"Stop it San!" Xiomara said elbowing him in the ribs.
"No you stop it Xio." San said elbowing her back.
"Both of stop, or I'll turn this Sato-mobile around." Jai said firmly.
The siblings sighed. At last the car stopped at the dock where thousands of families had come around to receive their loved ones. The massive boat came to a stop as soldiers started spilling out. San and Xiomara eagerly jumped trying to see above the huge crowd. Somewhere in that boat was their mom.
"I don't see her!" Xiomara whined.
"You're too short Xio." San said, although at seven years old he was hardly taller than her.
Fighting, the two didn't notices their mom sneak up behind them.
"MAMA!" Xio shouted jumping into her arms.
"MOM!" San repeated holding onto her other side.
"My babies." Neilan Ottani said hugging them tight. Once she finished she turned and kissed Jai, hugging him tight as well.
On the way home Xio sat on her moms lap while San sat next to her, hugging her arm. He briefly listened to his parents conversation:
"Now that Beifong is done, they're saying Mako is taking over as Head of The Forces."
"Wasn't he inactive in the fire nation?"
"I think it was his brother. And of course the creator herself of the Sato Industry."
San watched him mom purse her lips.
"I understand it. I still miss the days when we had avatar Korra. Bless her heart."
"Neilan it's only been three years since they found Jian Mao. I'm sure he'll grow into a powerful avatar."
Xiomara was now snuggled into her mom's collar and Neilan pat her head.
"Oh I'm sure Jian Mao will become great. He already has helped a lot, the Hami are in check, just the fact that we have an avatar is putting groups on edge-"
Neilan paused looking at San who pretended to be asleep.
"And it's crazy how much safer people feel. I mean the avatars so young, yet it's like the world let out a breath."
Jai grunted.
"I felt as safe as I did fifteen years ago, when we moved to Republic City. Which isn't safe at all, the city never changes."
Neilan kissed the top of San's head .
"These two sure have."
......
San age 14
Xiomara age 13
Xiomara was glued to the television watching the Jian Mao show.
"Xio, you have school in an hour." Ms Ottani reminded. She was making eggs for San who had school in 15 minutes.
"It's not fair that Xiomara's school starts so much later than mine." San said squirting ketchup on his omirice.
"You chose to go to fancy and expensive fire school." Jai said from his recliner.
"Uncle Xen gives us a family discount anyways." San snapped.
"Money is not your concern San." Ms Ottani chided.
"I'm gonna date him someday." Xio said pointing to Jian Mao on the TV, completely ignoring the conversation.
Jai grunted.
"The day you date the avatar is the day I talk to any members of my family in the desert, never."
"Okay well start getting dressed Xio, and San you're gonna miss the train, you have to go now."
Xiomara sighed and went to put on her uniform.
San picked up his school bag and left.
"I will mom, bye!" He shouted leaving the house.
San had a normal day of school, the first half being dedicated to fire bending, the second half being world history math and science. He took the train home with a girl from his class named Isa, who's family owned a restaurant near to their house. It was a pretty average day until he got home.
Xiomara wasn't home yet since her school day was an hour longer than San's. Sometimes after school San would join Isa and some of his classmates at the restaurant for popcorn chicken. Instead today he went straight home. He wasn't quite sure if his parents knew they were home because he heard them talking.
"Deployed again? You served your five years, more than any of these other bastards have, the nerve of the United Forces, I'll personally talk to Mako myself."
"Look, they're calling back all old veterans, there's a situation near the North Pole-"
"Oh tell me have you been sworn to secrecy from your own husband?" Jai said angrily.
"You know I can't reveal intel! Besides it's not like I know any more than that." Ms Ottani snapped.
"Yeah well good luck explaining this to the kids, they'll be so enthused that once again you pack up your things and leave us."
"You think I want to?!" Ms Ottani said her eyes watering.
"You know what Jai I thought you'd be understanding, but you are as always no help."
"No help? I practically raised these kids on my own while you were off bombing civilian homes of whatever it is that you do."
"Fuck you." Neilan said going to their room and slamming the door.
San had never seen his parents fight like that ever. He quickly ran out the door and quickly ran to Xiomara's school. He waited thirty minutes outside the courtyard waiting for her to come out.
Xiomara walked out smiling with her two friends. When she saw San she rolled her eyes as her friends started giggling.
