A/N: Hey readers! Whazzuuuuup? :D hehe. This chapter is quite long, hope y'all will enjoy this! Because I may not update in around 2 weeks :(
aanyway, this chapter is dedicated to @DeathNote01012 for being the first writer on my message board. thanks for the support! <3
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When I come to, I'm greeted by three faces - Sokka, Katara, and Aang. I look around, taking in my surroundings. We're in the ruins of an old open-air building. The ceiling is propped up high by crumbling pillars, but it still looks decently safe. There are ivy and moss in every corner of the building, and it smells faintly of flowers. I seem to be lying on something soft and big and warm, what...?
"That's Appa, my flying bison," Aang says cheerfully, answering my unasked question. A growl from the animal greets me. Suddenly, something with big ears jumps onto my head and licks my face. I kind of freak out and flick my head, hard. The creature shrieks and jumps off my head immediately. "And that's Momo, my flying lemur pet," Aang explains while trying to get the irritated animal to calm down.
I just stare.
Wow. It's a freaking dream-come-true. The whole original Team Avatar.
Just... wow.
"Uhh... Ugh... Ummm," is all I can manage, since I'm still in shock.
Katara looks at me all concerned, and with difficulty I finally locate my tongue. "H-hi. Momo, Appa," Appa groans cheerfully back at me while Momo backs away from me, seething. Huh, guess I shouldn't have thrown him off.
Sokka jumps a bit when he hears me talk, as if he's afraid of me, or just suspicious. But Katara and Aang just beam.
"You didn't miss much, you woke up as soon as you landed here," Katara supplies helpfully. "Aang had to airbend to get you up here."
"Sorry about that," I mutter. "I've never fainted before..."
"...But that was after he gave us some frozen disgusting frogs to suck on," she continues, making a face of disgust while saying that.
"Hey, that was to make you guys get better. Would you rather be sick still? You don't know how much trouble it took for me to get those!" Aang argues in disbelief.
"Oh yeah? Maybe you should've just got some proper medicine from a proper doctor, then you wouldn't have to go into that lake to get those stupid frogs!" Katara retorts. Then they start to bicker.
I listen to their conversation with interest. Wow, I must be hallucinating really hard to actually make conversations and interact with the stars of my dreams...
Then, annoyed with myself, I make a promise: I might as well enjoy being here as much as I can.
Because who knows when I'll stop hallucinating and go back to big, empty and hard real life, right? There's nothing exactly for me to look forward to anyway.
Even my own family didn't care enough to be beside me when I woke up.
Meanwhile, Sokka looks at a lost and pretty uncomfortable at having to deal with me, all alone, while the other two fight. I know he's a paranoid guy, so I know I have to work harder to gain his trust.
"Guys, just stop fighting! Can we attend to the real problem here?" Sokka says, gesturing at me.
I feel insulted. I mean, problem? Me? Pshh, never! But I just put on a polite smile.
Aang and Katara stop fighting immediately, and obediently turn to face me again.
"Sorry about that," Aang scratches his bald head while Katara pokes her tongue out at him.
"Yeah, sure you are. Anyway... Luna, let's introduce ourselves first, okay? Aang told me how he met you. I'm Sokka," Sokka starts while accidentally-on-purpose flexing his non-existent biceps. I try to smother my smile, but I can't help but to compare my biceps with his.
Swimmer's biceps. I win.
Sokka's cheeks redden as he notices my not-so-girly arms and continues quickly, "I'm the, er, fiercest warrior from the Southern Water Tribe. Katara's my sister." He takes a look at my muscles again, and adds, "So don't ever try to harm her, or Aang. Or you will suffer the wrath of the warrior!"
"More like the only warrior," Katara mutters under her breath. Then she continues in a louder voice to block out my chortles. "Oh lighten up Sokka, does she look like someone evil to you?" Then she turns to me and say, "My name's Katara and I'm from the Southern Water Tribe too. I'm a waterbender."
"Aaand I'm Aang, as you already know. I'm from the Southern Air Temple. I'm an airbender and the Avatar," Aang says happily.
Little do they know I already knew their life's story. I've actually finished watching every single episode of Avatar, thrice, and now I'm on a rerun. I am a fan of this show after all.
They turn to look at me expectantly.
Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow-
"Luna?"
I swallow audibly and open my mouth to speak and-
"I love you guys!"
Wait. Crap. Did I just propose my love to the characters of a cartoon show???
The three of them stare at me with dumbfounded expressions. Yes, yes I think I just did.
"I- I mean for... er, for saving my life!" I quickly blurt out the first thing that comes to head. "Yeah, thank goodness you guys are here because I mean I was just running out of food and supplies and whatever you need to survive in a weird place like this so you guys turned up which is great..." I blabber on.
They exchange looks, probably thinking I'm a bit demented, but let it past. Looking at their faces, I take a deep breath and try to introduce myself properly again. "Okay. Sorry. Let me try again. Hi, my name's Luna, and I'm fifteen. I came from... somewhere far away. I come in peace." To prove that I'm speaking the truth, I hold my hands up in a 'peace' sign. Then I remember that they don't know what this means so I quickly put my hands down.
