DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED ATLA. I DO NOT OWN, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED THE CHARACTERS IN ATLA. I DO NOT OWN, NOR HAVE I EVER OWNED NICKELODEON. HAVE NO AFFILIATION, NOR HAVE I EVER HAD ANY AFFILIATION WITH THE WRITERS OR ANIMATORS OF ATLA. I HAVE NO AFFILIATION, NOR HAVE I EVER HAD ANY AFFILIATION WITH NICKELODEON.
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Chapter 99
After Lunch they walked out to look at Appa with the head bison caretaker. He walked around Appa, as if judging him, after about 10 minuets he walked back to Appa's face where the family stood waiting for him.
"A fine bison indeed." He said. "Beautiful coat, very clean, happy, strong, good size, unique coloring. The females should find him very pleasing indeed."
"Do you hear that buddy, the ladies are going to love you." Aang said as he patted Appa's nose.
*RRRRRRRRR*
Appa was released into the main trained herd, Aang sat and watched as his best friend was approached by many females. The cows circled Appa, sniffing and grunting. A few males also approached, they looked to be sizing Appa up, trying to intimidate him. Appa lowered his head brandishing his long sharp horns while he growled and scratched at the earth beneath his feet breathing out puffs of air, the other bulls did the same. Appa opened his mouth and let out a long loud growl. One of the males charged Appa, heads butting aginst each other, Appa locked horns and with one strong jerk threw the attacking bull aginst the ground hard. When the bull finally got up he shook himself off and cowered to Appa, slinking away with his head lowered. Appa took a solid stance again growling, challenging the other bulls, they too lowered their heads and moved backwards, the Alpha of the herd had already been taken down by the visiting bull.
The cows came back, a few more than before the bulls challenged him. Appa turned in a circle a few times, he lifted into the sky soaring, doing roll overs and loop-De-loops. Appa was showing off to the young cows.
"You and Appa are a lot alike." Katara laughed.
Aang had been startled and jumped almost 3 feet off the ground, he had not noticed Katara come up behind him, he was to busy watching Appa. Katara was laughing hard. "I got you again!"
"How are we alike?" Aang asked, his heart beating rapidly.
"You share Love at first sight, and are little flirts." Katara explained.
"What do you mean 'love at first sight'?" Aang didn't understand what she meant by that.
Katara pointed to one of the cows closer to Appa. "He is showing off for her, the medium one right there, it was when she had approached Appa that the big bull challenged him."
The main bison keeper had come outside with Katara. "She's right, I think I see something brewing, too. We call her Pumpkin, she loves to eat pumpkins. She is six years old, and she has just barely reached breading age."
They stayed on the island for a week and everyday Appa and Pumpkin were inseparable. One evening there was a knock on the door to their quarters, it was the Bison keeper. "I have good news, they are connected; they have matted. She is now yours."
They stayed a few more days to have Pumpkin get to know them. Pumpkin stayed by Appa's side from the moment they had paired on, she was smaller than Appa, about the same size Appa was when Katara had rescued her husband and his best friend from the iceberg. "Hey buddy!" Aang approached Appa, happy for his best friend. Pumpkin moved behind Appa for protection but Appa grunted and she cautiously came forward. As soon as Aang used Airbending to give Pumpkin a few pumpkins, she recognized Aang as one of her own, an Airbender, and happily nudged him with her nose.
"She's beautiful." Katara said as she approached the female bison; Pumpkin sniffed Katara's hand then pushed her nose aginst it for Katara to pet.
The head bison caretaker was with them. "Now we need to see if she will follow properly. Avatar, if you will, fly Appa around the island and we will see if she follows like she should."
"Okay." Aang tied Appa's reins securely then hopped onto his head. "Yip yip." He called, Appa took of into the air, after a minuet Pumpkin took off also. Aang flew a couple laps around the island, Pumpkin followed happily. The family had a new member, Pumpkin will be loved as much as Appa is.
"How long are the females pregnant for?" Katara asked the bison caretaker.
"Twelve months, so you should expect at least three calfs by this time next year." The bison caretaker told Katara as they watched Pumpkin follow closely behind Aang and Appa. "The parents stay close to the ground for the first three months, until the calfs can fly themselves. Sky Bison bread again when the calfs reach one year old. So basically the females are pregnant about every other year."
"Thank you so very much with your assistance. And for keeping this herd. You have no idea how happy Aang is knowing the Sky Bison have survived the Air Nomad genocide and the one hundred year war." Katara told the kind Fire Sage.
"It is a great honor to raise them, we are great full that The Avatar has asked us to continue to raise them. It is our hope that since that the war is over and the Sky Bison are no longer being hunted, that they may spread off and fill the Air Temples and the world." The sage told her.
"That would be wonderful, It would make Aang so happy to see them all over the world again." Katara smiled as she watched her Airbender laugh as he swooped, barrel rolled and dived, ridding on Appa's head, Pumpkin following closely behind soaring and rolling with Appa.
"Pun'kin!" Gyatso said happily as he watched her follow behind Appa. "Appa an' Pun'kin!"
