MD: Presenting, chapter one of Shadowfest.

disclaimer: I'm running out of witty things to say for these: I don't own Avatar.

Escapade One: Forlorn

Aang made his way through the forest, taking tentative glances behind him, hoping to spot one of his friends. It was eerily quiet, considering he should have heard some type of noise from his companions. Sokka always had difficulties keeping his mouth shut. Come to think of it, he was surprised about the lack of shouting between Zuko and Katara, who never missed an opportunity to rag on each other.

He strolled along, aiming to beat everyone else back to the camp. He wanted to rush, to get there quicker and tell Appa and Momo about his day. He always felt guilty when they had to be left behind because animals weren't allowed. Or when Appa was far too conspicuous, which, unfortunately, was more often than not.

Having not been paying attention, Aang smacked headfirst into a low tree branch. "Ow!" he moaned, rubbing his forehead. The pain subsided quickly, but he glared at the offending branch nonetheless. He continued along, but suddenly felt a little down. Confusion racked his brain; why was he feeling on the downside? He'd just had a great time out and ate a lot of good food. Shaking it off, he dodged another low branch with ease, almost laughing at it in spite.

Minutes passed – was he going in circles? It couldn't possibly take this long to reach his destination. And worse, what if the others beat him? He didn't want to be the last one to arrive! The young airbender picked up his pace, using his skills to increase the speed of his steps.

But among his manipulated wind, there was a trace of another, and it wasn't the natural breeze. He grew a little suspicious, but continued on, walking faster at an almost jog. The feeling was still there, and Aang knew he wasn't imagining things. He stopped short, whirling around and stomping his feet.

"Who's there?"

His shout echoed around the trees, but received no reply. He repeated his question, louder, but was still met with silence.

He swallowed. What if the storyteller had been right? Shaking his head, he laughed at himself. "You're just letting the folktale get to you, Aang. You're freaking out over nothing, especially because you know there's a Spirit World…"

He turned, feeling confident, and faced forward.

"Woah!"

There was a boy standing in front of him, pale, bald, and lanky. He was hunching over with sagging shoulders and an expression of hopelessness. His clothes were tattered and worn, ripped in places and in need of a good fix-me-up sewing job.

"Um, hi."

The boy didn't respond, and Aang blinked. "Hello? Who are you?"

Raising his dejected eyes, the boy gazed at Aang. "What?"

Aang was taken aback. "Uh… Hi, who are you?" he repeated rather quickly, scratching the back of his head.

"Yun. You… Um, you can see me?" His voice was hesitant, nervous.

"Of course I can," he grinned, "I'm Aang, by the way."

The boy, now known as Yun, nodded. "Are you… Are you an airbender?" He motioned towards the arrow tattoos adorning and visible on Aang's skin.

Nodding, he smiled proudly. "Born and bred." He took a closer look at Yun, and blinked in surprise. On the boy's head, there was the faintest hint of a blue arrow. "Wait, are you – You're an airbender, too?"

"I was…"

"Wow!" Aang practically squealed. "I thought – I didn't know! I can't believe I'm not the only one left!"

"That's not exactly true…"

Aang didn't hear him. His mind was calculating all the adventures heading his way, now that he found another nomad. "This is gonna be so great! You'll meet my friends, and we'll all have so much fun!"

"You're the Avatar."

He froze, turning his energetic grey eyes on the gangly boy. "…Yeah. I am. I guess it's hard to deny, huh?"

Yun nodded. "That explains things."

"What? Explains what?"

"Never mind. You… You said we could have fun?"

Aang's face lit up again. "You bet! I haven't been able to play any of my favorite games in forever! 'Cause of, well, you know…" Behind the cheerful grin, a grieving soul was constantly in motion.

"The genocide."

"Yeah."

The feeling was mutual. A sense of sorrow engulfed the atmosphere, each boy rethinking of the past in his own way. Aang shook his head, turning back to Yun with a smile on his face. "So! What do you wanna do first? We don't have equipment to play organized games, but we can always improvise! Woah, wait! Do you know how to do the air scooter? I invented it myself, so unless you were at the Southern Air Temple, you probably don't know about it."

Yun watched curiously, as Aang gathered up air and demonstrated his air scooter, laughing as he zipped around his new friend. When the breeze died down, Aang fell to the ground below, tumbling nimbly into a standing position.

