Chapter Text
Three years after the end of the Hundred-Year War
Aang heaved out a sigh as he plopped himself into the saddle. He clicked his tongue calling for Momo, knowing his animal friend was most likely foraging for insects to snack on. Upon hearing his human’s call, the big-eyed flying lemur frantically scurried out of the bushes and stuck his head out.
“Don’t look at me like that, buddy. We have to go see Sokka now.” One of Momo’s ears twitched and he began making his way over to Aang, his thin arms carrying an overflowing number of fruits he had no doubt found in his foraging. “Come on, Momo,” Aang called out softly.
When Momo flew over and dropped his findings onto the spacious saddle, Aang made his way to the front to get a hold of Appa’s reins. “You think you can get us to the Southern Water Tribe by morning, buddy?” he asked, to which the bison gave a low rumble as a response. “I’ll make sure you get all the watermelons you want along the way, don’t worry,” Aang chuckled. He turned to make sure everything was in the saddle, before calling ‘yip, yip!’ and Appa set off.
It had been three years since Ozai’s defeat; three years since Aang had made a decision and ensured the war could be stopped without further bloodshed. Three years since Zuko’s coronation, and Katara and the Fire Lord had begun a relationship. Aang couldn’t say he was too shocked or upset at the revelation of feelings. Deep down, he knew that what he felt was just a fleeting crush. He was young, and although he believed in young love and people finding their one and only person during their adolescence, he knew Katara wasn’t the one for him. His two friends had spoken of each other in a way he had never seen them speak of anyone else before – full of life, admiration, and love. He knew. In that moment, he knew and he couldn’t be happier for them.
In the last three years, the young Avatar had been travelling the world fulfilling his Avatar duties. Every so often, the gang would be reunited and they would join him on his adventures. However, each of them had grown and matured – in turn, their responsibilities and duties had, too. Thus, Aang found that his everyday company would be a ten-ton flying bison and a mischievously curious flying lemur. Not that he minded it too much – he also liked the tranquil it brought him.
Aang patted Appa’s head and moved to sit in the saddle. He reached for his bag and took out the letters he had received from Toph and Katara. He laid down, using his bag as a pillow and began reading what Katara had written him. She had recently taken up the position of Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe, and was staying in the Fire Nation for a while at a nearby inn close to the Fire Palace. She had travelled there to teach the Fire Nation folks about healing – what sort of herbs they could use and for what type of injuries, how they could be mixed and grown, and so on.
Aside from that, it seemed things were going fairly well at the palace; the proper reparations were being discussed and carried out, and Zuko had even been reconsidering some of the positions the elders held. Aang let out a small chuckle when he read that Katara was proving to be a force to be reckoned with at the Fire Palace. Aang had no doubt the elders were getting a taste of their own medicine – Katara’s fiery character perfectly matched that of a Fire Nation born. The waterbending master also shared updates about the alliance and trade between her tribe and the Fire Nation, and how the rebuilding of her home was going.
Aang moved on to Toph’s letter after and he immediately laughed as soon as he read the first line: Those dunderheads really thought they could ruin my school! Not on my watch Twinkletoes, not on my WATCH. He knew that if anyone could fight for their academy and keep the building standing, it would be Toph. She may be tiny in size (even at the age of sixteen, she was still the shortest of the gang – something Sokka relentlessly teased her about) but boy, did she have a heart as big as The Boulder himself.
Aang sat up when he read that the young earthbending master would be visiting the Northern Air Temple in a couple of weeks. She was recruiting more students and the mechanist had informed her two of the kids at the temple were very interested in her school. His mood instantly brightened upon reading that – he had been planning to visit the Northern Air Temple himself. Maybe he could meet Toph there, too. He smiled, remembering Teo.
