I do not nor have I ever had anything to do with AtLA or Nickelodeon.

"BG means "Before [Air Nomad] Genocide" which happens when Aang is 12 years old.

I want to thank my Beta-Reader fanatla, without you Anila's Story wouldn't be as great as it is!


Chapter 27

"I promise you, that as long as I am near he will NEVER hurt you. He will never try to manipulate you again!" Zakai said in resolution. He softly pet her beautiful black shiny hair as he comforted the broken girl. "No wonder you went and hid in your tent last year."

The sobbing girl pressed her face deeper into his warm chest, she didn't even know this much pain had built up inside her. She was strong and independent, she didn't need anyone but herself… or so she had thought. Zakai's body was warm and comforting, his arms strong but gentle. Being wrapped in his embrace was the most wonderful thing she had ever felt. He wasn't holding her to make her think he loved her, he didn't want to manipulate her… Amitaruci had a goal, he told her he would never hurt her but he did hurt her, all he wanted was to take her innocence, to leave her venerable… But not Zakai, he was just holding her to support her to comfort her in this moment right here right now. Just holding her. After several more minutes her crying lessened then stopped all together.

"Zakai…" She asked as she pulled back enough to look into his beautiful golden eyes.

"Yeah, Anila." He responded staring back into her silvery-grey eyes.

"Please… please don't tell Karma I cried… I'm the strong one." Anila said to him.

"Okay I promise I won't tell her you cried." He smiled comfortingly down at her.

"Or about this." Anila went up onto her toes pulling him down to her, she softly pressed her lips to his for a moment then released him.

He stared down at her, he was shocked at her boldness. "I… I promise." He said softly, then he leaned down and kissed her again. His kiss was deeper, more passionate, and a lot hotter than hers had been. When he pulled away they were both left breathless, and a bit dizzy.

"Thank you!" She whispered against his lips, softly touching them with her own one more time.

"We better get the water before Karma starts to get suspicious." Zakai told her.

"I think she might already know…" Anila told him. "She sent US to get water… together."

"That doesn't mean anything." Zakai said to her.

Anila let out a short giggle, "On the way here she told me that she could tell you liked me."

"Well… she is very observant." He smiled handsomely at her.

She slipped her hand back into his, "We need to get the water… There are small children to feed."

"Then we better hurry… We can spend some time together later, maybe after they laydown tonight." He suggested.

They hurried to the freshwater spring and filled the large pot, and a couple water pouches. Trying to hurry back to camp. When they neared the clearing Zakai stopped and pulled Anila to him again. "Just one more, since we will have to wait a while to get anymore in." He chuckled softly as he touched his lips to hers. She her small hand rested on the back of his head as he leaned forward.

Her cheeks were red as he pulled away. "Your lips taste sweet." He told her, then he took her hand again, walking her into the clearing that their campsite was set up.

"Your cheeks are red." Karma pointed out with a laugh. "Did you enjoy the alone time?"

"I, uuummmm… We, uuummmmm." Anila honestly did not know what to say.

"Yes!" Zakai grinned widely.

"I thought you would." Karma laughed as she poured water into a smaller pot then set that one on the fire.

"I'm going to play with the little ones." Anila said as she walked over to her chubby baby boy, he was chewing on a wooden animal Karma had carved. "I got'cha!" She said as she scooped him up and hugged him, munching playfully at his neck causing him to burst into laughter and squeals. She tossed him lightly into the air and caught him. She looked briefly back at Zakai, he had been watching her play with the chubby little boy, and he had a huge smile on his face. Anila chased both Sonam and Aang around in the clearing, tickling them when she caught them. She looked back as Zakai every once in a while, he was watching her the entire time she played with the children. He never looked away and he was always smiling, she would start to blush then look away before he could see her face get to red.

"Dinner is ready!" Karma called to her.

Anila collected the two small children and brought them over to eat dinner. Karma had cooked a wonderful vegetable soup with rice. The Mommies spoon fed their babies while they ate their own dinner.

"You ladies are the first airbenders I've ever met." Zakai told them as he ate his food. "Actually, you two are the only airbenders I know."

"Well aren't you lucky!" Anila laughed.

"I do count myself lucky." Zakai blushed a bit. "Are all girl airbenders as beautiful as you two are?"

Karma let out a laugh. "Anila I think he really likes you!"

"KARMA!" Anila squeaked turning several shades of red.

"I think she's right." Zakai laughed.

"I… I… I need to put…" Anila started to stand up.

"Not this time!" Karma said as she pulled Anila back into a seated position. "Anila… you… you aren't like other airbenders. You need someone, someone who isn't a baby. You are strong and powerful you have kept us together… You need someone… I know that's why you talked to…" Karma trailed off, Anila didn't need Karma to finish to know what she was talking about. "I'll put the little ones down tonight, you two go for a walk or something."

Zakai stood up and offered Anila his hand, she let him be a gentleman and took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He lead her down to the beach, they walked the length of the beach for a while. "So… What all can airbenders do? I mean like oh look you made wind."

Anila started laughing, "I can do a lot more than make wind. That's like me saying Oh look you lit the campfire."

"I can do more than light a camp fire!" Zakai said with a chuckle. "Yeah I see now."

"Zakai, why were you wearing a mask in town?" Anila asked as they slowly walked.

"Because of my step-father… He's… He's been looking for me." A shadow crossed Zakai's face.

"Why?" Anila cautiously probed.

Zakai responded by only shaking his head.

"Okay… I won't ask again." Anila said, she rubbed her arms to create a little heat. "Have an idea, I can show you some of the things I can do!"

"I have an idea too!" Zakai collected a few pieces of driftwood that he dried quickly with the heat he created from his hands. Once dry he made a teepee shape then lit it with a ball of fire he created from his hand. "Oh look I lit the fire." They both laughed. He sat down next to the fire. "Come here" he said reaching for Anila's hand, she was shivering bit from the cold autumn breeze, gently guiding her to sit in his lap her back against his chest, he wrapped his warm arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Anila…"

"Yeah?" Anila asked.

"I promise I will never hurt you like he did." Zakai said as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

"I… I know you're not like him… and I do really like you but I have to think about more than just myself… I…" Anila was cut off.

"I know, your little boy is so cute… and I think you are such a great mother." He told her.

"He's… he's not a regular baby boy." Anila's tone turned a little sad.

"It's okay! I know, why don't you show me what an airbender can do tomorrow?" Zakai asked her.

"Seriously? You want to know what I can do?" Anila perked up.

"Yeah! Show me what you like to do! You've seen me preform a couple times now… Show me what you like to do!" Zakai told her.

"Okay, I'll show you tomorrow! Oh it's going to be so much fun!" Anila said excitedly.

"If I had known it would make you so excited, I would have asked you a while ago." Zakai laughed.

When Anila awoke Aang wasn't laying with her, she got startled, they were to close to the beach and she was afraid he had wandered out on his own. She jumped up and ran out of her tent "Aang!" She called as she came out.

"Look, I started the campfire!" Zakai said, he was holding the small boy in his lap. "He wandered out, I thought I'd better watch him until you got up."

"Why… Why didn't you get me up! I was scared to death, he could have wandered off… he could have…" Anila's voice caught for a second, "he could have drown!"

"I'm sorry, you're right I should have woken you up, but he's fine with me. I would never let anything bad happen to the children while I am around. I won't let any harm come to any of you when I'm around." Zakai told her.

After breakfast was done and morning chores were taken care of Anila started loading things up in Chesa's saddle. She had told Karma she was taking Zakai for a flight.

Zakai had been sitting in Chesa's saddle as the bison flew into the sky. When they reached a comfortable altitude Anila stood up and hopped into the saddle. She laughed the moment she saw Zakai hanging on tightly to the side of the saddle.

"You… You should sit down… We're… we're pretty high up." Zakai stammered a bit.

"You said you wanted to know what I like to do…" Anila sat next to Zakai, She started securing her baby sling in place, once everything was nice and tight she placed her little boy in it and stood up. She held her staff in her hand. "This! This is what I like to do." She stretched her arms and closed her eyes, feeling the air rush over her face and around her limbs.

"It's kind of dangerous Anila, maybe you should sit down." Zakai pleaded as he watched Anila take a few steps backwards.

"I'm fine, we're fine… I love being in the sky" Anila said to him.

"Ooo.. Okay, you showed me now let's go back to the beach." He said nervously.

Anila let out a laugh, "You think THIS is what I love to do! This isn't what I love doing, this is!" Anila stretcher her arms out, staff in hand and let herself free-fall backwards off of the bison's saddle.

"Oh, spirits! Anila!" Zakai quickly crawled to the edge of the saddle Anila had just fallen from, he scanned the area franticly looking for the girl. He started to panic when he couldn't see her. Suddenly something orange caught his eye, it wasn't falling it was rising, it flew straight up spiraling as it rose. He fell back in the saddle, after a moment of trying to figure out what the orange blur was he realized it was the girl. She was flying, soaring, twisting, doing barrel rolls, he could hear both her and the little boy strapped to her chest squeal in delight. After a little while the girl softly touched down back inside the bison's saddle.

"That is what I like to do!" She laughed.

"Well… I… I'd definitely have to say that's more than just making wind." He said still a little frightened.

Anila sat down next to him, "Wanna try?! It's so much fun! I can control the air around us, you don't have to be scared, I am actually quite powerful for an airbender."

"It was… It was scary, I thought you were falling!" He responded.

"I was falling, I love falling! It... It feels like… it feels like… uuummmm… oh how do I explain how it feels?" Anila was trying to think of the best. "It feels like…" She leaned in and kissed him… the kiss was hot and wild and passionate and it made both of their stomachs feel like they were falling.

"Wow… that felt nice… and exciting!" Zakai said. Anila just grinned at him.

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