"Xio please let us to talk to him, please he's so cute."
"Eww gross, what's he even doing here."
She walked up with her friend Jihyo.
"San why are you here?" She asked annoyed, until she saw the look on his face.
"Hey umm Jihyo, I'll see you later."
The girl looked disappointed but walked away into another gaggle of girls.
,,
"Wow." Xiomara said as she and San reached their apartment.
The two waited on the steps leading up.
San had just finished telling her all about their parents argument, and the news that their mom was leaving again.
"Oh god." Xiomara said her eyes watering. She had to sit down. She wasn't sure what made her more sad, the words they exchanged or the fact that she wasn't going to see her mom until she probably done growing up.
"This isn't fair." Xiomara said crying. She thought about how her mom warned her about the all girl-changes she would experience, and how Xiomara didn't need to worry, because she was here.
"She can't go now, I need her." Xiomara said softly crying. She was embarrassed. Although only a year younger than her brother, she was the baby, and acted like it too. She didn't want to be one right now, but the thought of becoming an adult without her mom there scared her.
"And Dad really said that?" She asked San. He was a grouchy, stingy old man. But he was kind and funny, and so proud of his wife for all the good she did, Xiomara couldn't believe he'd say that.
"Yeah it was bad." San said nodding. He was only older by a year, but he was her older brother. He couldn't cry, and he had to break this to her, though sometimes he wished he could.
" What's going to happen to our family?" Xiomara said wiping tears.
"I guess it'll be just how it was before I turned seven and you turned six, like the first time mom left."
Xiomara paused realization kicking in.
"I didn't even really know mom until I was six. I'm not even kidding, like she was left when you were three, so I was like an infant. When she first came back I knew I loved her because she was my mom and I had to, and I do love her. But it was like my first time meeting her. Now, I'm probably not going to see her until I'm 20, and I'll be meeting her again as an adult!"
Xiomara looked up at her brother expecting him to judge her, what she said probably didn't even make sense, instead he gave her a pity smile.
"I know exactly what you mean."
"You do?"
"Yeah. I just didn't know how to say it, but you just perfectly did." He said sitting down next to her on the steps.
Though they had always been close he still felt somewhat awkward as he put an arm on her back. Thankfully she put her head on his shoulder as she wiped away tears.
San took her hand and fist bumped her.
For a moment she laughed.
"Why would you think to that now?" She asked with a small smile.
"I guess it a kind of sad-sibling gesture. Like, wow our lives pretty sad compared to the average happy person."
"The average happy person?" She asked.
San nodded.
"Yeah you know it's not like we're orphans, or poor, or sick, we have it really good. I mean the average happy person has a whole family, two moms two dads, one mom, one dad, whatever, and our life is a teensy more sad than that, ya know, plenty of kids have it worse, but plenty also get to have their parents all the time, and not-arguing."
"That's so dumb, but it kind of makes sense." Xiomara decided her tears now completely dried.
"Yeah I'm not the best at explaining."
"No, you know what San, I kind of like that." Xiomara said standing up.
"And now that we got all the crying out, we get to act completely shocked at the news, and watch dad struggle to apologize, because that is the most stubborn man I know."
San stood up raising his eyebrows as the two stood ready to go inside their apartment.
"Ready Xio?"
"Yeah I think I am now." She said her hand on the door handle. With the other one she fist bumped San, who smiled as the both went in.
......
San 17
Xiomara 16
Now the two were on the back of a sky bison flying towards the fire nation, with a wanted criminal ( the avatar, the real one) and this strange relative of their dad who had tracked them down.
"We're on a freaking sky bison." Xiomara thought allowed.
"Yeah." San said.
"And now we're also runaways."
"Yeah." San said again.
"I wonder what Dad will think once Jinora and Kai tell him where we are, will he even believe their lies? Will the White Lotus?"
"Unclear." San said.
Xiomara watched as Karia looked over a map than Genji was studying. The sunset made Gennj's tan look nice. And the wind made his hair look soft. Xiomara pushed these thoughts aside as new one popped into her head.
"Do you think Mom will even know we're gone?"
This time San actually turned to face her.
"Man, who knows. Probably not. Definitely not."
"Wow." Was all Xiomara could say.
San started to smile at their situation.
"Yeah, wow." He said raining his hand.
And the siblings did their signature self-pitying fist bump.