CHANGES: BOOK ONE!
*But just then, when Aang closes his eyes for a moment, he jolts awake at the sudden sound of thunder and looks around to see that he is entangled in a thunderstorm - without the three Water Tribe siblings behind him. And while the storm got worse, Aang is sitting on Appa's head, holding the reins and is screaming at the top of his lungs in terror as they go down. Both Aang and Appa splash into the depths of the ocean whereas the bison resurfaces from the water and growls, struggling to get out, but they're quickly subdued anew by another wave. Finding themselves unconscious into the water, Aang releases the reins and drifts off until suddenly, his eyes and tattoos suddenly start to glow brightly. Slamming his fists again, the boy creates a bluish-white sphere that encases Appa and himself.
'Aang…'
As the air sphere slowly solidifies into an icy globe, the same voice permeates the dream, and that angelic voice belongs to none other than Katara herself.*
Katara: Aang? Aang! Wake up.
*And so he did, Aang shoots up, throwing the covers of his body and gasping for air to find Katara perches beside him and stands up as she sees that her new friend is awake.*
Katara: It's okay, we're in the village now! Come on, get ready. *Points to the door of the tent* Everyone's waiting to meet you.
*After letting him know this, Aang happily gets out of bed and starts to dress himself while Katara takes a step toward the door. But just as she is about to exit, the Waterbender glances back at him and gasps, staring in wonder at the blue, arrow-shaped tattoos that trace his arms and legs and reach up his back and to his head. Before Aang is able to get up, Katara pulls him along by his arm to meet the rest of the village. He is dragged out the tent toward a small congregation of villagers. They pass by Sokka, who is sitting at the side of the tent, sharpening his boomerang while Enola walks over to greet their new friend.*
Enola: Good morning, Aang! Sleep well?
Aang: *Rubs the back of his head nervously* You could say that…
Katara: Aang, this is the entire village. *Points to the line of villagers in front of them* Entire village, Aang.
*When Aang is introduced, he bows respectfully toward the villagers, but they cower away in fear, bringing a surprised look to Katara, Enola, and Aang's faces whereas Sokka just watches from a distance.*
Aang: *Uncomfortably* Uh, why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?
*As he checks clothing for any sign of his bison's green snot, an elderly woman steps forward out of the line of the village. She owns the same resemblance of the three siblings, specifically Katara and Enola's hair loopies.*
(?): Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct, until my granddaughters and grandson found you.
Aang: *Shocked in disbelief* 'Extinct'?
Enola: *Gesturing* Aang, this is our grandmother, Kanna.
Kanna: *Owning a flatly, dull expression* Call me, Gran-Gran.
*However, something catches Sokka's eye as he walks toward Aang and abruptly snatches the Airbender's staff out of his hands and starts to examine it.*
Sokka: *Annoyed* What is this, a weapon? You can't stab anything with this!
Aang: *Airbends the staff back into his hands* It's not for stabbing. It's for airbendering.
*After correcting this, he opens the glider, causing Sokka to gasp in frig and cover his head with his hands as the design pops out of nowhere, having its resemblance as an umbrella from the orange cloth attached to it; though this demonstration was very pleasing in the children's eyes.*
Little Village Girl: *Excited* Magic trick! Do it again!
Aang: Not magic, airbending. *Moves his glider around him while visually demonstrating how it works* It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly.
Sokka: *Mocking in disbelief* Ya know, last time I checked, humans can't fly!
Aang: *Accepting Sokka's challenge, he smiles* Check again.
*Aang then grabs hold of his glider and pushes himself off the ground, leaving Katara, Enola, and Sokka to cover their faces against the sudden wind. The village stares in awe as Aang makes some loops and turns within the sky.*
Little Village Girl: *In admiration* He's flying!
Enola: *Astonished and looks to Sokka with a small smirk and a shrug* Well, he is an airbender.
*In the sky, Aang makes another loop and speeds up to soar past the gazing villagers.*
Little Village Girl #2: It's amazing!
*The boy's own shadow passes over Katara, who is smiling broadly at him. Intending to further impress the villagers, Aang flies sideways and closes his eyes while grinning broadly. But without paying attention to where he's flying, Aang promptly flies head-on into the village's watchtower, causing his head to be stuck in its side. Both Katara and Enola cover their mouths as they watch Aang struggle to extricate his head from the icy watchtower. Though, in Enola's mind, she couldn't help, but find this funny seeing as someone gave Sokka the karma after yesterday's incident. Succeeding in freeing himself from the cold, Aang tumbles downward onto a pile of snow at the base of the tower that crumbled out of the building. Katara immediately rushes to his side while Sokka stares in shock at the damage inflicted on his watchtower.*
Sokka: *Shocked* My watchtower!
*As Aang lies covered in snow at the base of the partially collapsed tower, Katara and some other girls of the tribe run toward him, smiling.*
Katara: *Offering her hand out* That was amazing!
*Sokka then runs toward his watchtower and starts to pat it in the hope that he can save it from collapsing any further while Aang spins his staff around to retract its wings, the older sibling is soon knocked down by a large pack of snow that falls down, causing another laugh to be heard from Enola once more.*
Sokka: *Annoyed* Great. You're an airbender, Katara and Enola are waterbenders. Together, the three of you can just waste time all day long.
*He wedges himself free from underneath the weight of the snow and stalks off as Aang turns to face both sisters surprised with admiration.*
Aang: You two are waterbenders?
