Late Summer 2 weeks BC (hehe Before Comet)

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I hate the Fire Nation this time of year.

It's always sweltering to the point where if you aren't drinking water constantly, you run risk of dehydration! The sun beats down on the people scurrying about trying to avoid it and the wind kicks up the dust that just seems to get everywhere. It is simply miserable; even for the natives. The active volcanoes don't help with the heat either. It's as if they choose this specific season just to torture the people living on them even more. The wind was a small consolation as it does nothing to cool the air, but simply stir it.

"Ugh, maybe we should've visited Kassuq and Miki in the Northern Water Tribe instead. What do you think? Still time to turn back?"

I looked down at the small bundle strapped to my chest. She was sleeping; completely comfortable flying through the air and blissfully unaware of the broiling heat. She takes the heat better than I do.

"They can't take you away from me. It isn't time yet, you aren't even weaned. Unbalanced world be damned! I'm your mother!"

"THEY WHAT!?"

"Mi-Chun! Calm down!"

"Calm Down?! Oh no! First they tell the Avatar who he is before he is 16- a horrible decision might I point out!"

"Yes, you already pointed that out. This is number 9 if you were wondering."

"Now The Council wants to take my child!?" Mi-Chun yelled, completely ignoring the annoyed look on her friend's face. "Those old geezers can go jump off a cliff!"

"They'll just float down."

"Stop ruining my dream with your logic!" Mi-Chun gave a mournful look at her friend, "How? How could they do this, Ekta? How could they want to take my Nima away?"

Etka sighed. "You forget where you are Mi-Chun. We are Air Nomads. We are all Nima's parents. You cannot change that. You must detach yourself."

"I've never been very good at that…" Mi-Chun's lack of tattoos were testament to it. "They are cutting my time to be her only mother by months! Even after that, Etka, I'm not sure that I could let her go…" Mi-Chun looked down, but not before Etka could catch the look of shame that crossed her face. "What if…"

Etka gave her friend a cautious look. "What if what?"

Mi-Chun gathered herself and shook her head. "Nothing." Etka, however, did not look convinced. "I think I need some time to cool down. Get away from it all, before I go after those hogmonkeys."

Mi-Chun tried to look as innocent as possible, as her best friend gave her an assessing look. "Fine. It might be good for you." Mi-Chun smiled and started to rush about the room to prepare. "You need to be careful though. As annoying as they are, the Council is right about the world being unbalanced. Don't go as an airbender, just as Mi-Chun. Please?"

"Alright. I suppose I could use some discretion."

Etka sighed, "I suppose there's a first time for everything, but -"

"HEY!"

"- I have to report to Matriarch if anything goes wrong, so don't let anything go wrong!"

And now here I am, flying over the Fire Nation, with my semi-stolen baby, towards possible danger, on a ten ton flying bison... What was that Ekta said about things going wrong?

"I hate lying to Etka, even if it is just a lie of omission." I cuddled Nima close and whispered to her, "You're worth it… Even if I have to face Matriarch later."

Nima began to wiggle and her face scrunched up; uncomfortable with the squeezing she was receiving. I gaze at my baby, and don't see a member of the Air Nomads or a potential airbender. I see my daughter. I see my baby girl with her black wisps of hair, her chubby cheeks, her gray eyes, her little thumbs that she can't keep out of her mouth, and her oh so ticklish feet.

I see my daughter, my baby, my heart. MINE.

"I'm a horrible Air Nomad."

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A/N: Soooooo this is my first story ever! It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time! O.O Be gentle! Please! This at first didn't exist. I was going to start it off between season 2 and 3 with my OC character, but I felt like there should be some background as to how her ancestor got there and how they survived. I researched A LOT. For these OCs, I gave names based on meaning cause I really am not planning on fleshing out their characters much. Also, this was only supposed to be one chapter before the actual story. Didn't even plan that flashback or Ekta! Hope it made sense and I stayed in tense (that's hard!). I meant to change tense for the flashback. Did it work alright? Still experimenting… As for Matriarch, it made sense that the head air nun would be called something of the sort. There's The Mother, but that makes me think of DA…