Letters

Authoress Note: This is one of two fanfics I'm working on with Demon-Kitty-Chan (the other is also an Avatar fic, entitled SAT). It started out as a Letter Game (which is a game in which two people create characters and write letters, in character, to each other. Look it up on Wikipedia for more info). I wrote the letters from Mali to Akira, and D-K-C wrote the letters from Akira to Mali. At some point, one of us decided we should post it, and the honor of actually doing the posting came to me.

On another note, just to give you some background, this fanfic takes place about 150 years after Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai. The current Avatar is an Earthbender named Riko. Aang is now one of the most well known Avatars in recent history. Everything else will be explained in the next few letters. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Neither Demon-Kitty-Chan nor myself own Avatar: the Last Airbender, or any characters, locations, or concepts associated with the aforementioned show. However, Mali and Akira are owned by myself and D-K-C, respectively.

And now that I've put you through all that, here we go!

Dear Akira,
What's up? How's things back at home? Sorry you couldn't come. I tried to convince Aunt Hira to let you go too, but you know how she is. She said that this trip was "costing enough already without paying for another person." Right, Aunt Hira. Just keep acting like I didn't save up for years to pay my own way, not to mention a significant part of hers (because I knew she wouldn't shut up if she didn't come about the "indignity of it all"). Not that I mind that much about the money. The Avatar Aang's Journeys Tour is a great chance to learn about the Hundred Years' War.
Anyway, let me start from what you know. Aunt Hira and I left from home and started on the way to the South Pole to begin the tour. We're on the boat now, and boy do I feel seasick! I guess that's one disadvantage about growing up in the Fire Nation capital. You never get the chance to experience boat travel until you're puking your guts out over the side of a boat, wondering why you paid so much for this Agni-darn tour.
On the bright side, I'm not the only one. We stopped at some Earth Kingdom town to pick up other tour members, including our guide. No idea who our guide is yet, by the way. All I know is that it's a he and he's an earthbender. Anyway, back to the puking. I met a guy named Jiro a few days ago... where else? Puking off the side of the ship. First thing he did, no joke, was look over at me and say, "I apologize ahead of time if a breeze starts blowing my puke into your face." I laughed, of course. What would you have done? Then I apologized back and we introduced ourselves. Then I noticed Aunt Hira standing nearby giving me her Disapproving Glare, so I excused myself. I wish I knew what was wrong with me making friends on the tour, anyway. Isn't the point supposed to be learning things? And who better to learn Earth Kingdom culture from than a citizen of the Earth Kingdom? It's nice to know that there's friendly people here, too.

So, what's going on at home? Did anyone figure out who was behind the Rhino Incident? If so, are you in trouble? If you are, tell them it was my fault too, and whatever they're going to do, they'll
have to wait to do it until I get home. Please write back soon!
Your Puking Cousin,
Mali

Dear Mali,
Things back home have been really boring without you lately. Though I am the only person who really is bummed out you're not here. Other than Old Cori, that is. You know how much he liked to be your adopted grandfather. Professor Saki was practically jumping for joy when I told him that you weren't going to be joining his extra bending class during the summer like we had planned. Maybe he thinks that this summer is going to become the most peaceful summer of his life just because you're on the Avatar Aang's Journeys Tour. Not if I have anything to say about it! And believe me, I do!
It's actually okay that Aunt Hira wouldn't let me go. I knew right from the start she wouldn't. Now that I'm thinking about it, it was a lost cause from the very beginning to even ask. The lady practically hates me ever since I incinerated her priceless family heirlooms! I tried to tell her it was an accident! And in my defense if she didn't want them to get destroyed than she should not have put them outside to dry. All that put aside I don't even know why she had to come with you. She probably witnessed the Hundred Year's War first hand. No offense to Aunt Hira but...
Sea sick? Yuck! I hope you don't get too sick or else you'll miss the whole thing! In the end I think it will be worth it though so hang in there!
I probably would have done the same thing with Jiro. Who wouldn't have? Oh yeah, Aunt Hira! Why is she so grumpy all the time? Especially when we try to be friendly to other people we don't know? Remember when the Earth Kingdom performers came and we tried to pet their ostrich horses? Aunt Hira yanked us back so quick the ostrich horse buck and almost threw the performer! Afterward when we couldn't see Aunt Hira we went to apologize, remember? We were just talking to the man when she came out of literally nowhere and started to yell at him about 'his kind'! Poor guy!
I wonder who you're guide will be. Hopefully he'll be someone that can deal with a grumpy Aunt Hira. He's certainly got his work cut out or him!
I hope that you have better health at the Earth Kingdom. When you come back Professor Kinden will expect you to know everything about the other cultures, so watch out and make sure you remember things!
Luckily no one found out who's behind the Rhino Incident... yet. It's only a matter of time though.. Who else could have pulled it off? Anerth? Even the thought of little week Anerth letting the rhino's lose makes me laugh!
Please write back soon!
Your Sympathetic Cousin,
Akira