Hey! thanks for all the reviews! this chapter is pretty short (776 words), but the next one is longer!
The next morning everyone met in the courtyard at dawn, bags in hand.
The whole group moved together in flawless synchronization and Anima got the impression that they done this more times then she cared to know during the war. It wasn't long at all before everything was packed and the Gaang started to climb up onto Appa's large saddle.
Anima Airbended herself up to Appa's head and sat down beside her brother.
"Are you ready?" Anima nodded.
Truth be told, she was nervous, she had never been on a Sky Bison before and she hadn't flown since she woke up in the empty village, her glider had been destroyed in the attack and she didn't know where she could get a new one.
Aang gave her a reassuring look before snapping the reins.
"Yip, yip!" The great six-legged beast grunted and with a mighty beat of his tail, they were airborne.
It was just as Anima remembered it, the freedom, the lighter-than-air feeling; it was everything the Air Nomads had loved.
A laugh fell from her smiling lips before she could stop it, the joy filled sound echoing in the air around them. Appa made a sound that could only be described as a gruff laugh and Anima spread her arms out wide, perched on her knees atop the Bison's head.
This was what it felt like to be an Air Nomad. This was what it felt like to be one with the very sky.
The wind whipped at her clothes, her red crop cap flying out behind her, but she embraced the feeling. How had she gone so long without flying?
Back in the saddle Katara smiled at Anima's display, Aang had done the same thing when they found Appa after he had been lost.
Suki was already asleep with her head on Sokka's shoulder, Sokka's head was resting on top of hers, and his eyes were closed as well.
Toph's relaxed position was just a little too rigid to be convincing, but Katara knew that she didn't like flying because she couldn't see with her feet when she was up in air.
Mai was sleeping and Zuko had a relaxed looked his face.
"Hey, Sugar Queen?" Toph called across the saddle, "Come over here will you?"
Katara crawled over to Toph and sat down beside her.
"What's up, Toph?"
Toph pinned her with her sightless gaze, "I have to ask, are you and Twinkle Toes finally together?"
The Waterbender blushed and nodded, realizing soon after the gesture was lost on the blind girl beside her.
"Y-yes, we are."
Toph smiled. "Good, it was getting really awkward to watch you guys tip toe around each other."
"Is that all?" Katara asked when she saw Toph lay down on her side.
"Yep," said the tired Earthbender.
If they were on the ground Toph would have closed up her earth tent by now. Knowing that she had been dismissed, Katara returned to her previous spot in the saddle. She glanced up to Appa's head and smiled.
Anima was now sitting cross legged on the bison's head, her posture mirroring her brothers. From the angle that she was sitting at Katara could see that Anima and Aang each had a part of the reins in their hands.
Their quite conversation was drowned by the rushing wind but Katara had the feeling that he was telling her a story, every now and then his free arm would gesture wildly, as if he was trying to paint an invisible picture.
Katara glance at Zuko and Mai and saw that the Fire Lord was now asleep.
The Waterbender decided to take a leaf out of her friend's book and lie down as well. With one last glance at the Airbenders on Appa's head she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
.oO*Oo.
The commander of the Rebel Task Force smiled when she saw the Sky Bison take flight.
"Move out," she commanded her troops.
The rebels followed her orders and swiftly took off across the desert, heading for the Fire Nation.
They had painstakingly made their way to the Outer Wall in the dead of night, now it was time for their hard work to pay off.
The woman smiled, she had been planning this for months now but the would-be Fire Lord had tried to imprison her, unknowingly putting her secret plans on hold.
But it was time to put a stop to the Avatar before he disrupted all of her and her father's hard work.
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