After a few days of training Pumpkin to follow Appa, she was one that had already been trained to carry people and cargo, the family was ready to bring her to the Southern Air Temple with them. The Sages helped put Pumpkin's saddle on her and the Avatar and his family's stuff was loaded up. The family and their 2 Sky Bison took off into the air heading back home. The trip back home was faster than it had been in a long time, Appa was not loaded down with so much weight anymore. Pumpkin stayed close the entire trip.
As the group approached their home they heard the ancient horn blow. "I hope the Acolytes don't spook Pumpkin." Katara said as they started their decent.
"Appa should comfort her if she gets nervous." Aang told his wife. "Wont you Appa?"
*RRRRRRRR*
"See, she should be fine." Aang said.
Appa touched down and pumpkin circled twice before cautiously landing behind him. "I want only 3 people to help unload the new sky bison, Her name is Pumpkin and she is frightened, so we need to avoid doing anything that would scare her any more than she already is. Can some of you run and get her some pumpkins please?" Aang said to a few Air Acolytes. "She likes pumpkins"
The acolytes returned quickly with a cart of pumpkins. Aang tossed a few into her open mouth, and she relaxed a bit. "I wont let anything bad happen to you, Pumpkin. Right buddy?" He addressed Appa.
*RRRRRRRRR*
Once everyone and everything was unloaded Appa took off into the sky to fly around the temple, and Pumpkin followed.
"Lady Katara, we are so happy to see you!" The four maidens said as they walked back to the Avatar's family's home. "Pumpkin is so pretty."
"Yeah, she is beautiful. The sages told up to expect at least three calfs in about a year." Katara told the girls. "Baby Sky Bison are sssoooooo cute."
"Avatar Aang!" They heard a male voice coming up behind them. "You have mail." It was Jingbo he had a box full of letters.
"Thank you Jingbo, can you carry it to my home? I kind of have my hands full right now with a sleeping baby girl." Aang said, Kya had her head rested on her daddy's chest as she was sleeping sweetly.
When they walked in their front door there a couple packages sitting on the floor just inside their home. "These packages arrived while you were away." Jingbo said.
Aang removed the letter attached to the largest package:
Avatar Aang, Happy birthday from the Earth King.
"But your birthday is still a week away." Katara said.
"That's ok, I'll wait till then to open them." Aang said.
"You have much more patience than I do. I'd already have them open my now." She laughed.
"I have to, meditation takes lots of patience." He joked back.
The couple put Kya and Sapphire down in their cribs, Gyatso was happily sitting on the floor of the front room playing with his toys. The maidens were just about done putting things away.
"Girl's can you run down to the kitchen and get us all, yourselves included, Dinner please." Katara asked her beloved maidens.
"Yes, Lady Katara. Thank you for having us over for dinner." Rose said. The four girls enjoyed sharing a meal with their employers, it made them feel special.
"I missed you girls, you are part of our family." Katara said.
Aang woke up to his children crawling on him and giving him kisses. "Happy Birthday Sweetie!" His wife said as he opened his eyes.
"Birthday Daddy!" Gyatso said. "Dadadada!" Chanted his identical daughters.
He sighed happily. "I love you all so much." He said as he sat up.
"We all love you so much, too." She leaned over and kissed him.
"I am amazed with my life; I could never have had what I have right now if I didn't try to run away. I would never have married, I would never even know my own children if I had any... I'm so happy I ran away when they wanted to send me to the Eastern Air temple, to take me away from Monk Gyatso." Aang smiled. "And I never would have known anything else, that's just how the Air Nomads worked. I'm not like the Air Nomads though, I have always had a hard time releasing earthly attachments... I ran away because I loved Monk Gyatso and I didn't want them to take me away from him."
"Gyatso!" He son bubbled excitedly
"Yes little one." Katara said. "I named you after your daddy's guardian, Daddy loves both of the Gyatso's in his life."
"I love everything about my life!" Aang said again. "I LOVE! I love my family so much, I love you with every bit of myself, I love my children, I love playing with them, I love taking care of them... I LOVE... Air Nomads aren't supposed to love."
"Okay it's time for breakfast... I made your favorite food for breakfast, and we have three hungry little children ready for breakfast." Katara told him giving him one last soft kiss before collecting the children and ushering them into the dinning area.
She was pouring them cups of tea as he came out of their bedroom. "You are such a wonderful woman, Thank you for marrying me!"
"How could I not, you made it easy to fall in love you... even though you drove me crazy all the time." She told him as she brought him his tea. She then started cutting and plating the tart, she had also cut up sweet fruit to go with the tart. "I have a couple birthday presents for you!" She said. "You can open the first right now... But you can't have your second present until after the little ones are asleep."
Aang noticed the impish grin she has on her face. "From the look in your eyes I'm guessing I am in for a real treat tonight!"
The Air Acolytes threw a huge feast in honor of his 21st birthday, holding a dance with it. The dance reminded Katara of her best friend, Jade had only been gone for a few weeks but Katara missed her dearly.
Their children were getting fussy and tired so they thanked everyone for the wonderful feast then excused themselves and went back to their home.
They put their sleepy babies down for the night, the little ones had started to nod off as the were carried back home. It had been a long day with the feast and dancing. They were almost as worn out as their children. Aang still had another gift coming from his beautiful wife.