Pema

Pema

Last edited on November 8, 2014

by Firetornado3006

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"I remember when I moved out of my parents' house to become an Air Acolyte. That first night I was so scared and lonely ... I really wanted to be there, but it still took time for me to adjust and feel like I was a part of it all."

— Pema to Tenzin.[1]

PemaPema

Pema

Biographical information

Nationality

Republic City, United Republic

Ethnicity

United Republic

Age

35 in Book One: Air[2]

36 in Book Two: Spirits

39 in Book Four: Balance[3]

Born

135 AG

Physical description

Gender

Female

Hair color

Brown

Pema is the wife of Tenzin and the mother of their four children: Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan. She is a nonbending Air Acolyte who lives with her family on Air Temple Island. She is significantly younger than Tenzin and is kind and compassionate, with a lovely sense of humor. She enjoys spending time with spiritual endeavors and at times feels overwhelmed by her rambunctious children's airbending abilities.[2]

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History

Early life

At some point in her life, Pema left her parents and pursued her desire to become an Air Acolyte. Initially, she struggled to adjust to her new life, feeling scared and alone on her first night. Over time, however, she adjusted and settled in as she grew to feel like part of the group.[1]

Prior to 160 AG, Pema fell in love with Tenzin. At that time, he was in a romantic relationship with Lin Beifong, though their relationship began to falter due to their different goals in life. Unable to bear seeing her true love spend his life with another woman, Pema confessed her love to the airbender, who broke off his relationship with Lin. In a fit of rage, the police chief attempted to incarcerate Pema following this, but was unsuccessful.[4] Pema and Tenzin later married and started their own family.[5]

170 AG

Supporting her family and Korra

When Pema traveled to the South Pole with her family to see Katara and Avatar Korra, she expressed to her mother-in-law her frustration about having only airbender children, as well as her desire for her fourth child to be a nonbender.[6]

Pregnant PemaPema was pregnant with her fourth child when she and her family traveled to the Southern Water Tribe.

Later, Korra journeyed to Pema's family's home and stayed with them for several months in order to complete her airbending training. The impetuous teenager turned Pema's quiet life upside down.[7]

When Korra did not come to dinner one night, a frustrated Tenzin confessed to Pema that he did not know how to get through to Korra. She comforted her husband by telling him that the best thing he could do for Korra at the time was to give her some space.[8]

When Councilman Tarrlok visited Pema and her family at dinner, she gave her husband a look of irritation, but after the waterbender noted that airbenders never send away a hungry guest, Tenzin reluctantly allowed him stay, much to Pema's discontent. She later attended a gala Tarrlok threw in honor of Korra along with her family at City Hall.[9]

While Korra was talking with Jinora and Ikki about how to approach Mako, Pema appeared from behind. Korra asked her how long she had been there, to which Pema replied that it had been enough time to understand the situation. She went on to tell Korra the story behind herself and Tenzin's relationship, and advised the Avatar to be honest about her feelings, as she had been with Tenzin.[5]

Anti-bending Revolution

Pema with Tenzin after giving birthPema and Tenzin admired Rohan upon his birth.

After Korra escaped from Tarrlok's hideout, she returned to Air Temple Island where Pema welcomed her with a hearty meal. After the dinner, Pema and Asami washed the dishes, and when Mako entered requesting more tea for Korra, Asami seemed angry with him, urging Pema to leave to allow them to talk things over. Later, as the Equalists began attacking Republic City, Pema gave birth to her fourth child, naming him Rohan. The family fled Air Temple Island minutes after the birth, heading to safety away from the city in order to preserve the Air Nomad race.[10]

Pema was later imprisoned by Amon along with the baby, while her husband and children were captured. She was later rescued and reunited with her family, after which they welcomed Tenzin's brother, Bumi. She joined her family and friends in a journey to the South Pole in hopes that Katara could restore Korra's bending, and eventually spectated Korra restoring Lin's earthbending at the Avatar Temple.[11]

171 AG

Journey to the air temples

Pema returned to the South Pole with her family, this time for the Glacier Spirits Festival. Once Tenzin was relieved of his post as instructor to the Avatar,[12] she traveled with him, their children, and her siblings-in-law to the Southern Air Temple, where she was greeted with great respect. Pema was bewildered when Abbot Shung, the head caretaker of the temple, showered her family with gifts, expressing their respect for the mother of the next generation of airbenders.[13]

Pema hugging IkkiRelieved over Ikki's return, Pema rushed over to her daughter to hug away her worry.

