𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒈𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆r𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

Chapter four
Elora

"The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!" Aang's voice rings out joyfully, carried away by the wind as we all reach the top of a hill.

Spread out before us lies the city, perched atop a tall, flat-topped mountain. Four pyramids reach skyward, while a long bridge stretches towards the closed gates of the city, all constructed from the tan sandstone native to the land.

"We used to always come here to visit our friend Bumi," Aang reminisces, his eyes filled with admiration for the place.

"Wow, we don't have cities like this in the South Pole," Katara marvels, gazing at the grandeur before us.

"They have buildings here that don't melt!" Sokka exclaims, throwing his arms out in astonishment.

"Well, let's go, slowpokes!" Aang declares, spinning around with a grin. "The real fun is inside the city," he adds, launching into the air before coming back down and beginning to slide down the frost-covered hill.

"Dumbass," I mutter under my breath as I watch him go. "Aang, wait!" I shout after him, my words halting his descent. He looks up at me from where he stands on the hill, his expression questioning.

"It could be dangerous if people find out who we are," I warn.

"You need a disguise," Sokka chimes in, nodding in agreement.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" Aang asks, perplexed.

"Grow a mustache?" He suggests sarcastically, and I smirked because that's exactly what he was going to do.

Within a few minutes, Aang sported a towering mound of white hair atop his head and a matching mustache under his nose, all fashioned from Appa's fur. Meanwhile, I improvised with a headband stolen from Sokka, wrapped around my forehead.

"This is so itchy," Aang complains, scratching his head as he turns to Appa. "How do you live in this stuff?"

"Great! Now you look just like my grandfather," Sokka remarks with a firm nod, admiring his handiwork.

"Technically, Aang is 114 years old," Katara interjects. "And you're 116, Lora," she adds with a small smile, her words prompting me to frown and nod in acknowledgment of the passing years.

"Hmm... I'm a senior," I chuckle, accepting the reality with a hint of amusement.

"Now let's get to skippin', young whippersnappers," Aang declares, leaning onto his staff and using it as a makeshift walking cane. "The big city awaits!" he shouts, leading the way down the hill with Katara. We quickly catch up to them, nearing the long bridge that leads to Omashu.

"You guys are gonna love Omashu," Aang tells the two Water Tribe siblings with enthusiasm. "The people here are the friendliest in the world," he adds, his smile faltering as we catch sight of one of the guards callously tossing a wagon filled with vegetables over the side of the bridge.

"My cabbages!" the merchant cries out in anguish, watching his stock go to waste over the edge of the mountain.

"Just keep smiling," I whisper to Sokka and Katara as they force fake smiles onto their faces, and we continue forward.

The guard, responsible for the vegetable debacle, stomps on the ground and earthbends a large boulder over Aang's head.

"State your business!" he demands threateningly, expecting to intimidate us. But Aang scurries past the boulder, getting in the guard's face and holding out his finger in a scolding manner.

This is gonna be fun

"My business is my business, young man, and none of yours!" Aang retorts, his voice laced with feigned age and authority. "I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!" he adds, feigning anger, leaving the guard and his comrades stunned. While they're taken aback, I'm not surprised—I'm used to Aang's antics.