Aside from his rag-tag group of friends, he had also been keeping in touch with the Earth Kingdom boy. Aang pulled out his letter, looking forward to reading his response. The two boys had been writing to one another regularly – Teo usually spoke of how things were going at the temple and his dad’s latest inventions, and Aang of his travels and adventures with his animal friends and whomever he meets along the way. The young Avatar eagerly unfolded the letter.
Dear Aang,
That’s great news! I’m thrilled to know you’re coming to see us again; it’s been too long since your last visit. Two? Three months? Dad’s really excited to have you over again and the kids are, too. They’re eagerly awaiting more rides on your air scooter!
Dad’s been communicating frequently with the Fire Lord, lately. He hasn’t said anything to me about it yet, but I suspect it might have to do with the rebuilding efforts of the Earth Kingdom. He’s been cooking up a storm in his workroom and seems to be really passionate about this project! I’m happy for him. When he’s brainstorming and inventing, it’s when he’s happiest (although not too fun for the rest of us – we have to help clean up whatever mess is left after).
Anyhow, I’ve been keeping myself busy with my glider! You remember how I talked about wanting to install a new and better engine? I did it! I spent weeks planning and drafting, seeing which parts fit where to give me that extra boost. I’m feeling extra proud of myself since I didn’t ask for dad’s help with it. So watch out, Avatar – the next time I see you, get ready to be beaten! This baby flies FAST.
Aang chuckled. He loved Teo’s passion for flying.
I hope you’ve been keeping well, Aang. I know you always say you don’t mind travelling with just Momo and Appa, but we all need our friends every now and then – especially when it’s travelling the world and going on new adventures everyday! As much as I love helping around over here, I could use the one or two adventures you go on. I’d love to see more of the world and meet new people.
As always, I look forward to your response. Let me know when you’re planning to drop by! The kids have been planning something special for you, some sort of surprise. Oh, and you weren’t supposed to know that – by the time you actually see the surprise, act surprised!
Take care,
Teo.
Aang had a huge grin plastered on his face by the end of Teo’s letter. He recalled the way the kids at the temple had clambered over one another to speak to him. Their eyes were wide with curiosity and questions were thrown over one another in a rush. Teo had to be stern for once to break up the ruckus and let his friend have some space to breathe. Aang answered each question amicably and finally gave into their request of riding his air scooter. Safe to say, the young Avatar spent the majority of his stay at the temple giving each child a turn on his air scooter. He did miss those kids. He wondered what kind of surprise they had in store for him.
His mind drifted back to Teo, thinking about how he looked like the last time he had seen the boy three months ago. Although he was a year older than Aang, he looked much younger than his age with his smaller frame and wide, round eyes full of curiosity and fascination. Aang brought a hand to his face and felt the stubble already covering a bit of his jaw. The Avatar could feel himself wearing away despite only being sixteen. The one hundred years he had spent stationary in an iceberg, and the journey he went on with his friends combatting and defeating Ozai’s war did a number on him. He felt and looked older than his age.
Teo was youthful, both in spirit and appearance. He had a natural glow to him that always entranced Aang. In a way, he was envious of the boy’s youthfulness; all he ever wanted was to be treated like a young boy, and be able to live his childhood like any other normal child. Aang scoffed lightly and laid down, placing Teo’s letter on his chest with his hand over it. He was the Avatar – what could normal mean for him?
Aang could feel his eyes starting to droop, so he quickly reached for the thick parka Sokka had lent him. He felt his muscles loosen as he relaxed himself into the saddle. The past few days had been long, with him just travelling and flying. He could tell he was nearing the Southern Water Tribe from the way the air had drastically changed from warm to chilly. Momo chirped and nestled into the young Avatar’s side. Aang lulled himself to sleep, with the youthful face of a boy being the last thing on his mind.
Aang gave a start when he was awoken to Appa’s bellow. Momo flapped his wings and yelped, clearly unhappy from being woken up so abruptly. Aang got to his feet and walked over to the reins. He tucked himself further into his parka and blew into his cupped gloved hands.
