With Katara and Aang

With Katara and Aang

"So Aang, why didn't you ever tell us about her?" Katara asked, trying to conjure having Teiko with them. To Katara she wasn't someone she would normally hang-out with, she had a different personality besides her baby-doll look. Her voice sounded dry and raspy when she spoke certain words and her lips never leaved a frown. She may have just met her, but she couldn't help but judge her.

"I did, you guys just never listened close enough in the stories I told." Aang answered, digging in his pockets for money. "Besides, does it really matter if I told?"

"Well, yeah…it would have been something we could have looked for." At that moment Katara sounded snobbish, making Aang raise an eyebrow. Getting no reply from her with that action, he shook it off.

"But she found us! The next time Zuko catches up with us, I'll have to thank him." Katara didn't reply to him, but stared at the back of his head intently to try to read his mind. Suddenly she wondered if Teiko could know his thoughts since they were twins, but thinking that made her seem like an idiot, so she stopped thinking it.

"It's great and all Aang, but don't you think she's a bit…I don't know…different?" The avatar turned and looked at her with a depressing expression.

"So you noticed already…" She grimaced by the sound of his tone. It sounded so different and down, like he'd heard it a million times. Before she could act in response with a different word Aang spoke, "Everyone says that, don't worry. I'm sure Sokka will enjoy her company." He grinned to himself on that thought, but it was easy to tell he was faking.

"I just met her, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, don't worry Katara; you'll see that you're right. I'm not insulting her, but she's had a tough life and acts differently from how other girls do."

"How so?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Are you kids gonna pay for the food or what?" The grouchy merchant lady pointed at Aang and Katara, scowling. Aang quickly handed her the money and walked off with Katara. Katara carried the sack of food while Aang carried nothing, but thinking of what Katara had said.

"Katara, I hope Teiko warms up to you." The female didn't reply but merely smiled, not really hoping that. "She's always wanted a mother."

"Are you saying that I act like a mother?" Worriedly, Aang pointed towards the sky.

"Look at the sky, Katara! Let's name one of the stars even if they've been named!" She didn't reply, instead she made her pace stronger and faster to try to get to Appa. Aang noticed the sudden distant but didn't speed up. "Come on Katara, we can name one after Momo!"

"Not tonight Aang, let's just get packed to go soon."

Teiko's POV

"I never signed up for this."

"And I never gave out a paper, so you're doing it anyway."

"Right, like you'd give me anything."

"I'm letting you get on my shoulders!"

"Yeah, so I can get your apple."

"Just reach for it." Reluctantly I put my arm up and grasped the air. Sokka noticed this and groaned. "Can't you use air-bending or something cool to get it down?"

"Can't you use your boomerang?" Suddenly Sokka grabbed his boomerang and put it in front of me. "Oh fine…" I snatched the boomerang out of his hands and lifted it in the air, trying to cut down the apple. No luck, I was too short still. I made some air cut it off and caught it. Sokka gasped and tried to reach for it. No luck, I was on his shoulders.

"Um…what are you two doing?" Katara asked suspicion clear in her voice. Sokka turned around, thus turning me around.

"We were trying to get an apple." Sokka pointed up at the apple. I smiled lightly while pointing at it as well. I dropped the apple and Sokka caught it while I quietly jumped off his shoulders.

"I told you, Katara!" Both Sokka and I raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm…I'm not sure."

Wet-blanket, that's what she was. With her long brown hair and pretty face, I couldn't even compare. She had the perfect figure and seemed knowledgeable and precise. Sighing, she gracefully walked over to Appa and put up the food. I looked down at my feet, one a little bit larger than the other.

"Come on Teiko!" I looked up at Aang's grinning face, making me smile. We both jumped onto Appa's head at the same time. Like we would always do, we sat in the same position, except I didn't grab the rope. "Okay, everyone here?"

"Momo's with me and Sokka is on the saddle as well." Katara answered him in a nice tone…like I could ever make my voice sound nice.

"Appa, yip-yip!" Appa hit his tail to the ground while making a roaring type of sound, and soon we were soaring in the air. Aang relaxed and leaned against Appa, laying his head in his hands. I didn't move from my spot though, the moment was too peaceful and serene. Everybody stayed quiet…was that normal? Aang let out a sigh of relief when he heard Sokka snoring. Soon Katara looked over Appa's saddle at the two of us.

"So Teiko, do you not eat meet like Aang?" I looked up at her and then looked down.

"Trying to start conversation means starting out with something you're comfortable with talking about." She gave me a nasty look from behind as I rested my head on Appa now. Aang took my hand in his, looking at me sentimentally. I knew what he was thinking, and I couldn't respond.

"Well…good night." Katara then went and layed down on the saddle.

After some minutes Aang spoke, "Are you still like this because of what the monks did?" I didn't reply, but I did look at him. Looked at his face…my face.

"She doesn't like me." Sighing, Aang squeezed my hand tighter. "Can we just go to sleep like everyone else?" He nodded, smiling. Then he gave me a tight hug and fell asleep quickly. My brother was with me, actually with me. The moment Zuko had found me had changed my destiny, since now I was with Aang. For some reason it was easier to fall asleep. It's like all my burdens just got lifted off my shoulders, even though there was more to come. So silently I closed my eyes and drifted off into a different land, thinking of nothing more than my dreams.