Accidental Avatar 3: Totally Lit

Muteki discovers that Mangetsu is really a Cat

I was skipping stones. The one I had just thrown skipped seven times before sinking to the river floor.

"You're cheating!" Mogui accused.

"What?" I asked.

"You're earthbending it up and making it skip more."

"No, I'm not," I sighed.

"It's not a competition, Mogui," Jin warned. "You just can't skip as good as him."

"But I'm great at skipping!" the firebender complained.

"So skip upriver," Jin suggested.

"Fine," he actually began skipping. 

He didn't walk, run or even jog. Instead, he skipped along the bank a few hundred yards.

I threw another rock into the water. It ran an arc across the surface, jumping a few times before slowing and sinking.

"You alright?" Jin asked.

"I'm fine."

"Mogui wears his emotions on his face," she said calmly. "You can always tell what he's thinking and feeling."

"That's why it's so fun to tease him."

"How are you coping?" she asked.

"With what?"

"With Amaya's death?"

"I'm fine."

"I can never tell with you, though," her eyes were intense. "Are you really fine?"

"I broke down back on the ship. It won't happen again."

"I know you won't break down," she sighed. "I just don't want you putting yourself through too much stress."

"I'm fine," I touched her shoulder.

She smiled sadly at me.

"You coping?" I asked.

"Just," she put her hand over mine.

"Okay, Parents!" the dock worker called. "Get on in, and I'll get you to the village."

We all got in and enjoyed the relaxing row to the village.

"So," Dock started. "What brings you from the colonies?"

"Our business is our own," I grumbled.

"My brother-in-law is just upset that his wife left him last year," Mogui commented.

Jin punched him.

"Well, we're here," Dock proclaimed. "And it looks like your kids are right where I left them."

"Thanks for the rides," Aang called out as we got off the boat.

"What's happening, kids?" I asked.

"Weird," Mogui commented. "No noise of disgust. Where's the squirt?"

The others looked around, but it seemed Mangetsu was missing.

"Well, it's not a big town," Sokka shrugged. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him."

"Toph's missing too," Jin sighed.

"Or we could leave them be," Mogui shrugged.

I whacked him upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Come on. They can't be far," I grumbled.