“We’re getting closer to Sokka aren’t we, buddy?” Appa tiredly gave a low roar. Aang smiled down at his bison and rubbed his head. “I’m excited to see him, too.” Aang looked on with a smile on his face.
All around him, thick layers of snow blanketed every surface of the ground. So vivid was the white before him that his eyes were almost blinded by the brightness of the scenery. The early morning sun had come to greet them, with the first rays of sunlight lighting up the still pristine snowy region. Overhead, Aang watched as the rising sun casted a rosy hue across the forenoon sky. The day dawned crisp and clear.
He could see the otter-penguins jumping in and out of the water below, weaving under and over chunks of ice along the way. He laughed and gave an enthusiastic wave. If you could get past the frosty air of the Water Tribes, you could really learn to appreciate the home and culture of the people. He loved visiting the tribes; he loved the food (minus the sea prunes), traditions, snow and, most of all, seeing his friends in their home.
Momo chirped as he flew onto Aang’s shoulder. He dropped a peach into his lap and Aang gladly took it. He smiled at the lemur. “Thanks, buddy. Once we reach the tribe, I’ll make sure both of you get all the treats you deserve.” Momo mewled in response and snuggled deeper into Aang’s neck, looking for warmth.
As if on cue, the borders of the Southern Water Tribe came into view. In just three years, the tribe had reformed immensely. Instead of a few tents and only a handful of women and children being surrounded by a small and singular border, the Southern Water Tribe now stood tall with its enormous gates, and huts and igloos everywhere you looked.
The warriors stationed at the gates caught sight of the ten-ton bison flying into view and promptly knew who the arrival was. They called out to the other warriors below, announcing Aang’s appearance and one of them scurried away in search of the Avatar’s close friend.
Appa landed a few feet away from the towering gates and immediately flopped down onto his belly with a loud ‘oof!’. Aang nimbly hovered down the bison using his airbending, glider in hand with Momo still perched on his shoulder. He made his way to Appa’s head and gave a comforting rub. “You did great, buddy. Thanks for getting us here safely.”
The icy gates ahead rumbled as they opened. Aang’s smile grew wider as he saw his friend running over to him. The two boys hugged one another tightly and clapped each other on the back.
“Look at you, Aang! You’re growing taller by the minute, puttin’ me to shame,” Sokka joked as he tutted. “It’s real good to see you, man.”
Over the years, Sokka had matured in character (sort of) and appearance. His voice deeper and face sharper, he looked every bit the warrior of his tribe. He had been practicing a lot with his swordsmanship and his arms were evident of that. Anyone could see the once scrawny fifteen-year-old boy was now a healthy nineteen-year-old growing adult. He had collected more muscles in the last three years, no doubt from his hand-to-hand combat training with Suki.
He scratched Momo under the chin then walked over to the passed-out bison. Sokka ruffled the thick fur and Appa’s large eyes opened. “Hey ol’ buddy, ol’ pal, ol’ friend! Remember me? How you been?”
Appa let out his usual low groan and gave Sokka a long, wet lick in greeting. The young warrior cried out in disgust. “Okay, okay, I know everyone loves The Sokka. Let’s get inside, it’s freezing out here.”
Sokka escorted the three into his home as the gates closed behind them. Numerous people came to greet Aang, with some kids waving exuberantly from afar and others running up to him to give him a quick hug. Sokka was still grumbling by the time they reached Chief Hakoda’s igloo, rubbing furiously at his parka and hair. Aang used his airbending to rid him of Appa’s slobber. Sokka looked at him, unamused.
“Avatar, welcome,” Chief Hakoda greeted.
Aang turned to face the older man who stood by the doorway with Sokka’s grandmother. He put his hands together and bowed in respect. “Chief Hakoda, Kanna – it’s good to see you both again. It’s also great to see how well the tribe is rebuilding.”
