An Ming had been as surprised by the Avatar Ro Pan as his father had been when he had first come to their temple home. An Ming's family was very nomadic and so it really didn't take much for the young man barely into adulthood to up and leave his family to accompany the Avatar. In face it was just the adventure An Ming wanted. There was much he could learn from the older man and his friends. His shy quiet nature didn't seem to be a problem either which was more then An Ming could say about others his own age. After only a few weeks he felt quite comfortable with the group. Thus the decision to follow the Avatar back to the Earth Kingdom wasn't a hard one for An. He would follow him literally anywhere. The things he learned along the way, the sights he saw expanded his horizons and fortified his desire and will to follow the Avatar and learn even more. For An dearly loved to learn, knowledge and understanding where the balance that he sought. It had been this way all his life. The more he knew the hungrier he was for more knowledge and understanding. Thus his travels with the Avatars group fed his mind with new knowledge and deeper understanding.<br/><br/>The earth city was a sight to behold. One he was unused to, having only seen the temples of the Air kingdom. Having been raised there. To now see the Earth Kingdom was amazing. The stories he had heard had not them justice and he took the sights in with hungry eyes. They amazed and fascinated him.<br/><br/>All the talk of war was something that scared An deeply. He wasn't interested in war. He didn't like war and hated the concept even more. An was a man of peace. He sought peace above all else. Wanting nothing more then the balance to be upheld. It is why he wishes to remain with the Avatar so deeply as it is him who restores and fortifies the balance of peace amongst the nations. It was thus that he was relieved when a peace talk was agreed upon. Though he had remained silent observing the exchange between the Avatar and his childhood friend, An had hoped and prayed for peace. It was his deepest hope and strongest desire. He was uneasy, for a man of war did not often come to peace so easily, however, he chalked it up to the Avatars presence and therefore put no further thoughts into his unease. Trusting in what he had come to know.<br/><br/>As they retired nothing remained to trouble An's dreams that night and still nothing troubled his thoughts the next morning. He rose and followed the others still intently taking in the sights and sounds of the earth kingdom city around him. Something he found interesting on a deep level. As the meeting began nothing seemed wrong, it seemed as though peace was really going to follow on the heels of Ro Pan's arrival.<br/><br/>An was reading intently the papers when the girl was heard making her way towards them. He looked away to watch her interested in what was going on and equally confused by her incoherent words. Therefore, he missed what else transpired, until he heard a cry that turned his blood to ice in his veins. He looked over just in time to see the blood a moment before he was thrown backwards with a cry of alarm and landed hard, the breath knocked from him. So that all he could do was lie in shock and watch what transpired, trying to catch  his breath.<br/><br/>Tears stung his eyes as he watched his friend and mentor Ro Pan falling to his knees. As he watched the man he admired so dying. It was more then he could bear, but there was naught he could do, except watch and feel the pain inside him building with each shaky breath he took. An heard the Avatars last words as he slowly attempted to rise. Unsteadily and aching he made his way to kneel by Xiaofan's side. Watching in silent pain the two woman grieve for their brother. His own grief spilling over into the tears that streamed down his face.<br/><br/>From where he knelt An looked up to Kai and met her gaze, the grief mirrored in his eyes shone brightly, but as did the determination to find the reincarnation of the Avatar. An remained silent even as those around him spoke. He had no words to share, he felt the loss of his friend and mentor deeply, though he knew no where near as much as Xiaofan would be feeling the loss of her twin.