Accidental Avatar 2-RocknRoll

A Warm Welcome

A/N: Apologies, lovelies.  I meant to have this posted a while back. Still, I only just managed to finish checking it over for SashaL (who wrote it. I just checked to make sure it flowed and whatnot) due to University, work and various other health-related issues that ensured this took longer than it needed to.  In other news, if you guys enjoy SashaL and me working on stuff like this, we have another something-something in the workshop for when this Avatar series is done. So don't fret. I remembered that there is a third book.

On a side note, I plan to take a break from Avatar when book 3 is done so that Korra stuff might be a more distant thing.  Maybe.  Don't get too anxious.  I might decide otherwise if SashaL can convince me.  Anyway, with luck, you should get another chapter before too long.  I don't think there will be too many more cliffhangers?  Amaya out~

So Appa landed us on a cliff near Chameleon Bay. Four ships had laid anchor in the natural harbour, and a small craft floated between them and the shore. It had been far too long since I had seen the sea. That's something I've missed. A deep breath of brine filled my lungs, and the feeling of home hit me—so much time spent on the waves. I even spent many hours under them too. Maybe not all at once, but all up... anyway. The ocean held many memories for me. Both good and bad. It was my escape during the tough times, my refuge when I needed peace and a connection to my roots.

"You okay?" Aang asked.

"Yeah," I smiled, wiping my face with a sigh. "Just a memory."

"Tearing up a little, man," Sokka joked.

"I just realised how much I'd missed the sea," I grinned.

"How about you, Sokka?" Aang asked.

"Huh?"

"You haven't seen your dad in over two years," Aang pointed out enthusiastically. "You must be so excited!"

"I know I should be," Sokka clutched his stomach with an anxious expression. "But I just feel sick to my stomach."

"That's just the nerves," I said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, don't be so nervous," Aang said lightly. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

I looked out over the cluster of tents, and my stomach dropped. If I so much as sneezed warm air around them, they might lynch me. These were the guys who were on the front line every day. They've seen firebenders destroy villages, farms... homes. It might not have been me throwing the fire, but I still carry that shame.

I clicked back into the conversation just in time to say farewell to Aang as he yelled, "yip, yip!"

"Ready?" I asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's been two years!" Sokka waved his arms. "Do you have any idea how nervous I am? What if he's mad that I'm here?"

I laughed.

"What!?"

"I think he'll be happier than anything," I grinned. "I mean, if I knew my family was out there somewhere, I'd be glad to see them again. It's been almost four years since we were all together."

Sokka looked away, looking mildly upset. "Sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it," I clapped his shoulder. "We split up before what happened to the Island. I got new people to call family now."

Sokka's face lit up again, small amounts of pride, large amounts of happiness.

We walked down a path to the beach, and I felt the rush of nostalgia as my feet sunk into the sand. Soldiers threw us surprised glances before wandering over to greet us. One of them sized me up, then planted himself directly in our path, a stern look on his face. The standoff lasted for about a minute before enormous grins covered the faces of the Watertribe soldiers and Sokka as they clasped arms and gave each other giant bear hugs.

I'm telling you, none of these guys was under six foot.

But everyone was laughing and clapping each other on the back. I was just about knocked off my feet when someone decided I needed to join the back clapping.

"Sokka! Good to see you!" one of them boomed.

They parted, becoming a wall of tall grinning tribesmen who had created a path to what looked like the main encampment. The symbol of the Northern Water tribe hung over the entrance, which was currently... uh... closed. It's a tent. The flaps were closed.

Sokka lifted his chin, swallowing before steeling himself, then striding purposefully towards the tent. I followed behind. My own chin held up, though more because I wanted to fit in a little bit.

The two of us were short compared to these men. If Muteki's hair wasn't so flamboyantly red, he might've fit in too. Anyway, Sokka part's the tent's flaps, and we step in, the light from outside spilling over a huge map of the... world? Probably.

At the far end, a man was leaning over to talk to an imposing-looking man - tall like everyone else, no doubt, despite being seated - when he looked up to see who had just come in.

The man smiled at Sokka and nudged the big guy staring intently at the chart, who looked up.

The confusion, then shock and finally pure happiness flashed over the guy's face like a lightning storm.

"Sokka!"

"Hi, Dad," Sokka's voice was wobbly as he brushed a tear from one eye.

Sokka's father was up and across the tent in a few steps, Sokka meeting him halfway. His happiness brought a smile to my face.

It reminded me of my own family. Mum, dad ... sisters... Amaya... Muteki... my stomach dropped, and my smile faltered.

Something was wrong.

The next thing I knew, a large hand descended on my shoulder, and Sokka's dad's face was grinning into mine.

"And this must be the notorious Mogui Dragonborn," he boomed.

"I am," I answered, slapping a grin back in place.

That was responded with a bone-crushing bear hug, my feet briefly leaving the ground.

"Welcome to our base of operations," he boomed as my feet returned, and I was able to breathe in a deep breath of sweet merciful air.

"Uh... thanks?"

"We have a lot to talk about," the chief smiled at his son but put his arms around us both.

Did I just... get adopted?