“All thanks to my children, no doubt. They’ve been hard at work, acting on their duties. I’m proud of what our home has become, and even prouder of my children,” Hakoda said as he walked towards Aang. He clapped a hand on the Avatar’s shoulder. “I trust you’ve been well on your travels?”
“Oh yeah, he just hasn’t had anyone to warm his bed with at night,” Sokka said, smirking. Aang waterbent ice cold water down his parka and Sokka shrieked.
“Can’t say you didn’t deserve that, son,” Hakoda chuckled as he led Aang inside the igloo, a disgruntled Sokka following close behind.
“I’ve been well. The travels can get tiring, but there’s always something happening so it’s exciting. It definitely keeps me on my toes,” Aang said, chuckling lightly.
“That’s good to hear. If anything, you can always come back to our tribe. You know you’re always welcome here,” Hakoda said, to which the young boy nodded in thanks. “I regret to cut our greeting short, Aang, but I do have some pressing matters at hand. I’ll see you tonight at our feast.” The older man gave a smile and exited the igloo.
Aang turned to Kanna. “There’s going to be a feast?”
“Of course, young Avatar,” the elderly woman smiled.
“Yeah, well it’s not everyday the great Avatar visits us lowly peasants in the tribe now, is it?” Sokka grumbled as he struggled to take off his soaked parka.
Aang almost felt shy. Once upon a time, he would have welcomed the attention. Now that he was growing and learning to mature and become a better man and person, he definitely wished he could crawl into a hole from time to time. “I’m honoured, but you guys don’t have to go through all that trouble for me, really.”
“Nonsense. We owe you a great deal. Not just for ending the war and putting a stop to Ozai’s evil, but for helping us and our sister tribe rebuild. Tui and La only know how much we’ve been needing the support,” Kanna said, smiling warmly at Aang. The young boy felt a rush of appreciation and gratitude. He held Kanna’s hands in his own and squeezed gently. “I should get back to the feast preparations. It seems you can’t trust the young ones to prepare a proper celebration,” she laughed as she walked out.
“You guys really didn’t have to prepare a feast in my honour. You’ve never done before,” Aang said to Sokka.
“It’s no big deal, really. What you did – it means a lot to these people. To us. We want to show our appreciation. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to treat an old friend,” Sokka said with a boyish grin, but soon frowned as if suddenly remembering his half-drenched state. “Even if that old friend just dumped freezing water down my back.”
“You deserved it,” Aang snorted, using his airbending to help Sokka out of his wet parka. “It would have been nice if we got the whole gang together, though – spend some time with each other, maybe even go on a vacation for a bit.”
Sokka turned to Aang with a look of realisation. “I almost forgot to tell you, Suki’s actually – ”
“Aang! It’s so nice to see you!” the young and ever beautiful Kyoshi warrior exclaimed as she hugged the Avatar. She pulled back, keeping her hands on his shoulders as she assessed the rest of him up and down. “You’ve gotten so handsome! Spirits, how long has it been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in years!”
Aang smiled sheepishly and nodded. “It’s definitely been a couple of years. Sorry, I tried reaching out but everytime I planned to visit you, I was always caught up with something and you were, too.”
“No worries. I’m just glad we finally get to see each other,” Suki said, smiling.
Sokka and Suki helped Aang settle in and gave him something more appropriate and thicker to wear in the cold. Like Sokka, Suki had also matured. She had a more muscly build, but was still shorter compared to her boyfriend and Aang. Sokka teased her about this, which wasn’t the smartest thing to do when your girlfriend was one of the most skilled Kyoshi warriors around. He was soon met with four sharp fans sticking into the sleeves of his clothes. Suki ignored the cries of her boyfriend and had left him hanging on the wall of the igloo that morning.
“I’m planning on proposing,” Sokka revealed that night as they sat around the campfire with Appa laying down close by. The feast had been a success, with food of the Southern Water Tribe as well as the Air Nation being served on a long, narrow table in the middle of a hall. Everything was made completely of ice; from the chairs and tables, to the grand walls of the hall. It was certainly a picturesque setting.
