Chapter Ten – Meng
Avatar: The Last Airbender
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A knock came on a rock in a small hill. A side of the mound fell to the earth and two figures walked in. A flame came from a corner of the dark room when the wall reformed, revealing five young women. Tian had a hand on the shoulder of a smaller girl with pigtails sticking straight out. Katara smiled at her. "Hey Meng."
"Katara? Where am I? Who is this person who practically kidnapped me!"
"I didn't kidnap you, you came on your own." Tian replied calmly.
"I only did because you said you would capture me if I didn't!" Meng countered. Turning from the peaceful earthbender, she faced the other three. "Who are you two?"
Zhike, who was holding a flame in her hand for light, grinned happily. "I'm Zhike!" she held out a hand for the young girl to shake, not realizing it was the flamed one.
"Zhike!"
The hand was snatched back. "Oh, oops! Thanks Katara." She tossed the fire to her left hand and once again stuck out her right. Meng didn't take it.
Ruifu rolled her eyes at the immature firebender. "Hello Meng, my name's Ruifu."
Katara smirked. "Yeah…she's almost my sister-in-law."
Tian and Zhike, not having heard that before, soon found their mouths wide and the fire had dropped to the floor—conveniently on a log. "WHAT!"
Ruifu blushed and hit Katara in the side, making Meng giggle. "Quiet, Mrs. Fire Prince!"
"WHAT! Oh wait, we already knew about that one…" Tian and Zhike blinked at a blank wall before focusing on the others.
"What am I doing here?" Meng asked, feeling more and more comfortable with the four playful girls.
Ruifu sat down next to the fire. "Well, we were wondering if you remember…"
"AANG!" The water he was practicing with dropped to the floor.
The Avatar turned when his name was called. "Yeah?"
Zhike had a playful smile on her face. "Go get cleaned up! We have a special guest for dinner tonight."
"Who?"
Katara grinned widely. "It's a surprise. Now, go! And tell Sokka and Zuko!"
Aang hopped to it before the small water whip from Katara hit his behind. Running down the hall at top speed, he got to Sokka's room in about two seconds and Zuko's in half of one from there. After telling them about the 'surprise special guest', he left to get ready, wondering who he or she was.
Katara, Zhike, Tian, Sokka, and Zuko were already at the table when Aang came in. Katara squealed and rushed to him, forcing him into a seat beside an empty one. Afterwards, she ran out the door—all this happening before Tian or Zhike could stand. The two shrugged and sat back down, ready to see what was going to happen.
The doors opened once more, showing Ruifu and Katara with a shining faces. They walked to their seats, but didn't sit down. Zhike and Tian stood also, motioning for the others to stand as well. They did.
A shadowed figure stepped into the light of the door. The girl who walked in was around Aang's age, but she looked older. Her hair was straight and smooth like a waterfall with only one thick braid starting on one side and going down the other. She wore a violet kimono that accented her brown eyes nicely. At least, Aang thought so.
Zhike smirked and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "You said that none of the girls you met before stuck…well, I think one stuck more then you thought…"
Tian smiled widely. "Well, I'd say we did a wonderful job on Miss Meng, don't you think so Ruifu?"
"Oh yes, most diffidently. We should become dressers as a side job."
Tian clapped her hands at the thought. "Oh, we should! It would be such fun!"
Katara laughed at them before walking over to Meng. "I'm sure you remember Meng; Aang, Sokka?" The two boys nodded, though Aang was still dazed.
Zuko rose a hand partially. "I don't."
Katara snorted. "You never met her before. Meng, this is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." The young girl bowed slightly.
Zhike waved to her. "Come and sit by me!" she called, gesturing to the empty seat between her and Aang. Meng smiled shyly at him as she sat down.
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Katara was sitting with Meng, brushing the younger girls hair. She stopped when Meng sighed deeply. "What?"
"Aang doesn't like me."
Katara tilted her head a bit. "What makes you think that?"
"He didn't say anything to me all through dinner."
Katara laughed a little, but became serious at Meng's glare. "Meng, that's the way I know he likes you."
"What do you mean?" Meng asked, turning around and sitting across from her.
"He was stunned speechless by you."
Meng sighed again. "Only because of how pretty Tian and Ruifu made me look."
Katara shook her head. "No, not that. Don't think I'm being self-centered, but when he first saw me, he was rather…abrupt."
Meng giggled. "Thanks Katara, that actually helped me. Hey, do you think I could go for a walk?"
The waterbender shrugged her approval. "The war's over…finally. People can do whatever they want now."
Meng went out the curtained door. She made her way to the same hill that Katara and Zuko talked about their homelands and laid down, watching the stars. A noise rustled behind her and she sat up. Looking around, she saw no one. "Hello?" The noise came again. "Who's there?"
"Hello little girl…"
Katara was running the brush through her own hair when the curtain swung to the side. Looking up, she saw Aang's frightened face. "Aang? What is it?"
"Jet's escaped…and he's got Meng!"
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