku let loose a satisfied belch of triumph, a sensation that caused the entirety of the Southern Air Temple to, once again, shake back and forth. This time, however, it might have actually happened.
"Ahhhh! Delicious! I don't think I could eat another bite!" praised Goku in nutritional euphoria. Aang and Monk Gyatso breathed out inaudible sighs of relief, grateful that they could finally exchange some semblance of words with their new guest.
"Well, now that you've eaten properly," Gyatso coughed, resting both of his hands on the table. "Let's discuss more about your role as Aang's temporary mentor."
"Oh, sure. I was going to mention something about that before." Goku said. Surprisingly, his demeanor became more serious in only a few seconds.
"I see. What you were going to say?" Gyatso considerately asked. Goku glanced from Gyatso to Aang while crossing both of his arms.
"I just wanted you to know, Aang, that I'm not going to boss you around or anything like that. Even though Roku wants me to teach you how to manipulate chi, I won't be some strict, overbearing master type." Goku attempted to ease Aang's stress in this situation. "I already had a few of those and it's not fun, believe me."
He loved Master Roshi, but logging around those massive turtle shells was a chore at times. Chasing around Korin to grab the Sacred Water was arguably even worse compared to that. Then again, Goku wouldn't be the fighter he is today without enduring those hardships. As an Avatar, Aang would probably experience similarly tough obstacles in the future.
"If anything, I'll treat you just like any other kid around my age. We won't be master-student per say, but more like…erm…what's the word I'm looking for?"
"You mean like equals, Goku?" Gyatso suggested.
"Equals, yeah! Maybe we could even be friends, if that's okay with you." Goku expressed optimistically. He couldn't help, but see a bit of Krillin in Aang. Maybe it was because of them both being bald monks or something.
"That doesn't mean I won't be serious as an instructor, though. After all, teaching you chi is my only way to get home and resume my own training. Got it?" Goku reminded Aang that their training would not be easy, regardless of his kind nature.
Fully grasping the weight of Goku's words, Aang grew a bit more comfortable with his presence. He still couldn't see him shooting something as destructive as the Kamehameha, but overall, learning chi from Goku might not be so bad. The pressure crashing down on him began to lessen ever-so-slightly.
"No problem, Goku. I get what you mean." Aang bobbed his head enthusiastically.
"Seeing as how you want to start off as friends, Goku, maybe you and Aang could spend some time getting to know each other. He could show you around the temple and such." Monk Gyatso offered courteously to his pupil's eventual instructor. The young airbender seemed to agree with this idea, giving Goku a thumbs up of approval.
"I guess I have nothing better to do, so why not?" Goku positively exclaimed with his arms crossed behind his head. Aang got up from his seat and led Goku to the exit of Gyatso's room.
"Come on Goku. I'll introduce you to Appa!" declared the Avatar as he gradually picked up the pace with Goku in toe.
"Have fun, you two! And be careful!" Gyatso waved at the two kids.
His warm smile suddenly shifted into one of seriousness the very moment he was left alone. This was all he wanted for Aang; a period of time for the young airbender to truly cherish his younger years as any other boy his age would. However, with impending war looming over the entire world, those days were all but numbered. Especially, with the sudden emergence of Goku, another young warrior with just as much, if not more, pressure hanging on his shoulders than Aang's. Gyatso pensively adjusted the wooden airbending pendant wrapped around his neck, holding back the frustration-laden tears threatening to spill.
"Why did it have to be him? He's 12-years-old! He shouldn't have to deal with a maniacal tyrant seeking world domination! What Avatar, besides Kyoshi, truly has?!" growled an infuriated Gyatso, losing his temper for the first time in who knows how long. Right as he started to grind his teeth, the old airbender calmed his breathing. To further calm his nerves, he gulped down a cup of warm tea and swallowed.
"How long are you planning to baby him, Gyatso?" inquired the newly present Monk Tashi, his ancient eyes squinted in annoyance. Gyatso put away his cup and adjusted the position of his head.
"What are you implying, Tashi?" Gyatso irritably muttered.
Tashi scoffed and marched into the room, loudly slamming his fist on the table. "You know damn well what I mean, Gyatso! All you do is play pointless games with the Avatar instead of preparing him for what's truly important. Aang should be practicing more advanced forms of airbending combat techniques, yet what do you have him do?! Play Pai Sho without a care in the world?! What a disgrace!"
Gyatso tightly balled his fists, attempting to conceal the anger he felt towards Tashi in this moment. Tashi, taking note of Gyatso's apprehension, furrowed his eyebrows in disgust.
"Tsk. Maybe this Goku brat will succeed where you failed in preparing Aang for this war. The sooner Fire Lord Sozin is dealt with, the better, I'd say!"
That last statement proved to be the breaking point for Gyatso. He sent forth a powerful stream of wind into Tashi's face, pushing him a great distance away from the table.
"Oof!" Tashi cried. He smacked into the nearby wall, ironically knocking the wind out of him as a result.
"Aang is just a boy! He should not be groomed into some form of wartime superweapon, regardless of what results Goku's training may bring!" Gyatso roared in consideration of Aang's wellbeing. "He is not yet ready to face that kind of conflict!"
Tashi shakily stood back up. His bald head grew beat red in irritation whilst a sphere of high-powered air was projected from his palms.
"He. Is. The. Avatar! The sooner you to come to grips with that fact, the more likely the world's safety becomes. Think about it." Tashi snarled, brushing his robe a few times and storming towards the sliding door.
"As long as he is in my care, Aang will not be going anywhere. Mark my words on that!" Gyatso snapped back. Standing in the doorway, Tashi glanced back with a more neutral expression.
"That may be true, Gyatso, but remember, you're not the only one deciding Aang's future. The entire Council has his best interests in mind." Tashi reminded his fellow monk. "Besides, Goku does need to be shown other parts of the world to fully understand what is truly at stake here. Aang's training with him will most likely require that type of…exploring, I believe."
Gyatso quietly pondered Tashi's statement. Considering the duo's potential friendship, a visit to the other three nations did seem likely. Aang, before he was selected as the next Avatar, had traveled to the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation numerous times, and even made some friends there. However, Goku's power and mysterious origins made the possibility of those trips more concerning. It wasn't everyday that people saw chi, or energybending, being done so casually, after all.
"Even so, I doubt Goku is going to train Aang and do nothing else. It seems that he genuinely wants to befriend him as one child to another, from what I've heard firsthand. Pasang couldn't disapprove of that." Gyatso exclaimed with a small, confident grin.
Tashi, squinting both eyes, turned his head away and officially exited the room.
"Hmph. We shall see, Gyatso. We shall see." Tashi grumbled lowly. With that last threat, Tashi made his way back to the Council of Elders with some new proposals to consider.
Gyatso slumped down into his seat. He felt a bit more worried about Goku and Aang than before, wondering what Pasang could be planning for the two kids. Although Goku was ultimately accepted as a guest, he had a feeling that Tashi's patience would wear thin until the entire Council would expect immediate results in regard to Aang's chi. The best he could do was suppress those worries for the time being. That is, if there was any time left to begin with.
"I suppose I should check on those two…" Gyatso murmured thoughtfully. He then stood up straight and headed for the Sky Bison Stables, an area where, as mentioned previously, Aang's animal companion would be waiting.
"So, who's this Appa you were talking about, Aang?" Goku asked nonchalantly. Aang eyed Goku mischievously, preferring not to spoil the surprise.
"I already told you Goku. You'll find out when we get there." The Avatar assured. Goku pouted immaturely and darted his black pupils to the floor. Aang chuckled at his new friend's impatience and continued leading him to a lower portion of the Southern Air Temple. As they descended the stone steps, Goku caught sight of a large group of animals completely foreign to the version of Earth he was grew up in.
"Woah! What are those?" Goku wondered in abject curiosity.
"These are Sky Bison, the original airbenders!" Aang warmly introduced.
The aforementioned creatures were six-legged buffalos of abnormal size with shaggy white fur and brown arrow tattoos extending from front to back. The bigger ones had curved black horns placed above flat brown ears hidden within tufts of unkempt hair. Their noses were also black and oval-like in shape, paired nicely with the creatures' large brown eyes.
Above all else, Goku was particularly astonished by the fact that many of the Sky Bison were flying across the sky, doing spins and various different tricks in midair.
"I wonder when Kami's going to teach me how to do that…" wondered Goku as the mental image of him floating side-by-side with Nimbus came into view. Lost in his own thoughts of grandeur, the martial artist didn't notice Aang walking up to a large herd of Sky Bison, each distinguishable in terms of age and size. He then crouched down and placed both hands around his mouth.
