"𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦; 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞."
- 𝐋𝐚𝐨 𝐓𝐳𝐮
Sokka instinctively shielded his sister as the residual blast dispersed, leaving a mesmerizing swirl of blue light atop the shattered iceberg. In its midst stood the boy, his eyes and arrow markings still aglow, a captivating yet eerie sight.
"Stop!" Sokka's command cut through the charged atmosphere as he leveled his spear at the boy, ready to defend against any threat.
As the glow faded, the boy slumped down, unconscious, and slid toward Sokka and Katara. Acting on instinct, they caught him before he could hit the icy ground. Sokka tentatively prodded the boy's head with the blunt end of his weapon, prompting a protective reaction from Katara.
"Stop it!" she hissed, shielding the boy from Sokka's harmless prodding.
As the boy stirred, his voice barely above a whisper, he beckoned Katara closer. "I need to ask you something," he murmured, his eyes still half-open, drawing her in with an air of mystery.
Curiosity piqued, Katara leaned in, only to be caught off guard by the sudden shift in the boy's demeanour. "Will you go penguin sledding with me?" he blurted out excitedly, his tone betraying the seriousness of moments before.
"Uh... sure," Katara responded awkwardly, taken aback by the sudden change in conversation.
Aang, as the boy, effortlessly airbended to his feet, prompting a startled reaction from Sokka, who watched with wide eyes.
"What's going on here?" Aang inquired, his curiosity matching that of the siblings.
Sokka, still in a state of shock, pointed accusingly at Aang. "You tell us! How did you and the girl end up in the ice?" He prodded Aang with his spear. "And why aren't you frozen?"
Aang deftly deflected the spear, his demeanor strangely calm. "I'm not sure," he admitted, his attention quickly drawn elsewhere as a low, animalistic noise filled the air. With lightning speed, he scaled the ruined iceberg, leaping over the crater's lip to land atop a massive, furry beast. "Appa! Are you alright? Wake up, buddy."
Turning his attention to the unconscious girl, Kireina, the boy's best childhood friend, Aang crouched down beside her, his worry palpable. "Reina!" he called out softly, checking her condition. Though unconscious, she breathed steadily, bringing a small measure of relief to Aang's troubled mind.
His thoughts were interrupted as a thin tongue reached out to lick his cheek. "Ying!" Aang exclaimed with a mixture of joy and relief, turning to greet one of his loyal companion.
As Katara and Sokka rounded the corner, they were met with a bewildering sight—Aang, the boy they had just encountered, embraced by a massive flying bison and a majestic dragon. Their jaws dropped in disbelief as Aang introduced them to his extraordinary companions.
"What in the world is that?" Sokka exclaimed, his disbelief evident as he struggled to process the surreal scene unfolding before them.
"This is Appa and Ying, my flying bison and dragon," Aang replied casually, as if encountering such mythical creatures was an everyday occurrence.
Sokka arched an eyebrow incredulously. "Ah, yes," he replied with heavy sarcasm. "And here we have Katara, my flying sister."
Aang opened his mouth to respond, but his attention was swiftly diverted as Kireina's discomfort became apparent. With a sudden jolt, her golden yellow eyes snapped open, causing Aang to gasp in a mixture of shock and relief as she struggled to sit up, clutching her head.
"Reina! Your eyes!" Aang exclaimed, his voice echoing with a blend of concern and amazement, prompting Kireina to wince and cover her ears in response. Aang's expression softened as he quickly apologized, realizing the unintended volume of his outburst. He just had never seen the girl with eyes of that hue.
Before Aang could delve into the mystery of Kireina's eyes, Katara interjected with a question. "Who is she?"
"This is Kireina, my closest friend!" Aang announced proudly, offering Kireina a supportive hand as she rose to her feet, steadying her with a gentle grip on her hips. Turning to face the siblings, Aang's grin widened. "So, do you guys live around here?"
