AVATAR:TALES OF TORAN
CHAPTER TWO: Hooky
(17 years later, Fire Nation Capital)
Cool breezes drifted past the trees, swaying more of their crisping leaves to the ground or the babbling brook. Panda squirrels frolicked in the branches, and milled about gathering what they could for the cold months. The Fire nation Islands were in there mid Autumnal swing, and festivities were up and about around the Royal Park grounds.
"SPARK ROCKS! GET YOUR SPARK ROCKS HERE!"
"EMBER CORN! I GOT FRESH EMBER CORN!"
"NOT A ONE LIKE MINE! GET YOUR GRAND SPANKING OFFICIAL DRAGON CANDY! GET EM WHILE THERE HOT!"
"NOODLES! IN A CUP! DON'T GET ANYMORE WATERTRIBE THEN THIS!"
"MOMO'S FRESH FRUIT PIES! STRAIGHT FROM THE EAST AIR TEMPLE!"
"Sokkarangs! Got your authentic Sokkarangs!"
Vendors in carts pushed by left and right near the various tents with perhaps even louder vendors. From all over, people of all nations had gathered in the center of the Firenation Royal Family Park to celebrate then end of the Hundred Year War.
In lush green fields children danced and ran around hedges trimmed in the shape of Hippocows, dragons, badgermoles, and a whole menagerie of bushy green animals. Parents flocked the edges of ponds aiding or warmly watching children bend toy boats across the edge of the grand reflection pond. Up in the skies, nomads and kites of Air Bisons, dragons, and winged lemurs floated gracefully on the air currents. Thousands gathered in crowds, eating, dancing, watching, drinking, and the usual merry-making you would find at such fair grounds. And in the ocean of people, hustling and bustling with family, friends, merchants, statesmen, cabbage merchants, monks, and more, were two hooded figures.
"I can't believe we're doing this!" said the shorter of the two hooded figures.
"You better believe it buddy boy. We actually did it! We got away from master grumpy pants!" said the taller.
"I don't know we should go back."
"And what miss the action! C'mon!"
"But what if someone sees me?"
"Psshhh. Puh lease! Tons of people wore hoods like these hundreds of years ago, back when Avatar Aang was the only airbender around. We'll just look like some cos-players or history geeks or whatevers."
"But Moku, if Maste-"
"Master shmaster Toran! You got a legitimate excuse today! Do you know what happened some hundred years ago today?"
"Avatar Aang and his friends ended the Hundred Year War…"
"Exactly. Ergo visa vi blah blah blah you ended the war."
"I don't think it-" But before Toran knew it, Moku had already bought a bag of caramel ember corn, and was already busy chewing away near the bottom of the bag.
"DANG YOU MOKU! YOU KNOW I LOVE EMBER CORN!" And with that the two shuffled further into the crowd.
As the day went on, so did the laughter between the two boys. Toran, didn't get out often, and Moku rarely had time to actually hang out with Moku aside from training. So this was the perfect day for the two of them to actually hang out as friends. From the bottomless bags of carnival foods to the near vomit experiences of the spinning teacups or the tumble cars, it was fair to say that Toran had completely let go of the fear of the punishment that would be incurred if their Master had discovered he was not really sick.
All his fears had melted away for the day.
"Hey Toran look! It's General Iroh's Bronze Statue!"
"Whoa! Check it! Ye olde fire nation top notch, and beard to boot."
"Hey watch this."
With his arm around Iroh's shoulder and the other around the general's overly casted girth, Moku gestured towards rubbing the smiling hero's belly.
"Moku! That's General Iroh! What are you doing?"
Waving his hand in assurance Moku chuckled "Haven't you heard man? If you rub his belly you get eternal wisdom….or something."
"It's luck. C'mon. The guy needs some more respect. He helped end the war too."
"Toran! As your Earthbending Master I demand you take my phone and take this picture of me getting hundreds of years worth of good luck!"
"What happened to eternal wisdom?" remarked Toran sarcastically.
"Whatever! Just take the picture! This will look so hilarious on my net page!" rushed Moku as he continued to hold his now stiff and soon to be soar arm around the bronze general.
"Ughhh. Fine." sighed the young Avatar.
"YES!"
"Hold still…got it."
"Sweet!" exclaimed the hooded and prancing earth bender as he crabwalked towards Toran for a view.
"This is epic! With this much luck and proof, it's clear that the master won't catch us!" bragged Moku as he sent the picture to his online profile.
"….uhhhhhh Moku. Did you just post that on your net page?" questioned Toran hesitantly.
"Yeah. Want me to get a picture of you for yours?"
"Moku. What if master see that pic on the net pages?"
"…hmmmmmm never thought about that."
And with that a mild ringing and buzzing went off in Toran's left pocket. The plain beeping of a standard grade brick phone meant only one thing.
Toran opened the phone and answered. "Hello?"
"Toran. I'm glad to hear your feeling better." spoke a calm and deep voice on the other end of the line.
"Master….uhhh what gives you that idea?" said Toran as he shifted his voice down an octave or two to imitate a soar throat.
"Well for one, I couldn't help but notice your voice cleared up, but that might be wrong."
"Oh?"
"The other detail would probably be that you're not in bed…considering I'm standing right in front of "you". And by "you" I mean the poorly shaped set of pillows and the broken speaker left on playback."
"Oh."
"I don't know what to say Toran. I'm fairly upset by what you did here. You left me to think you were sick, you've worried the Order, not to mention it seems you even upset Karim by making him lie for you." lashed the voice which was now being held up through speaker for Moku to hear.
