The tales of the avatars twin: *an ATLA fanfiction*

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I still don't understand how you're here," Aang called back from the Appa's head. I was lounged on the back of Appa, content as ever to be free in the air. "Monk Gyatso did something," I answered, "it was like I closed my eyes, and I blinked and suddenly I was here, you know?" "Well, whatever it was, I'm glad he did." Aang turned back to smile at me and I beamed back.

"It's nice to see you both reunited," Katara told me privately. "Aang was really down about everything, and it's like having you around is encouraging him." "We've always been close," I explained, "the monks didn't like it, but what could they do?" "Not much, I suppose." Katara rolled onto her stomach, staring down into the clouds. "Those clouds look so soft, don't they?"

"When I was little I always used to pretend I could sleep in them," I commented with a laugh. "Oooh, could you imagine? Just jumping down, I bet they'd feel like a big, soft, cottony heap."Sokka, who had been carving away to himself until then, piped up, "maybe you should give it a try." "You're hilarious." "I'll try it!" Aang jumped off Appa, cheering as he went. Katara and Sokka leaned over the side, following his path. Aang glided through the air, circling under Appa, before landing behind them all. "Turns out, clouds are made of water."I looked at Katara. "I suppose we shouldn't try sleeping on them, hmm?" "Maybe not."Aang quickly bended the water off of him, and all over Sokka who looked ready to protest the treatment.

"Hey, what is that?" Katara asked, getting everyone's attention. I looked out, hyper aware of Sokka's presence at my side. The land below them was a beautiful, lush green forest, except for a section that was burnt. "It's like a scar..." Sokka mumbled. "It's horrible," I added, feeling the cheerful mood vanish. "We need to check it out," Aang decided and returned to Appa's reigns.

They landed in the middle of the scarred land. "Listen," Sokka instructed them. "It's so quiet. There's no life anywhere." "Aang? Are you okay?" Katara asked."Fire Nation!" Sokka exclaimed, noticing footsteps. "Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for-""Shhh!" Katara hissed. "What? I'm not allowed to be angry?"

"I don't understand," I said, dropping to a crouch to fuss at the ash. "Why are they doing this? I remember them attacking, but why all of this?" Sokka was stood at my back, and he just shook his head, looking to where Katara was with my brother. "How could I let this happen?" He asked. "Aang, you didn't let this happen. It has nothing to do with you," Katara insisted. "Yes, it does. It's, it's my job to protect nature. But I don't know how to do my job."I didn't miss the way Aang stammered there, but didn't say anything. "That's why we're finding you a teacher," Katara reminded him, before shooting Sokka a sharp look.

"Hey, Aria," Sokka said, come with me a minute. I gave him an odd look, ignoring the way my heart skipped a beat when he pulled me along with him. Okay, sue me. But every boy I've ever spent time with has been bald and practically famly. For one, Sokka had hair, two he wasn't related and, okay, he was attractive."Can you see if anything around here is still alive?" Sokka asked me, ushering me along to search through the ash. I sifted through, not noticing when Sokka left and Katara joined me instead.

"What have you found?" She asked me. "Acorns, you know what that means, yeah?" I grinned, passing her a handful of them. "Hey, Aang! You ready to be cheered up?" Katara asked. "No," he answered, before being hit by an acorn. "Ow! Hey, how is that cheering me up?" Sokka laughed. "Cheered me up." Katara threw one at him. "Ow. Yeah, I probabaly deserved that.""There acorns are everywhere, Aang. That means the forest will grow back! Every one of these will be a tall oak tree someday, and all the birds and animals that lived here with come back."