Aang chocked on his steamed vegetables and looked at his friend with wide, grey eyes. “Is that the drink talking? If not, then congratulations!” he said.
Sokka waved a hand. “I should rephrase; I was planning on proposing.” He threw more hay into Appa’s mouth. On the bison’s belly sat Momo and Sokka threw the lemur another seal jerky. “It’s been on my mind for a while. I’ve always known she’s the one for me. I can’t imagine my life being spent with anyone else, you know? I mean, sure, I egg her on and purposely annoy her ‘cause she’s so cute when she’s mad,” he trailed off drunkenly with a lopsided smile on his face. “But I love her, and she loves me.
We talked about it. I didn’t want to just pop the question out of nowhere – I figured she at least deserved to know, in case it got in the way of her responsibilities. And sure enough, it does. I’m still set on proposing, no question about it. It’s just… we’ve both agreed it isn’t the right time right now, you know?”
Aang gave a slow nod and took another spoonful of his warm lentil soup. He mulled over Sokka’s words and considered his own love life – or rather, lack thereof. “I don’t want to be alone forever. I’m hoping for the right one to come into my life. And no, not just to warm my bed with at night,” he mimicked in a monotoned voice as Sokka smiled daftly. “I want a partner. Someone who can… not only be my lover, but my friend. Someone I can call a companion because we’d be equals. I guess… I’m hoping to have what you guys have; you and Suki, Katara and Zuko, Toph and Hui Yin.”
Sokka snorted. “Who’d have thought someone would actually be able to soften those edges of Toph’s?” he drawled, still intoxicated. “And a beautiful girl at that. Don’t let Suki know I said that.”
“Don’t let me know what, exactly?” came Suki’s voice from behind them. Sokka turned around and looked up at her dazedly.
“Speak of the devil,” he grinned.
“You leave Hui Yin out of whatever it is you’re scheming. She’s a wonderful girl and makes our Toph glow in ways even she didn’t know she could. Don’t ruin it for them,” she said sternly as she poked him in the chest.
Sokka put his hands up. “Wasn’t plannin’ nothin’, ma’am. Don’t you worry,” he slurred as he pulled Suki closer to him and cozied up to her.
Aang watched the scene before him with a small smile. They were like a cat-deer and polar-bear-dog sometimes. There was no denying the love they harboured for one another, though. They had been together all these years; from when they first met at fifteen to now, as nineteen-year-olds entering a life of adulthood with bigger responsibilities. Their feelings hadn’t faltered and instead, had grown stronger over the years. He was happy that his friends had found that sort of happiness. He only wished he had, too.
“I heard what you were saying, Aang. Don’t you worry, anyone would be lucky to have you as their companion. You just have to be patient and wait until the right one comes.”
“And if they don’t?” he smiled sadly.
“You have us. And Momo, and Appa, and so many others. Who’s to say you can’t have a forever happiness with a rag-tag family?” Suki said soothingly as she placed a hand on his knee and squeezed it in a comforting gesture.
“And Teo! Almost forgot about him,” Aang added on.
“Teo?” Suki questioned with furrowed eyebrows.
“That’s just some genius kid with a genius dad living at one of the temples,” Sokka slurred as he nuzzled his face into Suki’s lap.
The young Kyoshi warrior looked down at her boyfriend, unamused. “I know who he is, Sokka. I’ve met him,” she deadpanned.
“Just refreshing everyone’s memories since it’s been ages since any of us have last seen him,” the drunken Sokka replied with a yawn. Suki shook her head and turned back to Aang.
“It has been a while since we last saw him. You’ve been keeping in touch with him?”
Aang nodded gleefully. “Yeah! We’ve been writing to each other since the end of the war, so around three years now. I’ve been visiting him occasionally,” the young Avatar said with a familiar expression Suki knew of.
