| "I didn't find Kuruk. [...] Only his memories. And they [...] they weren't the ones I was looking for." |
| — Kyoshi tells Nyahitha about her spiritual journey where she painfully watched young Kuruk meet Jianzhu, Kelsang, and Hei-Ran. |
"The Message" is the fourteenth chapter of The Shadow of Kyoshi.
Overview
Kyoshi sees Avatar Kuruk's memories as she meditates in the hills outside North Chung-Ling. She is forced to watch as her past life celebrates the revelation of his Avatarhood, learns the four bending styles, and meets Jianzhu, Kelsang, and Hei-Ran. After waking from her journey, Kyoshi tells Nyahitha about her experience and rants about how much easier Kuruk's life was compared to hers. Nyahitha harshly notifies her that she will not be able to contact her past lives until she lets go of her bitterness toward them. As the two walk back to the town, they discover scandalous words formed by a field of melonyams.
Synopsis
As Kyoshi meditates, she has a spiritual vision of Agna Qel'a during Avatar Kuruk's lifetime. She sees Kuruk feast with the kinsmen of the Northern Water Tribe and celebrate his newly discovered Avatarhood. As she watches the memory from her previous life, she tries to speak to him before realizing that she is simply the audience of the vision.
Kyoshi watches Kuruk easily learn earthbending but with an improper form that his master from Ba Sing Se criticizes. Young Kuruk befriends Jianzhu of the Gan Jin tribe, bonding through playing Pai Sho together. They remain true friends as Kuruk studies firebending and airbending. Kuruk pretends to be a perfect student during his training and holds his tongue when he wants to correct his teachers, all in hopes of being rewarded with a flying bison at the end of his Avatar training. Kelsang, a junior monk, catches Kuruk and Jianzhu sneaking into a pen, trying to take a bison for a joyride. The young monk pins the two delinquents to the wall with a blast of air. The duo is forced to kneel in front of the Avatar's elders and the abbot of the Southern Air Temple. Despite his protest, Kelsang is forced to travel with the two bison thieves. Kyoshi screams out in protest as she watches young Kelsang join the Avatar's group, unable to warn him of the monster Jianzhu will turn out to be.
Though a strict Sei'naka man is supposed to be the last to join Kuruk's crew, he gets sick and "temporarily" sends a younger relative to take his place. Kuruk is immediately enamored by Hei-Ran's beauty and promptly makes his intentions clear. However, Hei-Ran coldly declares that she is not interested in dating the Avatar. Jianzhu and Kelsang bond for the first time as they laugh about Kuruk getting shut down. As the two spectators amuse themselves, Hei-Ran smirks at Kuruk and hints that she would be interested in the Avatar "while off duty".
As the young benders travel the world on a sky bison, Kuruk asks his companions for extra training, despite their age and inexperience; just as Pai Sho grandmasters never truly stop learning the game, the Avatar's team choose to practice their bending skills whenever possible. They grow to become extraordinary benders that are seemingly destined for greatness.
One night, Kelsang unintentionally enters the Spirit World and tells his friends about the vibrant creatures and landscapes he saw. Kuruk asks Kelsang to guide him there, which the monk eagerly agrees to do. The two airbenders meditate in a field outside Yaoping Town as Jianzhu and Hei-Ran observe.
Kyoshi digs her nails into her palms as she is tortured by Kuruk's memories. As she opens her eyes, the intense light of dawn causes them to sting. Nyahitha looks at the Avatar with an expression mixed with awe and confusion. He tells her that her spirit left her body and notes that he has never seen anyone pick up journeying so quickly.
The firebender asks if she found Avatar Kuruk and whether he told her anything about Father Glowworm. Kyoshi tells him she did not locate Kuruk but saw useless memories of his instead. She adds that all she learned from her journey is that Kuruk's life was easier than hers. Nyahitha looks at her with sadness and says it is time for them to go. Kyoshi asks if there is another technique they could try to commune with Kuruk, but he answers that it will not be productive if she continues to resent her past life. He affirms that Kuruk's flaws are not what is stopping her from saving Yun, hers are.
Kyoshi furiously charges at Nyahitha and grabs him by the front of the robe. After he calmly stares at her, she lets him go. Nyahitha advises her to choose between holding on to the past or moving forward, they can attempt to commune with Kuruk again once she understands this.
Kyoshi follows behind Nyahitha as he begins to hike down the mountain. Sensing she is on the verge of tears, Nyahitha says he was not lying when he said she had the potential for great spiritual discipline, which her past teacher must be responsible for. Kyoshi is frustrated by his pity and confirms that Nyahitha is not the first teacher she has meditated with. Nyahitha compliments whoever her past teacher was and says the spirits of the islands clearly spoke with her tonight. Kyoshi observes the hillside melonyam fields and notices an array of dried, sickly plants that spells "Hail Fire Lord Chaejin". Kyoshi points at the words in the field and asks if it is a message from the spirits.
Prodution notes
Series continuity
- The Northern Water Tribe sages in Kuruk's flashback to Kyoshi mention the lasting peace Yangchen established and their belief that it would continue for many generations, similar to the outlook Kuruk expresses in his flashback to Aang in "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters" and confirmed as partially true in Yangchen's bio from the old online game Welcome to Republic City, originally on Nick.com, now archived at The Lost Lore of Avatar Korra.[1][2]
- Kuruk's contention to his elders that integrating the different elemental styles into his training would make him stronger echoes Iroh's insistence to Zuko in "Bitter Work" that studying the other elements and nations will make him more powerful too.[3]
- Kuruk invents a method for moving heavy objects with ease by creating a cushion of air under them, an airbending move Kyoshi initially mistakes in "The Headmistress" as a party trick with no practical value.[4]
- Kelsang and Kuruk heard that Yangchen liked to practice using the Avatar State to power her airbending in a meadow near Yaoping, consistent with Aang's vision of Yangchen in "The Avatar State", where she can be observed airbending in the Avatar State in a meadow.[5]
Characters revelations
- Jianzhu and Kelsang are the same age as Kuruk.
Trivia
- This chapter marks the first appearance of sages from the Northern Water Tribe, confirming the existence of sages in every nation[6][7] except the Air Nomads.