A tad Bumi-centric, but here's Kataang Week Part 5.
Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra belong to Nick and Bryke.
It was a warm, almost humid night in Republic City. The weather had sent the young family in charge of Air Temple Island to their underclothes: Katara in her bindings, Aang only in the loose pants of his typical robes, Bumi mirroring his father in only his own loose pants, and Kya in her cloth diaper. It was a very exciting night for the children who almost never got to stay up past bedtime or listen to the later shows on the new radio. Kya had been put down for a nap right after dinner but she was not sent back to bed when she had come wandering back into the living room a few hours later. In fact, Aang and Katara didn't even mention bedtime at all to their young son as the clock passed seven. It was a mystery to Bumi as to why he suddenly was able to stay up and it was looking as if he would get to stay up all night!
"We've been spoiled, Aang. We shouldn't think this is that hot." Katara was sprawled on the couch with Kya on her chest, fanning them both as her daughter played with her hair.
"I know. It was so much hotter in the Fire Nation and we were always in those stuffy robes!" Aang sat in the floor playing with Bumi. They were recreating the final battle of the Hundred Years War, but the Avatar didn't get to play as himself. He was Ozai while Bumi played as his father. It took all of Aang's willpower not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
"We've become weak. Do you think Mama is weak, Kya?" The water bender pressed a kiss to the child's nose, earning a giggle and a grin.
"Yes!" The couple laughed at their daughter, Katara beginning to tickle her.
"There we have it, Katara. We have been brought so low and even a two year old can see it!"
"I don't think you're weak, Daddy." Bumi looked up from his toys, smiling toothily. Aang returned the smile, rubbing the boy's head affectionately.
"Thanks, buddy." The boy beamed before returning to his game. A pointed cough from on the couch swiftly brought his head back up.
"You're not weak either, Mama! You're even strong than Daddy!" His mother smiled sweetly down at him, rubbing a hand through his hair.
"You're such a sweet boy." Bumi's responding grin and blush outmatched even that from just a moment earlier, sending his father into a pout.
"Kataraaa…" The whine in her husband's voice only widened the waterbender's smile.
"It's a gift, Aang. A gift you do not possess." Aang returned his attention to the toys before him, taking the beating toy him dished out, grumbling under his breath about being the Avatar and the strongest bender on the planet, yet unable to challenge Katara or play as himself in a game. Katara was close to all out laughter on the couch, resisting only because Kya was dozing.
After numerous battles between Avatar Aang and various villains, even characters from the children's radio hour, Katara, nearly asleep herself, glanced over at the clock and jumped off the couch, clutching Kya who had been stirring to wakefulness herself. "Aang! We almost missed it!" The airbender followed his wife's gaze, jumping up himself.
"Come on, Bumi. We have a surprise!" The five year old leapt to his feet, running after his parents as they led the way outside. The boy was a bit confused, expecting them to leave the island or something, but they simply walked to the temple his father had finally finished building a few months prior. He didn't have much time to be confused however. His father scooped him up and with a large blast of air launched them high into the air. Bumi did have time however to go from scared to thrilled before they landed softly on the roof. His mother and sister followed a tad more slowly, carried by a wave that Katara had created using the water from below, the temple resting at the edge of the island.
Bumi attempted to run to the edge of the roof to look down but was quickly caught by his collar, his mother staring sternly down at him. They stared at each for a few moments before the boy sighed and turned to return to his father, who was now laying on his back facing the open sea past the island. Bumi settled beside his father, mirroring his position exactly, ankles crossed and hands behind head. Katara smiled at the sight as she settled on the other side of Aang, resting on his chest with Kya on her own. The family laid in silence for several minutes, soaking in the night air and sky before Bumi couldn't contain himself anymore.
"Why are we on the roof?" Aang and Katara laughed, which only made the boy frown.
"We're waiting, sweetie." Bumi sighed, sitting up slightly to look at his mother.
"For what?!" Katara bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing again and upsetting the boy.