Sokka wasted no time in voicing his suspicions, spear pointed accusingly at the pair. "Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? They were probably signaling the Fire Navy."
Katara, quick to come to their defense, chimed in with practiced indignation. "Oh, yeah. It's quite obvious they're spies for the Fire Navy. Just look at the evil look in the boy's eyes."
Aang met Sokka's accusatory gaze with an innocent smile, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight.
"The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka," Katara added dryly, addressing Aang and Kireina. "But enough about us. You never told us your names."
Before Kireina could offer a response, Aang felt an unmistakable tickle in his nostrils. "I'm A... aaaahhhh... ahhhhh... aaah aaah aaah AAAAAACHOOOO!" With a powerful sneeze, Aang was launched into the air, soaring several feet above the ground before gravity reclaimed him, depositing him back on the earth with a gentle thud. Once he regained his composure, he answered Katara's query with a sniffle and a nose rub. "I'm Aang."
Sokka regarded him with a mixture of disbelief and incredulity. "You just sneezed... and flew ten feet in the air!"
"Really? It felt higher than that," Kireina interjected with a playful grin.
"You're an Airbender!" Katara exclaimed in astonishment.
"Sure am! And so is Kireina!" Aang confirmed, flashing her a radiant smile.
Unimpressed by the spectacle unfolding before him, Sokka turned on his heel and began to walk away. "Giant light beams... flying bisons and dragons... Airbenders... I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm heading home, where things make sense."
Observing Sokka's retreat towards the edge of the iceberg, Kireina noted the desolate expanse surrounding them—nothing but sea and ice as far as the eye could see.
"Well, if you find yourselves stranded, Appa and Ying can give you a lift," Aang offered generously, gesturing towards the two flying creatures.
"We'd be grateful for the ride! Thank you!" Katara accepted eagerly, opting to board the Flying Bison, feeling slightly daunted by the prospect of riding the dragon.
"I, on the other hand, refuse to board that oversized fluff ball," Sokka declared with a scowl of disdain.
Katara couldn't resist a smug retort. "Are you holding out for a different monster to offer you a lift home? You know, before you freeze to death?"
Sokka began to retort but ultimately relented, heaving a resigned sigh. "Fine, but I at least expect a turn riding the dragon."
Kireina chuckled at Sokka's playful stubbornness as he settled into the wide seat on Ying's back, securing himself with the provided braces.
"Alright, first-time flyers, hold on tight!" Aang announced with infectious enthusiasm. "Appa, yip yip!"
With a low rumble and a powerful flap of his massive beaver tail, Appa launched into the air, his wide legs spreading to support his weight. Ying attempted to follow suit but noticed his friend plunging back into the water with a resounding splash. Opting for a different approach, Ying gracefully transitioned into a smooth swim alongside the bison, keeping pace with his airborne companion.
Aang gave the reins another shake. "Come on, Appa. Yip yip," he urged, tugging on the ropes in a futile attempt to rouse the unresponsive bison.
"So inspiring," Sokka remarked sarcastically from his perch on Ying's back, eliciting a playful swat from the mighty dragon's tail that nearly sent him tumbling. "Okay, okay, my bad!" Sokka quickly apologized, earning laughter from the others at the swift karma.
Rather than taking offence, Kireina found herself chuckling along with the rest. "Appa's just a bit worn out, and Ying is so loyal to his friend that he won't fly without him," she explained, noticing Aang's appreciative nod before his attention settled on Katara, a warm smile gracing his features. For reasons she couldn't quite fathom, a twinge of jealousy flickered within Kireina at the sight of Aang's gaze lingering on their new friend.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Katara questioned, her confusion evident.
"Oh... was I smiling?" Aang responded innocently, prompting another giggle from Kireina and a groan of disgust from Sokka.
"This is shaping up to be quite the adventure," Sokka grumbled before turning his attention to the expanse of sea below, where he soon found himself drifting off into a restless slumber.
爱在风中
𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒲𝒾𝓃𝒹