The Calm Before the Storm
"Appa," Aang tiptoed up the steps that led to the bison pavilion at the Southern Air Temple.
"Appa," Aang repeated, closing in on the snoozing sky bison. "I finished my lessons early today, so we can have some fun!" The beast gave an annoyed groan and turned his head away from the young airbender as if to say, "Five more minutes."
"Aw, come on, Appa!" Aang pleaded with his best friend. "If you wake up, I've got something I know you'll like!" Aang took a red apple from behind his back and waved it in front of the bison's nose.
Appa sniffed, then ever so slightly raised one eyelid to look at the treat he was being bribed with.
"Got your attention now, don't I?" Aang grinned, very pleased with himself.
Appa snorted and closed his eye again. He would not be taken advantage of that easily.
Aang frowned. He had expected this. "Really, Appa? Okay, fine," The young airbender turned around dejectedly, then swiftly airbended another apple from a hiding place on the steps into his free hand.
The breeze from the young master's bending sent the smell of apples wafting into the bison's nostrils, and he was on his six feet before you could say "hogmonkey."
"Okay, how about two-" Aang put on his best haggler face and held the two apples out in front of him, but they were gone before he finished his proposition.
"Ha ha ha!" Aang laughed as he wiped bison saliva off of his hands and onto his shirt. "Guess that answers that question!" Aang rubbed Appa on the top of his head as he finished chewing his mid-morning snack.
"So where do you want to go today?" Aang asked the bison as he stomped over to the water trough. "We could go back to that giant glacier we found last week. Or maybe that ice flow with the family of penguins? Hmm…" Aang scrunched up his face, thinking hard. "Oh, I know! Let's go back to the place where the ice was really thin and we could see fish looking up at us! But, I don't remember where that was. Do you, buddy?"
Appa stopped lapping water to look at Aang with a sopping wet mug that said, "You're the person with opposable thumbs and a map!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Aang waved off Appa's glare. "Well, let's just fly around and see what we discover. Does that sound like a good plan?"
Appa licked Aang from toes to head in reply.
"Ha ha ha!" Aang laughed as he climbed onto Appa's head and took the reins. "Okay, buddy. Yip yip!"
"There is nothing to see out here!" Aang exclaimed in disappointment. "You would think since it's spring more animals would be out playing!" Aang gave a frustrated "Hmph!" as he crossed his arms and sat back against Appa's saddle.
Appa gave a roar, as if scolding Aang for his sour attitude.
"I know," Aang pouted. "All of the animals are probably still in their dens. It only just turned spring, after all." Aang fixed his gaze on the horizon, filled with endless chunks of ice. "So what do you want to do?"
Appa roared softly in a vote of indifference.
"Me neither. Why don't we go check out those blocks of ice?" Aang suggested.
Appa snorted his opinion.
"Yeah, I guess we've seen too much empty ice for today. We could go visit Kaila," Aang looked at the sky and judged the time from the position of the sun. "Never mind. It's the middle of the afternoon already. We wouldn't have enough time to go to Kyoshi and back," Aang grinned to himself as he thought of his airbending master. "Plus Gyatso would be mad we didn't take him with us to see Madame Malta." Aang laughed and Appa chimed in with what seemed like a chuckle.
Aang's harmonious laugh faded into a sigh as he said, "I guess we better turn back now, huh?"
Appa gave a melancholy roar in resignation.
"Okay," Aang twisted the reins and Appa made a U-turn.
Aang looked down at his and Appa's reflection in the water and yawned. "I didn't realize I was tired," Aang mused.
Appa yawned as well, adding weight to Aang's already heavy eyelids.
Aang spotted a glacier just ahead of them that seemed like it was made especially for Appa.
"I woke you up from your nap this morning, didn't I?" Aang asked Appa sleepily. Appa snorted in confirmation. "Well," Aang yawned. "Why don't we continue that nap right now?"
Appa gave a sleepy roar in agreement as Aang landed them on the Appa-sized glacier.
Aang flipped onto his stomach and rubbed the top of Appa's head. "You're my best friend, buddy." Aang and Appa yawned in harmony. "I'll never let anything happen to you," Aang promised as he drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he would get for a long time.