Suki nodded slowly as a relaxing silence fell around them. She looked from the fire to Aang a couple of times before speaking again. “You’ve never mentioned this?” she asked carefully.
Aang was slightly taken aback at her comment. True enough, he had never really mentioned it to anyone that he and Teo had been writing to one another frequently. As the Avatar, he barely had any time for himself, let alone privacy. He figured he just wanted to keep this one thing to himself.
“I guess I’ve just forgotten or it never really crossed my mind to bring it up,” he chuckled unsurely as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“No, no, of course! I’m not trying to pry or anything. It’s just, from the way you talk about him, it seems the two of you have gotten closer,” Suki said.
Aang looked up at her. “Yeah, we have,” he said slowly. “I really enjoy writing to him. I like hearing about his days, his family, how things are at the temple. I enjoy my visits and seeing how he’s doing.” He paused, thinking about the boy as he looked into the fire almost distractedly. A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. “Yeah, I guess we have grown closer.”
Despite the chilly night air, Suki felt warm. Her heart melted for the young Avatar. She didn’t know enough about the young boys’ relationship – and to what extent – but she could tell a boy stricken of love from a mile away. She didn’t want to make a big deal, however; she didn’t want to assume and jump to conclusions when Aang himself had said nothing about it. Instead, she gave him a warm smile and said, “that’s lovely to hear, Aang.”
The next morning found Aang in Sokka’s work hut. The young warrior had continued to put his mind to good use with countless notes and drawings of all sorts of ideas and possible inventions. Papers and objects strewn about the small hut, all disorganised and likely not in their right places. Aang skimmed through a few of the notes and couldn’t help but feel proud of his friend. They all had really come a long way.
“So, uh… why are we here, exactly?” Aang asked. When Sokka had said he wanted to show him something, the last thing he expected was to be in his friend’s work space going over new invention ideas. “I’m pretty certain I’m the last person you should be asking about… any of this.” He waved his hands in gesture to the clutter around the hut.
“Don’t worry, you can be rest assured you would definitely be the last person I would ask for help,” Sokka replied with a smirk.
“Har-har. So, why am I here?”
“Ah, patience, young one. Patience.”
Aang rolled his eyes. “If this is another one of your stupid pranks, Sokka…”
Sokka turned to him with a face of mock surprise, a hand placed on his chest. “Do you not trust me, Aang? After all these years?”
“Give me a minute to think about that, I’ll get back to you,” the Avatar quipped as Sokka punched his shoulder.
Sokka continued rummaging through his notes and gadgets until he found a wooden chest in the corner of the hut. “Aha! Found it,” he exclaimed. He heaved the chest up and made his way around Aang to place it on the table. Aang merely looked at the bulky trunk then turned to his friend, not knowing what to expect. “This, my young Avatar, is a chest full of wonders.”
“Wonders?” Aang repeated, eyebrow raised.
“You heard me. Let me show you,” Sokka said as he opened the chest.
Inside, it was filled to the brim with tools, materials and half-finished gadgets. Aang couldn’t begin to name what was inside; it was truly a chest full of wonders! He peered over it, suddenly burning with curiosity. One thing caught his eye – something that looked like a tiny version of his glider. He reached for it and was surprised at the slight weight it had. “You made this?” he asked in awe.
Sokka was grinning from ear to ear. “Yup, and a few other things. I know I’ve got a knack for ideas and inventing so I figured, why not put that into something else, too? Instead of just using my brain for war, why not also use it to make toys for the kids? Or gadgets, whatever.”
Aang was astonished at his friend’s intelligence. The small contraption looked messy with its wires still visible, but it looked just like his own life-sized glider. Sokka took the toy from his friend and turned it over. There, on the belly of the device, was what looked to be a winding key.
“You twist this key, and this baby goes flying,” Sokka explained, feeling slightly smug.