"I don't know if I can do that…"

"Sure you can!" Aang grinned. "I admit, it's hard at first, but all you have to do is practice, and you'll figure it out in no time!"

"I… haven't used airbending in a long time…"

"Oh. A little rusty on the techniques?"

"You could say that."

"No problem!" Aang declared, giving his new found friend a thumbs-up. "Just watch me. I'll refresh your memory!"

Getting into a stance, Aang prepared to show off some airbending while Yun watched anxiously, a bubble of joy foaming into his hazy eyes. Aang twisted the air into small tornadoes, making leaves dance and sending them into the air to flutter down like snow. He shifted through stances, explaining little tricks to make them easier. Throughout the recital, Yun absorbed each little detail, standing perfectly still, only moving his eyes to pay attention.

Aang finished his routine with a flip in the air, landing gracefully on two feet. He took a bow, and Yun applauded, a smile now adorning his face.

"That was amazing, Aang. No wonder you're the Avatar."

"Aw, shucks. Thanks, Yun!" He ran his fingers over his head embarrassedly, the faintest hint of a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"You're really nice, Aang. And I'm not just saying that."

He blinked, taking a good look at the other boy. "What's wrong? You look…sad. Is something wrong?"

"I've just… It's just been a very lonely time."

"I can understand that… I mean, you must have been hiding in a cave or something all these years. I'll have to get to work on telling people I'm really not the last airbender."

"About that…"

"What? Oh! Do you not want me to tell anyone? That's okay then. I won't say anything."

"Do you… really not know?"

"Huh? Know what?"

"No, it's nothing. I'm just glad to have someone to talk to after so long."

Aang grinned. "Boy, do I know that feeling!" His face fell, as he took in the disposition decorating Yun's face. A mask of solitude haunted his face, despite the smile that crept up every now and again. Tentatively, Aang put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You were… alone for a while, weren't you?"

"Longer than you think."

"I'm sorry."

Yun's lips curled up hesitantly. "Do you…do you ever get lonely, Aang?"

"Well. Sometimes," he replied, confessing, unable to keep his mind from wandering to Katara – and who it was she seemed to be spending a lot of time with lately.

"It's not fun, is it?"

"No. Not really." But then he thought of the occasional smile that adorned her lips and how much fun she was having. It was obvious she liked arguing with a certain someone, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"At least, well, at least you have people around."

"Yeah. But even then, sometimes…"

Yun nodded. The two boys fell into silence for a while, taking comfort in the company the other gave, knowing they shared something other than airbending. Yun broke the silence, asking in a low, hushed tone, "Aang, you do know who I am, don't you?"

Cautiously, he nodded. "You're a Spirit."

Yun smiled weakly, nodding.

"I thought at first you were, you know, a survivor. But thinking it all through… I realized you were a victim."

"I've always been hesitant about leaving this world. Ever since…that day. I wasn't ready to leave, but I had to. I missed people."

"I miss them, too," Aang said, and Yun knew he was talking about the Air Nomads. "You miss this place as much as I miss the old times."

"We have a lot more in common than we thought, huh?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't help stop it back then."

Yun paused, staring at him. "It's not your fault. We're gone now, but… I think we'll be back."

Aang glanced up, meeting Yun's eyes. "You know what? I agree with you." He smiled. "The Avatar's all about rebirth, right? Then who's to say the airbenders aren't like that, too."

Yun smiled, all traces of loneliness dissipated from his eyes. "Thank you, Aang."

"For what?"

"Just thank you. I'm glad I was able to talk to you."

"Of course! I'm… Sorry you have to leave and… Stuff."

"No worries. I hear Heibei's throwing a wild party later. Should be interesting."

Aang smirked. "You better be the craziest party animal there! Even if you are a human. Show 'em how it's done!"

"Will do!" Yun laughed, saluting. "Thanks again, Aang. See you around, huh?"

"See you around." He waved as Yun's form phased away, little by little. Sighing, Aang allowed his hand to drop to his side when the boy was completely gone.

Despite the constant sense of abandon he had knowing his fellow Air Nomads were gone, Aang felt a little more positive about it now. He looked forward to the day he'd meet Yun and the others again.

There was an explosion in the distance, and Aang's head darted towards the sound. He scampered to his feet and took off.

XD XD XD

MD: Many thanks to lady-rai-frost on LJ for beta-ing this for me. How was Aang's little adventure? I graciously appreciate any reviews! Constructive Criticism welcome!