"I'm sorry master, I ju-"
"Sorry? Sorry? Why whatever for Toran. Don't be sorry. As you know I hate to be a terrible and boring teacher, but since you ditched your practice today I guess I'll make an exception for today." remarked the master in what seemed to be a now more composed and calmed matter.
"Really?"
"Of course. But! As the Avatar I cannot let you go without training for the day, so here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you an hour. ONE hour to find your way back to the compound. If you are not back by the end of the hour, you will alow me, Karim and the rest of the Order stationed here to eat all the snacks you stashed underneath you bed."
Shocked and wide eyed Toran scream. "WHAT?!"
Moku began to laugh with his hand muzzled over his mouth.
"Oh yes. Let me see now, I have with me some Golden Almond Sand Crackers, a bag of Kelp Cookies, some Fruit pies, Lychee cubes, Mango nuts, Banana Onion Chips and-"
Suddenly breaking from his muffled laughter, Moku interrupted. "Wait. Banana Onion Chips? You hate Banana Onion chips Toran."
"OH MOKU! Is that you? I wouldn't have known. Especially since net pages aren't blatant and obvious to everyone on the elnet. How's that hundred years of and I quote "wisdom, luck or whatevs" working out for you hmmm? Because perhaps it will work out for your now uncovered wall stash of Banana Onion chips, Boony Berries, Monk-E's and of course your chocolate Avatar Korra, Aang, Roku, Kuru-"
"YOU BROKE INTO BY SAFE?!"
"…Moku it was a suitcase…and it was unlocked. Anyways boys, you now have ohhhhhhh 54 minutes. You better run or you'll have to work harder getting your contraband stashed back to their former *crunch * glories, mmm these are good. Oi sentry! Did you try this one it's really good!"
"But we don't have enough snacks to last a whole hour even between Moku and me!" exclaimed Toran.
"Well then boys, you best get * crunch crunch* crackin. MMMMM! These cookies are good."
Toran shut his phone and turned to Moku in what was now a state of panic and worry.
"MOKU!"
"I know! I know! Gimme a minute." Moku paced for a few seconds and finally raised his hands to cover his face.
"Remember that new move I taught you?" asked Moku as he shoved his hand into his own pockets.
Raising an eye brow in confusion. "You mean the one with the two metal balls you've still yet to explain?"
"Okay once again they are called 'magnets!' And yeah that one."
"So?"
"Well here's what we're gonna do oh high and mighty Avatar."
"Whattttt?" slurred Toran as he held his eye brow slightly higher on his forehead.
"We'll take the express!" exclaimed Moku as he pointed to the sky.
"But the sub shuttle doesn't show up till…another 15 minutes, and that won't get us home for a good hour and a half." argued the young avatar as he continued to look perplexed by his friend's awkward pose.
Rolling his eyes, Moku stretched his pointing arm forward more. "I'M POINTING."
Toran followed Moku's finger to a near by set of power lines at a substation.
He paused, then held his hand to his chin scratching his still not visible let alone existent beard. "OHHHHHH. Expresssssss rigggghhht." Calmly slurred Toran in return as he raised two fingers to point back at Moku.
The two boys rushed up the poles and took a moment to balance on the long wires. They then pulled two shiny silver metallic balls from their pockets and tossed them into the air in front of them.
"Okay remember Toran it's about the rotation of the ball. Keep your stance, but remember, it's all in the wrists! You got it!"
Tilting his head slightly forward to look at the ground below. "But what if we fall off?"
"Relax, this isn't typical metal Toran. Karim told me that the magnetic fields or something would keep us clinging to metal with these."
"But couldn't we just use normal metal bending?" stuttered the still worried Toran.
"Puh lease! Think of it like this. Do we use earth benders to push big hollow stone boxes or do we glide through the streets with the good ol' automobile?"
"You make a point, but we've only practiced on the ground."
Reaching his hand out, Moku patted Toran's shoulder. "Ready you are young badger toad. Now go!"
After the small bit of sarcastic assurance, Moku shoved Toran forward onto the lines. And as he rolled, Toran swayed his arms back and forth so as to stay standing and avoid falling to his death.
"WRISTS! AND LEAN FORWARD!" shouted Moku at the safe end of the line.
Toran took deep breaths, and leaned forward as if speed skating. And then with his restored confidence and fear for the loss of his precious confectionary treasures at home, he began to rotate his wrists. Fingers bent, and palms clear the balls began to roll against the wires. Sparks flew out on occasion, but as he continued to roll his wrists, he began picking up speed. It was only the second time he had practiced the move, but he was dashing by at top speeds, bringing all to a blur around him. And soon enough Moku joined him at his side with a smile from ear to ear.
"What?" asked Toran as he too allowed a smile to spread across his face.
"Seeee. You're not falling!" shouted Moku whimsically.
"Yeah yeah. But we need to hurry!" shouted Toran as he rolled his eyes.
"Right! Okay, we need to follow these lines all the way back down the Volcano and back to the docks. From there, we can run by foot. This should take us…10 minutes?" shouted Moku over the torrent of wind passing them.
"OKAY!" shouted back Toran as he turned his head forward and leaned close to the wires.
"Hey Toran!" shouted Moku once more.
"What?!" remarked Toran as he turned his head dully.
"…See you at home!" And with that, Moku picked up his speed by nearly 10 fold and dashed forward on the lines.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Toran shouted back.