A Friend for Life

by Cylisy

Aang was not always fighting to save the world. He was once just a child. He played Air Ball. He played pranks on monks. He slept. He was not all powerful. He was just a humble monk. This is the story of Aang's youth the days before he was the Avatar.

1. Apples

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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A Friend for Life
Written by: Cylisy

Chapter One
Apples

The Eastern Air Temple was buzzing with excitement in the early hours of the afternoon. Air Nomads were feeling alive and jubilant. The elder nuns watched their charges with paternal protection, weary of every move the youngest ones made. Young Airbending children were showing each other newly discovered bending moves, some of which ended in innocent disaster. Flying lemurs scurried across the grounds and soared through the sky alongside the gliding monks. All was well on this day of peace.

A crowd of young Airbenders, visiting from the Southern Air Temple, was gathered in the courtyard of the middle house of the temple. They were all boys of roughly six years old and had been invited to the Eastern Air Temple for a traditional ritual that all Airbenders, future nuns and monks, participate in during their seventh spring. This was the day they were to choose their animal guides.

There were five anxious boys, fidgeting in their brown boots like children tend to do when they are excited. They whispered amongst each other, describing what their guides would look like, how powerful, how wise they would be. The five boys were still young, their heads bald and free of the blue tattoos that would, one day, mark them into adulthood and mastery of the Airbending arts.

A young nun interrupted them by kindly ushering them into a more organized group. The five boys obediently followed her and lined up in a horizontal line, facing the edge of the misty peaks of the temple's grounds. On her command, they all look to the sky. Gasps, oh's, and awe's filled the courtyard as the young children soaked in the sight.

In the sky, a mother sky bison was flying towards the waiting group while gingerly coaxing five little calves down to the temple's grounds. The little herd of bison circled their mother in excitement before rushing to the ground. Their mother landed close behind her six month old offspring. Warmth was in her amber eyes as she urged her children forward.

The Airbender nun also urged her temporary charges towards the waiting calves. Each of the five boys takes an apple from a bowl, which she had carried with her, and then held it tight in their hands. She smiles and instructs them, with a tender warning, "Chose well. A sky bison is for life."

Both calves and children hesitated, unsure of what to do but eventually that fear passes as one of the young boys, a prodigy of the Southern Air Temple, approached the smallest of the bison calves. He holds out the apple for the calf to inspect before tossing it into the calf's expectant, gaping mouth. They boy affectionately wraps his arms around the calf's head and is, in response, playfully knocked to the ground and showered with affectionate kisses.

From his position on the ground, the boy could only manage to laugh as he said, "Ugh! I guess this means we'll always be together!" His words are drowned with laughter as the calf begins licking him again.

"Look at Aang!" The other boys exclaim, pointing at their floored comrade. The remaining boys discover their bravery and step forward to choose their animal guides.

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