"Hey, Appa! It's me buddy!" Aang cried out to the spacious stretch of sky near the Southern Air Temple. Almost immediately, a booming groan echoed across the heavens, originating from one of the largest bison in the entire group. Tongue sticking out excitedly, the large animal crashed into his owner, sending out a barrage of fierce licks.
Laughing in delight, Aang lightly hugged the Sky Bison's snout and tilted it a bit to the right, aligning Appa's line of sight with Goku's position.
"This is my new friend, Goku. He'll be staying at the temple with us for a while." Aang gave a brief introduction to his fateful companion. "How 'bout you say hi?"
Snorting, Appa stomped closer to Goku. The boy in question snapped back to reality at the sound of six collective stomps, turning his head to see one brown pupil glowering at his entire body. Standing frozen in place, Goku gulped and waited for the Sky Bison's next move. Appa sniffed the boy a few times, attempting to inspect every detail of Goku's appearance and behavior.
"Uh, hi?" Goku sheepishly greeted. Out of nowhere, Appa smacked his tail against the floor and planted a big lick spanning from Goku's face to his blue shoes. He was completely drenched in a mix of both saliva and snot by the end.
Aang giggled at Goku's current condition, keeling over on the tiled surface and grabbing at the sides of his stomach. "Hahaha…Well, it's good to know that he likes you, at least."
Before he could say anything else, Goku was trampled by a swarm of baby Sky Bison, catapulting him into the cold, hard ground as a result of their combined weight. The small bison then slobbered him just as much as Appa, eliciting a fit of laughter from the drenched 15-year-old.
After a few more minutes, the babies lost interest, and all started biting on a metal contraption situated in the middle of the room. Goku carelessly shook his hair about like a dog, drips of mucus and oral residue hitting everything in sight, including a grossed-out Aang.
"Eww! Knock it off, Goku!" Aang protested while Appa used his body as a makeshift shield. Slowing down this flawed cleaning method, Goku's hair bounced back into place. Spikes were now going in different directions as per usual.
"Sorry, Aang. Force of habit!" Goku shyly apologized. Aang shrugged it off without argument, assuming that stuff like this was daily routine for Goku during his time growing up in the wilderness.
"It's no biggie. Although, animals do seem to like you a lot. I've never seen Appa warm up to someone that fast." said Aang. Goku treated himself to rubbing the Sky Bison's exposed stomach, causing the animal to roll on his side in joy.
"Really? I guess it might have something to do with my tail." suggested the modest Goku since his connection to nature was almost instinctual.
Aang drew his attention to the monkey tail, still transfixed by its existence. Was Goku the only one with a tail like this? Were there others? Those questions would probably need to be asked at a later date but wouldn't be forgotten by any means.
"What are you, Goku?" Aang thought with a hint of suspicion.
Goku ceased his rubbing and analyzed the flight patterns of the other Sky Bison. The way they moved reminded him of the Flying Nimbus cloud he was forced to leave behind back home. Admittedly, not being able to use Nimbus right after Korin gave him a new one was somewhat disappointing. Then again, training with Kami didn't give him many opportunities to fly on it either.
Sighing, he closely observed the nearest clouds as they snaked by. All of them were puffy and white with different sizes that just barely set them apart. However, strangely enough, Goku managed to spot an enormous collective of clouds that glowed a bright, golden yellow and floated differently from its neighbors. It was identical to the one Korin summoned when selecting a replacement for the old Nimbus that Tambourine destroyed.
Goku took a slight step back in confusion. "A-Am I imagining things or…did Korin's Nimbus Cloud follow me here somehow? But, how is that possible?"
Aang looked similarly confused by this phenomenon. During all of the years he lived at the Southern Air Temple, Aang had never seen something like this take place. If anything, he assumed clouds couldn't even look like that to begin with.
"Huh, that's weird. Why is that mass of clouds yellower than the others?" Aang asked in puzzlement.
"Because that is a Nimbus Cloud, Aang. And a fairly large one at that."
Aang and Goku turned around to see Monk Gyatso standing before them. He sported a curious, almost intrigued expression in regard to the Nimbus Cloud's presence.
"Wait…Nimbus Clouds can be found in this world too?!" Goku gasped in shock.