Aang’s eyes went wide, his grey orbs filled with excitement. He felt like a child again, the contraption intriguing him more and more. He took the glider from Sokka and eagerly twisted the key until he heard a click. Sokka then told him to let go of the device and, the second he did, it went flying around the small hut. He laughed as he watched the small glider fly wildly across their heads. Some work needed to be done but, for a first try, Sokka had done a brilliant job.
The device slowly sputtered to a stop as it dropped into Sokka’s hands. He gave a toothy grin. “Neat, huh?”
“Amazing! The kids are sure to love this!”
Sokka chuckled. “I’m really hoping they’ll do. I want to give them a fresh start.”
Aang was suddenly reminded of Teo. He would certainly love to see a contraption like Sokka’s for himself; Aang knew he would be fascinated by the peculiar yet impressive device. More than anything, he was sure Teo would love the fact that it could fly. At once, the young Avatar had a sudden urge to know how the device was made.
“Do you think you could teach me?”
Sokka looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed. “Not ten minutes ago, we had already established you’d be the last person I would ask for help in this department.”
“I know,” Aang said, abashed, “but I know Teo would really like this stuff! I’m going to visit him after I leave here, and I want to make something for him.”
Sokka was quiet for a few seconds, not expecting Teo to be brought up. “Sure, yeah. Why not? Anyway, I have to figure out how to make it fly normally – you saw how crazy the glider was flying,” he chuckled and gestured for Aang to take a seat. Sokka started searching through the tools and materials they would need before spending the rest of the morning in the hut, working on fixing his glider and helping Aang with his gift for Teo.
“Sokka, you in here?” Suki’s voice called out as she ducked under the flaps to enter her boyfriend’s work hut. She was surprised to see Aang with his head down, tool in one hand and concentrating deeply on whatever he was doing. “So, the two of you have been in here all morning and afternoon.”
Sokka rapidly brought his head up to look at Suki. “Afternoon!?” he cried out, “I missed out on Gran-Gran’s special fried turtle-seals, didn’t I?”
“Not that you would have gotten your share – the kids were gobbling them all up for themselves,” Suki chuckled. “What have you guys been doing in here, anyhow?”
“Loverboy here wanted to personally make a present for his pen pal,” Sokka said with a smirk.
That immediately drew Aang out of his concentration. He hastily turned to Sokka, sputtering as his face started to colour. “I – what – no, it’s not – it’s not like that – ”
“I was joking,” Sokka said expressionlessly. Suki lightly slapped his shoulder.
“Are you almost done? Let’s see it,” she said excitedly.
“It’s done, I’m just making sure it’s all intact,” Aang grumbled, his ears still a light pink. He made a few tweaks here and there, asking Sokka for help and then his gift to Teo was complete. He held it up into the stream of light that was coming through a hole at the top of the hut.
In his hand was a dragonfly. A miniature, black dragonfly with rough edges and thin wings. Like the rest of the device, its long body was made up of wires twisted to form each shape. If one looked close enough, one would be able to see the microscopic motor Sokka had helped to install into the body of the dragonfly. Much like the glider, the winding key was situated on the belly. The gift was beautiful, with its glossy jet-black body and unique wiry appearance. Aang couldn’t wait to gift it to Teo, to see the expression on his face.
“That’s gorgeous, Aang,” Suki breathed out. “Teo’s going to love it.”
“I really hope he does,” he replied quietly. “I worked really hard on it.” He grinned as he put his hands up to show the small cuts dotted all over his palms and fingers.
Finally dawning on him, Sokka quirked his head slightly to the side as he stared at his young friend. Aang kept looking at the device, seemingly lost in thought. He looked at Suki and gave her a look – a look that said is this what I think it is? Are you seeing what I’m seeing? to which Suki just gave him a small, knowing smile and patted his shoulder. Sokka’s eyes widened and his jaw went slack. He then turned back to Aang and gave him a one-armed side hug.
