Chapter 9: Under a Full Moon

"Hurry up Sokka! Just carry Akira if you have to or we might miss her!" Sky shouted at us as she sprinted ahead with Aura and Hope close behind.

"I don't suppose you could fly us there could you?" I asked Sokka hopefully as he pushed my wheelchair. He shook his head and smiled.

"I could fly myself but any extra weight and I can't even take off. Trust me Sky has thoroughly tested any theory you could think of." He shuddered. "It was super embarrassing flying around naked."

I chuckled and put my hands up.

"Hold up a sec Sokka let me put my left foot on the ground really quick." He stopped pushing me and I set my foot on the ground. "This is perfect!" I shouted and Sokka leaned forward a bit.

"Ugh what?" He said confused and I held my hands up still waiting just until the ground opened up in front of us and out stepped a huge badger mole and a beautiful young woman rode on its back.

"Hey Luna I don't suppose you remember me do you?" I shouted at the woman. She looked down at me a squealed. She jumped down and ran over and tackled me causing my wheelchair to tip and spill me onto the ground.

"Akira! It really is you right? It's been too long!" Luna laughed as she squeezed me tighter and we rolled on the floor. Sokka just stood frozen as the girls came running back.

"Akira are you OK? We heard screa-" Aura cut herself off as she looked down at the woman who looked like she had me in an alligator death roll. "Hey get off of him he's still hurt."

She reached down and grabbed the woman's shoulder only to be planted firmly on her back. She coughed and wheezed for a second and Luna let go of me and stood up. She reached out a hand to Aura and helped her up.

"Sorry about that its reflex. I just got so happy seeing Akira again that I didn't even notice he was hurt." Luna smiled and bowed.

"Luna it's alright but could someone please pick me up off of the ground?" I said drumming my fingers on the sidewalk. Sokka easily picked me up and sat me back in my chair. "Thanks man and it's a good thing my leg is still numb." Luna gasped.

"Oh my I'm so sorry Akira and holy shit what the hell happened to you?" Luna placed one hand on her hip and pointed the other at me.

"A lot of stuff actually but what are you doing her aren't you supposed to be somewhere promoting your new movie?" I pointed my finger at her accusingly. She looked around quickly and leaned in close to my ear.

"I DITCHED THAT STUPID EVENT!" She screamed causing me to reel back in my chair. "I have been way busy and I haven't gotten any free time to explore the city that my grandpa was so fond of."

"You still got some pipes on you I see." I popped my ears and shook my head. "Do you still sing?"

"Have you not seen any of her movies? She sings in almost all of them." Hope slapped my shoulder. Luna turned to face Hope and froze in place. I followed her eyes and saw 3 men in suits that looked like they were searching for someone.

"Bodyguards." I said flatly to which Luna nodded.

"Uhuh bodyguards. They want to take me back I've been dodging them all day." She sighed.

I quickly bent up some earth casting Luna and her badger mole in it before the guards saw us. They ran over and looked at the statues.

"Did you see that woman and her badger mole?" One asked rudely.

"Yeah earlier and that's why I made these statues. It was so strange that I had to keep that image alive." I looked at him with cold eyes.

"Where did they go?" Another one poked his finger into my chest. I was about to yell at him when Sokka stepped in-between us and the man backed up. Mainly because Sokka stood more than head and shoulders above all three of them.

"Like he said we saw them earlier but that's it now if you could leave us alone." Sokka demanded. The men bowed and quickly ran off leaving Hope and Aura laughing and Sky smiling a very twisted smile. I was rather impressed because usually Sokka was so reserved and not aggressive. I bent the earth off of Luna and her badger mole shook off all the rock by itself.

"Quick thinking Akira and thank you Hina for not giving us away." Luna said as she rubbed the badger moles chin. "Do you have somewhere we can hide out for a while?"

"MY HOUSE!" Sky screamed and quickly covered her mouth. "I mean my house is pretty big and decently isolated. It's just a short walk away."

Luna nodded and hopped back up on Hina. Sokka turned my chair around and we headed back to the house. When we opened the door my aunt Kayna almost fainted. Everyone sat out back around the hammocks except Aura shared one with me and Luna had the other to herself.

"Sooooo Akira who are your friends?" Luna put more emphasis on friends and motioned to Aura lying in my arms.

"Oh this is Aura my-" I was cut off by Aura.

"Girlfriend." She said matter-of-factly.

"Right girlfriend Aura of the Fire Nation Royal Family." I pointed to Sokka next. "That's Sokka one of Avatar Aang's great grandchildren."

"Adopted but still family." Sokka added.

"He's been a good friend to me. Then there are these two ladies, they're basically my cousins, well it's like second cousins or something but they're family. The small cute one is Sky and the more boyish one is Hope." That earned a smile from Sky and a bit of fire from Hope.

"She's really cute." Luna said impressed.

"Yeah Sky is rea-"

"Not her, the other one." Luna smiled and blew Hope a kiss causing her to blush. Everyone just sat there until Hope jumped up.

"Is anyone else thirsty cause I sure am Aura could you help me get some drinks. PLEASE." She urged. Aura shot up and followed her inside.

"Please tell me she doesn't have a girlfriend." Luna turned to me quickly.

"No I'm pretty sure she doesn't although I didn't know she played the field." I looked too Sky who shrugged.

"Beats me she could swing whatever way she wants but she's not in any relationship." Sky shrugged again.

"Good cause she's just my type." Luna growled.

"So you only play for the other team?" I nudged Luna.

"I pinch-hit here and there why? Are you interested?" She laughed. "Just kidding I only goes after singles."

"We got drinks." Aura and Hope hurried out with a case of soda and slid it in-between us. Aura grabbed two and hopped back in my hammock. I opened mine and took a big gulp.

"Oh yeah root beer!" I shouted.

"Hey Luna, Akira was telling us a little about you yesterday and he said that you always mistook him for his brother Tenchi. Why?" Sky got out of her chair and sat on Sokka's lap.

"Well I always knew it was Akira but it was just easier saying it was Tenchi. Because I'm not a bender I was bullied a lot but when I told people I hung out with the avatar they eased up a lot." Luna grimaced. "When I look back on it I was just using Akira but after the kids stopped messing with me I still went and hung out with him. I like to think we got pretty close hell I had the biggest crush on him for a long time."

"I always thought it was weird how I would tell you I wasn't Tenchi but you would just brush it off and still come by. If I remember right the kids that bullied you came by one day and tried to pick a fight." I laughed.

"Yeah and you beat the crap out of them to protect me. They never messed with me after that it was just under their breath whispers after that." Everyone laughed and Luna shifted in the hammock. "That was the day I fell in love with Akira."

I could feel Aura's grip tighten on my arm and I smiled. Luna looked back at Hope.

"Hey Hope do you want to get dinner sometime?" Hope blushed bright red. "If you want everyone can come too."

"Uh yeah dinner sounds nice." Hope cleared her throat. "Dinner with everybody sounds nice."

"Look at her blush." I whispered to Aura then spoke to the group. "Dinner tonight sounds good right guys? If Luna is alright with it."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Luna hopped up.

"Well my manager is going to be pissed but I'll make dinner reservations for 6 at one of those fancy restaurants and have one of my drivers pick you up at oh 6? It's only 2 hours from now but I won't have any problems. BYE!" Luna jumped on Hina and they disappeared into the ground.

"I have a super crush on that girl." Hope blushed even brighter than before.