The old airbender, albeit amused by Goku's reaction, lightly shook his head. "Not quite. Nimbus Clouds like this one are typically native to the Spirit World. Enormous Nimbuses like this one can seep from one dimension to another and thus, manage to be found here on rare occasions. I suppose your world was also a dimension the Nimbus Clouds managed to arrive in via a passage across space and time."
Goku gazed at the Enormous Nimbus in an even greater state of confusion. "Spirit World, hm? Come to think of it, Roku was surrounded by some Nimbuses when I first met him. Weird…"
"As I've said, they are quite common throughout the Spirit World. However, I've never seen one in person until now, especially one this close to the Southern Air Temple."
"Do you think it has something to do with Goku? He does have familiarity with these Nimbus clouds, from what I can tell." Aang pointed toward Goku in puzzlement.
"Possibly. Legend has it that those pure of mind, body, and spirit could walk atop these clouds without falling off. A few airbenders were reported to have done so, including even Avatar Yangchen herself." Gyatso explained the Nimbus Clouds' significance.
At the mention of another Avatar, specifically an airbender, Aang's eyes widened in even greater awe. "Another one of my past lives could that?! Wow. That's incredible!"
"Indeed. Yangchen definitely pushed the capabilities of airbending to their limits, much like Guru Laghima of the Northern Air Temple did many years prior." Gyatso nodded along in admiration. Laghima's ability to fly without a Sky Bison was impressive, of course, but Yangchen's accomplishments were nothing to scoff at either. Unfortunately, he wasn't entirely certain if Yangchen rode her own Flying Nimbus or just had a past encounter with one.
"Well, that whole legend or whatever is true, Gyatso. Back home, I've flown on two Flying Nimbuses to get where I want to be. And I think it's cause I have a pure heart too! Hehe." Goku delightedly confirmed.
"You've…you've actually flown on a cloud?" Aang stammered in disbelief. Goku enthusiastically nodded his head at a rapid pace.
"Yep! I'll prove it to you guys right now!" Goku said.
Keeping his eyes focused on the Enormous Nimbus, Goku ran toward the edge of the temple. Gyatso, out of concern, attempted to stop him from making that extended leap.
"Now? Wait a moment, Goku. Don't be hasty—"
Sadly, Gyatso spoke on deaf ears as Goku performed a long, powerful jump from where he stood. He rocketed straight into the massive cloud, much to Aang's horror.
"GOKU!" Aang shrieked, blindly assuming Goku would just fall straight through. Fortunately, upon making direct contact with the Enormous Nimbus, Goku clung onto it with his hands. He then climbed to the top and stood there with a wide smile.
"Awesome! Guess this bigger Nimbus works just like the one Korin summoned and then some!" Goku cheered in some semblance of relief. To Aang, Gyatso, and Appa's awe, Goku crouched down and plucked out a small chunk of the Enormous Nimbus. In this moment, he now had a third Flying Nimbus in his possession.
Goku set the Flying Nimbus beside him. "Alright! Let's see what you can do, new Nimbus!"
Hopping onboard the smaller cloud, Goku sped away from the giant Nimbus to reconvene with Gyatso and Aang. Both airbenders were struck dumb by the sight of Goku darting across the horizon at absurd speeds, riding the "solid" cloud with multiple spins and tricks thrown into the mix. However, Gyatso was more so fascinated by the Enormous Nimbus vanishing into thin air. It seemed to disappear as soon as Goku grabbed a Flying Nimbus from it.
"Well, I'll be. It really was summoned here by Goku's pure nature alone." Gyatso smiled thoughtfully.
After completing this short test flight, Goku parked his new Nimbus in front of Aang, Gyatso, and Appa.
"Wha…huh…how?" stuttered Aang, struggling to put this odd experience into words. The Enormous Nimbus's unexpected disappearance made things even weirder for him.
"I told you I've flown on a cloud before, didn't I? A talking cat named Korin gave me a Flying Nimbus from a bigger one just like the one you saw. This will be my third one for the time being, I guess." Goku innocently proclaimed. Aang, thinking it best to ignore the talking cat involved in this scenario, cupped his face in confusion.
"I get that this is a Nimbus or whatever, but what would have happened if you jumped on that cloud and it didn't work?" Aang asked seriously.