“He’s going to be really happy, buddy,” Sokka said, smiling.
Aang turned to his friend. “Thanks a bunch for helping me with this, Sokka.”
“Don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for.”
Suki went to hug Aang for the third time the following evening. “I’m going to miss you so much, Aang,” she said. Although the Avatar was three years younger than her, at sixteen and still being a growing boy, he stood tall next to her – much taller. She found herself having to stand on her tiptoes as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.
Aang gladly returned the hug. “I’ll miss you, too. It was really nice seeing you and getting to catch up,” he said, pulling away. “I promise, we’ll meet again soon. This time, I’m hoping for all of the gang to be around,” he grinned.
“For sure, buddy,” Sokka said, wearing a smile himself. He clasped forearms with Aang then pulled him in for a heartfelt hug. Despite his teasing, when they were kids and even now as they were growing older, Sokka loved Aang like a brother. “Take care of yourself, alright? If you die, I’m going to kill you.” He pulled away and saw Aang chuckling. In that moment, Aang looked almost like his twelve-year-old self. All of them had come a long way, and the Avatar was evident of that. “I’m going to miss you, Aang. Next time, I’ll make sure the whole gang’s here,” he smirked.
“You take care, too. Both of you,” he looked between the couple in front of him. With one last squeeze of both their hands, Aang let go and turned to Kanna and Hakoda. He gave a deep bow and the Chief clapped his shoulder.
“Come visit again,” Kanna said as she cupped one side of his face. Aang had to bend down slightly to reach the elderly woman.
“Of course,” he smiled, then faced Hakoda. “Thank you for having me, Chief. I look forward to hearing how things go around here.” He grasped the older man’s forearm.
“I’ll be sure to keep in touch, Avatar.”
He gave one last nod to Hakoda, then made his way to Appa.
“You’ll make sure to look out for Aang won’t ya, buddy?” Sokka called out to Appa. The giant bison gave a low rumble.
Aang whistled for Momo and the lemur came flying from overhead with a fish in his mouth. He dropped it and, on instinct, Sokka caught it and immediately regretted it. “Thanks, Momo. This is a really sweet parting gift,” he grimaced as Suki chuckled. The small animal chirped in reply and went to perch on Aang’s shoulder.
Aang looked out at the Southern Water Tribe, taking in what he knew of as one of his homes as much as he could. He looked down at the four people seeing him off and gave one last wave.
“Until next time,” Aang said aloud with a smile.
“Until next time,” Sokka replied.
With one call of ‘yip, yip!’, Appa set off into the direction of the Northern Air Temple. Aang looked back to see his friends still waving. He continued to look on as they slowly became small specks in the vast expanse of snow. He then looked forward. “Guess it’s back to just us three, huh?” he said to Momo and Appa. “Hopefully, not for long.”
When he had guided Appa into the right direction long enough, Aang decided it was time to sleep. “Goodnight, buddy,” he said as he patted the bison’s head.
He walked over to the saddle and sat down by his bag. This time, he didn’t need to use it as a pillow – Kanna had sewn him a thick blanket made of warm, soft wool. He folded it neatly and placed it by his side. He was still in the icy regions so he snuggled deeper into his parka and pulled his hood up. He could only imagine how ridiculously red his head and ears must have looked in the cold. He then reached inside his bag and pulled out a pouch with the gift he had made for Teo stowed inside. He took the dragonfly out as he laid his head on the blanket. Putting a forearm under his head, Aang looked at the gadget with a pleased smile on his face.
He was looking forward to seeing Teo. He couldn’t wait to see how he would react to being gifted such a device. He was especially excited to see the look on Teo’s face once he found out it could fly. He brought the dragonfly up to his lips and gave it a small kiss. “I hope he likes you,” Aang whispered. He tucked it back inside the pouch before putting it away in his bag for safekeeping, then slumbered into a deep sleep.