I do not own Avatar, and probably never will.
This story is in no way connected to my on going stories. Just a little silly Aangji oneshot. Enjoy.
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Aang and Appa were scarcely into Fire Nation territory when the storm hit. Thankfully the island beneath them looked hospitable enough to stay the night. They landed close by the shore at the mouth of a cave. Momo quickly flew around to take a look at the odd earth formations inside the place. Large circular sections rose from the floor. They seemed to be deteriorating from the weather taking its toll, but it was unmistakably the result of earth bending in years past, and after the Avatar got Appa settled in and a fire started, he noticed this peculiar fact himself. In fact, the whole thing seemed oddly familiar. Was that rectangular formation off to the side a table in the past? Was there a party here?
Aang listened to the rain pour down outside the mouth of the cave, and put these surroundings out of his mind. Instead he reflected on the work he had been dealing with for the past five years when he wasn't running spirit world relations errands. He had left the Southern Air Temple in Teo's capable hands while he was gone, but he still worried about the nomads trying to destroy the mountain if they got restless. None of them could airbend, but they took easily to the discipline and the culture. Very few of them ate meat to begin with, and many of them already had some conception of meditation and removal of earthly possessions. The martial arts were a bit tougher, but they all seemed fit for it in mind if not in body. A few were rather sluggish and slowed by an extended belly, but they were all as adamantly against violence as the Avatar himself. Some were even getting quite skilled. Aang smiled at the progress that little Shin had made in the five years since he became one of the first of Aang's "airbending" students. The boy was not twelve years old, and Aang was considering giving him the tattoos that would mark him as a master. It was now just up to the boy's parents, and the boy himself. He'd be the first one to receive those markings in over a hundred years. The thought of it nearly brought Aang to tears as he pondered his brethren and ancestors. He couldn't bring back airbending over night, or the wind bisons at all, but at least he could make some progress towards restoring the culture.
He stoked the fire he had built and retrieved a bag of fruit from his traveling gear on Appa's back. He pulled out a couple leechee nuts and threw them in the direction of Momo who rested on the large circular shelves protruding from the floor near the back of the cave. He leaned back against the edge of the odd formation and ate and pondered what Zuko needed him for at the capital. Of course, Aang had to be there in a week's time either way for the five year anniversary of Zuko's coronation, but he had apparently asked the "Boomerang Gang" to come as soon as possible for an announcement of some kind. Zuko has had his share of trouble since the end of the war. It took scarcely two months before Mai's true intentions came out. Apparently she had changed sides for the sole purpose of gaining power for herself. Realizing that being a friend of Azula was about as safe as cliff diving at the Boiling Rock, she went with the side of the Avatar. It helped that her ex still loved her and was on that side anyways. However, when standing next to the Fire Lord wasn't enough power she set towards standing alone as Fire Lady… without Zuko. That mess took another year to clear up. Then there was finding his mother. Ursa really was a wonderful lady. Aang recalled meeting her only two years ago at the capital. She had since moved to Ba Sing Se and works with Iroh at the Jasmine Dragon. Maybe old scar-face has found somebody else to become his wife. Maybe King Kuei is threatening war via Bosco's pungent gas. Aang figures it's best to just not worry about it and goes back to watching the storm brewing outside. Lightening is passing just over head, but the storm itself looks fairly small. By tomorrow it'll be clear, and Aang can continue on towards the palace after making sure no fires were started near by. Storms always seemed strange in the middle of summer like this, but as humid as it gets in the Fire Nation it's not that shocking.
It'd be nice to see the whole gang again. Aang, being the nomad he was, got to see them all pretty regularly. A problem occurs in the South and of course, Aang shows up at the pole to check in on Hakoda and his children. Katara was conspicuously not present the last time he stopped in, something about a political position that she was undertaking, but Suki and Sokka were there with their new daughter, Kya. From what Gran-Gran (or now, Great Gran-Gran) says, the little girl looks exactly like her name sake. In fact, it was the little girl's birth that had acted as the catalyst to get the whole gang together the last time. It was roughly year and a half ago now. Zuko put on an air of reluctance to be involved, but still was one of the first to agree to show up. Toph flat out refused to go to the South Pole, so the celebration of the new life was moved to Kyoshi Island. The girl had family there too after all. Whatever Zuko was planning, it would be nice to see everybody again.
Aang yawned, exhausted, and finally decided to put out his fire and bundle up to sleep for the night.
"Good night, Appa."
Growl.
"Good night, Momo."
The lemur chattered a bit before flying over to lick Aang's cheek and curl up on Appa's side.
--
"Hello?"
Aang slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "Umm, Momo? You talking again?"
"Who?"
The lemur chirped and flew over to sit on Aang's shoulder. The Avatar shook the sleep from his head. "You're right, that's not your voice at all, is it Momo?" He looked around and saw a girl standing near the entrance of the cave he was in. Slowly he became conscious of his surroundings again. "Ohh, hi. I'm sorry, am I trespassing here or something? Didn't expect it to be a problem."
"Ohh, no, no. Don't mind me. I was just surprised to find anybody here myself. Wait, aren't you?"
Aang sighed. He knew that sound. Another fan that was gonna ask for something silly like an autograph or a blessing or a date. "Yeah, I'm the Avatar."
"Hmm," the girl looked at his face for a while, studying him.
"I know, I know… I'm not as cute in person. It happens."
"No, I was just thinking that you looked familiar is all." She scratched her head. "Well, obviously yeah, of course you look familiar, you're the Avatar. Just, I feel I've met you before. But, no, my life's too dull for that."
"So, umm, if you don't mind my asking," Aang grabbed his robe and carefully dressed under the cover of his sleeping bag, "what are you doing out here? I thought this spot was far enough from town that nobody would be here."
"Well, I had some good memories here. This is actually the fifth anniversary of the first dance party I've ever been to." The girl blushed a little. "I know, sounds stupid, but, before you ended the war that kind of thing was just unheard of. I come here every once in a while, though, to remember the boy that invited me. It seems so petty and silly now, but that party really did change the kids at school. We actually threw another one shortly before the comet came. It wasn't as good, though."
Slowly things were starting to click in Aang's mind. This girl, with her gray eyes, he knew her. She was talking about his dance party. Back when he was Kuzon for few days, before the war ended. "So, well, obviously you know my name. Mind if I ask you your's?"
"On Ji. Pleased to meet you." She was about to bow, but at the last moment thought better of it. Nothing of this meeting was exactly formal.
"Wait, I think I might have a surprise for you. Close your eyes." Aang jumped up and hurried off to his traveling pack. It had to be in here somewhere. Aang was too much of a packrat to have lost it. Everything from that year was kept somewhere near him at all times, and most of it, no matter how tattered it became, was in that bag. At last, he came up with a beat up, faded, red head band with a golden emblem on it. Tying it around his forehead, right at the base the arrow tattoo, he returned to sit, lotus style, in front of his former classmate. "Alright, you can open your eyes now."
The look on On Ji's face was something that the Avatar would never forget. It became one more great memory to add to countless others in his life. Then, he surprised them both when he opened his mouth next. "I was on my way to a meeting with Zuko. You care to join me? I'm sure my friends would all love to see you again."
