I'll try to keep the authors notes as short as possible from now on since they seem to just be getting longer and longer. Well, i survived the first week of 11th grade, and i've been slowly working on this in my free time, so here it is. I'm pleased with this one, especially since i love Kya, even though we have yet to really see her, and i think she's a daddy's girl. I guess it goes without saying.
This one is called Meditation. I would give you a short summary, but i think you should just read this one anyways.
It was a peaceful spring day on Air Temple Island. Acolytes made their way around the island, lemurs flew from tree to tree, the bison were out flying around, and the youngest person on the island was dancing around, making everyone who heard her laughter smile. She chased after the lemurs and laughed when some would let her catch them and lick her face before scampering a few feet away and waiting for her to begin the chase again. She would pick them up and carry them around, seeing how many would comfortably fit in her arms; so far she was up to two before she would get distracted or the lemurs would get bored and fly off towards the fruit in the trees.
She grinned up at a few of the Acolytes, earning smiles in return as they passed, but she was dreadfully bored. None of them would play with her; they were usually too busy to spend much time with her. Her mother was inside making dinner, and her father was meditating, so Katara had told her not to bug him. But that was no fun. She loved spending every second she could with her father.
She could always go play with Appa, but the bison, who she absolutely loved as much as her parents, just couldn't play around like she wanted. She had already been told by her father that he was much too big to come into the house when she had asked, and that was another problem. Katara was hesitant to leave the little girl alone with the giant bison, even though she knew for a fact that the lovable creature would never hurt her daughter, just because anything could happen if no one was watching her.
So, Kya was on her own, unless…
The Avatar was sitting in the meditation pavilion, his eyes closed, but his mouth turned up in a smile as he listened to his daughter's laughter ring around the island. He found it to be a pleasant distraction from his thoughts, but forced himself to keep his back straight and not run off after her and join in her laughter. He cleared his mind, collected his thoughts, and...The laughing was still there.
He furrowed his brows and tried again. Clear the mind. The laughter stopped for a short moment, causing him to open his eyes, wondering if he was imagining the silence. It wasn't very silent at all actually; the bustle around the island could be heard, the lemurs and bison were as loud as ever, and even a bit of city life was heard from where he was, but that little bit was everything.
The Avatar cast his eyes around the pavilion, noting that no one was there, as usual since no one really disturbed his meditation unless something urgent had come up, and sighed. He straightened his back once more, pressed his fists together and closed his eyes, ready to try again now that the distraction was gone.
Except it wasn't gone. It was just closer. Kya covered her mouth with her hands, hiding her giggles, even though her father was painfully aware of her presence by then and was trying not to smile or open his eyes. Tiptoeing across the wood floor, she stopped right in front of him, grinning a smile that she shared with him and him alone, proud in herself for being quiet enough to sneak up on him.
When she didn't get any response from the quiet Avatar by just standing, she sat in front of him, copying his position, but keeping her eyes on him. She put on a tough face, puffed out her chest, and closed her eyes. Aang opened one eye and almost laughed at her strained expression.
He smiled to himself before airbending to his feat silently, making sure he didn't disturb the small child, and moved around her, sitting behind her. He was now grinning at the back of her head full of brown hair tied up in a small braid, smiling brighter, if possible, when he heard her gasp a little as she realized her father wasn't where he was a moment ago, but returning to his blank expression as she began to look around for him.
When she turned around, she saw her father meditating behind her. She giggled in surprise and stood up, taking the few steps towards her father and planting herself in his lap.
He peered down at her with a soft smile on his face as she shifted in her new seat to get comfortable. It was nearly impossible not to smile around the beautiful little girl. His beautiful little girl, he reminded himself for possibly the hundredth time that day. Before she could tilt her head up to look at him though, he regained his serious composure and closed his eyes. The three year old girl looked up with sparkling blue eyes that reminded him so much of her mother, and pouted when she saw she still didn't have his attention.
Her head rested against his stomach and she clapped her hands on his knees, leaning back and keeping her eyes trained on his, waiting for him to peek at her, but he didn't so much as smile.
"Daddy?" she said, poking her father's short beard repeatedly. He was finding it even more difficult to keep an impassive face, but she just giggled when she didn't get a response and used both hands to squish his cheeks in. He was fighting a smile, and couldn't help but laugh a little, moving both of his hands around to tickle her sides.
She squealed with laughter as her father flipped her around and began tickling her stomach, laughing along with her as she leaned back against his leg and tried to defend herself with her hands. She leaned up and clapped her hands to his cheeks again and laughed as he stopped tickling her for a moment to puff out his cheeks and move his own hands up to tickle her neck.
"Stop it Daddy. That tickles!" she laughed, moving her hands from his face to his hands to try to push them away. He grinned down at her and kissed the top of her head, letting her move his hands away easily.
"Oh alright," Aang said, wrapping his arms around the little girl sitting on his lap, looking up at him with sparkling blue eyes. She leaned back in his arms and looked up at him thoughtfully.
"Daddy, how do you do that?" He gave her a questioning look, but then smiled.
"What? You mean tickle you?" He asked playfully, moving his hands from around her again, "Because that's easy."
Kya squealed and ducked from his hands as they got closer, but shook her head, laughing at him, "No silly. How do you sit like that for so long?"
Aang smiled in comprehension, "You mean meditate?" Kya nodded vigorously.
