A/N - Some introductions to the main characters. Enjoy! I don't own Avatar.
Ding-dong!
I jumped from my place on the couch as I heard the doorbell ring. Walking around the corner, I could see who it was. I opened the door and waited for what I had heard so many times before.
"Hello, ma'am," smiled the little girl. "I'm selling cookies to raise money for our local animal shelters. If you contribute, it's for a great cause. I have chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar…"
I sighed as she listed every type of cookie she had. Trying to be nice, I told her I'd buy a few boxes.
Hey, it's for the animals, I thought. Why not?
When I had signed the paper and given her back her pen, she thanked me and was on her way to the next house. But something made me stay right there; a force that wouldn't let me close the door. I looked out onto the street. Mothers with baby strollers, little kids on bicycles, teenagers in convertibles…nothing unusual.
You're losing it.
Sighing, I slammed the front door and walked back into the living room. It was a beautiful day, so all the blinds were up and windows were open. I decided not to turn on the TV and walked over to the front hallway. This kind of weather only came a few times in this town: warm, but not too hot; sunny, but not blinding; and the blooming flowers were just enough to not make you sneeze. I walked out into the front yard, barefoot.
I felt that weird force again. Only this time it was…heavier, more eerie.
Get it together, Nat! I scolded myself.
Again, I stared beyond my yard, into the street. Nothing had changed, had it?
I saw everything I had before, but something else. There was a group of kids walking together. This would've been perfectly normal here if they were all the same age, but they weren't.
There was a young girl, probably around eleven or twelve years old. Her head was bowed and dark hair covered her round face. Beside her walked another girl, she appeared to be about fourteen years old. She had tan-ish skin and long brown hair. Her bright blue eyes seemed to be dulled in confusion. Her brother, I guessed, walked in the front of the group. He had the same color skin, hair, and eyes, but looked older and more like a leader with that map in his hands. In the back of a group were two guys, one who looked about thirteen, and the other sixteen or seventeen. A bald thirteen-year-old with tattoos? Hey, I guess anything's possible in California. The sixteen-year-old had shaggy black hair that shaded his amber eyes—which were quite refreshing, by the way. I was so sick of this blond-haired blue-eyed small California town. As soon as I got into college, I was gonna be out of here.
The group's clothing, their appearances, and everything about the atmosphere were so…foreign. They looked lost and confused. I scrambled back inside, tearing through the closet for my flip-flops. Life's mysteries are all about taking risks, right? Well, that's exactly what I was going to do.
After I found what I was looking for I ran back outside, stopped, and looked ahead of me.
Good. They're still here, I thought, relieved.
I casually walked out onto the street, keeping an eye on them. Then I veered to the right to get closer. I could hear them clearly now:
"Maybe we're in the Spirit World," the older girl guessed.
"I don't think so." It was the tattooed boy. "This isn't like any other place in the Spirit World I've been to before. And it seems like no one notices us. Usually I'm having a conversation with Roku by now."
Spirit World? Roku? What were they talking about?! As they stopped on the side of the road, I couldn't stand it any longer. Walking up to the group, I took in a deep breath and thought about what I would say. I didn't have much time. Everyone looked up at me and changed their positions. It was as if they were going to…
Oh, great. No way am I going to fight them!
The older girl's brother opened his mouth.
"Hi," I interrupted. "I noticed you all looking at a map…are you lost?"
Ugh! I could've smacked myself. Jeez, Nat. Could you be any more lame?!
"We don't need your help," he spat. I guess he's sensitive about being interrupted. "We're fine on our own."
"I don't know, Sokka…" it was the smaller girl. Her hair slid away from her face as she looked up at him, and I could see it clearly now. She had the most beautiful pale green eyes. "She doesn't mean any harm. Let's give her a chance."
The one in the back, the sixteen-year-old, rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just tell us how to get back to the Western Air Temple and we'll go." The group looked at me expectantly.
"The Western Air Temple?" I repeated. The oldest girl nodded hopefully. "Well, there's a Jewish temple down the street, but I've never heard of any Western Air Temples."
"Oh," the girl said wistfully, bowing her head. "That's okay."
"Listen, I know the area pretty well, and if you guys'd like to come inside then we can have a look at that map to find wherever this temple is." I gestured toward my house.
With exchanged glances and worried eyes, the girl nodded and followed me, the group right behind her.
"I'm Natalie, by the way," I said, trying to brighten the mood.
"Nice to meet you, Natalie," the boy with tattoos answered. He was very upbeat; it made me smile. "I'm Aang, and this is Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko," he said, pointing to his friends. "I'd introduce you to Appa and Momo, but we don't know where they are."
I giggled quietly. "Those are very different names," I said, opening the front door. "But cool, too."
He shrugged. "Pretty normal where we come from."
"Well, Aang," I continued, "let's find out where you're going…"