Some time later, Pema was relaxing with Tenzin, listening in as her husband talked with his siblings about childhood vacations. When Jinora and Meelo arrived, Pema noticed that Ikki was not with them. After Pema asked about their sister, the young airbenders reluctantly revealed that they had been teasing her and that Ikki had run away. Pema scolded both children, angrily asking the two why they could not get along better.[14] When Tenzin returned with her youngest daughter the following evening, she rushed over to hug Ikki, expressing her relief over her return. She immediately directed her attention to Jinora and Meelo, sternly asking whether or not there was something they wanted to tell Ikki, forcing them to apologize.[15] A few days later, she witnessed in awe as her oldest son orchestrated a ring-tailed winged lemur air show.[16]

Having arrived at the Eastern Air Temple, Pema was relaxing with Rohan and the rest of her family in the temple's courtyard, until Tenzin arrived and announced their itinerary for the day. Before they could embark on the tour of the temple, Korra arrived, pleasantly surprising everyone. However, as the Avatar recalled the events they had missed by being closed off from the outside world, Pema listened in shock.

Tenzin confessesPema was shocked to learn that Tenzin, despite all his meditating, had never been into the Spirit World before.

Later that day, Pema was surprised to hear her husband confess that he had never been to the Spirit World, as she was under the impression that all the days Tenzin had spent meditating at Air Temple Island meant that he had crossed over before. However, when Jinora revealed her ability to communicate with spirits, telling her dragonfly bunny spirits that it was safe to show themselves, Pema was impressed and proud of her eldest child. She remained at the temple with all her children, save for Jinora, while her husband, siblings-in-law, and Korra followed the spirits to a good place for the Avatar to meditate.[17]

Approaching Harmonic Convergence

Pema cradling JinoraHeartbroken and worried, Pema cradled the spirit-less body of Jinora.

Upon their return the following day, Pema instantly noticed the dark atmosphere that surrounded her family as well as the absence of her eldest daughter. When asked about her whereabouts, Tenzin showed her Jinora's still form, explaining that her spirit was trapped in the Spirit World. Heartbroken, she lovingly cradled her daughter, demanding to know how it happened. Her husband promised her that he would do everything in his power to bring their daughter back.[18]

As Tenzin, his siblings, and Korra set out to the Southern Water Tribe, Pema and the rest of her children returned home to Air Temple Island, where they watched how Vaatu, merged with Unalaq, laid waste to the city. When an energy form of Jinora intervened in the battle between Korra and Vaatu, Pema worriedly cried out to her daughter that she needed to be careful.[19]

Post-Harmonic Convergence

Two weeks later, Pema was taking care of Rohan on Air Temple Island when Ikki called for her father. She hastily followed her husband outside to find out what the problem was, though when Bumi started telling about his ventures with Bum-Ju and claimed he could airbend, she promptly turned to go back inside. During dinner, she sternly stated that if Bumi wanted to trigger his airbending by having giant boulders be chucked at him, he would need to do so outside. When Bumi successfully triggered his new power moments later, she looked on in amazement. She was present the next day when Bumi tried unsuccessfully to repeat the feat.[20]

Kya and PemaPema reassured Kya that Rohan liked her, even though he had just thrown up on her clothes.

After reports spread of airbenders appearing throughout the Earth Kingdom, Pema watched as Asami landed a Future Industries airship on the island in order to take Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora, and the rest of Team Avatar to Ba Sing Se, though she would remain behind with Kya. When Rohan vomited on Kya's

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