"Mommy said not to bother you when you mediate, but I don't know how you do it. It looks hard," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders and a small pout on her face, making Aang chuckle a bit. "And you seem so lonely by yourself."
Aang blinked in surprise. It was to not remember he was alone lately, at least in the way she seemed to mean and what he understood, but he smiled sadly, hoping she didn't catch his hesitation.
"I think you mean meditate," he corrected, "And it's not that hard."
Kya grinned, scooting out of her father's grasp and standing on the wood floor again. She had her hands clasped together and was practically jumping up and down. "Can you teach me? Then I can meditate with you! Please?"
Aang laughed a little more at her enthusiasm, wondering if she might end up being an airbender after all. Katara had said something about her most likely being a waterbender, but nothing was set in stone until they actually saw her bend an element, which hadn't happened yet. He wouldn't mind either way, or if they were both wrong and she was a nonbender, but he and Katara knew she should be able to bend something very soon, if she hadn't accidentally already, and even though either was possible, she had more of an airbender attitude and definitely an airbender's energy.
"Of course," Aang gave her a crooked grin, watching her eyes brighten for a moment as she waited for instruction. "First you have to sit down," he chuckled. She silently sat down and leaned forward, still waiting. "Back straight and hands together."
She copied his position, sitting as straight as she could and inhaling deeply.
She had the same strained expression as before so Aang shook his head a little, "Now relax."
Kya sighed and gave him an incredulous look, which Aang wanted to laugh at since it looked so out of place on her young face. "This is hard," she declared, crossing her arms over her chest and peering up at him.
"Only at first," he said with a small smile, "And you don't have to do this."
She shook her head, "I don't want you to be lonely."
Aang smiled thankfully at her now. "It's okay. I'm not lonely at all," but she just shook her head again. It seemed she had set her mind to it, and that was when it was hardest to get the stubborn child to change her mind.
She relaxed slightly, still keeping her posture, and looked up at him with a smile all her own, "Now what?"
Aang sighed, shaking his own head, smile never leaving his face, "Close your eyes and let your mind and spirit be free."
Kya's eyebrow's knitted together, "What does that mean?"
Aang laughed now, "It's hard to explain. I guess…you need to let everything go." When Kya didn't look so sure, he continued, "Just try to stay relaxed and listen to your breathing at first. You'll get the hang of it."
She did, in fact, get the hang of it rather quickly, even compared to when the monks would begin teaching the young nomads; most took at least a week to really relax and sit correctly, but Aang was pleasantly surprised that she was able to keep her breathing even and stay silent, especially for being so young and energetic, hardly sitting still most of the time but hardly moving a muscle while she was sitting now. He also found himself focusing on her breathing, listening to the air moving in and out of her lungs evenly, and he was completely at peace until he heard Katara calling them for dinner.
Aang opened his eyes slowly and smiled at his daughter, who was grinning back at him.
"How was it?" Aang asked, beginning to stand.
Kya smiled brightly, "I'm gonna do it every day! Now you won't be so alone."
Aang's heart clenched a little at that, but he gave her another smile and reached out to help her up, "Come on. Let's go get dinner."
As they were walking back to the house, Kya looked up at her father, thoughtfully, "Daddy?" He looked down at her, waiting for her question. "Do you want me to meditate with you so you aren't so alone?"
He picked her up off the ground and hugged her close, "I'd love for you to join me if you want to, and not because you think I'm lonely. I haven't been lonely in a long time, and I don't think I will be ever again. Okay?"
Kya nodded, hugging around her father's neck and letting him carry her the rest of the way back to the house.
The Avatar was sitting in the meditation pavilion, when he heard someone walking up the path. He didn't open his eyes, but listened to the soft footsteps of his daughter as she made her way over the wood and took a seat in front of him.
Kya took a seat next to her youngest brother, who didn't look like he had noticed her arrival, and smiled apologetically at her father, who had finally opened his eyes to smile at her.
"Sorry I'm late Daddy. Somehow my brush ended up in Bumi's room again," Kya explained with a roll of her eyes as Tenzin finally cracked one eye open to look at her. Bumi was off doing who knows what, but it wasn't unusual for lost things to end up in his room, so it was the first place she would usually look. "Did I miss anything exciting?"
Aang smiled, "We're just waiting for you."
"Looks like Tenzy started without me," Kya pouted.
"You're usually the first one here," the seven year old shrugged nonchalantly, closing his eyes again. "I figured you just didn't want to come today."
"Ha," Kya laughed, "And miss meditation? No thanks. It's very calming, and I haven't skipped a day in years."
Aang, who had his eyes closed to begin meditating, opened one again, "I don't think you've ever skipped a day."
Kya shrugged, getting into position and closing her eyes, "Exactly. And I don't plan on it," smiling matter-of-factly, "So you're stuck with me." Aang smiled and Tenzin shook his head to block out his older sister.
Ta da! I liked it. What do you think? Just in case you didnt catch it (hopefully you did), there's about an eight year gap between the first and second part...i know it should be obvious if you read, but you never know. Just for those of you who didnt catch that.
So, if you liked it, hated it, or just want to, please review. I enjoy reading any reviews. They make me smile. Oh, before i forget, i know i mentioned it last chapter, but in case you didnt read all that note, (i probably wouldnt have), chapters will be updated very irregularly since i do have school and homework.
Ciao!