"Just wait a little bit longer. Watch the sky." She pointed out to the water, just a bit above the horizon, the sliver of moon visible still bright enough to illuminate where the sky met sea. "You'll know it when you see it. You'll love it, Bumi." The boy settled back down, mollified. He didn't have to wait long however. Just a few moments later, Aang and Katara heard a sharp gasp. They grinned at each other before looking over to watch their son's reaction.
Bumi's eyes were huge as they fixated on the sky. He had moved to sit up, even inching a bit forward. His mouth was open, forming a small, perfect "o." His small chest rose and up down a bit quickly, his excitement and wonder clear.
"Daddy, are you doing this?" He couldn't even be bothered to spare a glance toward his father as he spoke.
"No, it's not me."
"What are they?" Bumi's gaze remained fixed on the sky. Katara had shifted her attention from her son to her daughter, shifting her in an attempt to get her to look at the sky.
"Kya, look!" She didn't have to work very hard, the young girl soon erupting into giggles and clapping her hands as she finally saw what was enrapturing her big brother.
"They're meteors. Your Uncle Sokka used to have a sword made from one. They fall and hit the earth sometimes."
"So, they're not really falling right now?"
"I don't know. Some of them might be, some might not. The astronomer who told me about this event said he didn't think any would hit this time. It doesn't happen very often." Bumi ceased his questions, drinking in as much as was before him as possible.
Katara pressed a kiss to the under side of Aang's jaw, her arms around Kya's middle as she sat on her hips. Aang looked down at his wife as they shared a grin. The water bender spoke softly so only her husband could hear as they both stared into the sky, watching the fiery forms fall.
"It's nice that we don't have to save a village this time."
"Or deal with Sokka complaining." The laughed quietly.
"Maybe one day we'll see another comet. One that isn't tied up in destiny and doom."
"That'd be nice. I don't really even remember seeing the comet, or if I did if I thought anything about it."
"I do. I hated it. I thought it was ugly and evil, just because of what it had come to mean, but looking at this, it was beautiful. It had to have been and the whole world missed it because of one man." Aang pressed a kiss to the top of his wife's head.
"When did you become so wise? That's my job." They laughed again, quietly. They looked at their children and they both knew the answer to Aang's question.
Bumi was rather distraught when the meteor shower ended. He cried into his mother's chest, Katara having handed off the again sleepy Kya to comfort their son. She rubbed his back soothingly, knowing this had more to do with how late it was. He had finally quieted once they landed on the ground, him seemingly not to have noticed the ride from the top of the temple to the ground. Katara knew he was exhausted then. He loved it when she or Aang bended, from the simplest of tricks to the grandest feat. Brother and sister were asleep before they reached their home. After the children were put to bed, Aang and Katara found themselves asleep just as quickly, content with having brought wonder to their children.
The light show from the night before was all Bumi could talk about later that day. He'd tell anybody who would listen and even those unwilling to, all about meteors though he knew little himself. Around lunch time, he demanded to speak to his uncle so he could learn more about what he had seen. Despite knowing that Sokka was probably the least informed about meteorites and was more likely to tell Bumi about how he had single-handedly saved a village from a meteorite, Aang and Katara sent a summons for the councilman. Several hours later, even Bumi was frustrated with his uncle's lack of knowledge on the subject and settled into a kind of slump.
Weeks passed and Bumi was still determined to learn as much as he could about what he had seen. His interest didn't even falter when he found that all the texts on the subject were massive. He traded his usual bedtime stories about his parents youthful adventures for the books he checked out from the Republic City Library. Even at five he understood that the books said the same things and went in circles. Finally, Aang had the astronomer who in passing had told him about the shower come to the island to teach Bumi and the other kids who lived on the island about meteorites. Aang and Katara didn't think Bumi had been so happy when Sokka had given him a boomerang.
Bumi's interested in meteorites eventually waned, but whenever he saw one, either falling from the sky or one already on the ground, he always remembered that night on the temple and when his father passed away, he liked to think that the meteors he saw had been sent for him.