I'm not sure if I should let them know how I came to this place. Heck, I don't even know myself! They might freak out and think I'm lying or something.
Or maybe they'll believe me and help me.
Once he hears my answer, Sokka fires me with questions. "Where's 'far away'? Be specific! And what are you doing here? Are you from the Fire Nation, acting as a spy? What kind of clothes are you wearing anyway? Is it...oh, no! I knew it! It's some new Fire Nation disguise!" At this, Sokka reaches behind him to grab his machete.
I raise my hand in panic, trying to calm him down, "No, no! I will never join the Fire Nation! I live... near the pond where I just came from. Aang found me there," then I look at the clothes I am wearing. It's just a casual tee plus jeans, pretty normal. What's wrong with it?
Ah, right. They don't wear t-shirts and jeans here.
"These clothes uh... are what I've been wearing since young. It's-"
Looking at my discomfort, Aang comes to my rescue, "Everything she says is true, Sokka. She's not from the Fire Nation, it's obvious from what she's wearing. I saw a small tent where I met her." Then he turns to look at me, "Does that mean you're all alone?"
"Uh..." Tent? What tent? I came into this tent with nothing on my back except for my clothes! And phone. "Yeeeah, I guess you can say that I'm alone."
Sokka looks at me, still a bit unconvinced but otherwise embarrassed that he jumped into conclusions so early. "Alright alright, fine. Enough with the chit-chatting, we've still got a long way to the north pole, so... No distractions. Bye, Luna."
"What?"
"Oh, er... Aang's got to get to the Northern Water Tribe," Katara explains. "He needs to master all the elements so that he can help save the world."
Sokka looks at his sister in horror. "Tell her the whole plan, why don't you?!"
Katara looks ashamed yet defensive at the same time. "I'm sorry I can't be Miss Suspicious!"
"Guys," Aang tries. "Guys, please."
I am too far gone to notice their bickering. Panic engulfs me at the thought of being alone in this weird world. What does this whole thing mean? What am I doing here? Then my instinct suddenly puts an idea into my head. Maybe I'm supposed to go with them?
Looking at Sokka hoisting sleeping bags onto Appa's saddle while gesturing wildly at Katara, I consider my options. Either I try to find my way in this world, alone, or I can go travel the freaking Avatar World with a bunch of famous people - granted, cartoon people - fighting evil. Hmmm, I've always been the adventurous type, so I guess... I should travel with Aang, Sokka and Katara?
It's truly a no-brainer. Duh!
I start in alarm when I realise they're already done packing and shouting at each other. Time is running out. Looking at Aang who's looking at me worriedly, I ask in hesitant, "Can I- can I come along with you guys to the north pole? I swear I will help with all the chores and stuff. I'm actually kinda lost, and I've nowhere else to go, so..."
Seconds crawl by painfully as I wait for their decision. My shoes become very interesting all of a sudden.
"...Sure thing, no problem!" Aang agrees easily. "We do offer our help to anyone in need. I bet Appa doesn't mind an extra lady, do you buddy?" He nudges Appa fondly, who grunts.
"Finally, another lady on this trip! I don't have to stand the stench of you boys alone anymore!" Katara gleefully exclaims.
Sokka doesn't look extremely pleased about Aang and Katara 's decision. He mumbles something under his breath and climbs onto Appa's saddle. I try to sympathise with him, but really, it's hard to feel sorry when you're about to live the life of your dreams.
I clutch the place where my heart is and say dramatically, "Thank you all, everybody! Really, words can't express my gratitude-"
"Just go grab your stuff already," Sokka grunts while waving my thanks away.
"Don't need to be so enthusiastic," I reply coolly.
Aang laughs. "Alright everybody, I'll go with Luna to pick up her stuff whilst you guys clean up and get ready for move," Aang informs them. "Thank goodness you guys have recovered from the fever, see ya!"
Grabbing my hand to pull me along, he says to me, "I wonder what we'll find at the tent."
Me, too, Aang. Me too.
*
Turns out there was nothing in the tent, except for an old sheet that can be used as a blanket. I take that, knowing it's going to be cold flying on Appa. I shiver involuntarily at this thought. Who would've thought that one day, I would get to meet the stars of a cartoon and even fly on Appa?
When we return, everything is properly packed, so I just climb on the flying bison with some help from Katara. Aang takes his seat as the driver, winks at me and say, "Okay, first time fliers, hold on tight! Appa, yip yip!"
As the great animal beat his tail and prepares for takeoff, I chuckle and say, "That's what you said the first time you met Sokka and Katara."
Silence falls as everyone freezes and turns around to stare at me.
What did I -?
Oh!
Why did I say that? I'm not supposed to know what Aang said to Katara and Sokka!
When Sokka begins asking, "How did you kn-" I cut him off with a nervous laugh and say quickly, "Oh, I mean that must be what Aang had said when you guys were on Appa for the first time!"
To my ultimate relief, they look content with my answer, and turn back to whatever they are doing. I sigh quietly, and start thinking about how to survive this place. 15 minutes in and I've already made my first slip-up.
Maybe I should just tell them who I really am.