Love in the Wind || AANG x OC || ATLA

chapter ix

Katara's annoyance was palpable, but she couldn't help but crack a smile. "Ta-da! Your pants are as good as new!" she exclaimed, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she tossed the still-tattered garment in Sokka's direction, covering his face. Sokka scrambled to free himself from the fabric's grasp, his protests drowned out by the sound of his own muffled pleas.

"Wait! I was just kidding," Sokka pleaded, emerging from the pants with one arm awkwardly poking through the sizeable tear. "I can't wear these! Katara, please!"

"That's what you get for your outdated views, Sokka," Kireina retorted, her voice laced with disdain as she shot Sokka a pointed glare. "I could take you down with a flick of my wrist using airbending, and it wouldn't even take five seconds, considering I'm the greatest Airbender of all time."

Aang brushed off Kireina's boast with a playful grin before turning to Sokka with renewed enthusiasm. "Relax, Sokka. Where we're headed, you won't need any pants."

With a firm tug on Appa's reins, Aang veered the bison to the left, signaling for Kireina to follow suit. Appa and Ying picked up speed as they approached an island dominated by towering mountains. The creatures landed gracefully, and Team Avatar-Ransu dismounted on the sandy shores of the beach.

"We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn't we fly a few more miles before setting up camp?" Sokka inquired, making Kireina voice a rare moment of agreement.

"Much as I hate to admit it, Sokka's got a point," Kireina conceded. "At this rate, we won't reach the North Pole until spring."

Aang approached Appa with an innocent smile. "But Appa's feeling tired, aren't you, buddy?"

Appa emitted a noncommittal grunt, which did little to convince Kireina of the bison's supposed fatigue. She shook her head in mild annoyance at Aang's attempt to plead their case.

Undeterred, Aang nudged Appa's front leg with his elbow. "I said, aren't you, boy?"

Appa responded with a slightly more enthusiastic grunt, accompanied by a wide yawn-like gesture.

"You do realize I can read both your thoughts and Appa's, right, Aang?" Kireina deadpanned, flashing her Golden Chigan for emphasis.

"Real convincing, Aang," Sokka chimed in sarcastically. "Still, hard to argue with a ten-ton magical creature."

In a sudden burst of excitement, Aang dashed towards the shoreline, his eyes wide with wonder as he took in the breathtaking sight before him. "Look!"

With a sharp intake of breath, he pointed eagerly as an elephant koi leaped gracefully out of the water, its majestic form creating a spectacular splash upon reentry.

The Water Tribe siblings, accompanied by Yun and Kireina, gazed in awe at the magnificent creature, their faces aglow with fascination. Well, most of them, except for Kireina, whose expression betrayed a hint of indifference amidst the others' excitement. In fact, she had already seen the koi fish multiple times when she was younger and interested in aquatic animals.

"This is why we're here!" Aang exclaimed eagerly, already beginning to unrobe himself in preparation for what laid ahead. "Elephant koi! And I'm going to ride one. Katara, you have to see this!"

A frustrated growl escaped Kireina's lips, her jealousy simmering beneath the surface, though it did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group.

Without hesitation, Aang dashed towards the water's edge and leaped in, only to resurface moments later with a yelp of surprise.

"Brrr! Cold!" he exclaimed, his teeth chattering as he hastily made his way back to shore.

Meanwhile, Katara, Sokka, and Yun exchanged bemused glances, while Appa and Ying ambled off, their attention diverted by some other curiosity.