Katara: *Nervously* Well, sort of. Not yet.
Enola: We still have a lot of practicing to do, but we'll get there eventually…
Kanna: Alright, no more playing. *To Katara and Enola* Come on, girls, you two have chores.
*The elderly woman leads her granddaughters away from Aang while the villagers begin to surround him as the trio pass by.*
Katara: *Excitedly* We told you, he's the real thing, Gran-Gran! We have finally found a bender to teach us!
Enola: Yeah, I mean, we'll need to defend our village, and honestly if we're ever ambushed by the Fire Nation, Sokka's gonna need a lot more backup than just his stupid boomerang as his only defense.
Kanna: *Calmly faces her granddaughters* Katara, Enola, try not to put both of your hopes in this boy.
Enola: What? Why not?
Kanna: This boy may not be what you two think he means.
Katara: But he's special! I can tell, and so can Enola. *Clenches her fist and closes her eyes in hope* I sense he's filled with much wisdom.
Enola: *Nods and placed an arm around her sister's shoulder* Took the words right out of my mouth, sis.
*Just then, she couldn't help but laugh towards the sight of what she glanced at, causing Katara to open her eyes and look back to find Aang, who is surrounded by a bunch of kids. While smiling his face off, it appears that his tongue is stuck to his staff.*
Aang: *Muffled* See? Now my tongue isstuck to my staff!
*Much to the boy with tattoos' discomfort, one of the smaller village boys starts to yank his staff, pulling Aang along with every movement. All village kids laugh and applaud Aang as his tongue remains stuck to his staff in a slight defeat.*
*An hour has gone by and in one area of the Southern Water Tribe village, Sokka is pacing to and fro with his arms behind his back as he is currently teaching the small boys the mechanisms of how to strike back against any fire bender that crosses their homeland.*
Sokka: *With a stern expression* Now, men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender. *Brings out his club and holds it proudly* In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing! For without courage, how can we call ourselves 'men'?
*After clutching his fist to emphasize the word 'men' he stares down the people in front of him. And those same people contained six uninterested little boys.*
Southern Water Tribe Boy: *Waving his hand in the air* I gotta pee!
Sokka: *Becomes irritated* Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe, and that means no potty breaks!
Southern Water Tribe Boy: But I really gotta go.
Sokka: *Sighs* Okay, who else has to go?
*And immediately, every child raises each hand, causing Sokka to become surprised for a second, before facepalming in frustration just until both Katara and Enola run up to their brother as the children leave.*
Katara: *In a worried tone* Have you seen Aang? Gran-Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago.
Enola: *After the mention of his name, she points a finger* There he is!
*The airbender appears from an outhouse igloo while pulling his pants up a little higher just as the little tribe boys made it.*
Aang: *Amused* Wow! Everything freezes in there!
*He points toward the bathroom with a smile on his face as Sokka's 'soldiers' halt beside him and laugh at his silliness.*
Sokka: *Annoyed* Ugh! *Angrily points at Aang* Katara, Enola, get him out of here! This lesson is for warriors only!
*Before Sokka is about to walk away, he stops at the sounds of children playing.*
Village Boy: Weee!
*He turns around, and the picture follows his gaze to reveal the village children sliding down Appa's tail like a slide with Aang happily watching from above the bison. The end of the tail is propped upward (with the help of large sticks and Sokka's spear), so the children are propelled into the air. Katara and Enola watch as one of the little water tribe boys slid down Appa's tail and landed safely into the soft pile of snow. They laugh at this sight before Sokka stomps towards them.*
Sokka: Stop! Stop it right now! *Looks up at Aang* What's wrong with you!? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on!
Aang: *Confused and slides down from Appa* What war? What are you talking about?
Sokka: You're kidding, right?
*However, before the airbender could reply to Sokka's question, he spots an animal within his gray eyes.*
Aang: *Yelling* PENGUINNN!
*The animal that caught Aang's eye is none other than an otter-penguin as it was startled by the boy's outburst and quickly waddles off. Aang then goes off on chase, racing past Katara, Enola, and Sokka, enhancing his speed with his airbending. He leaves a deep trail in the snow as he dashes after the otter-penguin.*
Sokka: He's kidding, right?
*Without a reply, all three siblings glance at each other, not sure on how to react towards Aang's reaction about the war.*
Enola: Maybe his head's still foggy from being in that ice.
Katara: We should go after him.
Sokka: *Sarcastically* Sure, sure, you guys go run off and chase after the penguin-catcher while I deliberately teach the troops how to fight in a hundred year war; *Walks away* what could be more important than that?
Enola: *Sighs and looks at Katara* I'll stay here and finish up the rest of our chores, you go look for Aang.
Katara: *Nods and runs off* Thanks, Enola!
*Enola smiles at the sight of her little sister running off to chase after the airbender who is most likely down in the penguin habitat. She remembered what it was like back then before the Fire Nation had invaded their home, nothing but pure joy, laughter, and fun; especially when it came to her and Katara going penguin sledding together when they were little. Everything was peaceful until that one day...*
author speaks!
hello, to the avatar community!! i am here with the second chapter! i am very excited to see how this story plays out (even though i already know how it plays out considering i am the one writing it, LOL) and yeahhh, so i hope y'all enjoyed this second chapter and i'll see y'all in the next update, love you!