Chapter 2: The Fortune Teller
We had made our way to a small camp on the side of a river once. Sokka had a problem with a fish and we took a turn into a town that was filled with people who believed in a great fortune teller.
"That fish is taunting me!" Sokka wailed. He ran for his fishing pole. He waved the pole a couple of times, trying to cast the line. "Where's my fishing line?" he cried. Aang looked guilty. "Oh sorry," he said. "I thought you wouldn't mind. I made it into a necklace." He held it up to Sokka almost proudly. "Aw, it's all tangled." Sokka moaned.
"Not tangled. Woven." Aang turned to me and smiled. "I figured since you lost your other one…" He beamed and held it up. It was really pretty. I said thanks and put it around my neck. Aang watched as Sokka ran after the fish, splashing and cursing. "How do I look?" I asked, turning to see the reaction on Sokka and Aang's faces. Sokka didn't see because he was too busy trying to grab the fish, but Aang saw. He looked as though he had been hit on the head and hadn't noticed yet. He pulled at his collar awkwardly. "You mean all of you or just your neck? Because, I mean, both look great." He complimented while a blush formed on his cheeks. Just then, Sokka called from the water, "Kissy kissy, looks like somebody's in love." The fish he was holding then slapped him in the face and swam off. "No," I said. "Aang's just a good friend. Just like Momo." I petted Momo's fuzzy head to prove my point. Aang looked like a kicked puppy but I put it out of my mind.
Later, we found Aunt Wu's house. Inside, a girl came up and offered us some food. She was kind. She introduced herself as Maang. Another woman came out looking overjoyed. "Aunt Wu said that my true love would give me a rare Panda Lily!" she cried jubilantly. Maang smiled and said, "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower?" She looked over her shoulder at Aang. That left me a little unsettled. The woman chuckled and said, "Is that the big eared boy that Aunt Wu said you'd marry?" Maang pushed the woman away, embarrassed. Aunt Wu came in then and asked who wanted to have their fortune told. I was the first one to go. We sat down in front of a fire. Aunt Wu took my hand and complimented me on my smooth skin. I offered to show her the lotion I used when she gasped and said, "You will marry a powerful bender." That made my heart pound harder than I thought it ever would.
I was wrong. Aang and Sokka came to me saying something about the volcano erupting. That was impossible. Aunt Wu had predicted that the village would be safe. We came up with a plan to shape the clouds to the shape of volcanic disaster. We stood on Appa, trying to shape the clouds and not fall off. It was a beautiful afternoon with the sun melting into the horizon. Too bad the village might be destroyed. The lava almost got past the trenches we dug. I thought it would be over. Aang came to the rescue. He leapt atop a rock and cooled the lava with an icy breath. It was rock before my very eyes. "You know," Sokka was saying. "I sometimes forget what a powerful bender that kid is." I stopped and looked up the boy I'd always like as a little brother. Did Aunt Wu mean…nah.