Goku rested a hand on his chin, not really assuming that type of negative outcome would even take place. He stood silent for a few moments in deep thought.
"Huh, I guess I would have died. Oops!" Goku timidly shrugged his shoulders. Aang smacked himself in the forehead and let out a deep sigh. This was really going be his teacher?
"At least things won't be boring with him around. That's for sure." Aang thought with a small smile on his lips.
Gyatso, taking note of Aang's smile, felt proud that him and Goku were hitting it off so well. It honestly reminded him of the friendship he once had with Avatar Roku all those years ago. Thinking back to those days suddenly gave him an idea.
"Why don't you fly around on Appa, Aang? That'll be an interesting way for you to show Goku more of the temple, I believe." Gyatso warmly suggested. Considering that he hadn't been able to fly on Appa for a while, Aang thought this was a good plan.
"What do you say, Goku? You want to fly the Nimbus alongside Appa?" Aang asked.
"Sure thing! That sounds like fun to me!" beamed Goku as he prepared to launch his somewhat sentient cloud.
Grinning from ear to ear, Aang began the process of saddling up Appa's back. The saddle was a curvy brown apparatus with two holes in the front and two holes in the back designed for the use of passengers hanging on midflight. A piece of rope extended from the front, placed there with the intent of giving a Sky Bison orders. Goku bobbed his head up and down almost too enthusiastically, jumping aboard the yellow Flying Nimbus he just recently acquired.
Aang followed the monkey boy's example and airbent himself around Appa's neck. He gripped his arrow-tattooed hands around the saddle's rope and patiently waited for Appa to get ready.
"Want to ride on Appa, Gyatso?" Aang offered excitedly. Gyatso shook his head, preferring not to give himself a heart attack. He just wasn't fit for that kind of excitement at this age.
"Not today, Aang. You have fun. I'll be waiting for you back in my room." Gyatso respectfully declined his pupil's request.
"Alright. See you then." Aang waved at the airbending master. He then cracked the rope above Appa's head. "Appa, yip-yip!"
Appa roared to life, ascending a few feet off of the ground and using the wind to jut himself forward into the vast sea of clouds. Not wanting to get left behind, Goku commanded Nimbus to follow, a request the new cloud gladly reciprocated.
Gyatso stood there, smiling contentedly as Aang and Goku flew away. He then interlaced his sleeves and slowly walked to the exit. "I have the utmost confidence in those boys. They'll go far by each other's sides, I'm sure of it."
Meanwhile, after breaking the sound barrier, Nimbus propelled its rider in the direction of the leading Sky Bison as Goku laughed in pure amusement. The two kids circled around the Southern Air Temple's surrounding mountains and buildings, catching the attention of many airbenders walking down below. They were particularly transfixed by the Nimbus's long tail of golden light.
"U-unbelievable! That kid from before is flying on a cloud!" subconsciously shouted an airbender with long white sideburns.
"The last airbender who was able to do that lived centuries ago! How is this boy so special?!" pondered a nun from the central monastery. She was taking care of babies recently born at this temple.
"Incredible!"
"Astounding!"
"Cool!"
Shouts, whispers, and critiques of all kinds echoed off the walls of the Southern Air Temple in reaction to the wonder that was Son Goku. He and Aang, however, didn't really hear any of it. They were too preoccupied with their own fun to care about anything else, but becoming one with the wind itself and flying side by side. This sentiment was not shared by Monk Tashi.
"They can enjoy themselves all they want, but this trivial nonsense needs to stop, eventually. The Avatar's training with Goku is far too important to let such merrymaking cloud their judgements." Monk Tashi spat inside of his head. At this point, the word could not afford to wait for Aang's growth. Progress needed to be accrued as quickly as possible.
"The fate of the world is simply more important right now. I hope Aang himself comprehends that at some point…" Monk Tashi sighed regretfully for what he was forcing onto the poor boy. Even he couldn't deny that Gyatso had a point about Aang needing some time to have fun once in a while. However, with a global war on the horizon, it could no longer be helped.
Aang had a destiny to fulfill and if he didn't do it now, everything and everyone would be swallowed by an all-encompassing inferno. Shivering, Tashi shook his head and returned to the Council of Elders. All he could do now was gauge the effects of Goku's training in chi manipulation. Any sort of distraction would no longer be tolerated, whether Gyatso liked it or not.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone