A.N.:does the happy 'I got reviews' dance:
Disclaimer: I own not Avatar, yet...
Chapter 3: Light Bending
"Never heard of her," Aang shrugged.
"I don't suppose you would have, she's usually very secretive," Lyra commented.
"Guys...why are we still in this alley? We Need To Buy FOOD!" Sokka yelled as his stomach growled loudly.
Lyra laughed, "Follow me, I know a really good place."
"Gladly," Sokka replied and let Lyra lead them out of the alley.
They eventually came upon a small food stand that had a limited variety and amount of food.
"I thought you said this was a good place to get food," Sokka complained.
"Stop being such a baby," Lyra rolled her eyes, "Plus it is a good place to get food."
"But it doesn't look like..." Aang started but was interrupted when a middle-aged woman noticed Lyra.
"It's nice to see you dear! How long are you going to be in town? And who are your friends?" the woman asked after hugging Lyra.
"It's great to see you too! I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here, and this is Aang, Sokka, and Katara," Lyra replied pointing to each person in turn, "And guys...this is Aunt Emmie!"
"You have an aunt?" Sokka blinked.
"No, but she's the closest thing to family that I've got," Lyra replied.
Sokka's stomach decided to growl again, "What about the food?"
Aunt Emmie's eyes widened, "Oh this way! It's been ages since I've had someone to cook for!"
Lyra laughed and followed Aunt Emmie into her house.
Sokka looked really surprised when they walked into the kitchen, probably because of the vast assortment of food inside.
"Don't touch anything," Katara slapped Sokka's hand away from an odd looking fruit.
Lyra laughed, "He can have one if he wants."
"Who said you could give orders in my kitchen?" Aunt Emmie asked with her hands on her hips.
"Me, because I help stock this kitchen every time I visit," Lyra replied with a mock glare.
Aang laughed at their antics as Sokka bit into a piece of the, now sliced, fruit.
"Yum...what is this?" Sokka asked.
"Kiwi, it's good isn't it?" Lyra replied, having won the argument.
"Yeah...we didn't have anything like this at the South Pole!" Sokka grinned before taking another bite.
Aunt Emmie was now moving around the kitchen, preparing the food.
"So, Lyra, where do you plan to go when you leave here?" Aang asked.
"I don't know," Lyra replied, "I just move around a lot to keep the fire-benders off my trail."
"Would you like to travel with us?" Katara asked.
"I wouldn't want to trouble you," was Lyra's reply.
"It's no trouble at all, and it'll be nice to have another girl with us," Katara smiled hopefully.
Lyra looked from Aang to Sokka, who both shrugged, and finally said, "Then, sure I guess I will."
"The food's ready!" Aunt Emmie shouted from the kitchen.
"Wow that was fast," Sokka said right before disappearing into the kitchen.
Katara looked around, "Yeah it was, and how did we get in here?"
"We walked," Aang shrugged.
"When?" Katara asked.
"While we were talking," Lyra replied.
(A.N.: That was pointless...)
:In The Kitchen:
Katara, Sokka, Lyra, and Aang were now sitting around a middle-sized wooden table that was steadily filling up with food.
"This all looks wonderful," Katara complimented Aunt Emmie.
"Why thank you Katara," Aunt Emmie beamed.
"But how did ;you prepare it so quickly?" Aang asked.
"Family secret," Aunt Emmie replied.
And that was the end of that discussion.
(A.N.: It was pointless...and I hate kitchen/table scenes)
:Later that night:
Lyra walked through the dense forest that stood on the outskirts of town, looking for the clearing.
"Finally," she murmured after a moment as she walked into the small clearing that she often practiced her light-bending in.
She smiled as she looked up at the full moon and star-dotted sky. A small stream ran across the edge of the field, the sound of the trickling water calming Lyra's soul. A light breeze floated in the air, making the night-blooming lilies waver back and forth and also making her blonde locks float across her face and shoulders.
Her eyes landed on the moon and she focused on it's shimmering light, moving her hands in a flowing motion. A stream of moonlight formed at her fingertips and rippled behind her.
"Wow," Aang's voice came from behind her.
The trail of moonlight shimmered into nothingness as Lyra's concentration broke.
"That was amazing," Katara added in awe.
"Thank you," Lyra smiled and asked, "Where's Sokka? I figured he'd be here."
"Nah, he's sleeping," Aang laughed.
"Figures," Lyra rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"How'd you do that?" Katara asked, having been unable to figure it out.
Lyra thought for a moment, trying to find a good way to explain it. She looked up at the pale moon and followed a beam of moonlight down to where it made the stream glisten with an ethereal light.
"Like water it flows," Lyra finally said, "Like air it is ever-changing."
"So you're saying it's a mixture of air and water-bending?" Aang asked.
"No...not exactly, but that is as close a description I can make," Lyra responded with a thoughtful look.
A.N. Hope you liked this chapter! Review+Libby...equals...UPDATE!
:Libby-chan: